The third quarter of 2022 has come and gone, and time seems to be moving at the speed of playback on my Audible app. You can find occasional posts on reading archived HERE as well as my first and second quarter reviews (Q1, Q2). As a brief reminder, I offer these posts in hopes of encouraging some to adopt a more disciplined approach to reading and help readers find books they may enjoy. If you think instead these reviews are merely putting on airs, I will not be offended if you skip this post.
This year I set goals to read 100 books in six categories: theology, philosophy, history, classics, biographies, and regular re-reads. I only log books that I read in their entirety, not just portions, even if I complete most of the book. I completed 37 books in the first quarter of 2022 and 31 in the second quarter. In the third quarter I completed 32 books, bringing the total to 100 titles in the first nine months of the year. The third quarter reading included seven works of theology, one on philosophy, two on history, five classics, five biographies, six re-reads, and six miscellaneous titles that did not fit into one of the planned categories.
I completed my goal for total volumes read for the year in the first nine months. I expected I would read more than 100 titles—I usually do—but this is significantly ahead of pace. Most of the goals for each of the planned categories have also been completed. I have finished 21 of 24 books in theology, 12 of 12 in philosophy, 10 of 12 in history, 10 of 12 classics, 14 of 12 biographies, and 18 of 18 re-reads. The goal for the last category will need to be increased next year. Every year the total number of books I re-read increases both in number and as a percentage of my total volume of reading.
Here are three books I read in the third quarter I particularly enjoyed or found profitable.
First, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This was not the first time I read Bradbury’s classic dystopian novel, but I enjoyed it more this time than ever before. Though Bradbury had a very confused relationship to faith, he regularly weaves Christian imagery into his stories and novels in profoundly thought-provoking ways. Motifs of death and resurrection, judgment and life, regeneration, and transformation by truth are powerful themes that pervade the novel. It is both entertaining and enlightening and well-worth more than a casual perusal.
Second, A Christian Manifesto by Francis Schaeffer is a brief treatise outlining important features of a Christian approach to cultural awareness and influence. Schaeffer was prophetic in his insight and call for biblical fidelity in an age of compromise. His work is as valuable— dare we say even more relevant?—than when it was originally penned.
Third, Three Felonies a Day by Harvey Silverglate describes abuses by the DOJ and federal prosecutors which have become endemic in our American justice system. The book is written by a liberal attorney who participated directly in many of the cases described. There appears to be a significant bias toward including instances of Republican malfeasance more often than Democrats, and the author admits that some of the persons targeted unjustly likely were guilty of various improprieties or crimes even if their prosecution was tainted in some ways. The data cited is much too anecdotal, relying far too heavily on cases in which the author was personally involved. But the overall thesis is compelling and troubling, and both Republicans and Democrats share the blame. The book demonstrates how easily federal prosecutors can find reasons to indict, coerce, and manipulate the justice system against their targets and suggests how often this may be done. It is a sobering reminder of the need for a biblical system of justice and of the dangers of our executive branch and its agencies if they are allowed to operate unchecked. --JME
