Dear fellow travelers,

As 2023 ends, many are posting reflections on the year, including book lists.  Figured I’d jump in again!  In 2022, I managed to read 22 books, but topped that in 2023 with 26.

What books did I read this year?

Let’s start with the fun ones.

Fiction books:

Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

Mostly Harmless is the last of 5 books in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series.  The Silmarillion I tried to read way back in high school but couldn’t finish.  I finally got it in this year.

Classics:

Each year I try to fit in a couple of “classics,” although what books belong in that category is debatable.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Chosen was my favorite of these.  It’s a story of two Jewish teenagers in Brooklyn in and around the time of World War II.  One of them was a strict Hasidic Jew, while the other was not, and the book follows their friendship over time.

A few history books:

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
Christianity Through the Centuries by Earle Cairns
Sacred Scripture, Sacred War by James P. Byrd

Erik Larson is one of my favorite authors, and this book covers the rise of Hitler, including why there wasn’t more opposition to him earlier, mostly through the eyes of the U.S. ambassador to Germany.

Byrd’s book is based on a study of hundreds of sermons delivered and/or published during the American Revolutionary War and covers the Bible verses and ideas that were used to motivate American soldiers.  Most interesting were verses whose interpretations changed to fit the preacher’s objectives, not objectives changed to fit Scripture.  For example, there were verses used to justify rebellion from England that were later used to justify submission to the new American government.

More non-fiction than usual:

Success Through Failure by Henry Petroski
Force by Henry Petroski
Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke
The Elements of Style by Strunk & White

I read two by Petroski by accident.  One was recommended by a relative and the other by a book review I read.  Only when I started the second one did I realize it was the same author.  Both were interesting descriptions of engineering ideas for laymen like myself.

I hope to not break any of Strunk & White’s rules in my blog in 2024.  I initially read it during college, and finally came back to it for some light airplane reading.

Also more biography than usual:

Faithful Presence by Bill Haslam
Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter
Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
Pulitzer by W.A. Swanberg

Reading about Tolkien and Lewis back-to-back was very interesting, and not just because they mention each other.  I didn’t know much about Tolkien’s background and faith, and how those influenced his fiction, or much of Lewis’ journey of faith.

The Pulitzer biography was fascinating as background for why much of the media are the way they are today.  Pulitzer as publisher was driven by a political agenda and used sensationalist methods to bring in readership.  Pulitzer as man was a genius with an amazing memory, but also abusive of his staff and sometimes his family.

Plus a bunch of religious books and devotionals:

In addition to regular Bible and study Bible reading, in 2023 I read:

Is Europe Christian? By Olivier Roy
Rediscovering Holiness by J.I. Packer
2 books by my former pastor Glenn Parkinson: A Larger Faith: the Book of Daniel and Peter’s Principles: Learning to Follow Jesus
The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
3 books by Warren Wiersbe: Be Committed (Ruth/Esther), Be Determined (Nehemiah), and Be Patient (Job).
Morning by Morning by Charles Spurgeon

Roy’s book discusses different ideas of how a country or region can be considered Christian, then whether Europe meets his criteria. I found the parts about “what is a Christian country?” more interesting that the question asked in the title.

I read the Four Loves for the first time because someone recently compared one of my posts to the book.  Much of the book isn’t theology, but more practical observations about human relationships.

I picked up Wiersbe’s entire “Be” series in 2021 as part of a digital subscription and am working through it over time.  A long time.  I like his overall approach and the books are a great source of thoughtful stories and quotes.

26 is lot for me, and how many will I read in 2024?  Who knows…in the meantime, have you read any of these 26?  What books did you enjoy in 2023?