I have never shared a personal reading list before, but I very much enjoy reading other people’s lists. I thought maybe you would appreciate the same from me. This is only the second year that I’ve kept a good record of the books I read, but I’ve found that keeping a list has helped me organize what I’m reading so that I don’t end up reading all science and nature or even all non-fiction. I loosely follow Charlotte Mason’s lead from her Mothers’ Education Course, by separating my list into five categories: Bible, Science & Nature, Education & Parenting, History & Geography, and Novel, Essays & Short Stories.

I listened to many of these through my favorite audiobook app, Scribd. They have a very good selection for a very good monthly price, and I’m not limited to a certain number of books each month or how long I can continue to listen to them.

Bible

The Bible, in full — I used a Bible app this year to organize my Bible daily reading and I want you to know about it. In many ways, it reminds me of how Charlotte Mason suggested we prepare lessons for our kids — get them to remember what they read last time, and sometimes give them a little hook or relevant background that inspires their reading for that lesson. Each new book is introduced and each day’s reading includes two Old Testament selections, usually one prose and one poetry, and one New Testament selection. You can find it through the YouVersion Bible app, by searching for Digging Deeper Daily. The original podcast can also be found online here. This wasn’t a huge commitment, just about 20 minutes each day, and I stuck to the habit by drawing a line in the sand for myself — I was not allowed to open any app on my phone until I had completed that day’s reading. (That includes reading texts, listening to Voxer, or checking my email.) Usually, I choose a new “plan” for Bible reading each year, but I enjoyed this one so much that I started the whole thing over again for 2020. I hope you will join me.

Knowing God by J. I. Packer — Some people read this book every year, and I can see why! I read it slowly over the course of the whole year and I just might do so again. There are people who can shift our focus just a tiny bit and make us see things more clearly than we ever have before. J. I. Packer is one of those people. You sense from his writing style that he is pulling for us — he wants us to see God for who he is and understand how he loves us and what he expects from us. I highly recommend this, but I will warn you that I couldn’t read it when I was exhausted. I needed my brain to be functioning well to follow his style of writing. Still, it’s worth it.

Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord. ― J.I. Packer

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff — I started this book years ago and somehow forgot about it midway through. (I mentioned losing track of books, and one thing I have completely sworn off is reading them on a kindle. I’ve lost track of more books that way!)  This time my teenage girls listened to it with me in the car and we sometimes laughed so hard that I could barely see the road. I won’t pretend that I can relate to the life of Bog Goff! but he does make you think about what it means to actively be a Christian  — how to BE loving rather than just FEEL it. Love DOES, it doesn’t just think about it. I will note that there were times that I thought, naw, that’s not exactly right theologically. But you know, we can read books by the biggest names in gospel theology and they won’t all agree on everything, so I’m ok with enjoying this book as is.

Living a life fully engaged and full of whimsy and the kind of things that love does is something most people plan to do, but along the way they just kind of forget. Their dreams become one of those “we’ll go there next time” deferrals. The sad thing is, for many there is no “next time” because passing on the chance to cross over is an overall attitude toward life rather than a single decision. ― Bob Goff

In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin — Ah, Jen! She is just one of my FAVORITE people. I would have to say that the podcast Knowing Faith, of which she is a co-host, is my favorite podcast. I finished 2018 with her Hebrews Bible study and have her God of Creation Bible study here beside me to begin 2020. In the book, In His Image, Jen outlines ten characteristics of who God is―holy, loving, just, good, merciful, gracious, faithful, patient, truthful, and wise―and helps us understand how we are to be like God in these areas through the power of Christ. It is clear and easy to read, but powerful none-the-less. I like it when authors use stories, anecdotes, and analogies to make their point, and Jen does this well. I also appreciate that Jen is somewhat hard-hitting as she challenges today’s culture of women’s ministry and Bible study, while at the same time, never looking down her nose. If you want to get a taste of her style, listen to one of her many episodes on The Gospel Coalition.

For the believer wanting to know God’s will for her life, the first question to pose is not “What should I do?” but “Who should I be? ― Jen Wilkin

Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was and Who God Has Always Been by Jackie Hill Perry — This was an excellent book. I listened to the audiobook version which was read by the author — a special treat because Jackie is a Spoken Word Poet, and knows the value of poetry. The subtitle of the book is The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been. My story might not be identical but it is more the same than different. That is, I too was a sinner who is now a child of God. It’s just that when we consider what we perceive as a particularly egregious sin, we recognize the need for complete abstinence from it, but we don’t always see a need for such strong aversion to our own sin. We should.

One of my favorite parts was the story she told of her mom getting pregnant with her out of wedlock and considering abortion. A friend asked her if she had considered that this baby could be God’s plan? She answered, how could it be, it is the result of sin. But as J. I. Packer said, “Our God is a God who not merely restores, but takes up our mistakes and follies into His plan for us and brings good out of them. This is part of the wonder of His gracious sovereignty.” Jackie’s story is a beautiful example of this. Praise God!

My first exposure to Jackie Hill Perry was her Gospel Coalition lecture What’s the Point of Art? I encourage you to listen in. It’s good stuff!

Christ did not die to redeem us in part. Neither did He rise so that we might have life in portions. But with us having a body made for Him, as well as the mind, will, personality, and emotions that it contains, we must understand that God is after us becoming victorious over any and all sin that would hinder the whole person from serving God fully and freely. ― Jackie Hill Perry

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller — Here is another excellent book that is both highly practical and yet woven throughout with beautiful stories. Not just stories of how prayer works, but how sometimes it seems like it doesn’t work, and still, the author explains how prayer, or the lack thereof, is connected to belief. His practical advice for keeping prayer cards has been a game-changer for me. Already I am able to see a record of God’s work in my life and those I’m praying for. I highly recommend you read this book, and then maybe read it again.

As we wait and pray, God weaves his story and creates a wonder. Instead of drifting between comedy (denial) and tragedy (reality), we have a relationship with the living God, who is intimately involved with the details of our worlds. We are learning to watch for the story to unfold, to wait for the wonder. ― Paul E. Miller

The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate by John Walton — Last year I read The Lost World of Genesis One and it seemed good to follow up with this book. There is a man that I have come to really like. He is a scientist. Over several years I have watched him watch my community of believers with increasing love and joy. I’ve listened to his language of gratitude change to represent common grace, and yet, I wonder if his deeply held belief in evolution and the Christian community’s deeply held belief in a literal 6-day creation, has created a wall between him and them that neither can get over. Further, in my position in this community, I hear from many believers who are grappling with the connection between science and the Bible. It turns out that we are misinformed if we believe that there are only two ways of understanding creation: a material seven-day interpretation of Genesis 1 or a Darwinistic evolution after a big bang. There are actually 6-7 Christian theories on the origin of the earth. My goal in reading these two books was to challenge my understanding by hearing out the logic of another believer. I’m glad I did. I would encourage you to do something similar. We do not grow in our ability to think if we are always feeding our minds with more of the same. And more importantly, we do not grow our ability to talk to others who come from different perspectives.

A couple of final notes. I read the first and listened to the second, but I would strongly suggest that if you read these books, you do not get the audiobooks. The author is not given to tell stories or share examples, and I found it was hard to follow on audio. Lastly, you will notice that I have put this book under the category of Bible and not science. The author is clear that he is not a scientist, and that this book is philosophy.

The Bible must retain its autonomy and speak for itself. But that is also true when we hold traditional interpretations up to the Bible. The biblical text must retain its autonomy from tradition. We must always be willing to return to the text and consider it with fresh eyes. ― John H. Walton

Books read in 2019:
Science & Nature, Education & Parenting
History & Geography, Novels & Essays