One of my favorite things to do is to read, and so I read a lot – about 100 books a year, or an average of two a week. Lest I devolve into a full-fledged book snob, however, I often remind myself of the wise words of John Wesley: “Beware you be not swallowed up in books: an ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge.”
If we had to choose between loving and reading, we’d certainly do well to choose the former. My hunch, though, is that the discipline of reading widely and well is a crucial part of loving God with our minds and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Here’s where my reading journey has led.
2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003
41. Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (currently reading)
40. Johnson & Larsen, eds., Bonhoeffer, Christ and Culture (currently reading)
39. Ernest Hemingway, To Have and Have Not
38. Samuel Rodriguez, The Lamb’s Agenda
37. Hugh Heclo, On Thinking Institutionally
36. Mae Elise Cannon, Just Spirituality
35. Marilynne Robinson, When I Was a Child I Read Books
34. Eduardo Galeano, Memory of Fire, Vol. 2: Faces & Masks
33. Miroslav Volf, Exclusion & Embrace
32. Samuel Escobar, The New Global Mission
31. Henri Nouwen, Love in a Fearful Land
30. Kris Rocke & Joel Van Dyke, Geography of Grace
29. T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets
28. Francisco Goldman, The Art of Political Murder
27. Various, Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter
26. Timothy Keller, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness
25. Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, The World Is Not Ours to Save
24. Lauren Winner, Still
23. Bob Goudzwaard, Aid for the Overdeveloped West
22. Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin
21. Francis Chan, Multiply
20. Andy Crouch, Culture Making
19. Julia Cameron, ed., Christ Our Reconciler: Gospel, Church, World
18. Brad Feld, Startup Communities
17. Michael Hyatt, Platform
16. Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus
15. Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., Engaging God’s World
14. Henri Nouwen, Making All Things New
13. Boice & Ryken, The Doctrines of Grace
12. Chester Nez, Code Talker
11. Kevin Hendricks, 137 Books in One Year
10. Christopher Heuertz, Unexpected Gifts
9. Erin Kissane, The Elements of Content Strategy
8. Wayne Grudem, Business for the Glory of God
7. Ken Wytsma, Pursuing Justice
6. Patrick & Carter, For the City
5. James Davison Hunter, To Change The World
4. John Steinbeck, The Moon is Down
3. Eugene Peterson, Take & Read
2. Edith Schaeffer, L’Abri
1. Various, Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas