Last year I re-discovered my love of reading, and I think I read more books in 2009 than I had read in the few years preceding it. My Christmas list included several books that I want to read in 2010, and I was fortunate enough to be hooked up with some paperbacks that I’m pretty psyched to start reading. Here are the books I’ve got sitting in the living room waiting to be read:
- Winesburg, OH by Sherwood Anderson: My high-school English teacher’s husband wrote a book called Knockemstiff which was published a couple years ago. It’s a great book made up of short stories about a small community not far from where I live in Southern Ohio. The book has been compared to Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, OH, which also contains several inter-related short stories about a tiny town in Ohio. I’m pretty psyched to start this one.
- On the Road by Jack Kerouac: I worked with a guy last year in a retail store who wouldn’t shut up about this book. The dude in question was rather annoying and I didn’t look forward to seeing him on the days we worked together, but during our conversations he always made this book sound so interesting. Not sure if I’ll like it, but I’m looking forward to reading it just the same.
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding: I’ve started this book three times and I keep getting sidetracked by something else. I need to pick a rainy day, brew some coffee, and sit down on the couch and try to get a chunk of this book read (if not all of it).
- How to Be Filled With the Holy Spirit by A.W. Tozer: For years I’ve been intrigued by the debate between Reformed and Wesleyan thinkers. I haven’t made up my mind and I’m not sure that I ever will, but I love reading about Christian doctrine and philosophy. I’ve read plenty of books and articles discussing Reformed theology, but I haven’t read a lot about Arminianism. My girlfriend’s dad (who is a pastor) gave me this book along with a transcript of a debate between a Calvinist and an Arminian. I hope to have both read in the very near future.
- How Should We Then Live? by Francis Schaeffer: Francis Schaeffer was one of the most renowned Christian thinkers of the 20th century, and this is his most famous book. I think this one will be fun.
- The Old Testament: The OT is hard to read. I’ve read the New Testament several times, but I’ve only read large chunks of the OT. My goal last year was to read the entire Bible, and that has spilled into this year. Time to jump back in the saddle and get it done.
So what do you guys think about my list? Any suggestions or criticisms? Do any of you have a reading list for the year?
- Wes
![[del.icio.us]](http://www.maxvsmax.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://www.maxvsmax.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://www.maxvsmax.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[MySpace]](http://www.maxvsmax.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/myspace.png)
![[Reddit]](http://www.maxvsmax.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/reddit.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://www.maxvsmax.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://www.maxvsmax.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://www.maxvsmax.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Email]](http://www.maxvsmax.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
You might add either “Forgotten God” or “Crazy Love”, both by Francis Chan. Both look at our relationship with God as a matter of course and use a biblical basis to do so. I just recently finished teaching a class on “Crazy Love” in my Young Adults group and found it quite frankly refreshing. Definitely worth a look.
As a matter of fact, yes – I want to read that Crazy Love book. I’m hearing good things.
“Winesburg, OH” is an amazing book. I haven’t read it since college but it’s definitely an underrated American lit classic.
Totally off-subject…it’s nice to see an artist from OH! I was born and raised in Canton, and currently reside in Cincinnati (with a 3-year stop in Northern Kentucky).
Believing the Holy Spirit works in miraculous gifting ways today does not necessarily preclude you from being a Calvinist (or Reformed). Consider, for instance, the stance of the Sovereign Grace churches.
“A guide for the perplexed” by E.F. Schumacher. This is the second most enlightening book I’ve read in my life. He’s christian though doesnt put too much emphasis on it in his book. An excellent book to understand the human nature, the world and our place in it. A cheap buy too! http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Perplexed-E-F-Schumacher/dp/0060906111/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264458234&sr=8-1
The one most enlightening book I’ve ever read is the Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tseu. A two thousand years old chinese classic. Unsurpassable in wisdom. I’ll let you make your own search for it if you will as there is several translations available.
Nice list man, good luck and get after it.
I found The Dharma Bums far more entertaining. If you want really entertaining and approachable Kerouac, buy or borrow his reading done with Steve Allen at the piano in the background Poetry for the Beat Generation. I’d recommend that to just about anyone.
Lord of the Flies! First read, semi-loathed it. Second read, realized it was actually a pretty good depiction of human nature.
The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis is awesome, as well as his Space Trilogy.
As far as the Reformed-Arminian debate goes, I am most certainly reformed, but I commend you for wanting to make sure you read both sides. I think it’s important to do that. I personally enjoy both Tim Keller and Mark Driscoll. Keller wrote The Reason for God (excellent), Prodigal God, and Counterfeit Gods (most recent). I’ve read parts of Driscoll’s Death by Love and Religion Saves: and 9 other myths, which are both great. I’ve also heard Vintage Jesus and Vintage Church are really good as well.
By the way, love the comics.
I’m in the middle of reading the last book in the Golden Compass series and I’m halfway through The Kite Flyer and I’ve got The Snowball sitting on my desk. I’ve got quite a few other books on the shelf I need to get through but I tend to read just a few pages a day so it’s slow going.
Well, see, I had to read Lord of the Flies in high school English for a novel study. So I’m really not sure I’d recommend it…
Good luck with the Old Testament. I have the same problem – its really dry. I would say that you should read a bit, then read one of your other books, then go back to the OT for a bit, etc.
My favorite authors right now are Terry Pratchett (Discworld) and Dave Duncan. You really should check out Discworld if you haven’t before, and if you like the Fantasy genre, Dave Duncan really is awesome. His worlds are fantastic, but still believable, and his characters come to life very well.
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!
I started Winesburg last night. I’m enjoying it.
Hey. I haven’t read through the previous suggestions, so I don’t know if someone else has said this or not, but I highly recommend books on tape…which are now obsolete…I highly recommend books on MP3…or CD. I used to think of them as a lowly form of a fake version of reading, but in actuality, you can do so much that you can’t do while reading a book. Your hands are free to do things like eat, draw, play the harmonica. It may be a good way to finally get through books that you can’t find yourself sitting down to read, like ‘Lord of the Flies’. And it’s a good way to up your yearly book reading list. In ‘On Writing’, Stephen King says he reads over 90 books a year, and about 10-15 of them are ‘on tape’. Of course it’s not for everyone, so give it a try…all you dedicated comment readers!
I would just like to say that Francis Schaeffer is awesome.
I agree. I’m looking forward to tearing into that one.
i’ll read the OT over the NT any day! such a wonderful chronology of history and stuff that would make awesome epic movies (and comics). plus i love all the foreshadowing of Jesus and how we’re basically following his genealogy.
For a cartoonist and a Christian, is there a bigger classic than Robert L. Short’s Gospel According to Peanuts?
I’ve been making my way through a lot of the original Sherlock Holmes stories (some for the second time) and I still enjoy them. Lost World is a great read as well. I love that Doye’s two most famous leading characters were nearly diametric opposites in every way but intellect.
Other rather random recommendations:
Cash: An Autobiography by Johnny Cash
Bowdrie and Bowdrie’s Law by Louis L’Amour
Eaters of the Dead by Michael Chrichton
I should totally read the Johnny Cash autobiography. Thanks for the tip!