My goal in 2016 was to read 26 books, and I exceeded that goal by reading 30! I think I did so many mainly because I found a lot of great audio books this year. I can listen to an entire audio book in a couple of days if I'm driving a lot, so that helped my numbers a bit. I'm still working out what I want my 2017 reading goals to be, but in the meantime, here's the final list of what I read in 2016, again, working from this list.
A book about marriage: You and Me Forever, by Francis Chan
I'm not married, but I do want to be married and, Lord willing, perhaps someday I will be. Therefore, a good friend recommended this book about marriage, because if I do get married some day, why not be prepared? My biggest take away from this book was to always have an eternal perspective in mind. Marriage - like everything else in life - is temporary and fleeting, so how can we use our marriages and families to share the gospel, in light of eternity?
A book about the natural world: Isaac's Storm, by Eric Larson
I feel like I've read just about every book by Eric Larson. Looks like there's a couple I've still not read. But anyway....this book is about the Galveston hurricane and flood that struck Galveston, Texas in 1900 and essentially wiped out the entire island. The "Isaac" is Isaac Cline, a meteorologist who wrongly predicted the severity of the storm that was coming, resulting in tremendous loss of life and property. Like all of Larson's books, he has a masterful way of weaving together story and history. It was a fascinating look at the world of weather prediction in a time before satellites, computers, or really even telephones. The extent of the destruction in Galveston was just devastating, but this was a riveting story of the before, during, and aftermath of the storm.
A book about a hobby: Lit, by Tony Reinke
So, this may come as a surprise, but I like to read. Therefore, I decided to read a book about reading. This is probably one of my favorite books that I read this year becasue it helped me think through how to be a better reader. While I know the mechanics of reading, I want to be a more thoughtful and strategic reader. I was encouraged that some of his tools and suggestions are things I already do (such as reading more than one book at a time for different times/contexts.) There was a lot in this book that I want to incorporate into my 2017 reading goals.
A book by or about a missionary: Tank Man's Son (audiobook), by Mark Bouman
This book isn't primarily the story of how the author became a missionary, but rather the story of his growing up with an abusive father. The book piqued my interest because the author grew up in rural West Michigan in roughly the same time period as my parents, and some of the places mentioned in the book were familiar to me. The abuse he and his siblings and mother experienced was awful and had a significant detrimental impact on just about every aspect of his life. His story is one of redemption though, as Christ's love makes its way into the darkness of his life. Later in life, Mark and his wife become missionaries in Southeast Asia. While there in the midst of political violence that is threatening their lives and the lives of the orphans they are working with, Mark sees how God used the pain in his past to prepare him for that particular time and place. It was a hard story to listen to, with the horrific things the father did to the family, but it ended with redemption and hope.
A book written by someone of a different ethnicity than you: Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neal Hurston
I liked this book, but I really wanted to like it more than I actually did. The main character, Janine, is an African-American woman growing up and living in Florida in the 1920s? Maybe - I don't recall the year in which it was set. May have been earlier or later than that. Regardless, the story follows the life of Janine and her relationships with three different men: the first, an older man her grandmother forced her to marry so that she would have someone to take care of her; the second, an ambitious man she left her first husband for and subsequently married who turned out to have ambitions that focused only on himself; and the third man a much younger man she started a relationship with after her second husband died. My biggest frustration with the book was that it never seemed like there was a solid plot. The story just sort of drifted from one thing to another. Also, this third guy she was with was supposedly the best of the bunch, but you had to overlook the fact that he was verbally and physically abusive, which was hard to swallow. This book has such received so many accolades that I guess I was expecting something more.
A book published in 2016: Love Warrior (audiobook), by Glennon Doyle Melton
Glennon Doyle Melton is a popular author/blogger/conference speaker, and I wanted to read her book but didn't want to buy it, so was happy to find it on audiobook from my library. This version was read by her, which definitely gives strength to the book considering that is the story of her life. It would have been a bit strange to have another person reading it. I don't regularly read her blog nor follow her on Facebook, but the things I have read by her are enough to tell me that I don't totally agree with everything she teaches. That said, this book is an honest and raw telling of her struggles with bulimia, addiction, abortion, and her husband's infidelity. She is a masterful communicator, and pulls no punches as she tells her story. I appreciated her vulnerability and honesty. I particularly appreciated her honesty when she learned of her husband's infidelity and feeling that it would have been easier if he had died. I've known that feeling too, and it has to be one of the worst feelings ever. Her relationship with her sister is inspiring - you can tell that these two women have such a strong bond and care for each other so deeply. And yet....something big is missing from this book. The author affirms being a Christian and points to involvement in a local church as being integral to her and her family's healing process. And yet there is no discussion of sin, repentance, or a need for a savior. It would have been nice to see how the gospel made all of this change possible.
A book your pastor recommends: Knowing God, by J.I. Packer
Almost done with this one. Earlier this year I asked my pastor to recommend a book, and he recommended this one. I first read this book in college (I think it's required that anyone involved with IVCF needs to at least own this book, even if they've never actually read the entire thing.) My pastor commented that the first few and final few chapters of the book were his favorites. I started this book strong, and agree that the first few chapters are especially good (God is knowable! But what does it look like to know God? How do people who know God look and live?) Truth be hold though, midway through, my attention started to wane (I think this same thing happened to me back in 1998 too...) Therefore, I am going to skip to the end to finish up the last chapter, and then move on. This was another thing I gleaned from "Lit" and that I am slowly embracing...it's okay not read every.single.word. in a book. In some books, it's okay to only read certain chapters. This has always felt wrong to me, yet I see the wisdom and freedom in this. So at the end of the day I can't say I read this book cover-to-cover in 2016, but close enough.
So that's it! I feel like I read a decent variety in 2016. I'm looking forward to my 2017 reading adventures!
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