I am one of those readers who reads with a pen in hand. I almost cannot read a book unless I am underlining statements and scribbling in the margins. This slows down my reading speed significantly, but I think it helps sharpen my mind and interact with the ideas of others.
My goal is to read 4000 books in my lifetime, and this post will keep track of my progress in 2017.
I already own more books than I can read in a lifetime (which I find highly depressing), and so I buy fewer books than I used to, and I have begun to weigh the pros and cons of any book I read.
It’s a little crass, but when I consider whether or not I should read a book, I often think of Elaine from Seinfeld wondering if a boyfriend was “sponge worthy.”
Anyway… with that image in mind … here are the books I have read so far:
- Birth-2009 Estimate: 1500 (doesn’t count children’s books)
- 4000 Books 2010: 45
- 4000 Books 2011: 69
- 4000 Books 2012: 52
- 4000 Books 2013: 57
- 4000 Books 2014: 57
- 4000 Books 2015: 55
- 4000 Books 2016: 56
- 4000 Books 2017: See Comments Below
- Total so Far: 1891
Some of these books make it onto my list of “The Books Every Christian Should Read.” If you haven’t read the books on that list … well, you should.
What books have you read this past year which influenced your life and theology? What books are you excited to read in 2017?
He who dies with the most books wins! Just call them your “Reference Collection”!
Ha! Yes!
Well… I’ve read a couple books since New Year’s. First, I read “The Bad Christian’s Manifesto” by Dave Tomlinson. GREAT book. You’d like it. Then I read “Cold Case Christianity” by J. Warner Wallace. Very convincing evidence for Christianity—it’s a bit like Strobel’s “Case For Christ”, but reads more like a chatty textbook. Now I’m looking for something new to read… totally open to recommendations!
I broke my “fast” of not buying any books for a year by buying and downloading your The Atonement of God. I’ve been waiting for months.
Yay! Glad I could break your fast. Ha! Let me know what you think and if you have questions.
Your explanation of the offerings of Cain and Abel is giving me something to mull over as I keep reading.
Great! I expand a lot more on that explanation in my One Verse Podcast.
My answer is the same as last year, I am waiting for Greg Boyd’s ‘Crucifixion of the Warrior God’. At least we know that it will be out this year for sure. Other than that I would like to read Keith Giles’ “Jesus Untangled’ and Viola and Sweet’s ‘Epic Jesus’.
I’m looking for a few good books that rethink the way we view heaven. Any suggestions?
Hmm. Well, I think in my list on the Best Chrstian books, I mention “Heaven is Not My Home.”
https://redeeminggod.com/best-christian-books/
I also seem to remember liking the book called “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn, but it has been … 15 or more years maybe since I read it, so I am not sure if I remember correctly.
Also, I think I remember reading in NT Wright that I liked. It was probably “Surprised by Hope.” http://amzn.to/2j3NX3s
Tagging and sharing this post. I’m skimming my library. My inner librarian please forgive me.
Ha Ha! 😀 Your blog this week really made me laugh! This is my declutter time of year and only today I was standing in front of my wall of bookshelves wondering whether I could bear to part with any of them although many have not, and may not, get read. However good intentions won – yet again. I have just been following an out of the box video series by Torben Søndergaard, pioneering Danish evangelist, which has whetted my appetite for a book of his called: “The Last Reformation” which I am about to dig into.
Well in the previous year I have read (skimmed and skipped) about twenty technical books for various exams to be an electrician. In fact I have been an electrician for forty years I just needed the papers to prove I am! I generally, mostly read technical books. Prior to that, two years ago, as I wanted to know exactly what Jesus said, after googling it and finding no anwers I thought well I will have to read the bible. So it took about a year. It changed me from being a church attending died in the wool catholic to I really haven’t worked out what. That was at the age of sixty. My sabbath is now Saturday. I was at once devastated at some of the things Jesus said, and liberated all at the same time. I was in wonderment with the book of Job. I was astounded to see satan sitting among the hosts of heaven casually explaining his presence before God. Even more astounded at God visiting Job and giving him a run down oh such as “Where you there at the laying of the foundations of the heavens….” and so on. If I do read it is mostly through electronic means. I read booklets about the bible. I am especially interested in Genesis and Revelations with a love for Job. Since reading the bible I have got rid of loads of books I had on Acupuncture, martial arts, Astrology and such “sciences” I have only kept books on herbs and cooking and religion. I also read the Apocrypha, and did like the book of Enoch and the extra Esdras as well as the Maccabeans. Anyway mustn’t go on….
End of the year I read Light on the Dark Side of God by M. M. Campbell and Good God by Lucas Miles. Being raised in Calvinistic theology, these books help changing my view of God quite a lot! It feels so refreshing to read this and it gives a new sight of who God really is.
I am reading The ReJustification of God. I did find the cover pretty interesting though. Will let you know of what I think when I am done.
Just finished reading Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman. Written in 1949 and still timely. Read this for a class I am taking and the discussion was fantastic. This will be on my reread list.