2017 Challies Reading Challenge: Mid-Year Update

In this previous post, I listed a set of 13 books to read, for the “Light Reader,” for this calendar year.  Since then, I have found that I can read many more books, and have gradually expanded the list, to a current list of 26.  As I near the end of these, I’ll update accordingly; again, as with the original list, the categories I’m using are not the actual set of 26 books for the Avid Reader, but include some books from other categories (beyond the “Avid Reader” list).  As noted before, the book list includes books I already own or have easy access to: free audio books as well as Kindle free and low-cost (sale) Kindle books.  Providentially, this year has also brought me many more paperback titles, thanks to a “used book sale” at church one Sunday this spring, as well as the large donation of free theology books from another church member cleaning out and sharing his large book collection.  From Challies’ daily-updated “Kindle deals” page I have also purchased a few more on-sale Kindle books.

The multi-format approach has worked well, with additions to the free audio book collection (past free offers including books from Kevin DeYoung and Steve Lawson), and, for Kindle books, the use of a simple Kindle book-stand on the counter while doing chores, and so I have completed most of the original 13 books – plus a few more in an expanded list.  For the 26 books goal, the following are now on the list:

• A book published in 2017 (Light Reader list): Sam Waldron’s free e-book published this spring:  The Lord’s Day: Its Presuppositions, Proofs, Precedents, and Practice
• A book about Christian living (Avid Reader list): Walter Chantry, Call the Sabbath A Delight
• A book about theology (Avid Reader list): Covenant Theology: From Adam to Christ, Nehemiah Coxe and John Owen
• A book about church history (Avid Reader list): Sketches of the Covenanters, by J.C. McFeeters
• A book of 100 pages or less (Avid Reader list): Walter Chantry, Today’s Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic?
• A book of your choice (Light Reader list): The Fallible Prophets of New Calvinism, by Michael John Beasley
• A book of your choice (Avid Reader list): Be Worshipful:  Glorifying God for Who He Is:  OT Commentary Psalms 1-89, by Warren Wiersbe
• A book about apologetics (Committed Reader list): The Defense of the Faith, by Cornelius Van Til
• A book by Sinclair Ferguson (Committed Reader list): The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World
• A memoir or autobiography (Committed Reader list): The God I Love: A Lifetime of Walking with Jesus, by Joni Eareckson Tada
• A book written by an author with initials in their name (Committed Reader list): Tales from the Perilous Realm, by J.R.R. Tolkien
• A book about preaching or public speaking (Obsessed Reader list): The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, by Steven Lawson (free audio book)
• A book published by Crossway (Committed Reader list): Taking God at His Word, by Kevin DeYoung (free audio book)
• A book by Iain Murray (Obsessed Reader list): The Forgotten Spurgeon

From this expanded list, I have already completed three books: Walter Chantry’s Call the Sabbath A Delight and Today’s Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic?, and Sketches of the Covenanters, by J.C. McFeeters. Two others are in progress, nearing completion:  Sam Waldron’s The Lord’s Day and Sinclair Ferguson’s The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World.

From the recent reading, I have especially appreciated Sketches of the Covenanters; published in 1913, available as a free recording from Still Waters Revival Books, the recording is older, from cassette tape, and it took a little while to get into it – but the overall history and events, along with many stories of individual martyrs, is quite interesting, a part of church history I had not been aware of.  Another good one (nearing the end) is Sam Waldron’s The Lord’s Day: Its Presuppositions, Proofs, Precedents, and Practice.  The book is not lengthy in pages, but good writing (sometimes complex thought, along with basic diagrams describing the concepts) and very detailed in its consideration of various issues, including many quotes from the early church and John Calvin, with a balanced presentation and responses to anti-sabbatarian ideas as well as a few ideas advocated by some sabbatarians.