2019 in Reading, and Next Year (Reformed Theology Study)

As 2019 comes to a close, here is a look back at my 2019 reading list, which included many books—yet with some updates (omissions and additions).  This previous post reviewed my 2018 reading and the 2019 plan.  The ending total for 2019 is 35 books, not the 37 originally listed; and that with several updates.  Still, I ended up reading 28 books on that list (one, Charles Spurgeon’s Life in Christ Vol 2: Lessons from Our Lord’s Miracles and Parables is still in progress, nearing the end).

Along the way, I discovered some great books, with interesting thoughts or facts, as well as a few disappointments, but overall good reading and studies.  Michael Horton’s Rediscovering the Holy Spirit was disappointing, as noted in this post   — the only book I did not complete.  Based on that finding I removed one additional Horton book from the list (A Book About Suffering, A Place for Weakness: Preparing Yourself for Suffering); I may get to it in a few years, but it’s a lower priority now.

Here are posts that reference several books from this year’s reading list:

• Heaven on Earth, by Derek W.H. Thomas
• Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, by J.I. Packer
• History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 2, by J.H. Merle D’Aubigne
• The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down, by Al Mohler
• Only One Way: Christian Witness in an Age of Inclusion
• Commentary on the Psalms, volume 1, by James Montgomery Boice; and Depression: Looking Up From the Stubborn Darkness, by Ed Welch
• The Good Years: From 1900 to the First World War, by Walter Lord
• The Godly Home (Richard Baxter); Depression: Looking Up From the Stubborn Darkness (Ed Welch); and The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Godly Home, by Richard Baxter
• Our Ancient Foe: The History, Activity, and Demise of the Devil (Best of Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology)

As in previous years, I found that adding audio books, including new available selections from the Christian Audio monthly offerings, imcreased the quantity of books.  Among the Christian Audio selections added, I especially liked Fire Road Fire Road: the Napalm girl’s Journey through the Horrors of War to Faith, Forgiveness, and Peace, the free monthly offer for September of this year.

Next year, my reading and study plan is a little different.  Instead of trying to follow the Challies yearly plan with a large number and variety of books, I’ll continue reading from the books already on my to-read list, along with a focus on more classic and Reformed (Reformation and Puritan era) reading.  One major addition is a calendar year schedule to read through the Westminster Standards and the other major Reformed Confessions (Three Forms of Unity, the Savoy Confession, and the 1689 Confession and the Baptist Catechism).  Alongside the Confessions and Catechisms, the following commentaries, most with online text available (some from Monergism.com), should also prove helpful:

• A.A. Hodge’s The Westminster Confession: A Commentary
• An Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith, by Robert Shaw (also available here)
• A Faith Worth Teaching: The Heidelberg Catechism’s Enduring Heritage    (a previous Amazon kindle deal)
• Commentary of Dr. Zacharias Ursinus on the Heidelberg Catechism
• Exposition of the Apostles’ Creed, by James Dodds

The above may take more than one year, and though the Westminster Confession reading follows a neat ‘calendar year reading’ which the related commentaries can fit to, I’m not yet sure where to fit the Three Forms of Unity reading – in some type of parallel with the Westminster Confession, or just sequentially reading through each of the documents along with the associated commentaries.

I’ve added a few other interesting Reformed works, and hope to get to at least several of these in 2020:

• Thomas Boston’s The Crook in the Lot, and Human Nature in its Fourfold State (reference this previous post)
• Stephen Charnock’s The Existence and Attributes of God
• Commentary on Romans, by Robert Haldane
• Yearly devotional (I’ve read a few selections but not straight through) Charles Spurgeon’s Faith’s Checkbook
• Also a few audio book selections from the Christian Audio free monthly offers and never read public domain classics, such as The Count of Monte Cristo, available from Librivox
• From the stack of print books I’ve won from a few online drawings, Cornelis P. Venema’s Children at the Lord’s Table

As 2019 nears the end, let us enjoy the Christmas holiday and have a Happy New Year.

A Merry Christmas quote, from Charles Spurgeon:

Celebrate your Savior’s birth. Do not be ashamed to be glad—you have a right to be happy. Solomon says, “Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God now accepts your works. Let your garments be always white and let your head lack no ointment.”—

“Religion never was designed
To make our pleasures less.”

Remember that your Master ate butter and honey. Go your way, rejoice tomorrow, but, in your feasting, think of the Man in Bethlehem—let Him have a place in your hearts, give Him the glory, think of the virgin who conceived Him—but think, most of all, of the Man born, the Child given! I finish by again saying— “A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!”

Challies’ 2017 Reading Challenge

I became aware of the 2016 Challies “Reading Challenge” this summer, an interesting idea of planning a certain number of books to read in the next year, all from different categories or types of books.  Now, Challies has introduced the 2017 version, slightly modified but the same basic idea of reading a certain number of books.  Goodreads also has an active group with discussion and a place to keep your own reading list for the yearly challenge.

I probably read close to 13 books (or equivalent in sermon audio series) per year, but have always just picked out a book or two at a time, then later decide on another one to read.  So this approach is different for me, to plan out the reading for the coming year.  I’ve decided to follow the “Light Reader” plan of 13 books, though slightly modified – removing three of the “light reader” type of books, instead  substituting three from the second category (The Avid Reader).  For all of these I am including books I already have: either on my Kindle from previous purchases of free or near-free books, or ones that are available as free electronic books or free audio recordings (such as from SermonAudio.com or Librivox.org).  My busy schedule (including a very busy full time job) means my reading time is limited, and thus a good mix with several books in audio recording format is necessary–the audio books for commute and exercise time, plus the reading time as available, weekday evenings and weekends.

Here is my reading list for 2017:

The Light Reader

_ 1. A biography:  The Biography of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, by Andrew Bonar
_ 2. A classic novel:  Charlese Dickens, Hard Times (Librivox recording)
_ 3. A book about history: Edward the First, by T.F. Tout (Librivox recording)
_ 4. A book written by a Puritan (from the Avid reader list):  Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices– Thomas Brooks  (Sermon Audio available)
_ 5. A book about theology:  Divine Covenants, by A.W. Pink
_ 6. A book with at least 400 pages:  My ongoing reading of Charles Spurgeon Sermon Volumes
_ 7. A commentary on a book of the Bible (Avid reader list): Andrew Bonar’s Commentary on Leviticus
_ 8. A book about Christian living:  From the Grace Gems website, J.R. Miller’s “A Life of Character”
_ 9. A book more than 100 years old:  Many books would qualify for this one, but I added Charles Spurgeon’s All of Grace here
_ 10. A book about the Reformation (Avid reader list):  Merle D’Aubigne, History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, volume 1  (most of the first volume is also now recorded and available at Librivox).
_ 11. A book for children or teens:  The Hobbit (a great classic for re-read; I’ll reread the audio recording)
_ 12. A book of your choice:  Be Worshipful:  Glorifying God for Who He Is:  OT Commentary Psalms 1-89, by Warren Wiersbe.  This is currently on Kindle sale for 99 cents, one of several books in this series, the sale recently noted at Challies’ blog
_ 13. A book about a current issue:  Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue, by R.C. Sproul  (A past free electronic book offer, not yet read and still on my Kindle)

Top 5 Books and Sermon Series Read/Listened To In 2013

It’s that time of year when people review and summarize the highlights from the past year.  I haven’t read as many books as I’d like to, and also appreciate good sermon series.  But here is a list of the “top 5” I’ve enjoyed from the last year — note, these are books and series I listened to in 2013, not material that was published in 2013.

1.) Pillars of Grace (A Long Line of Godly Men, Volume 2) by Steve Lawson.  I actually started this one in late 2012, continuing with a second post about later content in early 2013.  Here is the post from January 2013, looking at the doctrines of Grace through the middle ages.
2.) Daniel and the Latter Days, by Robert D. Culver:  the full text of this book is available online free here.  In two posts (The Future Restoration of Israel and also The Judgment by Fire) this September I looked at some interesting material in this great classic work.

3.) The Hidden Life, Devotional from Adolph Saphir.  Review of it, from August 2013, here.

4.) After the Flood, by Bill Cooper.  A great book on creation apologetics, unique in its look at creation history and the earliest historical European records.  This one also is full text free online; review here.

5.) S. Lewis Johnson’s series through 1 Corinthians.  His last full book, verse-by-verse sermon series (from late 1993 through early 1995).  His voice was tired in this one, but still great material covering many different biblical topics as they came up in the study of this the longest of Paul’s epistles.