What I read in January

Sometimes we all need a kick in the rear end to get us reading a little more broadly. A few years ago, the kick came for me when a friend of mine challenged me to read some fiction. Since then, I’ve continued to broaden my reading as much as possible, particularly as my children have learned to read—which in particular has given me an opportunity to branch out and try a lot of stuff that I didn’t have much interest in to gauge if/when it would be appropriate for them.

I’m a pretty aggressive reader, regularly making my way through over 100 books a year. But even though I’ve been reading fairly broadly, it’s still pretty easy to get into a rut when you read that much. So this year, when Tim Challies put together his 2016 reading challenge, it seemed like a great opportunity try some additional books I might not otherwise give a look.

So today, I’m beginning what may be a monthly update of what I’m reading, along with a bit of explanation as to why I read what I read. In January, I read 10 different books, including three graphic novels, a memoir by a “situationally recognizable” individual, one excellent book on finances and several books on the Christian life and theology. Here’s what I read:

1. Sex and Money by Paul Tripp
2. Jesus: The Only Way to God? by John Piper
3. Superman Adventures, vol 1 by Paul Dini, Scott McCloud, and Rick Burchett
4. The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul
5. The New Teen Titans, vol. 2 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez
6. You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day
7. True Worshipers by Bob Kauflin
8. Nightwing, vol. 3: False Starts by Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel
9. Beating the College Debt Trap by Alex Chediak
10. The Original Jesus by Daniel Darling

Why these ones? The graphic novels were a combination of ones I was reading to share with my kids (Superman Adventures) and ones I remember fondly from my teens (Nightwing and New Teen Titans). Sex and Money has been sitting on my shelf for about two years, so I figured it was finally time to read it. The Original Jesus, True Worshipers, and Beating the College Debt Trap are review books (look for those soon-ish). You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) I read because I dig Felicia Day’s web series The Guild. And The Holiness of God and Jesus: The Only Way to God? were re-reads of books I enjoyed immensely and found very helpful the first (as well as the second and third) time around.

Have a suggestion for a book for me or someone else to read or want to share what you’ve read? Connect with me on Twitter or Facebook and let me know!