Each year I set a goal to read 24 books or two books per month. This past year I managed to get through 26 books. I'm always amazed to look back at the list and see the variety of subjects I managed to get through. Maybe you'll find something on this list that you might want to check out. Here is it...
"A Week in the Life of a Roman Centurion" by Gary M. Burge. A fictional story written with an eye on the times and culture during the time of Jesus. An interesting read with a surprise ending.
"God With Us" by David Petersen. An Advent, Christmas, & Epiphany devotional from a skilled writer and preacher.
"Destiny and Power" by Jon Meacham. A wonderful biography of George H.W. Bush. My admiration for our 41st president grew as I learned about his commitment to public service.
"Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey. The book takes a look at why the Christian faith's influence has seemingly diminished and how the trend could be changed.
"The Big Miss" by Hank Haney. Haney was Tiger Woods' swing coach and he provides an intimate look at the rise and fall of one of golf''s greatest.
"Paul McCartney - The Life" by Phillip Norman. A well written and well researched biography of the "cute Beatle."
"Killing Reagan" by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugand. This edition was written in the same breezy style as the other books in this series.
"The Gift For All People" by Max Lucado. A short devotional book given to me by one of our members. If you like Lucado you'll like this book.
"Imagine 5:16" by Steve Lingenfelter, et al. A fine book on how one Peoria, AZ church sharpened its skill for outreach into its community.
"Becoming a Person of Influence" by Maxwell & Dornan. Typical John Maxwell.
"The Veiled One" by Ruth Rendell. My two favorite detective fiction writers - Rendell and PD James passed away last year. I have to have at least one dose of Rendell each year.
"I'll Mature When I'm Dead" by Dave Berry. The perfect book to take along on your summer vacation. Had me laughing out loud more than once.
"A Feast of Crows" by George RR Martin. The least interesting book of the series which has been turned into HBO's number one program.
"The Girl in the Spider's Web" by David Lagercrantz. A continuation of the Stig Larrsen series of books. I found it a cut below the first three books.
"For the Glory" by Duncan Hamilton. Easily the best book I read in 2016. Many know of Eric Liddell through the movie, "Chariots of Fire." Hamilton shares the details of what happened to Liddell following his amazing Olympic effort. An inspiration book about a faithful Christian man.
"In a Heartbeat" by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. The family behind the film, "The Blind Side" tells how they came to give shelter to and later adopt a boy from the streets.
"The Choir Immortal" by Katie Schuermann. The continuing story of a small town Lutheran church and its colorful cast of characters. A wonderful read.
"Katie Luther - The Graphic Novel" by Susan Leigh. A companion piece to a book presented in the same fashion about Martin Luther. If you know nothing about "Kitty, my rib," as Luther used to call his wife, this short book would be a good place to start.
"Everything is Possible" by Jen Bricker. Bricker was born without legs but that has not stopped her from pursuing her dreams and living a full life.
"The Chronicles of Downton Abbey" by Fellows & Sturgis. My dear, sweet wife and I came to the Downton party late but we're glad we made it. We fell in love with the show and enjoyed reading this companion book.
"The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert" by Rosaria Butterfield. Can a radical feminist do a 180 and come to believe and confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? The answer is yes and it would be worth your time to read Butterfield's story.
"Because of Bethlehem" by Max Lucado. Each September it seems that Lucado releases his newest book. Since September is my birth month I can always count on my in-laws to give Lucado's books as a gift. This is one of Lucado's best.
"Beatles 66 - The Revolutionary Year" by Steve Turner. Turner has written extensively about the Fab Four. Here he focuses on 1966 - the year that the Beatles stopped touring and began focusing their energies on studio recording. Great book.
"What's It All About" by Cilla Black. Cilla was a coat check girl at the Cavern, the place where Liverpool boys and girls could go on lunch hour or in the evenings to see John, Paul, George and Ringo. A wonderful singer in her own right, Black went on to have a successful career in music & television.
"Cat Watching" by Desmond Morris. My friend, Michele, has a book selling business on Amazon. The books she can't sell she lets me take a look at. I learned a lot about my two cats through Morris' observations and studies.
"Christian Freedom" by William E. Fischer. Part of the "People's Bible" series from Northwestern Publishing House. A helpful read.
So that's the list. I'd like to spend more time on the blog today but I've got to get going. I've got a book to read!
