2022 is now complete, and it is time for a review of my reading in the fourth quarter and to turn the page to the reading plan for 2023. Earlier installments in this series can be found HERE. My hope is to inspire and encourage some of you to a more disciplined and diligent practice of reading.
I planned to read 100 books in 2022 spread across six categories: theology, philosophy, history, classics, biographies, and books I regularly re-read. I completed 37 books in the first quarter, 31 in the second, 32 in the third, and 27 in the fourth, finishing with a total of 127. My reading in the fourth quarter included 8 volumes of theology, 5 biographies, and 10 re-reads. My final totals in each category were 29 theology, 12 philosophy, 10 history, 11 classics, 19 biographies, and 28 re-reads.
Here are three books I read in the fourth quarter I particularly enjoyed or found profitable.
First, The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton. It is no secret that Chesterton is probably my favorite author of all-time, and I am almost always reading something by him throughout the year. Everlasting Man is not one that I have re-read yearly, but it likely will become so after this year’s read-through. The argument is stimulating, the prose delightful, and the encouragement to faith and wonder at the work of God in human history is truly a blessing. Chesterton argues that Christianity is the “true myth.” This work was a key influence in C. S. Lewis’s conversion, and I have been blessed every time I read it.
Second, John Knox: Stalwart Courage by Douglas Wilson. This is a very accessible and practical treatment of Knox’s life and the virtues God’s grace wrought and manifested in this Reformed father. It would be especially appropriate for young men looking for role models of manly piety and courage.
Third, God and Generals by Jeff Shaara. I’m not sure how I never read this particular novel— and as a novel I categorized it as an elective, not history or biography—since I have known about it for many years. I do not read a great deal of historical fiction—though I do enjoy fiction that is historical—but I greatly enjoyed this volume and look forward to reading others in the series.
The 2023 Reading Plan
2022’s reading plan was a success, the most successful that I have developed so far, and I feel encouraged to continue to set goals in specific categories and genres. I have decided to base my reading goals in 2023 on quarterly, rather than annual, totals with an ambition of reading 120 works for the entire year. Every three months I plan to read the English Bible once-through in a different translation, starting with the Geneva Bible. (I read the Psalms and certain parts of Scripture more frequently, but this refers to my general plan of reading.) I also plan to read 4 volumes in each of the designated categories: theology, philosophy, history, biography, classics, and re-reads, leaving 5 electives. --JME
