My Year in Books

I set a goal ... and missed it.

Photo by Dia Aram on Unsplash

I saw some other writers sharing thoughts about their year of reading in 2022 and I didn’t want to be left out. I confess I’m a slow reader. My mind wanders. I sometimes have to go back a page or two to remind myself of what I just read. It’s not the authors, it’s me. Well, sometimes…

Goodreads offers to allow you to set a goal of how many books you read each year. I have easily missed my goal for several years. I start out enthusiastically enough but I would get distracted. This year I did three things differently:

• I set my goal lower - to 30 books - indeed I could do that easily.

• I returned to reading fiction. I read lots of nonfiction for my work (preaching and teaching the Bible) and had neglected fiction for a long time. This year I read a lot of fiction and enjoyed it so much.

• I bought a Kindle paperwhite. I’m not here to shill for that device or even ebooks. I know paper purists are breaking out in a sweat about now. Probably the only thing worse I could start is the Mac vs PC war! While I do like paper books, I found it easy to carry around my Kindle, to read at night, and to read undisturbed by notifications and the temptation to check my email. And Kindle Unlimited offers a great supply of books that I don’t have to buy individually. Kindle paid me zilch for my endorsement. C’mon Bezos!

So how did it go? I missed my goal by a considerable amount. Instead of 30, I have read 90. If private detective Kinsey Millhone can catch the killer by Sunday, Sue Grafton’s C is for Corpse will be #91. If you are fascinated by such, you can see all of the books I read this year HERE on Goodreads. Of course, I liked some better than others. What are my top reads of the year? I’m so glad you asked. (As a minister, can I stipulate Holy Bible as being beyond #1? Reading it through each year is a happy discipline.) Anyway, these are not in any particular order. I’m not that thorough.

Fiction

J. R. Ellis’ nine Yorkshire Murder Mysteries featuring DCI Jim Oldroyd were just delightful. His specialty is ‘locked room’ mysteries. There’s a gathering in a room. The lights go out. When they come back on, someone is dead. Now how did that happen? The audiobooks on these were fun to listen to as well. I liked the consistency of the characters and how they were developed along with the stories.

Steph Broadribb produced a couple of mysteries this year centered around some murders in a posh retirement community called The Homestead. Even though it’s very nice, there’s a body in the pool. It just so happens that several retired detectives are living there and they take it upon themselves to use their collective wisdom to out the killers. Death in the Sunshine is the first of the two, and the better of the two in my opinion. Still, I’ll read the third one if one comes my way. Character-driven stories are the best.

Dean Koontz is well known for horror and suspense. His Nameless series came out in short story form early this year. I don’t know how he produces so many books a year, but I can’t keep up with them. This series, however, was easy to read because of the short story format. Koontz always tells an amazing tale, but like most fantastical stories, it’s hard to land the plane.

Garrison Keillor’s The Lake Woebegon Virus was timely and funny. I thought it was going to be about a virus such as we faced in 2020, but it was a different sort. I sometimes get lost in his running dialogues but he always brings me back around and usually with a smile.

Another standout in the fiction category was Ann Hood’s The Obituary Writer. While it wasn’t what I expected, I found it to be fascinating and quite beautifully written.

I read other mystery series that were all entertaining, but they tend to run together after a while. When I read fiction, I’m not especially trying to learn or remember any of it. Just enjoying the experience while I’m reading. On the other hand, I drudge through Non-Fiction because I’m trying to retain something, and much to my regret, that seldom happens.

Non Fiction

Atomic Habits by James Clear was a surprise for me. I generally do not like the ‘let me fix your life’ self-help books. I sat on this for a while, but it kept coming to my attention. I’m so glad it did! I will just say that I plan to read it again, early in 2023.

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri J. M. Nouwen. I will say that almost anything by Nouwen is a winner. This is a reflection on Rembrandt’s well-known painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son. I thought that every chapter was profound. I feel sure I will revisit this book in the future.

Dan Reiland’s Leadership Alone Isn’t Enough was just what I needed at the time. These 40 devotionals are aimed at church leaders and the particular struggles they face. With humility and empathy, Reiland points the leader out of the hardships and into the heart of Jesus.

Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God, or anything by him. I’ve read The Ragamuffin Gospel several times and it remains my favorite of Manning’s. But I loved this book as well.

John Mark Comer’s The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is also a book I plan to read again. So many people have been talking about this book for so long now that I expect you may have already heard of it or read it.

Searching for the Pattern: My Journey in Interpreting the Bible by John Mark Hicks. I recommend this with a caveat. If you didn’t grow up in the Churches of Christ, part of the American Restoration Movement, you probably won’t understand the journey Dr. Hicks (and many of us) engaged in his study of the Bible. If you did grow up in the Churches of Christ, you will be challenged - but in a humble and logical way. I have his newer books on my Kindle and ready to read, Women Serving God and Around the Bible in 80 Days.

One more special-use book I want to mention is Tim Archer’s Starting (or Restarting) with Jesus. If you are just getting started on your journey with Jesus or you feel the need to get back on track, Tim’s practical book will be a blessing to you.

Those are the top picks of my reading year. For the coming year, I have made a commitment to myself to read 12 classics in 2023. Joel J. Miller encouraged this and I set my goal! Adsum Try Ravenhill (what an awesome name! I’m just a John. sigh.) has also encouraged a revisit to the classics. He has Bram Stoker’s Dracula on my list…. and to notice the theme of prayer there. Surprise! Aside from classics, I may read through the Mitford Series by Jan Karon - I’ve been wanting to for a long time now. I’m also behind on Mitch Albom books, Sue Grafton’s alphabet mysteries, and who knows what else. I’m more than halfway through several books that might get my 2023 list kicked off to a good start as I finish them quickly. (Anyone else reading 10 or 12 books at once?). I’m thinking of setting a goal of 100. I’ll need to find lots of short books!

In the comments share some of your favorite books this year. My ‘to read’ stack is overwhelming but usually can handle just … one … more. Thanks for reading!

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