For more than a decade it has been necessary for me to come up with about twenty hours of fresh material each week for my lectures and sermons. When you are teaching and preaching that frequently it is essential that your reading be focused on the best resources available for preparation of your presentations. However, I have now moved out of the classroom into administration, and am no longer serving as pastor of a church, which means I was able to read anything I wanted in 2016. Maybe that freedom wasn’t such a good thing considering the below list of books read in 2016.
The list is desultory, but I found some of the information culled from it to be interesting:
Of the 85 books I read in 2016, 24 were non-fiction and 61 were fiction.
I read more science fiction/fantasy than any other genre (20 books).
18 of the books were books that I had read previously at least once.
7 books were autobiographical or heavily self-referential.
The author whose books I read most was Peter Clines (8 books.)
My favorite book from 2016 was a book on virtue in the public sphere.
I have broken the books down into two lists, fiction and nonfiction, and then sequenced them with my most enjoyable reading experiences at the top of each list. The books at the top are not necessarily the best books, but are the books of which I most enjoyed the reading experience.
NONFICTION:
The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice, by Vaclav Havel
I read most of this book in 2015, then re-read it in its entirety in 2016. That’s how good I think it is. It is a compilation of the speeches of Vaclav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic. Havel is the kind of thinking, earnest, honest person that both Republicans and Democrats should be seeking to elevate within their parties. I wish I could have made every American read this book during the last year.
Jewish Theology, Systematically and Historically Considered, by Kaufmann Kohler
While browsing the clearance shelves of a used book store I came across a copy of this book by a former President of Hebrew Union University. My copy of the book is a fiftieth anniversary addition of the 1918 original publication. I appreciate the fresh voice of the author (yes, even after 100 years), even if our understanding of history and theology is far removed from each other. The book is available for free as an Amazon download if you are interested in taking a look at it.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by William Shirer
I think it is safe to say this book has reached “classic” status. Everyone knows this is a great book. But perhaps you need to hear that it is also a very interesting and enjoyable read. And, I would hasten to say, it is a bit scary; it is all too easy to see things that led up to Nazi Germany permeating American culture at the present time.
Night, by Elie Wiesel
The blurb from the book jacket describes it well, “Night is Elie Wiesel’s masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps.” I first read this book decades ago, I am glad I chose to read it again this year on the occasion of the Nobel Peace Prize winning author’s death.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales, by Oliver Sacks
The operation of the brain is a fascinating thing, and it is even more fascinating when the brain goes haywire. With the expertise of a clinician and the skill of a storyteller Oliver Sacks shares inconceivably strange perceptual and intellectual aberrations of the neurologically impaired.
The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership that Matters, by Albert Mohler
People generally underestimate the level of leadership skills required to lead a Christian organization. After all, aren’t they all gentle Christian people committed to the same organizational vision, mission, and goals? It would be nice if it was that simple, but it isn’t. Mohler’s book is very good, and is must reading for anyone wanting to lead by conviction. For those who have already read dozens of leadership books and think they need not read another one, I would suggest that this book is paradigmatically different than what they have previously read and worth their attention.
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life, by Scott Adams
Don’t expect a funny, ha-ha, book from this Dilbert cartoonist. Do expect a helpful, how-to-be-successful-in-life, book from someone who has turned around many personal challenges and business failures to make them work for him rather than against him. As Adams says in the book, cartoonists have a knack for simplifying matters. And, in this book he teaches you to establish simple systems for personal success rather than pursue endless goals.
A Little History of Philosophy, by Nigel Warburton
If I was still teaching an Introduction to Philosophy class, I think I might use this book as a text. I don’t usually like intro texts because they simply regurgitate the same material that has been repeated by hundreds of similar texts. However, I found the author’s approach to be fresh and in many ways enlightening. Have a go at it.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, by Lynne Truss
This is about as interesting a book as could possibly be written on the topic of punctuation. I read this book for self defense; I am surrounded by some very smart people who a less generous person might describe as grammar Nazis. Many a cabinet meeting and radio show has devolved into a passionate discussion of punctuation and sentence structure. (Having read E,S & L I know all the places in this post that are wrongly punctuated, but I have left the irregularities in place as a test for you.)
Predictably Irrational, by Dan Ariely
Those of you who like the television series “Brain Games”, will enjoy this book that helps explain why we make the decisions we do. Behavioral economics is fascinating.
The Dictionary of Misinformation, by Tom Burnam
Okay, I am embarrassed at how many things I thought I knew that are complete rubbish. Even more embarrassing is the fact that I had passed on heaps of misinformation to my kids. This book helped me unlearn many things that I should not have learned to begin with.
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
It is always interesting to see how much agreement there is regarding virtue between orthodox Christianity and philosophers of very different stripes. Metaphysics? No! Definitely not. But axiology? Yes. For an exploration of this you may want to read C.S. Lewis’ book The Abolition of Man.
Total Truth, by Nancy Pearcy
I have had this on my shelves for years and finally got around to reading it. It was not what I was expecting, but it contains helpful apologetic material. Those who are familiar and sympathetic with the writings of Francis Schaeffer , and those with an interest in intelligent design, will enjoy it most.
Critical Thinking Skills for Dummies, by Martin Cohen
It’s okay. You can benefit from it if you bring some critical thinking skills to the reading experience and use them to evaluate the book itself. Unfortunately, there aren’t any books on this subject that I think are outstanding, and this book fits into the mediocre middle with the rest of them.
Logic for Dummies, by Mark Zegarelli
It is okay. I think there are some better introductory texts on the subject. If you are interested in the subject you may want to check out Introduction to Logic by Harry J. Gensler
Word Lover’s Dictionary: Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words, by Josefa Feifetz
I am essentially a countrified hick, so it takes a lot of work to sound smart enough for the environs of my vocational and domestic habitation.
Quotable Quotes, by the Editors of Reader’s Digest
A nice selection of quotes.
The Generosity Factor: Discover the Joy of Giving Your Time, Talent, and Treasure, by Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy
This book was given to me by a friend from a Foundation with whom I often work. Like most of Ken Blanchard’s books it is simple, short, driven by a narrative, and packs a punch.
Sleep Demons: An Insomniac’s Memoir, by Bill Hayes
This autoethnography of an insomniac is fascinating in places as he explores various sleep disorders, and it provoked nostalgia in that he is about my age so many of his childhood memories are reminiscent of my own. However, it runs too long and includes many disturbing and cringe inducing sections such as his seduction and induction into homosexuality by older pedophiles and his lascivious San Francisco lifestyle.
Laughter is the Best Medicine, by the Editors of Reader’s Digest
Hack, cough, sniffle, sniffle. No, it isn’t.
Humor in Uniform, by the Editors of Reader’s Digest
Hmmm, somehow the humor in Reader’s Digest used to be more humorous to me when I was younger. I’ve changed, and probably not for the better.
To Live is Christ, To Die Is Gain, by Matt Chandler
This book is okay, but I was disappointed that Chandler never asked, “Are you tracking with me?”
Foundations of Psychohistory, by Lloyd Demause
This book helped pioneer the field of Psychohistory, but I sometimes had the feeling that I was reading the work of a very intelligent person who was under the influence of LSD.
Keep Moving, by Dick Van Dyke
I wish I hadn’t read this book. I love re-watching the old Dick Van Dyke Show episodes and things revealed in this book will forever tarnish the experience. I would like to think Dick Van Dyke is the guy in the television series, not the guy in this book.
FICTION:
The Bodies Left Behind, by Jeffrey Deaver
Jeffrey Deaver is one of my favorite authors, and this is my favorite of his many books. I can’t always recommend Jeffrey Deaver’s books due to the fact that they contain material that I can’t in good conscience recommend to someone else. But this one I have shared with family and friends and none of them seem to have been disappointed.
The Fold, by Peter Clines
I read this because I had previously enjoyed Clines’ book 14. I liked The Fold even better than 14. Both books are exceptional sci-fi. Exceptional. Both contain some explicit material that limit my ability to recommend them.
14, by Peter Clines
Time travel, multiple dimensions, seriously twisted bad guys, intriguing mysteries … what’s not to love about a book like this?
All Quite on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque
Wow. Moving. A must read title for everyone.
Gilgamesh, by Stephen Mitchell
An extraordinary work that I have read many times and keep coming back to. This isn’t a translation of the Gilgamesh Epic but a version of it. The author poetically and artfully brings vibrant language and a storytellers genius to the translations of other authors — he translates from English into English. This piece of ancient Mesopotamian literature illustrates the questions that mankind has always seemed to struggle with such as death, friendship, heroism, and civilization.
The Daybreakers, by Louis L’Amour
I read this book in nine straight hours one Saturday. As a teenager I read every book by Louis L’Amour that I could get my hands on. Over the years I think I have read all, or nearly all, of his books. Last year I read his memoir, Education of a Wandering Man, and now I find myself wanting to read all of his books all over again.
Flint, by Louis L’Amour
You can count on the protagonists of Louis L’Amour books to demonstrate the four cardinal virtues — Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Temperance — and sometimes the three Christian virtues — Faith, Hope, and Love. Even in this book, where the main character has never really developed the social skills and value system usually associated with a hero, you still see the virtues on display. I made the mistake of picking this book up at bedtime and was tired all the next day because I couldn’t stop reading it until that time when a cowboy should be waking up his herd.
The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis
I last read this book when I was sixteen-years-old. I remember being seriously disturbed by the reality of the spiritual world the first time I read it. This time, I was seriously disturbed by the depravity of man. This is an excellent little book for Christians to read and contemplate what it means to live a life worthy and pleasing unto God.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
Wilde’s characters say such unexpected things. It is not always easy to answer whether Wilde is being witty, paradoxical, absurd, vulgar, brash or something else entirely. This would be a great book to discuss in a class or with a book group.
Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad
This is the fourth time I have read this book. I read it first as a teenager and didn’t like it at all; I thought it too dark and not very entertaining. However, over the passing of years, and with each subsequent reading, I have come to appreciate the message(s) of the book, and the authors artful weaving of the story threads. It is a great book that should be read deliberately and thoughtfully.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman
Exceptional writing that comes close to moving this from fantasy into the magical-realism genre.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
Even though I had previously read this book, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of re-reading it. There is a reason why it consistently shows up at the top, or near the top of “Best Book” lists.
Call of the Wild, by Jack London
I read both Call of the Wild, and White Fang during the summer of 1978. I very much enjoyed them then, and again now thirty-eight years later. I was curious in that before picking them up again this year I could remember almost every detail of Call of the Wild, but White Fang not at all. After reading them again this year I know why. Call of the Wild is an adventure story, whereas White Fang makes me think of those over-produced, heavily narrated animal movies. Interesting and good, but not all that memorable.
White Fang, by Jack London
(See my notes for Call of the Wild.)
Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Book 1), by Marissa Meyer
When my teenage daughter told me that she was reading a series of books that are retellings of classic fairy tales, set in the future, in Asia and on the moon, and populated with Cyborgs and creatures that might be found on the Island of Dr. Moreau — well, I wasn’t expecting to be impressed. But, she asked that I give them a try, and I like to read what my children are reading, so I read this first volume with the intention of appeasing her and then moving on to something that was worthy of my reading time. What? Huh? I loved them. I read through five books of the series in about two weeks.
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles Book 2), by Marissa Meyer
(see the note above for Cinder)
Cress (The Lunar Chronicles Book 3), by Marissa Meyer
(see the note above for Cinder)
Winter (The Lunar Chronicles Book 4), by Marissa Meyer
(see the note above for Cinder)
Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana’s Story, by Marissa Meyer
(a Lunar Chronicles prequel – see the note above for Cinder)
Ex-Heroes, by Peter Clines
Okay, I know what you must be thinking, “A series of books about Zombies and Super Heroes? How lame can it get?” But, I had read Peter Clines’ books The Fold, and 14, and was looking for more. I wasn’t expecting to like Ex-Heroes, but found it to be enjoyable even if it was stretching credulity far beyond the breaking point. I ended up going through the five volumes in the series in a matter of just a few days. Pop culture aficionados will approve of the liberal references to silly little things. Every book in the series includes “Walking Dead” style nastiness, so I can’t recommend them to others even though I enjoyed them myself.
Ex-Patriots, by Peter Clines
The second novel in Peter Clines’ Ex series. See my notes for Ex-Heroes.
Ex-Communication, by Peter Clines
The third novel in Peter Clines’ Ex series. See my notes for Ex-Heroes.
Ex-Purgatory, by Peter Clines
The fourth novel in Peter Clines’ Ex series. See my notes for Ex-Heroes.
Ex-Isle, by Peter Clines
The fifth novel in Peter Clines’ Ex series. See my notes for Ex-Heroes.
The Girl on a Train, by Paula Hawkins
A better name for the book would be Three Girls Having a Train Wreck. A very interesting first person writing style — I can’t think of anything quite like it (the comparisons with Gone Girl are nonsense.) It will eventually suck you in and keep you guessing.
The Android’s Dream, by John Scalzi
This is one of two books by John Scalzi that I read this year. He is a talented author and his books are fun. What happens when an earthling kills an interstellar alien ambassador by excreting intestinal gasses? You’ll have to stop laughing out loud long enough to read on and find out.
Treasure Mountain, by Louis L’Amour
I wish I could read these books in the same way that I did when I was a teenager. Unfortunately, my reading of them has been influenced by the movies that were made of them. I loved the Sacketts (the main characters), but now I get more Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott than the characters I created in my head when reading the book for the first time.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
This new verse translation by Simon Armitage of the medieval England poem is readable while retaining a lyrical flow. The book is enjoyable (if a bit strange) and an important King Arthur text for cultural literacy.
The Huckleberry Murders, by Patrick McManus
I have read a handful of Patrick McManus books but this is the first of his Sheriff Bo Tully mysteries that I have read. This book is fun but not the same kind of rollicking fun that you get in his books like The Night the Bear Ate Goombah or Real Ponies Don’t Go Oink.
Calculating God, by Robert J. Sawyer
Almost everyone whom I know would have serious problems with this book — Darwinian Fundamentalists would hate it for its attack on “accepted” science, creation scientists would hate it for its snide dismissal of their scholarship, literary purists would fault it for its pedantic meanderings, blah, blah, blah, — but I kind of enjoyed it some of the time. Except for the ending. I really didn’t like the ending at all.
Childhood’s End, by Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke is often credited with being the greatest science fiction author of the 20th century. And, if you read enough science fiction you will see his influence everywhere. This is usually considered his best book, and it is interesting, but I think it would have been better as a short story.
Who Goes There?, by John W. Campbell
This classic sci-fi novella was originally written almost one hundred years ago, but unlike most sci-fi it has remained contemporary and chilling. Good book. It is the book upon which John Carpenter’s 1982 movie “The Thing” is based. It has been many years, but I remember the movie as being very suspenseful and scary; maybe I ought to watch it again. I have not seen the first movie that came out in 1952 or the most recent remake that came out in 2011. Maybe I should watch those also?
Down the Long Hills, by Louis L’Amour
Louis L’Amour always tells a good story, and this book is an award winner. However, I found myself mentally changing some of the details of the book in order to make it more believable.
The Book Scavenger, by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
This is a great book to share with your kids to nurture their inner bibliophile. It is supposed to be for children in grades 4-6, but I can’t imagine book lovers of any age not enjoying it. There is also a sequel (that I have not yet read) and it appears that it is going to become a series.
The Deerslayer (The Leatherstocking Tales), by James Fenimore Cooper
I re-read all of the Leatherstocking tales this year. My general impressions haven’t changed much in the decades since I first read them. I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated The Deerslayer – and was just basically “okay” with the other four books of the series.
The Last of the Mohicans (The Leatherstocking Tales), by James Fenimore Cooper
(see my notes for The Deerslayer)
The Pathfinder (The Leatherstocking Tales), by James Fenimore Cooper
(see my notes for The Deerslayer)
The Pioneers (The Leatherstocking Tales), by James Fenimore Cooper
(see my notes for The Deerslayer)
The Prairee (The Leatherstocking Tales), by James Fenimore Cooper
(see my notes for The Deerslayer)
Agent to the Stars, by John Scalzi
Preposterous, but very fun. It starts with some unnecessary very bad language, but becomes more tame as it goes along.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling
When you have six kids, you find yourself reading the same books to the different children as they become age appropriate. So, yes, this is the third time I have read this book. And, yes, I still enjoy it. I like the earlier books in the Harry Potter series, like this one, much better than the later books.
Justice Redeemed, by Scott Pratt
An agonizing “What were you thinking?” thriller that keeps you turning the pages at a brisk clip.
Magic Street, by Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is one of my favorite authors, but you see how far down the list (sequenced in order of how much I enjoyed them) that this book falls. Part of my displeasure came from his mixing the account of Jesus and things truly holy into his world of faerie magic. Otherwise, the book was very creative. It is a sort of continuation of William Shakespeare’s Midsummer Nights Dream, which you may want to re-familiarize yourself with before reading Magic Street.
Trigger Warning, by Neil Gaiman
This book of short stories is brilliant in places — brilliant — and in others you just have to wade through until you get to the good stuff again. I also really enjoyed his essay explaining why he wrote the various pieces. It added meaning to the stories, made me feel the presence of the author in the telling, and helped me understand the writer’s craft a little better.
The Short Drop, by Matthew FitzSimmons
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Readers of thrillers will want to grab this one.
Candide, by Voltaire
The eighteenth century’s analog to the twentieth century’s Black Adder.
The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane
As a teenager I made the mistake of watching the 1974 movie made from this book which miscast Richard Thomas as Henry Fleming. After watching that movie, I avoided the book. I really didn’t like that movie at all. However, I recently found a nice leatherbound copy of the book that lured me in and I am glad that I finally got around to reading it.
The Chopin Manuscript, by Jeffrey Deaver and others
This was originally published as a serial, with Jeffrey Deaver writing the first chapter, and then fifteen of the worlds greatest thriller writers each authoring a chapter in turn. Then, Deaver wrote the conclusion pulling all of the pieces together. It suffered some of the weaknesses you would expect from this kind of collaboration, but overall it was a good book.
The Rider of Lost Creek, by Louis L’Amour
Not what I expected from a Louis L’Amour novel. Disappointed.
Solitude Creek, by Jeffrey Deaver
This book is one of his Kathryn Dance thrillers. Unlike most of his books, it took me awhile to get into this one, and then I found the presentation of the criminal’s thought-life to be very disturbing. It was typical Deaver style in the way it twisted and turned and misled the reader until the big revelations, but in this case they seemed contrived. Probably my least favorite Jeffrey Deaver book.
The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare
I bought this Newberry Honor winning historical novel for my kids, but I think I enjoyed it more than they will. It is a survival story set in the 1700s when men were men and boys were men too.
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
I love 19th century history, but I’m not such a big fan of 19th century novels, especially those books written by women for a female audience. However, this one catches your imagination and holds it all the way through. Nevertheless, I had to laugh out loud at parts of the conclusion, not in a good way.
The Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys
This prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is the literary version of fan fiction. I had some trouble connecting the characters between the two books; maybe due to the difference in writing styles between the two authors. But, the connection was strong enough that I detested Rochester even more after reading this.
The Junkie Quatrain, by Peter Clines
Yes, still more Peter Clines’ zombocalypse reading. But don’t worry about me, I have now read all of Clines’ books and can read something more edifying.
The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling
Rather than read this whole book, I encourage you to just read the Rikki-Tikki-Tavi section and then watch the Disney animated Jungle Book cartoon of Mowgli the Man Cub. You won’t hear me say that very often.
The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins
This book is regarded as “the first mystery novel” and appears on many lists as one of the best novels of all time. However you shouldn’t worry too much if you haven’t read it. Like most nineteenth century novels it is exceedingly wordy. I wish it was reduced in size by half. It sometimes seems that nineteenth century authors are getting paid by the word and so they are stretching it out as long as they can. However, if you can survive the first 300 pages or so, you will end up with an interesting story for the last half of the book.
Saturday, by Ian McEwan
I read this because it was required reading for my high school aged son. I can’t say I enjoyed it a lot, but I did appreciate the writing.
The Man Who Was Thursday, by G.K. Chesterton
I want to like Chesterton. I try to like Chesterton. But once again, reading this book, like some of his other works, was a laborious task. Go ahead, judge me.
The Roman Hat Mystery, by Ellery Queen
I loved reading Ellery Queen mysteries when I was a teenager. But, either my reading tastes have changed, or this book does not measure up to the rest of the Ellery Queen canon. It was frustratingly slow.
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
This book has the most unbelievable, insipid characters of any book I can remember reading. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut
This books spent 56 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers’ List, but I find myself agreeing with Vonnegut’s appraisal of the book. When he was asked why he wouldn’t publish the book initially, he said “Because if was a piece of _______.” Breakfast of Champions is truly a terrible representative of literature books and all of the good they stand for. A nasty book with no heart!”
Lilith, a Romance, by George MacDonald
I read two-thirds of the book but just couldn’t finish it. I know that people with an imagination are supposed to like George MacDonald, that he was inspiration for many great storytellers, but I feel like I am pushing a boulder uphill when reading his books.