Reading Thoughts for the New Year
I talked about planning my reading for 2017 a little bit more than my traditional haphazard “Oh look, that sounds good” method for reading. In pondering this, one thing I’ve tried to do over the years (and generally failed miserably at) is to read more non-fiction. I’m thinking perhaps this is because my thought has been, “I should read more non-fiction.” And that’s where it stops. So for 2017, I’ve chosen a few specific non-fiction books that have been on my to-read list for entirely too long. And then, in that same vein, I’ve chosen a few fiction books that I’ve wanted to read but never, for whatever reason, gotten around to.
So, without further ado, the books I am planning to read for 2017:
Non-Fiction
- Confessions (Augustine)
- Life Together (Bonhoeffer)
- The Cost of Discipleship (Bonhoeffer)
- A Grief Observed (C.S. Lewis)
- A Severe Mercy (Shelden Vanauken)
- Real Christianity (Wilberforce)
- How the Irish Saved Civilization (Thomas Cahill)
Fiction
- The Man Who Was Thursday (Chesterton)
- Middlemarch (Elliot)
- Master & Commander (O’Brian)
- Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (Forester)
- Don Quixote (Cervantes)
- Poetry of John Donne
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Verne)
I’m sure I’ll read much more than that — that’s only 14 books, after all. (Though I’ll admit that the non-fiction is likely to take me much longer to read than fiction usually does. That’s not always a bad thing.)
It feels nice, though, to have a little direction and at least an intention to read things that are likely to be edifying and thought provoking.
Related Posts
This Post Has 3 Comments
Comments are closed.
The Cahill book is on my long-term TBR as well. Maybe I should move it to the top. I read the one about the Jews. Have you read it?
Also, if you’re keen on Bonhoeffer, I strongly recommend Metaxas’ biography, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. It really brought Bonhoeffer’s books to light in a new way for me. It’s thick but an easy read.
I read the Metaxas biography of Bonhoeffer last year (2015) and it’s what bumped some of his works onto my list to start with. It was an amazing read. I haven’t read the one about the Jews – maybe I’ll add it to the pile for the future.
One way I help direct my reading is by participating in a Faith-Based Book Club at church. We meet one evening a month, and we select a Christian fiction book one month and a Christian non-fiction book for the following month. It has gotten me to read much more non-fiction than I normally would!