Reading is part of my job. But I enjoy the so-called busman’s holiday of reading on my own time. As I did at the end of 2007, I am listing the books I finished on my own time (in the order I read them) during the past twelve months.
The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell
Sex and Dating, Mindy Meier
All the Ideas Living in My Head, Don Everts
Children of God, Mary Doria Russell
The Holy Longing, Ronald Rolheiser
The Last European War, John Lukacs
Culture Making, Andy Crouch
Friday Night Lights, H. G. Bissinger
Rethinking Christ and Culture, Craig A. Carter
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth E. Bailey
Faith in the Halls of Power, Michael Lindsay
The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson
The Merchant of Death, D. J. MacHale
No Future Without Forgiveness, Desmond Tutu
Motivating the “What’s In It For Me?” Workforce, Cam Marston
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Renni Browne and Dave King
Story, Robert McKee
The Shack, William P. Young
Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
Speaker for the Dead, Orson Scott Card
Publishing for Profit, Thomas Woll
Daring to Draw Near, John White
Gilead, Marilyn Robinson
Sin in the Second City, Karen Abbott
A Promise Kept, Robertson McQuilkin
The Soul Tells a Story, Vinita Hampton Wright
Fire Sale , Sara Paretsky
The Lost History of Christianity, Philip Jenkins
Making Room for Leadership, MaryKate Morse
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
After the new year, I’ll offer some general comments on the list and which were the best.
Andy,
How do you choose what books you read each year? Also, how much time do you invest in reading these books? I notice you have read 28-20 books each of the past two years, and I am curious how you do it!
Thanks,
Allen McClellan
Cohutta, GA
The Soul Tells a Story. I read it in 2008, 2007, 2006. Okay, 2009 here we come.
Allen
How do I choose what I read? First, of course, recommendations from others. I listen to what people are very excited about and take that as a cue. I don’t read everything others suggest, but it is a key way I make decisions.
Second, I tend to focus on certain genres. I like history, science fiction and New Testament studies. So you’ll see a generous sampling of those in both lists.
Third, I will select a few bestsellers each year, just to keep up with what lots of folks are reading.
Fourth, I’m in a neighborhood book club and so I of course read what is selected for that.
Fifth, I meet every couple weeks with a friend, and usually we pick a book to work through together.
How do I read as much as I do? Some is in blocks like on long plane trips or on vacation. But reading 15 minutes a day will get average readers through 15 two-hundred page books a year. So I read a little most days.
Andy