Reading has predictably slowed, and school is in full swing. We’re on week 3 of 36. Through it all, I continue to make meager progress on Tim Challies Reading Challenge. I haven’t been so concerned to read through the list as to just read whatever I feel like. Next month I plan to be a bit more focused and/or judicious.
Here’s what I read in August, that I won’t write about elsewhere:
- Teaching and Christian Imagination by David I. Smith
- Up, Up, and Away: The Kid, the Hawk, Rock, Vladi, Pedro, le Grand Orange, Youppi!, the Crazy Business of Baseball, and the Ill-fated but Unforgettable Montreal Expos by Jonah Keri (really liked this one, and now miss the Expos more than I did when I found out they were leaving for Washington)
- Renewing Moral Theology: Christian Ethics as Action, Character and Grace by Daniel Westberg
- Spiritual Emotions: A Psychology of Christian Virtues by Robert C. Roberts
- The Pursuing God: A Reckless, Irrational, Obsessed Love That’s Dying to Bring Us Home by Joshua Ryan Butler
- Divine Sex: A Compelling Vision for Christian Relationships in a Hypersexualized Age by Jonathan Grant
- Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology (Spiritual Theology #1) by Eugene Peterson
And here’s what I’ll end up posting a review on sooner or later:
- Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance (see my post here)
- Loving Well by William P. Smith
- Pursuing Moral Faithfulness: Ethics and Christian Discipleship by Gary Tyra
- Kierkegaard: A Single Life by Stephen Backhouse
- Trapped: Getting Free from People, Patterns and Problems by Andy Farmer
- Impossible People: Christian Courage and the Struggle for the Soul of Civilization by Os Guinness
- A Theology of Biblical Counseling: The Doctrinal Foundations of Counseling Ministry by Heath Lambert
Lastly, if you’re keeping score at home, I’m up to 69 books in the lists below, but I’ve read 118 new books total this year.
Here’s the whole list, in case you’re curious (and even if you’re not):
THE LIGHT READER (9 BOOKS)
- ☒ A book about Christian living (Sanctified by Grace)
- ☒ A biography (Kierkegaard: A Single Life)
- ☐ A classic novel
- ☒ A book someone tells you “changed my life” (You Are What You Love)
- ☒ A commentary on a book of the Bible (The Promise of His Appearing:)
- ☒ A book about theology (Theology as Discipleship)
- ☒ A book with the word “gospel” in the title or subtitle (The Gospel according to Heretics)
- ☐ A book your pastor recommends
- ☒ A book more than 100 years old
- ☒ A book for children (The Sword of Summer)
- ☐ A mystery or detective novel
- ☒ A book published in 2016 (From Topic to Thesis)
- ☒ A book about a current issue (Five Views on The Church and Politics)
THE AVID READER (11 BOOKS)
- ☒ A book written by a Puritan (The Bruised Reed)
- ☒ A book recommended by a family member (Batman: The Killing Joke)
- ☒ A book by or about a missionary (Kierkegaard: A Christian Missionary to Christians)
- ☒ A novel that won the Pulitzer Prize (The Grapes of Wrath)
- ☒ A book written by an Anglican (Paul and The Trinity)
- ☒ A book with at least 400 pages (Reading The Word of God in The Presence of God)
- ☐ A book by C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien
- ☒ A book that has a fruit of the Spirit in the title (Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World)
- ☒ A book with a great cover (Of Orcas and Men)
- ☒ A book on the current New York Times list of bestsellers (But What If We’re Wrong)
- ☒ A book about church history (Theologians You Should Know)
- ☒ A graphic novel (Watchmen)
- ☐ A book of poetry
THE COMMITTED READER (15 BOOKS)
- ☒ A book from a theological viewpoint you disagree with (How I Changed My Mind About Evolution)
- ☒ A book written by an author with initials in their name (Discipleship in The Present Tense: Reflections on Faith and Culture)
- ☐ A book that won a ECPA Christian Book Award
- ☒ A book about worldview (The Experience of God)
- ☐ A play by William Shakespeare
- ☒ A humorous book (This is Awkward)
- ☒ A book based on a true story (Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game)
- ☐ A book written by Jane Austen
- ☐ A book by or about Martin Luther
- ☐ A book with 100 pages or less
- ☐ A book with a one-word title
- ☒ A book about money or finance (The God Ask)
- ☒ A novel set in a country that is not your own (A Hologram for a King)
- ☐ A book about music
- ☒ A memoir (The Pastor: A Memoir)
- ☒ A book about joy or happiness (Happiness)
- ☐ A book by a female author
- ☒ A book whose title comes from a Bible verse (Eat This Book)
- ☒ A book you have started but never finished (Loving Well)
- ☒ A self-improvement book (Nudge)
- ☐ A book by David McCullough
- ☒ A book you own but have never read (The Work of Christ (Contours in Christian Theology))
- ☐ A book about abortion
- ☐ A book targeted at the other gender
- ☒ A book by a speaker at a conference you have attended (Living in The Light: Money, Sex, & Power)
- ☒ A book written by someone of a different ethnicity than you (Between The World and Me)
THE OBSESSED READER (34 BOOKS)
- ☒ A book published by The Banner of Truth (Silent Witnesses)
- ☐ A book about the Reformation
- ☒ A book written by a first-time author (Through Painted Deserts)
- ☒ A biography of a world leader (Gumption)
- ☒ A book used as a seminary textbook (The Birth of The Trinity)
- ☒ A book about food (Food: A Love Story)
- ☒ A book about productivity (Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business)
- ☒ A book about relationships or friendship (Divine Sex)
- ☐ A book about parenting
- ☒ A book about philosophy (Philosophy in Seven Sentences)
- ☐ A book about art
- ☒ A book with magic (The Alchemist)
- ☒ A book about prayer (Calling on The Name of The Lord)
- ☒ A book about marriage (The Dude’s Guide to Marriage)
- ☒ A book about a hobby (Moonwalking with Einstein)
- ☐ A book of comics
- ☐ A book about the Second World War
- ☒ A book about sports (From Season to Season)
- ☒ A book by or about a pastor’s wife (Black and White Bible, Black and Blue Wife)
- ☐ A book about suffering
- ☒ A book by your favorite author (Theology and The Mirror of Scripture: A Mere Evangelical Account)
- ☒ A book you have read before (The Lost Continent, Neither Here nor There, A Walk in The Woods)
- ☒ A book about homosexuality (People To Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just An Issue)
- ☐ A Christian novel
- ☒ A book about psychology (Wholeheartedness)
- ☒ A book about the natural world (On Animals Volume 1: Systematic Theology)
- ☐ A book by or about Charles Dickens
- ☒ A novel longer than 400 pages (East of Eden)
- ☒ A historical book (American Exceptionalism and Civil Religion)
- ☒ A book about the Bible (The Miracles of Jesus)
- ☒ A book about a country or city (California: A History)
- ☒ A book about astronomy (The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy)
- ☒ A book with an ugly cover (Life’s Too Short to Pretend You’re Not Religious)
- ☐ A book by or about a martyr
- ☐ A book by a woman conference speaker
- ☒ A book by or about the church fathers (Augustine on The Christian Life)
- ☐ A book about language
- ☐ A book by or about a Russian
- ☒ A book about leadership (Zeal Without Burnout)
- ☐ A book about public speaking
- ☐ A book by Francis Schaeffer
- ☒ A book by a Presbyterian (Hidden Agendas)
- ☒ A book about science (How to Be an Atheist)
- ☐ A book about revival (Habits of Grace)
- ☐ A book about writing
- ☐ A book about evangelism
- ☒ A book about ancient history (Defending Constantine)
- ☒ A book about preaching (Preaching the Whole Counsel of God)
- ☒ A book about the church (The Scandal of The Evangelical Mind)
- ☐ A book about adoption
- ☐ A photo essay book
- ☐ A book written in the twentieth century (Studies in Dogmatics The Work of Christ)