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A few days ago I saw the list of books that Andrew Wilson (AJWTheology) has read this year.
Since then I have veered between feelings of deep depression and absolute awe! How does one person read nearly 100 books in a year in the middle of what I know is a very demanding schedule as well as family responsibilities? And what books - they aren't comics; most of them are what many of us would regard as very heavy reading. But the list is also very useful as it gives good tips for some books I might attempt next year.
So here is my more modest list for the past year which being two thirds shorter and rather more lightweight in places could be an encouragement for some and confirm the need you may feel I should do better and read more widely.
Conclave by Robert Harris
The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
A River in Darkness by Masafi Ishikawa
The Betrayal by Kate Furnivall
Tales from the Fast Trains by Tom Chesshyre
This Orient Isle by Jerry Brotten
A Long Walk in Wintertime by Libby Purves
Camino Island by John Grisham (not one of his best)
The Zanzibar Wife by Deborah Rodriguez
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Schaeffer (No, I haven't seen the film)
Waling with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller (the best I've read on the subject)
A History of Christianity by Diarmaid MacCulloch (Long, informative, depressing, cynical, selective, prejudiced but important. Not sure if I enjoyed it)
Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
Paul by Tom Wright (Disappointing)
Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell (I really did laugh out loud)
Liberation by Kate Furnivall
With the Clouds of Heaven by J M Hamilton Jnr ( a good commentary on Daniel)
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
The Separation by Dinah Jefferies
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (fabulous read)
A Peculiar Glory by John Piper
The Confession by John Grisham (one of his best)
Reading the Bible Supernaturally by John Piper
Convinced by Scripture by Andy Johnston
Hearing Her Voice by John Dixon
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafron (A classic)
The Muse by Jennie Burton
John Wesley by Basil Miller
Job by Christopher Ash ( Superb commentary)
The Holiness of God by RC Sproul
J Hudson Taylor by Roger Steer
There were two books I gave up on. One was: Why we Sleep by Matthew Walker. Very technical in places and I began to find it boring and fell asleep. This was better than his top tip for sleeping which I have always observed and it doesn't work!
Also the instantly famous 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B Peterson. He says some great things to camera but in writing a book won't use one word if a thousand will do. Chapter headings tell you what you need to know, I only got as far as 6 rules in reading complete chapters....
Best book of the year for me was Christopher Ash's commentary on Job. Really helps you to understand one of the more challenging books in the Bible in a scholarly yet accessible way.