2016 READING LIST

Here is my annual list of reading. It is composed of old as well as new books. I have annotated my thoughts about some of the more notable books.  

FICTION

1. Spies and Intrigues: The Oppenheim Secret Service Omnibus, E. Phillips Oppenheim 1936 Superb
2. Clowns & Criminals: The Oppenheim Omnibus. E. Phillips Oppenheim, 1931. Entertaining mysteries.
3. May There Be A Road, Louis L’Amour, 2013
4. Gray Mountain, John Grisham, 2014
5. Laurus, Eugene Vodolazkin 2015
6. The Camp of the Saints, Jean Raspail, 1973. A prophetic parable – a dystopian vision of the collapse of Western Christian civilization in the face of unlimited immigration from Asia and Africa – the triumph of the have-nots over the demoralized guilt-ridden haves. “The slow, cancerous progress of compassion, which is only a misleading and lethal form of charity.” An anti-epic novel, a crusade in reverse. Brilliant in its prescience and thoroughly disturbing.
7. In Our Time, Short Stories, Ernest Hemingway, 1925
8. The Afghan, Frederick Forsyth, 2006
9. The Morning Watch, James Agee, 1950
10. Henry Esmond, W.M. Thackeray, 1852
11. The Archer Files: Short Stories of Lew Archer, P.I., Ross MacDonald. Well written.
12. Psmith in the City, P.G. Wodehouse, 1910
13. The Deceiver, Frederick Forsyth, 1991
14. The Fist of God, Frederick Forsyth, 1984
15. Money in the Bank, P.G. Wodehouse, 1942
16. The Kill List, Frederick Forsyth, 2013
17. Lord of the Flies, William Golding, 1954. Classic story of human depravity.
18. Istanbul Passage, Joseph Kanon, 2012.
19. Plum Pie, P.G. Wodehouse, 1967.
20. Therapy, A Novel, David Lodge, 1995.
21. The Grove of Eagles, Winston Graham. Excellent novel of Elizabethan England by the author of the Poldark series.
22. Wayward Heroes, Halldor Laxness, 1952, 2016. Icelandic saga.

NON-FICTION

1. A Change of Heart: A Personal & Theological Memoir, Thomas C. Oden, 2014 The Conversion of a Liberal Social Activist
2. Aging: The Fulfillment of Life, Henri Nouwen & Walter Gaffney, 1974
3. The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East, Eugene Rogan, 2015
4. The Indomitable Prophet: A Biographical Commentary on Jeremiah, R.E.O. White, 1992
5. Aging and the Human Spirit, LeFevre, 1981
6. The Gospel & Pluralism Today: Reassessing Lesslie Newbigin in the Twenty-First Century, ed. Scott W. Sunquist & Amos Yong, 2015
7. Preaching? Simple Teaching on Simply Preaching 2013, Alec Motyer
8. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity, Nabeel Qureshi, 2014. Outstanding testimony.
9. I Will! Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian, Thom S. Rainer, 2015
10. The Comeback, It’s Not Too Late and You’re Never Too Far, Louie Giglio, 2015
11. The Billion Dollar Spy, David E. Hoffman, 2015
12. Easter Stories, Classic Tales for the Easter Season, 2015
13. 1916, A Global History, Keith Jeffery, 2015
14. If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God’s What If Possibilities, Mark Batterson, 2015
15. The Big Question: Why We Can’t Stop Talking About Science, Faith and God, Alister McGrath, 2015. Excellent. His journey from atheism to faith.
16. The Skeletons in God’s Closet, Joshua Ryan Butler, 2014. A tour de force, a comprehensive exposition of revelation and the true meaning of hell, judgment and holy war in the Bible. Remarkably accessible. Well written. Original. Theologically sound. Superb. A must read.
17. Dig Deep: 7 Truths to Finding Strength Within, J.C. Watts Jr. 2016. A great Christian Testament on motivation and success.
18. The Imperfect Pastor, Zack Eswine, 2015. Excellent.
19. Contentment, Richard O. Swenson, 2013
20. The Unique and Universal Christ: Jesus in a Plural World, Michael Nazir-Ali, 2008
21. The Radical Pursuit of Rest: Escaping the Productivity Trap, John Koesler, 2016
22. The End of Your Life Book Club, Will Schwalbe, 2012
23. John Wiclif: Patriot and Reformer, Life and writings, Rudolf Buddensieg, 1884
24. A Treatise on the Lord’s Supper, E Bickersteth. Superb. A guide and companion to Holy Communion.
25. The Secret Life of a Fool: One Man’s Raw Journey from Shame to Grace, Andrew Palau, 2012
26. Scripture and the Authority of God: How to read the Bible today, N.T. Wright, 2011
27. Connecting with Muslims: a guide to communicating effectively, Fouad Masri, 2014. Excellent.
28. Ambassadors to Muslims: Building Bridges to the Gospel, Fouad Mari, 2011. Excellent
29. The Anglican Evangelical Doctrine of Infant Baptism, John Stott & J. Alex Motyer, 2008. Superb Treatment.
30. Good Faith: Being a Christian When Society Thinks You are Irrelevant and extreme, Dave Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons, 2016. Perceptive, balanced, challenging.
31. The Great and Holy War: How World War I Became a Religious Crusade, Philip Jenkins, 2014
32. Letters of Faith Through the Seasons. A Treasury of Great Christian Correspondence. 2 volumes. Ed. James M. Houston, 2006. Profound inspiration.
33. Q’s Legacy. A Delightful Account of a Lifelong Affair with Books, Helene Hanff, 1984.
34. The Saints’ Everlasting Rest (Abridged), Richard Baxter & Isaac Crewdson, 1829. A spiritual classic.
35. The Man Nobody Knows, Bruce Barton, 1925. Classic bestseller of the life of Jesus as a man’s man of the ‘20’s.
36. Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor, Clinton Romesha, 2016. Well written account of a military battle in Afghanistan that is superior to any novel. Informative and accurately descriptive of male character and modern warfare.
37. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, Eugene H. Peterson, 2000. Sane sanctity. A spiritual classic. Essential reading.
38. The Price of Prosperity: Why Rich Nations Fail and How to Renew Them, Todd G. Buchholz, 2016. Perceptive, comprehensive, stimulating and persuasive.
39. The Diary of a Country Priest, George Bernanos, 1937.
40. Aging Matters: Finding Your Calling for the Rest of Your Life, R. Paul Stevens, 2016. Good, thorough, helpful.
41. Along the Way, the autobiography of James Weldon Johnson, 1933. A remarkable account of the life and times of the first black head of the NAACP and the race issue by a highly literate author. Enlightening and informative. Highly recommended.
42. God Dreams: 12 Vision Templates for Finding and Focusing Your Church’s Future, Will Mancini & Warren Bird, 2016. A practical guide to vision casting and goal setting.
43. A Journey From Poverty to Destiny, My Moments in Time, Reinhold Preik, 2016
44. When Christians Retire, Finding New Purpose in Your Bonus Years, Dwight Hervey Small, 2000. Excellent, practical, realistic, inspirational.
45. The Confederate Soldier’s Pocket Manual of Devotions, Charles Todd Quintard.
46. Political Church, the local assembly as embassy of Christ’s rule, Jonathan Leeman, 2016
47. Risky Faith, Becoming Brave Enough to Trust the God who is Bigger than your World, Susan Alexander Yates, 2016. Excellent, inspirational.
48. The Awakening of Washington’s Church, J.B. Simmons, 2016. The inspiring story of the Falls Church under the leadership of John Yates.
49. It’s Dangerous to Believe, Religious Freedom and its Enemies, Mary Eberstadt, 2016. Excellent, perceptive in analyzing the new McCarthyism and witch hunt.
50. Smarter, Faster, Better. The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business, Charles Duhigg, 2016
51. He Is Not Silent, Preaching in the Postmodern World, R. Albert Mohler, Jr. 2008. Excellent.
52. Whatever the Cost. Facing your Fears, Dying to Your Dreams and Living Powerfully, David and Jason Benham, 2015. Inspiring story of twins sold out to the Lord.
53. Intersections of Grace. Reflections of a Life of Faith, Susan Kerr, 2013. Thoughtful devotional.
54. P.G.Wodehouse: A Biography, Frances Donaldson, 1982
55. Kierkegaard Spiritual Writings, George Pattison, 2010
56. Tales of a Grandfather, A History of Scotland, Walter Scottt, 1889
57. Resurrecting the Idea of a Christian Scoiety, R.R. Reno, 2016. Analysis of American society today.
58. The Great Good Thing. A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ, Andrew Klavan, 2016. Searingly honest memoir.
59. Kierkegaard: A Christian Ministry to Christians, Mark A. Tietjen, 2016. Helpful and much needed today.
60. Making Sense of God. An Invitation to the Skeptical, Timothy Keller, 2016. Excellent.
61. Kierkegaard: Outstanding Christian Thinker, Julia Watkin, 1997
62. The Captive Mind, Czeslaw Milosz, 1981. Stalinism in Eastern Europe.
63. Hidden Christmas. The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ, Timothy Keller, 2016. Excellent.
64. Unapologetic: Why Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, Francis Spufford, 2012. Good on the problem of suffering.