Books to read (from 2018)

​As many of you know, I enjoy reading . . . a lot. C.S. Lewis said: ““You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” That quote resonates with me. I often write spiritual thoughts in my blog, but I am trying to expand my selection of reading to not get caught in one particular genre, and the books I listed below are some of my favorites that I read in 2018. I would recommend these to those who want to read something they have never read before.
 
Spiritual Books
The Prisoner in the Third Cell (Gene Edwards) – this is a quick read with a very powerful message. It is entertaining and while it is not poetry, it has a very artistic flow to it. I found it tremendously encouraging.
With (Skye Jethani) – this book explores what it means to simply be “with” God. The author explores what it looks like, how we do it and the implications of making it a practice to be more present with God in our day-to-day lives.
Making Sense of God (Tim Keller) – for those that like a deeper, more intellectually challenging book, this one is fantastic. Based on his decades of dealing with skeptics in NYC, this book examines the current arguments against God and faith, and walks through them in light of what makes the most sense. It is tremendously encouraging to realize the extent of the logic of our faith, and it will equip you to think through your faith more systematically. If you are searching, it challenges you to simply consider what you may have never consisted before.
Non Fiction
The Year of Less (Cait Flanders) – I enjoyed this book of a woman who decided that her life was too cluttered and so lived for an entire year without buying stuff. She blogged about her experience and then turned it into a book. Really easy and thought provoking read.
Historical Fiction
A Celt in Rome (William Crockett) – this is historical fiction, which I enjoy. The book traces the adventures of a woman who grew up in Britain during the height of the Roman empire and gets dragged into the politics and actions of the empire. It has action and romance and is a fun read.
Adventure / Fantasy
Past Tense (Lee Child) – I admit it, I am a big fan of the Jack Reacher character. This is Child’s latest installment in this series and is simply mind candy as you get to participate in Reacher’s victory over the latest installment of bad guys.
The Chemist (Stephanie Meyer) – I liked this one because it grabbed me from page 1. Interesting premise because the main character is someone who makes her living extracting information from people in not the best ways. This book moves along quickly and has all the elements of a good adventure.
World War Z (Max Brooks) – I kind of got on a kick for a while of reading books that have been made into movies. Sometimes the movie parallels the book, but most often it does not. This falls into that category. It is written in a fascinating style and is far more realistic in how society would react when faced with a world wide crisis.