Every year I set a goal for my reading. In the past it’s typically been 2-3 books a month. Secretly, I’ve always wanted to set a goal of a book a week but I never thought it was possible. This January I decided I was going to go for it but I didn’t tell anyone…just in case.
Now you know, which will help keep me accountable for the rest of the year.
Last week was the half way point for 2018. Can you believe it? 26 weeks have already passed! Normally I wouldn’t know which week of the year we are on but my new goal causes me to count. In these last 26 weeks I’ve been able to read 27 books, which is almost the total amount I read last year.
As you can see in the picture some of the books were light on page numbers and one should really count as a blog post it was so short. But the shorter ones gave me extra time to finish longer ones.
How am I doing it? Well it’s not as hard as I first thought. I set aside about an hour a night Monday-Friday. In that hour I try to get through 50 pages. Most books are around 200-250 pages.
How many books could you get through if you set aside one hour a night to read? I bet you would be surprised! You don’t have to give up Netflix or social media completely. Just one hour. Try it!
Of course it helps if you look forward to your daily reading time. The key is having something good to read. Below you’ll find my picks for the best I’ve read so far. I’ve also included some honorable mentions that are worth your time if you really get motivated.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike. Wow! I couldn’t put this book down. It really kept me guessing what was going to happen next. I had no idea the story of Nike was so suspenseful. Hearing the story from the founder and all the ups and downs was incredible. If you’ve ever started anything you will appreciate this book. His perspective on international business and policy was insightful. I have a deep appreciation for Nike now. (Fair warning there’s a section that uses some strong language.)
41: A Portrait of My Father. One of my goals is to visit all the presidential libraries. So far, I’ve been to 5 of them. Each time I visit one I leave thinking they were the greatest president we’ve ever had. It’s enlightening to see things from their perspective and why they made the decisions they did. It gives me a greater understanding of how we arrived to where we are today in the world. One of the many things I think we’ve lost in today’s political landscape is the ability to separate people from policy. Today’s environment fosters the attitude that if your policy doesn’t line up with mine then you are the devil himself. It’s scary how people can hate people they’ve never met just because their policy is different. As I’ve toured the different libraries I’m always struck by how likeable each president was as a person. They seemed like decent people who were trying to do what they thought was best for the country at the time. (I know that has nothing to do with the book, but I felt like with the current political temperature I needed to give some back story.) Along with my goal of visiting the libraries I now want to read the autobiographies that correspond with the libraries. George W.H. Bush didn’t write an autobiography, but his son attempted to fill the space with his perspective. And from a historical perspective it’s fascinating to see a different side than what the media could portray or would have access to. One reason 43 wrote about his father 41 was because David McCullough had stated once he wished he had material from President John Quincy Adams to draw from when he was writing about his father President John Adams. McCullough had encouraged 43 to write this book. I found it fascinating as a father and a closet history junkie. In a day when too many people don’t like their father, it’s refreshing to read someone who loved and admired theirs. It’s remarkable he was able to follow his father’s footsteps all the way to the Whitehouse. When I finished the book I wanted to read it again.
If I Had a Parenting Do Over: 7 Vital Changes I’d Make. The title is a little sad and makes me feel sorry for the author. He sets out to save you from some of his missteps. His insights are spot on. I found I was making some of the very mistakes he regretted. Whew! I’m glad I read it! If you have kids at home especially in the teen years get this book! You’ll have fewer things to regret.
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery. The Enneagram is all the rage. If you’ve never heard of it this book will clue you in. I’m not sure what to think about the Enneagram as a whole. The book starts off by saying it’s never been scientifically proven, but user experience validates it usefulness. Hmmm. Of the 9 personality “types,” I strongly identified with 2 but I wasn’t sure which one was me and neither type is a “wing” of the other. I asked my wife which description she thought sounded more like me but she thought both described me perfectly. Hmmm. I reached out to the author but didn’t hear back from him. I’m sure you are wondering why I’m recommending this book. The reason is because it uniquely talks about the sin each personality type struggles with and what to do about it. As I read it I clearly saw my own dark side described in unique and helpful language. This book bothered me for several weeks as I really mulled over the concepts and wrestled with my own soul. We need to be bothered occasionally. What bothers us is seeing ourselves how others experience us. This book gets at a deeper level of soul-awareness and what motivates us. It’s an important book you need to read.
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box. I can’t believe I haven’t heard more about this book. It’s over 10 years old and makes so many insightful observations about the way we deceive ourselves at work and in our relationships. If you think the problem is the person you’re married to or the person you work for or with you need to read this book. It’s written in a parable form so it goes by quickly.
There Is A God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind. Antony Flew was a well-known atheist who developed some unique philosophical arguments against God’s existence. I have an older book in which Flew debates the resurrection. Flew was committed to the Socratic principle to follow the evidence wherever it leads and with modern advances in science and philosophical arguments the evidence lead him to God. I found his journey and thought processes fascinating. If you like philosophy or apologetics you’ll enjoy this one!
Muslims, Christians, and Jesus: Gaining Understanding and Building Relationships. I enjoyed Medearis’ book Speaking of Jesus so much that I thought I would try this one. It is equally as helpful. The Muslim community is growing where I live. In fact, a new mosque recently opened. I wanted to learn more about how to dialogue with my Muslim neighbors about Jesus. Medearis’ insights are invaluable!
Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose. Learning about the Zappos history and story was fun and Hseih was honest about his missteps along the way. Their passion for culture and customer service is amazing.
The Unstuck Church: Equipping Churches to Experience Sustained Health. I know this won’t apply to most of my readers and if you get it for your pastor be careful. He might take it as an insult that you think your church is “stuck.” Personally, I think the title is unfortunate but that aside, the content is classic church life cycles. Morgan updates the life cycles of a church that others like Gary MacIntosh have presented. Even though the content isn’t exactly new, it’s fresh and helpful for church leaders. If you’re a church leader I would highly recommend you read this book. It’s like reading several “church growth” books in one. My staff enjoyed reading it too.
The Church Growth Flywheel. Again, I know this book won’t apply to most of my readers, but for my pastor friends– get this book. It is well worth your time and a quick read. I read it and wrote out two systems we use for every message series. He talks about several other communication systems that every church needs. Rich is a friend and is always trying to help church leaders. Super practical!
Honorable Mentions
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact. The first couple of chapters of this book were phenomenal and made me think about moments and more specifically how to create moments! I enjoyed the book. The second half wasn’t as strong as the first. Still worthwhile.
Everybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People. Bob Goff’s first book Love Does was amazing! I would read a chapter and then summarize the chapter to my wife. Every chapter was an unbelievable story from an unbelievable person! I couldn’t wait for this book! While I didn’t repeat as many stories to my wife from this book there are still some that made me say Wow! One story in particular shifted my whole paradigm on what it means to love your enemies. Goff provides one of the most tangible and incarnational examples of this in the real world. It’s worth the whole book. I think he is the new Mother Theresa. I’ve never heard of anyone living or loving the way he does and with such passion. I wish he would run for president!
Just because one of the books in the top picture didn’t make this list doesn’t mean it was a dud. I learned something from all of them, these were just the best.
Happy Reading!
