By Goodread’s measurements, I read more books this year than in any previous year. It honestly doesn’t seem like it, but maybe I’m misremembering how I spent my time. But, I read over 25 more books than my previous best for a total count of 188. While that almost doubled Challies Reading Challenge (I averaged 3.6 books a week compared to the 2 a week needed for completion), I didn’t actually complete it. The obvious reason why is that some categories listed below just didn’t catch my interest enough for me to read a book that filled that slot. I am satisfied with my level of participation though and ended with 90 of the 104 books read. If you’re curious how I read so much, watch a post about it next week.
As you can tell by my December totals, I’ve been on break. To be fair, some of the books listed below were plodded through over the course of several months and just happened to be completed this month. Vol. 3 of Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics is case in point. While it’s the longest book I read this year, I didn’t read all of it this year.
Several books below you can expect a review for in the coming weeks. You’ll notice some themes, and that I went on an Oliver Crisp binge (more on that tomorrow).
That being said, here’s what I completed in December:
- Saving Calvinism: Expanding the Reformed Tradition by Oliver Crisp
- Unceasing Kindness: A Biblical Theology of Ruth by Peter Lau and Gregory Goswell
- Leadership Mosaic: 5 Leadership Principles for Ministry and Everyday Life by Daniel Montgomery (and Jared Kennedy)
- The Word Enfleshed: Exploring the Person and Work of Christ by Oliver Crisp
- Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Finding Authentic Faith in a Forgotten Age with C. S. Lewis by Chris R. Armstrong
- Reformed Dogmatics Volume 3: Sin and Salvation in Christ by Herman Bavinck (finally)
- Reformed Dogmatics: Anthropology by Geerhardus Vos
- The Incarnation of God: The Mystery of the Gospel as the Foundation of Evangelical Theology by Marcus Peter Johnson and John C. Clark
- The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World by Peter Scazzero
- Jonathan Edwards among the Theologians by Oliver Crisp
- The Person of Christ (Contours of Christian Theology, #7) by Donald Macleod
- Evangelical Theology: An Introduction by Karl Barth
- On Pastoring: A Short Guide to Living, Leading, and Ministering as a Pastor by H. B. Charles Jr.
- God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of Christ by Stephen J. Wellum
- Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology by Oliver Crisp
- The Anglican Understanding of the Church: An Introduction by Paul Avis
- We Are All Weird by Seth Godin
- Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller
- Stylish Academic Writing by Helen Sword
- The Art Of Biblical Poetry by Robert Alter
- The Seed: A True Myth by Erik Guzman
- On Speaking Well by Peggy Noonan
- Brand Luther: How an Unheralded Monk Turned His Small Town into a Center of Publishing, Made Himself the Most Famous Man in Europe–and Started the Protestant by Andrew Pettigree
- Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life: From the Cross, for the World by Stephen J. Nichols
If you’re keeping score at home, I’m finishing out with 90 books in the lists below, and a new PR of 188 books this year.
Here’s the whole list, in case you’re curious (and even if you’re not):
THE LIGHT READER (12 BOOKS)
- ☒ A book about Christian living (Sanctified by Grace)
- ☒ A biography (Kierkegaard: A Single Life)
- ☒ A classic novel (Big Sur)
- ☒ 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 (On Pastoring)
- ☒ A book more than 100 years old (Reformed Dogmatics Vol. 3)
- ☒ 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 (13 BOOKS)
- ☒ A book written by a Puritan (The Bruised Reed)
- ☒ A book recommended by a family member (If You Can Keep It)
- ☒ 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 (The Great Divorce)
- ☒ 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 Art of Biblical Poetry)
THE COMMITTED READER (21 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 (Unashamed)
- ☒ 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 (Brand Luther)
- ☒ A book with 100 pages or less (We are All Weird)
- ☒ A book with a one-word title (Happiness)
- ☒ 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 (Your Favorite Band is Killing Me)
- ☒ A memoir (The Pastor: A Memoir)
- ☒ A book about joy or happiness (Introducing Moral Theology)
- ☒ A book by a female author (Neither Complementarian Nor Egalitarian)
- ☒ 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 (44 BOOKS)
- ☒ A book published by The Banner of Truth (Silent Witnesses)
- ☒ A book about the Reformation (The Unfinished 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 (Modern Art and The Life of a Culture)
- ☒ 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 (Batman: The Killing Joke)
- ☐ 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 (Walking With God through Pain and 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 (The Seed)
- ☒ 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 (Star Struck)
- ☒ A book with an ugly cover (Life’s Too Short to Pretend You’re Not Religious)
- ☒ A book by or about a martyr (Bonhoeffer on The Christian Life)
- ☐ A book by a woman conference speaker
- ☒ A book by or about the church fathers (Augustine on The Christian Life)
- ☒ A book about language (Greek for Everyone)
- ☐ A book by or about a Russian
- ☒ A book about leadership (Zeal Without Burnout)
- ☒ A book about public speaking (On Speaking Well)
- ☐ 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 (Stylish Academic Writing)
- ☒ A book about evangelism (Making Sense of God + Hidden Christmas)
- ☒ 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)