Charles William Eliot said, “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” Ah! Such wisdom in this quote.
Personally, this year of 2014 has been a new high for me when it comes to the reading of books. Not only have I read more than at any time of my life, the books I read were quite rewarding in a variety of ways. The longer I live, the more I believe that reading can shape a life unlike nearly anything else. Although I am one who enjoys a good movie, in my opinion, a good book will trump a good movie every time. It does concern me that more & more men that I meet read so little. It is through a Book that God communicated His truth to us. Often, no desire to read will lead to a struggle for a Christian to read the Word of God.
My wife and I constantly encourage and direct our children to learn to love reading. We do this in a multitude of ways: taking them to the library (we encourage them to find at least one book to check out every visit we make), purchasing good books for them as gifts throughout the year, raving about certain books my wife & I have read, and in general, making much of reading.
Like last year, I used Evernote to track/compile this list. In addition, I am constantly revising my current list of “books to read.” For something that I believe this important, why wouldn’t I want to be organized? One more note – two items that I read on a regular/constant basis are the Bible (daily) and WORLD magazine (a Christian biweekly news magazine). Enjoy the list and may 2015 be a rich year when it comes to reading for you!
Books That I Read in 2014
Top Five (in order)
1. The Rest of God, Mark Buchanan
2. Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, John Maxwell
3. Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Thom Rainer
4. The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller
5. Out of Commission, Paul Chappell
1. Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell (1/6/14)
2. Walt Disney, Charles River Editors (2/3/14)
3. The Roman Forum, Charles River Editors (2/7/14)
4. Center Church, Timothy Keller (2/12/14)
5. I Am a Church Member, Thom Rainer (2/13/14)
6. The Life of David – Vol. 1, Clarence Sexton (2/22/14)
7. Your Church Is Too Safe, Mark Buchanan (2/27/14)
8. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey (3/3/14)
9. Three Score and Ten, Vance Havner (3/7/14)
10. Confessions of St. Augustine (3/28/14)
11. Coaching Your Kids to Be Leaders, Pat Williams (4/17/14)
12. The Burden Bearer, Paul Chappell (4/18/14)
13. The Great Omission, Dallas Willard (4/24/14)
14. The Life of Errol Flynn, Charles River Editors (4/25/14)
15. Autobiography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson – Audio Version (4/28/14)
16. If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat, John Ortberg (5/2/14)
17. The Swashbuckle Chuckle, Pat Hatt (5/15/14)
18. God’s Grammar, Mick Mooney (5/22/14)
19. The Reformed Pastor, Richard Baxter (5/24/14)
20. Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Thom Rainier (5/25/14)
21. Laurel & Hardy, Charles River Editors (5/29/14)
22. Abbott & Costello, Charles River Editors (5/30/14)
23. Gods & Kings, Lynn Austin (6/6/14)
24. The Life of Olivia de Havilland, Charles River Editors (6/10/14)
25. The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller (6/19/14)
26. I’m Not OK, Paul Chappell (6/20/14)
27. You’ll Get Through This, Max Lucado (7/1/14)
28. William Wallace: The Life & Legacy of the Scottish Freedom Fighter, Charles River Editors (7/7/14)
29. Bridges of God: A Study in the Strategy of Missions, Donald McGavran (7/15/14)
30. How to Wow Your Church Guests, Mark Waltz, (7/23/14)
31. Built to Last, Jim Collins (8/4/14)
32. The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges (8/5/14)
33. Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, John Maxwell (8/12/14)
34. The Essential Lewis & Clark (Audio Book), Landon Jones (8/13/14)
35. Andy Griffith, Charles River Editors (9/1/14)
36. unChristian, David Kinnaman (9/10/14)
37. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Andrew Peterson (9/15/14)
38. Out of Commission, Paul Chappell (9/18/14)
39. The Assyrians, Charles River Editors (9/28/14)
40. Building the RMS Titanic, Charles River Editors (9/30/14)
41. Life Aboard the RMS Titanic, Charles River Editors (10/3/14)
42. Rescuing the Survivors of the Titanic, Charles River Editors (10/8/14)
43. Paid in Full, Paul Chappell (10/9/14)
44. Preaching That Pleases God, Tom Farrell (10/11/14)
45. In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick (10/18/14)
46. America Tomorrow, Paul Chappell (10/28/14)
47. North! Or Be Eaten, Andrew Peterson (11/3/14)
48. Pleasure & Profit in Bible Study, D.L. Moody (11/5/14)
49. Holy Sex, Michael Pearl (11/24/14)
50. Last of the Breed, Louis L’Amour (11/26/14)
51. God Is Closer Than You Think, John Ortberg (12/7/14)
52. Whatever Happened to Worship, A.W. Tozer (12/8/14)
53. The Rest of God, Mark Buchanan (12/26/14)
Stats
Pages Read – 8,671
spiritually relevant 