Some of us love to read. The problem is there is so much to choose from that it can be dizzying. How can we make good reading choices? I previously some suggestions about this in Advice on Reading Choices. I thought it might be a good idea if I shared my reading choices this past year. By doing so, I hope to show that I try to keep my own advice and encourage others to be thoughtful and intentional in their reading choices. I would also like to suggest that it might be helpful to keep a simple reading journal toward that end.
The reading journal that I kept this past year (below) helped me meet my reading goals. It reflects my reading beyond my daily Bible reading or preparation for preaching and teaching. My hope this past year was to ready widely and also to read what I felt I needed to meditate on. As I mentioned in the article referred to above, I try to always keep well-written and wholesome fiction or history going at all times for reflection and recreation.
I did not include here podcasts, sermons, videos, movies, magazine or blog articles, etc. Someone could add these to their journal as well. No doubt keeping a journal for these would be helpful, especially regarding entertainment choices, but I digress.
A Reading Journal that Works for Me
| Forrest’s 2023 Reading Journal | |||
| Date read (finished) | Genre | Book Title, Author | New Read/Re-read |
| 2/23 | Christian Living | Lost in the Middle: Mid-Life Crisis and the Grace of God, Paul David Tripp | New |
| 3/23 | Fiction / Fantasy | The Green Ember series, S.D. Smith | Re-read |
| 4/23 | Bible Study / Christian Life | Bookends of the Christian Life, Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington | New |
| 7/23 | Missiology | No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions (IX Marks) Matt Rhodes | New |
| 8/23 | Missions / Parenting | MKs in Focus: Thinking Biblically About the MK Experience, Matt Jones | New |
| 8/23 | Missions / Autobiography | God’s Smuggler, Brother Andrew | Re-read |
| 9/23 | Christian Sci-Fi/ Philosophy/Theology | Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, C.S. Lewis | Re-read |
| 9/23 | Christian Sci-Fi/ Philosophy/Theology | Space Trilogy: Perelandra, C.S Lewis | Re-read |
| 10/23 | Christian Sci-Fi/ Philosophy/Theology | Space Trilogy: That Hideous Strength, C.S. Lewis | Re-read |
| 10/23 | Missions / Member Care | The Reentry Team: Caring for Your Returning Missionaries, Neal Pirolo | New |
| 11/23 | Commentary | The Gospel of John, A.W. Pink (free on Kindle) | New |
| 11/23 | Commentary | Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of John, J.C. Ryle (free on Kindle) | New |
| 11/23 | Christian Fiction/Fantasy | The Wind Rider Chronicles (books 1-6), Allison Reid | Re-read |
| 12/23 | Commentary | The Gospel of John, Vol. 1 The Gospel of John, Vol. 2, Alexander MacLaren (free on Kindle) | New |
| 12/23 | Missions / Biography | A Missionary Kid Did What? The Story of Eden Ridge, Church Hopkins | New |
| 12/23 | Missions / Autobiography | Like Them That Dream, Paul and Kay Friederichsen (Philippines) | New |
| 12/23 | Religion / Autobiography | Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity, Nabeel Qureshi | New |
| Current | Christian Fiction Audiobook / Angelology | Wars of the Realm Trilogy, Chuck Black | Re-read |
| Current | Missions / Biography / Devotional | Daring Dependence, Matthew Conrad | Re-read |
| Current | Bible Study / Devotional | A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller | Re-read |
| Current | Devotional | Lessons From a Sheep Dog, Phillip Keller | New |
| Current | Christian History | Fundamentalism and American Culture, George Marsden | New |
Looking Forward to the Coming Year
As I look forward to my reading journey this next year, I have some more titles lined up:
Bible Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth, (Theology) John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue; Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, (Bible Study/Devotional) Dane Ortlund; Theology That Sticks: The Life-Changing Power of Exceptional Hymns, (Theology/Christian Living), Chris Anderson; John G. Paton: Missionary to the Cannibals of the South Seas, (Missions/Biography), Paul Schlehlein
This past year has shown me that keeping a journal of what I read, as well as thinking ahead about what I hope to read in the future, keeps me intentional in achieving my reading goals. I emphasize here my goals. I don’t try to read everything suggested to me. When godly people give me a book, or strongly suggest that I read one, I often try to do so. Even then, I could never get to them all. The attempt to read everything suggested by others, or to keep up with every new good book coming out, will become a heavy burden.
Your reading journal might look very different than mine. Your list might be a lot longer or shorter. It might share almost no similarity to my choices. If you read a lot, or desire to, I encourage you to keep a record. I used a basic Word table to create this.
The choice to read is the choice to meditate on what we read. Reading is a part of stewarding our mind. We need to be thoughtful and intentional in our choices if we hope to honor God. A reading journal can help us towards that end. As we look back, it shows us what we have chosen to meditate on over the last year. As we look forward, we can use it to guide us and help us make wise choices for the year to come.
