Tag: reading

The 10 Best Books I Read in 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

2025 was an excellent year of reading for me. I was able to finish 70 books and I am thankful to God for books and for writers and for the ability to read and for the easy access I have to books of all kinds.

Here is a list of the 10 BEST Books I Read in 2025, plus a few honorable mentions.

If you are interested in taking a look at brief reviews of almost all of the books I read this year, you can find them under my monthly Reading Roundups.

10. Hideki Smith and the Omukade by A.J. Hartley

Look, I enjoy Hartley’s writing across the board. This author is creative, eclectic, original, and just fun to read, but this book in his Hideki Smith series is some next level writing. The first book in the series was good. This is better. And you don’t see that often enough in sequels.

Instead of recycling scenes, jokes, twists, and plot points that worked for him in book 1, Hartley masterfully builds on that book and gives his readers something that is familiar and yet brand new. This page-turner kept me so engaged I felt irritated if my reading got interrupted. And I stayed up past my bedtime more than once so I could finish “just one, two, three more chapters.”

*Note: This book is not pictured above because I loaned out my copy and it hasn’t made it’s way back to me in time for this post.

9. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

This was my first Clarke novel. It won’t be my last. The world Clarke created in this novel is fresh and exciting and fascinating. Her writing can take your breath away with its beauty and make your soul ache because of the connection you have with her principle character. This is a fascinating tale and so original it sticks with you. I imagine that there will be books that will be along the same lines as this one and people will think, “Oh, that reminds me of Piranesi!” If you haven’t read Clarke before, I cannot recommend this book as an introduction to her work highly enough.

8. LEAD by Paul David Tripp

I haven’t always liked Tripp’s writing. In fact, I don’t think I would have read this one had it not been required by the leadership team I am a part of in my church. But this book was revelatory and powerful and has found its way onto my annual reading list. Not necessarily because it is fascinating and well-written, which it is, but because the lessons in this book are absolutely necessary for me to be reminded of and to internalize and live out and that is going to require repeated readings.

LEAD strikes that delicate balance between deeply convicting and encouraging. Tripp pulls no punches and some of them land squarely in your gut, but then he is quick to point you to the glorious truth of the gospel. It’s like every page is shouting, “Yes, you really are a mess! AND Jesus loves you and desires to work through you in the church.”

7. Philippians: Rejoicing and Thanksgiving by David Chapman

I know it seems strange to see a commentary on a top ten list, but this was just so good. This is the first commentary I’ve read from the Focus on the Bible series but if the rest are even half as good as this one, I want the entire series in my library.

This excellent exploration of Paul’s letter to his beloved friends is easily accessible by anyone–no seminary degree required–and yet the depth of scholarship underlying it will satisfy any biblical studies wonk. You don’t need to be working on a sermon or academic paper to enjoy this book. Grab a copy, your Bible, a journal, and a pen or pencil and just walk through Philippians with Chapman as your guide and you will blessed.

6. Through a Screen Darkly by Jeffrey Overstreet

I love movies and I loved this book about movies. You know how when you read a book you enjoy so much, you start slowing down as you get to the end because you don’t want the experience to be over? I’ve only ever done that with novels. Until this book. I seriously did not want Overstreet’s “cinematic memoir” to end. It is just too good.

Overstreet is a writer, film critic, and college professor and he writes with a love for God and for art that shows up on every page. I have always loved movies and I think about them deeply and, honestly, have often been made fun of by others for doing that. With this book, I felt seen. I felt less like an odd ball and more like there were others like me. There are people who take movies seriously as art and Overstreet is speaking to us as one of us.

At the same time, he is writing to anyone who enjoys movies. He writes from a Christian worldview, but I think anyone can learn to think about and enjoy films on a deeper level by reading this book. Oh, and my “To Be Viewed” list grew A LOT as I read.

5. The Evangelical Imagination by Karen Swallow Prior

The author masterfully builds a case piece by piece that reveals how much of the Evangelical faith we take at face value without considering where some of our most closely held beliefs come from and without realizing how many of these beliefs are built, not from Scripture, but from a shared social imaginary. This imaginary is comprised of the stories we tell, the images we absorb, and the metaphors we use to describe and understand our world.

Swallow Prior picks up a magnified mirror, holds it up to Evangelicalism, and says, “Look closely right here.” And when we do, we might find ourselves shocked, even a bit horrified, but if we are paying attention, we won’t be offended. The author is not holding up her mirror with an attitude of disgust or judgment, but with a heart of love and all she’s asking us to do is pay attention and think.

Let’s stop taking everything at face value. Let’s stop absorbing sound bites and spitting them in the faces of others. Instead, let’s ask questions, pray, discuss, and just think.

I found as I read the book that I was asking many questions about my own beliefs and their origins and in those questions, I was drawn to a deeper faith in Christ. If that doesn’t make it worth reading, I don’t know what does.

4. Lest We Drift by Jared Wilson

I wrote a longer review on this book after I read it so I will only repeat a few pieces of that here.

Jared Wilson has written many gospel-centered books. This is not his first, and God willing it won’t be his last. But out of all the ones I’ve read so far, and they have all been good, this one in particular stands out.

Wilson writes with the mind of a theologian, the heart of a pastor, and the passion of someone who knows he is a great sinner in need of a great Savior. In fact, he is very open and honest about his own weaknesses and the ways he has drifted from the gospel and the consequences that came with that and how the gospel of Jesus Christ was and is good news to him.

As Wilson shows us in this book, it’s so tragically easy to drift away from the good news of Jesus into other things, even important and good things, and point to them and say, “this thing is of first importance” and when we do that, we are missing it. We are missing where true life really is and we are pointing others away from Jesus too.

Wilson’s writing in LEST WE DRIFT packs some punch in a lot of places. But while Wilson writes strongly, there is no harshness in the way he writes it. The strength of his words are based in love for Jesus and for the people of God. You may feel convicted but you won’t feel condemned.

I think, LEST WE DRIFT is a timely and beautiful book. I was more in love with Jesus after I read it, and I also felt more aware of the ways I have often drifted away from the gospel in my own life. But I didn’t feel ashamed. I felt invited back to the heart of God.

3. The Affections of Christ Jesus by Nijay Gupta

Gupta is another “new to me” writer this year and I loved this rich and powerful book on the love of Christ in the writings of the Apostle Paul. My copy is LOADED with underlining and little flags and marginalia. I have set it aside for a bit and then I am going back to it and making notes in a learning journal because there is so much here you can’t just read it and throw it on your shelf.

Gupta writes with a depth of knowledge of the Scriptures and he also writes with a depth of love for God and His Word. He is one of those rare subject matter experts that understands that not everyone is an expert so while his writing is challenging, it is accessible. I found no trouble at all following him.

I also loved that this is not just a book of scholarship, although it is certainly that. It is also a book with encouragement, implications, and applications throughout. In that sense, it is richly pastoral.

2. Foster AND Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Okay, I know this is cheating a little, but I really could NOT pick one over the other. Both of these books are wonderful and as a result of reading them I am in love with Claire Keegan’s writing and will faithfully read everything she writes from now on. There is so much beauty and simplicity and excellence in these stories that I felt like a richer and better person for having read them. Keegan is a true master of the craft of writing. She’s the kind of writer that readers love AND the kind of writer that other writers admire. You don’t often find that in the same person.

If you haven’t read Keegan’s work yet, just do it. Both of these books are a wonderful place to start. Pick one and read it. Then come back here and leave your appreciative comments on this post.

And I will just offer a preemptive, “you’re welcome.”

1. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Duh.

I mean, can this book appear on any top ten list and NOT be in the number one spot?

When Robert Duvall accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, he highlighted the Western as America’s unique cultural contribution with this quote:

The English have Shakespeare. The French have Moliere. What do we (Americans) have…the Western!” 

Of course, Duvall played Gus McCrae in the TV miniseries of this book and when I read Lonesome Dove, I could hear Duvall’s voice in my head.

When has this not been a famous and continuously read epic?

After reading this book, I had to set it aside for a moment and mourn the loss of a group of characters I had fallen in love with over the course of 858 pages. I was sad that my journey with them was over. And what a journey it was!

I absolutely love Western novels and the history of the American West and read both frequently. But this one is not only my favorite Western, it is one of my top 5 favorite novels. The rich characters, the converging plotlines, the high stakes, the adventure, the sheer scope of the novel is just incredible.

Honorable Mentions

Here are few titles that nearly made the top 10 this year.

  • Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls by Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite
  • The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
  • A Burning in My Bones by Winn Collier
  • Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
  • The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilberg Clark
  • A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

My Impossible Reading Plan for 2026

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I’ve created a ridiculous, outrageous, and impossible reading plan for 2026. Seriously, there is no way I will complete it. No way.

But I don’t care.

I get excited about books and reading and I enjoy making plans and setting targets and keeping records and all those sorts of things.

I understand that the plan I have created is unrealistic, but I just can’t help myself and if I even hit the halfway mark it’s going to be an incredible year of reading!

The Structure

I’ve set the plan up according to categories and then subcategories. The number of books in each category is based on my personal interests and needs.

Here is a list of the major categories:

  • Annual Bible Reading Plan: I read the Bible through each year so this is always on the list.
  • Daily Devotions: There are only 2 books on this list. They are year-long devotionals at about a page or two a day.
  • The Daily Trio: This is a new thing I started this year, where I try to read 1 short story, 1 essay or sermon, and 1 poem each day.
  • Reading it Again
  • Spiritual Formation: There are books about what I call “Active Theology” (a term I prefer to Christian Living), Christian Spirituality, and the spiritual disciplines.
  • Ministry
  • Book Club: These are the selections our club chose to read in 2026.
  • Novels
  • Classics
  • Reading Projects: This is a summary of multiple categories like Steinbeck, McCarthy, Shakespeare, L’Amour, etc.
  • Favorite Writers: This includes authors like Muriel Barbery, Alan Jacobs, Jessica Hooten-Wilson, Jasper Fforde, Susanna Clarke, and Claire Keegan.
  • Children’s Literature
  • Hot Off the Presses: These are books published in 2026.
  • Plays
  • Current WIP: WIP = Work in Progress. This is research material for the new book I am writing.
  • Writing Craft
  • History
  • Biography
  • Commentaries: These are just for my personal edification and learning. After I read the Bible through (in the first 90 days) I do deep dives into specific books or topics in Scripture. For 2026, I am going to dig deep into the books of Hosea, and 1 and 2 Peter.
  • Theatre Studies and Film Studies
  • Theology
  • Biblical Studies
  • Major Works: I have chosen four books that are pretty massive and that will take a while to read, so I hope to finish one each quarter.
  • Education & Learning: A subject that is a personal passion.
  • Recommended by Others
  • Just for Fun: This includes things like Westerns and fantasy. Total brain candy.
  • Annual Reads: These are a few books on my list every year.
  • Just Because I want to Hit the Magic Number

And what is the magic, impossible number?

350 BOOKS!!!

Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re laughing at me. I’m laughing at myself. But I am going for it and we’ll see how close I can get to the target.

Check in periodically to see how I am doing. It’s going to be a great year for reading!

Reading Roundup for November 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I finished 11 books in November for a total of 64 so far this year so it was an excellent month in the stacks!

Lead by Paul David Tripp is a book I have been discussing with a group of guys from my church. It strikes that delicate balance between deeply convicting and encouraging. Tripp pulls no punches and some of them land squarely in your gut, but then he is quick to point you to the glorious truth of the gospel. It’s like every page is shouting, “Yes, you really are a mess! And Jesus loves you and desires to work through you in the church.” As we have discussed this book, there have been some tears and a deeper desire to stay close to Jesus as we work to serve His people. This book is going on my annual reading list.

Spiritual Direction for the Care of Souls edited by Gary Moon was more academic than I anticipated and I got a lot out of it. This book covers the major traditions like Catholic, Orthodox, Methodist, Reformed, and Pentecostal and explores how they approach the ministry of spiritual direction in soul care. Each chapter provides an overview of that tradition’s approach, highlights some practices within the approach, and discusses its interactions with psychotherapy. It was an interesting read and while a couple of the approaches aligned far more with my theology, there were others that resonated with me at least in part and I was grateful to learn from them.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I cannot believe I’ve never read this before! I think it must be because I approached it with a child’s mind of, “This is going to be dull!” It was anything but. I was moved to tears when I read about the redemption of Scrooge and the clear and immediate evidence of his transformation and how the joy he experienced was only made complete when it was shared with others. All Biblical stuff. I read this one for book club but I am adding it to my list to read each December.

Hideki Smith and the Omukade. Welcome back to Portersville, the sleepy town in the mountains of North Carolina and home to Hideki Smith and his sister Em, and to a prison under a mountain filled with monsters from Japanese folklore. Oh, and some have escaped!

A.J. Hartley brings us back to the heroics of the “loser” Hideki, his newly discovered powers, and his sister’s ability to transform herself into a fox as they are once again called upon to perform the thankless job of saving the lives of everyone they know!

I enjoyed the first book in this series and this one is even better. Hartley is able to do more with the cast of interesting characters he established in Hideki Smith: Demon Queller, and the writing itself feels richer and deeper and even personal. Not just for Hartley, but for us as readers too. We know these people. We ARE these people.

This is not just an adventure story with battles, monsters, magical beings, mystery, thrills, and quite a few chills. And it has plenty of that.

It is also a story about love and family and rejection and loss and community and connection and trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in and all the things that make up rich, full, and challenging lives.

Don’t be surprised if you lose some sleep staying up reading this and don’t be surprised if you laugh out loud, shed a few tears, and even shout in triumph and terror.

This is a “just one more chapter” page-turner of a book. It’s one you can get lost in and it’s one you’re thinking about days after you’re done.

The Steadfast Love of God by Sam Storms was not what I was hoping for and I think that may warp my opinion a bit. It read like a series of transcribed sermons, which is fine, but I am used to far more theological meat from Storm’s books. This one was more pastoral. There are a few chapters where I have massive amounts of underlined passages and others that looked like I skipped over them.

Foster by Claire Keegan was fantastic. I read this one for book club and have fallen in love with Keegan’s writing. I will faithfully read everything she writes for as long she practices her craft. The depth she can go to with such economy of words is a massive gift that so few possess. And it seems to me that her writing is crafted with a love for language and story and for her readers. Keegan is the kind of writer you celebrate.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is another one I loved for all the reasons I loved FOSTER and more besides. There is a weight to this book and it grows on you as the story advances. You can feel an inevitability in it. You know it is working toward an ending that you will carry away with you. I am going to read this again. In fact, I am going to study it. Keegan’s writing is a master class in craft.

The Singer Trilogy by Calvin Miller is collection of poetry in the tradition of C.S. Lewis, or so the book blurb goes. I can see how it was inspired by Lewis, but this is something different. The trilogy is a retelling of the New Testament with the first volume being about Jesus, the second is about the growth of the church, and the third is about the end of all things. It felt a little heavy handed in places and in others there was far more depth. I don’t know if I would call this “good” but it was interesting. And I enjoyed the art work.

The Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller is a year-long devotional through the Psalms, in which Keller constantly points to Jesus, which of course, I loved.

On the TBR Stack

Here is what I am reading as I finish out the year:

  • On the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius
  • Multiply by Francis Chan
  • The Last Gunfight by Jeff Guin
  • The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
  • The Affections of Christ Jesus by Nijay Gupta
  • The Complete Short Stories by Flannery O’Connor
  • Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (this will probably carry over into January)
  • The Complete Poems by Langston Hughes (ditto on this one)

An Improbable But Not Impossible Reading Plan for 2026

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

The most books I’ve read in a single year (since I have kept records of such things) is 106.

I usually average between 60 and 80.

I know a lot of people don’t care about how many books they read in a year and there are some who even frown on those of us who keep track. That’s fine. They can think what they like.

I enjoy keeping track and I enjoy setting reading goals, especially challenging ones. It gives me a target to shoot for and even if I don’t hit the target, I get close and I go farther than I would (I believe) if I did not have a goal.

October is the time when I start thinking about next year and what I might try to do and what I will learn and read. And for 2026, I m developing an improbable but not impossible plan for my reading that, so far, contains a list of 266 books!

“MADNESS!!” You say?

Possibly.

But there are many people I know and respect that read that many and more each year and also have full and rich and busy lives just like I do.

Besides, I am having fun developing the list and I am building it in categories. Here is a sampling:

  • Reading It Again: Books I have already read, which is probably obvious. It will include The Lord of the Rings among others.
  • Spiritual Formation: This one is divided into subcategories like prayer, Scripture, etc.
  • Ministry: Also divided into subcategories like preaching and spiritual direction.
  • Novels: This is divided into monthly themes like Adventure, Books by Japanese Authors, Dystopian, Books by and About Women, Scary Ones, and others.
  • Plays: Because…THEATRE!
  • Reading Projects: These are attempts at reading the complete works of specific authors like John Steinbeck, Cormac McCarthy, Louis L’ Amour (don’t judge me), and Shakespeare.
  • History: Also divided into themes by month like the Old West, Deep South, Church History, etc.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

I am excited about this plan but I am sure it will undergo numerous revisions between now and the end of the year. Once I have finalized it, I will share it for those who are interested along with representative titles–or maybe even the whole thing.

Reading Roundup for September 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I only finished 1 book in the month of September for a total of 46 books this year.

It wasn’t a great month for reading, but here’s why that doesn’t bother me:

  • It’s NOT about quantity. I like to keep track because I enjoy it. That’s the same reason I set reading targets and goals, but I don’t feel like I have “failed” if I don’t reach those targets or achieve those goals. I just love to read and I enjoy keeping track of my reading. I’m weird like that.
  • I had the joy and privilege of preaching multiple times this month and so much of the time I would have spent reading I spent studying for and writing sermons. There is ZERO regret in that.

So, here is my one single book for September 2025…

RED SIDE STORY by Jasper Fforde.

Fforde is one of my favorite authors. I will read absolutely any novel he writes, and I have. His creativity, originality, and general oddity make his books nearly impossible to categorize and that’s part of their irresistible charm.

This book is a long-awaited sequel to SHADES OF GREY. It is a dystopian novel that takes place in the Land of OZ, and that’s about as much as I can really tell you about them both.

The world Fforde created in these two books is so complex it makes them difficult to explain. Basically the characters that populate this world live in a society that is based on a class system where your class is determined by what you can see on the color spectrum. Purples occupy that highest level and Grays (who can see no color at all) occupy the lowest. And no, I did not misspell the title of the first book.

Like all of his books, the prose here is imaginative, humorous, and engaging. Once you’re in, you don’t want to stop reading.

If you want to start reading Fforde, the Thursday Next series, specifically THE EYRE AFFAIR is the best place to begin. I have recommended this book to MANY people and anyone who has ever read it has enjoyed it.

I love finding a writer whose work I enjoy so much, I would read everything they ever wrote. That’s a short list for me, but Jasper Fforde is near the top and he has never failed to delight.

Reading List for October

I’d like to finish the year strong, so I will ramp up my reading for October.

  • A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is a book I am re-reading for the book club I am a part of.
  • Lead by Paul David Tripp is for another book club I am in.
  • Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls edited by Gary W. Moon is one I have been reading through slowly, because it’s that kind of book.
  • The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass I am reading to help my craft for the novel I am SLOWLY writing.
  • Hideki Smith and the Omuhade by A.J. Hartley is a sequel to one I enjoyed earlier this year.
  • Encouragement by Larry Crabb is nearly finished, but I didn’t want to rush it just so I could add it to this month’s list.

Reading Roundup: August 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I finished 5 books in August for a total of 45 so far this year.

There was some good stuff in this stack and I am excited to share them with you in the August Reading Roundup.

I’ll start with the one that was a bit of a disappointment. A Powerful Mind : The Self-Education of George Washington by Adrienne M. Harrison read like a dumbed-down doctoral dissertation. I am fascinated with self-education in general and self-education through books in particular.

That’s what I was expecting in this book. What I got was a list of the books in Washington’s library and the same stories I’ve read in multiple Washington biographies. There was a nice chapter about the first President’s reading habits and their utilitarian nature but I probably should have stopped reading after that. I’m not suggesting that no one should read this book. It’s well-written and thoroughly researched. It just wasn’t for me.

The Last Class: Your Guide to 401(k) Plans, Health Insurance, Taxes, and More! was written by an online buddy of mine, Karen Nicholas and…Wow. I truly wish this book had existed when I started my career. This is the stuff we all should have been taught in high school before we got out into the “real world.”

Writing with humor and kindness, Karen Nicholas gives you the information you need to navigate some of the complexities of life. Whether it’s working with different generations, managing your credit, understanding your health plans, or the skills you need to thrive on the job, This slim volume has the information you need. I HIGHLY recommend this as a gift to every graduate you know. If you are a homeschool parent, make this part of your students’ curriculum. 

I read Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung over the course of several months. Its designed to be read as a five day a week devotional. I like DeYoung’s writing and agree with much of his theology. There were several points where I completely disagree with him and Sam Storms writes quite thoroughly and eloquently on his points of disagreement, which I share so I will simply direct you to his blog if you’d like to know more about that.

That being said, this book is an excellent systematic theology in bite-sized chunks and written in such a way that you don’t need a graduate degree in the subject to understand it. DeYoung writes with the mind of a theologian and the heart of a pastor. His love for God and His people comes through in page after page.

I had never heard of William Kent Krueger before I joined a book club recently but This Tender Land was their selection for August so I grabbed it and read it to prepare for my first meeting/discussion. I can honestly say that if it were not for the book club, I never would have read it and I am so glad I did because it’s just good.

Krueger wrestles with God in this book. And while I find sadness in where he ends up in his wrestling, I respect his efforts. The characters in this story are vivid and fully realized, even those that are in and out in just a few pages. The setting is delightfully descriptive without being tiresome. The story is engaging with moments of tension, terror, wonder, and joy. It’s just a good read and it left me wanting to read more by this writer.

The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis by Karen Swallow Prior is the best book I read in August. It was also the most challenging and thought-provoking one.

The author masterfully builds a case piece by piece that reveals how much of the Evangelical faith we take at face value without considering where some of our most closely held beliefs come from and without realizing how many of these beliefs are built, not from Scripture, but from a shared social imaginary. This imaginary is comprised of the stories we tell, the images we absorb, and the metaphors we use to describe and understand our world.

Swallow Prior picks up a magnified mirror, holds it up to Evangelicalism, and says, “Look closely right here.” And when we do, we might find ourselves shocked, even a bit horrified, but if we are paying attention, we won’t be offended. The author is not holding up her mirror with an attitude of disgust or judgment, but with a heart of love and all she’s asking us to do is think.

Stop taking everything at face value. Stop absorbing sound bites and spitting them in the faces of others. Instead, ask questions, pray, discuss, and just think.

I found as I read the book that I was asking many questions about my own beliefs and their origins and in those questions, I was drawn to a deeper faith in Christ.

Reading Roundup: July 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I only finished 5 books in July for a total of 40 so far this year. But there were some EXCELLENT ones in this stack and I am excited to share them with you in this month’s Reading Roundup!

I am a big fan of John Steinbeck and have a goal to read his complete works. I devoured The Moon is Down in a single day and I loved it. Steinbeck describes this slim novel as a “celebration of the durability of democracy”. It was originally published when Nazi Germany was at the height of its power and it looked as if Hitler may not be stopped by anyone.

In this novel, a small community is invaded by a larger, more powerful force and comes face-to-face with evil imposed on them and it wears a smile and claims it only wants to coexist. The mayor, as the spokesperson for the town, claims he does not know how his people will respond to the invaders. Their response is a slow burn at first, but the unjust death of one of their own fans their anger into a bonfire that cannot be contained.

This book reads like a play and I was delighted to discover that it was originally written as one until Steinbeck converted it into a novel. I would love to see this play staged. Certainly it was relevant in its time, and I think it has relevance even now. I also discovered that it became a movie in 1943. I added that to my watchlist.

How amazing is Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove?! It seems to be popping up in all the “influencers” feeds on social media and is enjoying a bit of resurgence in popularity, but come on, when has this not been a famous and continuously read epic?

After reading this book, I had to set it aside for a moment and mourn the loss of a group of characters I had fallen in love with over the course of 858 pages. I was sad that my journey with them was over. And what a journey it was!

I absolutely love Western novels and the history of the American West and read both frequently. But this one is not only my favorite Western, it is one of my top 5 favorite novels. The rich characters, the converging plotlines, the high stakes, the adventure, the sheer scope of the novel is just incredible. I read Sin Killer by McMurtry and hated it, but this, I loved and will return to again. In fact, I could see this becoming a sort of continual read for me, much like The Lord of the Rings series.

Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls by Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite is rich and beautiful. In a time when many pastors are feeling pressured to entertain and “tickle the ears” of those in their churches to keep attendance and financial numbers up, this book serves as a quiet reminder that pastors are the shepherds of souls.

Using the writings and lives of the Early Church Fathers, the authors call pastors today to holy, spiritual, skilled, and Christ-centered ministries. It is a call to walk with people through the joys and trials of their lives, always pointing to Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I found this book both convicting (in the best sense) and comforting.

Speaking of pastors, A Burning in My Bones by Winn Collier is about Eugene Peterson, who always saw himself as exactly that, a pastor. At first, I thought this was going to be like many Christian biographies, loaded with hero worship. I was wrong. Collier does not shy away from Peterson’s foibles and weaknesses and failures at all. He clearly loved and admired his subject, but also understood that he was a sinful person, just like the rest of us.

It is Peterson’s lifelong quest to love and honor God and to serve God’s people that is so inspiring. Yes, he was the translator of The Message. Yes he wrote numerous best-selling books. Yes, there was controversy toward the end of his life (something the author handles honestly and honorably). But through it all, this book is a gripping story about a man who loved Jesus.

I liked Dan B Allender’s book Sabbath very much. The Healing Path I did not like near as much. In fact, there were times I found it tedious and melodramatic. For Allender, it seems like every disappointment in his life becomes soul crushing. There were times when I felt contempt for his weakness. But I came to realize that my contempt says more about me than it does the author. And it doesn’t say good things about me.

If I’m honest, there are things that feel soul crushing to me that others would laugh at me for taking so seriously. And, there are things that break us all like betrayal and abuse and loss and pain. They hurt us no matter who we are and Allender is pointing to a path of healing from those things and it takes us to Jesus, of course.

So while I struggled with this book, I’m glad I did. It was worth reading and it was helpful in pointing the way for some healing I still need.

Currently Reading

Here are a few books I am reading now.

  • To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink is one I am reading for work.
  • The Evangelical Imagination by Karen Swallow Prior is coming along bit by bit because it is rich and heavy stuff.
  • Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde is fun and funny.
  • This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger is for a book club I recently joined.

Rethinking My Reading Priorities

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I used to say…okay, if I’m being honest, I used to BRAG that I read 10 to 12 books at a time.

That’s not true.

I wasn’t lying. I was just fooling myself.

I genuinely believed that’s what I was doing. But I’ve come to realize that I am not in fact actively reading that many books at once. I am only actively reading 6 books at a time. Not counting the devotionals and systematic theology I read a page or two in daily.

And then, if I break it down even further, I am only reading 3 books actively AND consistently.

I generally have a sense of overwhelm when it comes to reading. I love reading and there is so much I WANT to read I stack up a huge TBR and fool myself into thinking I am getting all of those books read but I’m not. And then I feel overwhelmed by all the books I am “reading” and that I want to read.

The truth is, I will NEVER, not if I live a hundred more years, I will NEVER read everything I want to read. I’ve got to give up that fantasy and embrace my finitude.

I do believe I could read more if I read less, though.

Setting Priorities

If I commit to only three books at a time, and focus all of my reading on only one of those books each day, I think I could read more books in a month AND get more out of the ones I read.

That still doesn’t change the fact that I can’t read everything I would like to read. So how do I manage that?

Like with anything else in life, I have to prioritize.

In his book, LIT! A Christian Guide to Reading Books, Tony Reinke writes about his reading priorities.

  • Reading Scripture
  • Reading to Know and Delight in Christ
  • Reading to Kindle Spiritual Reflection
  • Reading to Initiate Personal Change
  • Reading to Pursue Vocational Excellence
  • Reading to Enjoy a Good Story

He doesn’t suggest that we should all have the same priorities–although I think the first three at least should probably be on every Christian’s list and DEFINITELY the first one–he just suggests that having reading priorities helps us make intentional choices about what we read and why. This is important in a world crammed full of great books that we just don’t have time for and crammed full of lousy books we shouldn’t bother with and crammed full of all the stuff in between that is good writing, just not for us at this time or place in our lives.

My New Reading Priorities

Here is what I am thinking should be my list of reading priorities right now–and this may change.

Scripture. Okay, this one will NOT change. My current reading habits here are to read the entire Bible through in the first 90 days of the year in a different version each year. Then I read from the Psalms and the Gospels each day and do deep reading in two (or three) other books of the Bible. That includes slow reading, meditation, constant re-reading, and using commentaries. This year I read the New Living Translation (although it took me 5 months not 3) and my deep readings are in Ecclesiastes and 1 and 2 Peter.

Spiritual Formation. This encompasses Reinke’s “Reading to Know and Delight in Christ” and “Reading to Kindle Spiritual Reflection”. It will include theology, Biblical studies, Christian living, and the spiritual disciplines.

Vocational Excellence. This priority includes books on business, pastoral ministry, and writing.

Biography and History. Not only do I enjoy this kind of literature, I think it is important enough to be a priority. It also gives me some freedom to explore and read what interests me. Of course, this category will include the history of the church and biographies about men and women of the faith.

Fiction. This will mostly be novels and I am trying to focus on “good” novels and classics. But it will also include plays and poetry and short story collections and the occasional genre fiction because those can be tasty and fun.

I think these simple priorities will help me focus and will still give me the freedom to pursue my interests and make sure my reading is filled with variety.

Rules and Guidelines

Okay now for some rules and guidelines because I like that sort of thing.

I will only read three books at a time. This does not include Scripture and devotionals and whatever systematic theology book I am reading. Those are constant features. Right now these are:

  • Songs About Jesus by Timothy Keller
  • Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung
  • The Christian Faith by Michael Horton

One of those three books must be a work of fiction. This is important to me, because I get so caught up in nonfiction I end up reading very little fiction and I LOVE fiction and it’s good for me and I want to read more of it. Besides, I am working on writing a novel and it would be stupid to think I can do that well if I am not reading any.

I will NOT finish “bad” books. If a book isn’t working for me, I will no longer power through it. I don’t have to like what everyone else seems to like and no one should ever waste what little time they have to read on a lousy book and there are a lot of lousy books out there.

Okay, this is a work in progress but I like the direction I am taking here.

How do you decide what to read?

When it Comes to Reading, Time is NOT the Issue

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

Time is not the issue. Priority is. – Tim Ferriss

People often ask me how I get so much reading done. The simple answer is that it’s because reading is a priority for me.

Honestly, I don’t read near as much as other people I know and know of. I just talk and write more about books and reading than others do because I love it and want to encourage and inspire others to read.

And I often feel like I could/should be reading more.

But when I am not reading as much as I want to, it’s not because I don’t have time, it’s because I don’t make it a priority.

And I think this is true for pretty much everyone.

I’m not here to tell you all the ways you are failing to make reading a priority. You already know and making you feel guilty about it is manipulative, and therefore unloving, and won’t help anyway.

Our priorities are what they are and until we decide to change them and take action on that, they will stay the way they are. We are responsible.

If you would like to make reading books a greater priority in your life, I do have a few ideas that might help.

Be honest about how you’re spending your time.
Take a look at where you are spending time now that could be spent reading. Be brutally honest with yourself. You already know where you are wasting time. It’s just more comfortable to ignore the reality.

Read something you enjoy.
I advocate for starting with books you enjoy and read as many of them as you can. Over time you will start to enjoy reading itself and that will lead you to branch out and try new types of literature. Most of us still see reading as a chore because of school. But we’re grown-ups now. Read what you want and explore things that interest you or that you think would be helpful to you.

Schedule reading time or at least set a page goal.
Set aside some time in your calendar each day for reading. Don’t go crazy if it’s not currently a part of your life. Make it a span of time you KNOW you can handle. If that’s only five minutes to start with, fine. Do it and feel good about it. If time doesn’t work for you, try a page count. Again, set the smallest achievable number. If that’s 2 pages, do it and feel good about it. Over time, it will expand. Probably faster than you think.

Take a book into the bathroom with you.
I know this one is “icky” but as the book says, “everybody poops” so take a book in there with you. Right now, you’re probably scrolling on your phone while you sit. Read instead.

Take a book everywhere you go.
You should always have a book with you because you never know when you’ll have a chance to get some reading done. And no, reading a book on your phone doesn’t count. It needs to be a physical book. That’s because there are too many ways to get distracted when you read on a device. I can almost guarantee you’ll end up watching TikTok (or something of that ilk) instead of reading because it’s easier and our brains like easy things.

Talk about books and reading.
The tribe of readers is large and welcoming. When you talk about books with others who are also excited about books and reading, it’s inspiring to you both. We book people LOVE to talk books. And I have found the passion of bookish sorts infectious. And I have never been judged for what I have not read or what I have read. So, come talk to us. We will happily put down what we’re reading to discuss books with you.

There are more, but this will get your started on the road to making reading as big a priority as you want it to be.

The Magic of Reading Books

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

Most people don’t remember when they learned to read.

I do.

I remember the precise moment in first grade when the black lines on a page came together to form words I could understand. I remember what it felt like, the swell of excitement in my chest, the fascination. I was overwhelmed and from that moment on, I was in love with reading.

Even before that moment I was in love with books.

My parents read to me a lot before I could read myself and there was one book in particular that I wanted read to me over and over again. It got to the point where at 3 or 4 years of age, I had the thing memorized.

My dad got a kick out of asking me to “read” my favorite book to dinner guests. I had it memorized so well, I even knew when to turn the page. The visitors were amazed as I “read” the book out loud and my dad would tell them I was clearly a genius.

Fast forward to elementary school and my favorite part of school was access to the library, which I went to every change I got.

I remember being shown the school library for the first time and learning how to find books using the Dewey Decimal System and the card catalogue (yes I’m that old). I was so excited I could barely sit still. I couldn’t believe that I had access to an entire room filled with books!

Each year, I would pick a bookcase at random and I would read every book on it by the end of the school year, checking them out one at a time. I did that all the way through middle school as well.

My parents bought me a box set of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and I devoured them multiple times. I also read the novelization of E.T. I read A BEAR CALLED PADDINGTON, which I passed on to my oldest son, who then passed it on to my oldest granddaughter. I read stacks of Beverley Cleary and Judy Blume novels, and I don’t know how many Hardy Boys mysteries. I just couldn’t get enough. I would even pull volumes of the encyclopedia set off the shelves in our home and read random articles from them.

When I was in 7th grade, my parents got me a subscription to the Reader’s Digest classic book collection and the first volume, which I opened on Christmas morning, was THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE. I still have that book. And from then on, being gifted books felt like an expression of love to me.

When people ask me how I read so many books each year, and I don’t read as many as other people I know, I am afraid my answer is not very satisfying.

I just love to read and I always have. It’s not a chore. It’s a delight.

As Stephen King said, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”