Over the years, I’ve read all sorts of books; particularly novels, technical, travel, music biographies and theological. The most impactful ones are related to my Christian faith. Reading the Bible goes without saying, and maybe you could see that as a collection of 66 books, so perhaps it doesn’t count.
In recent years, I tend to listen to audiobooks more 😀. I get one every couple of months from Audible. The three that I would probably listen to again and again are the following:
I got the hard copy of this book way back in 1995, but I’ve bought it in different formats over the years. It’s a very accessible way into theology. If you can’t afford it, you could listen to his lectures free. But if you join Audible, you get a free book for the first month. They sometimes give you a free book if you are about to cancel too.
For many years, Justin Brierley hosted the Unbelievable podcast. It has friendly debates between Christians, atheists, and people from other religions. It’s a short book, but it summarizes the arguments for the existence of God and why, despite hearing all the arguments against Christianity, he remains a Christian. I have the earlier edition on Kindle.
This is one of many books that are freely accessible when you subscribe to Audible. You don’t need to purchase it.
I’ve been reading the Bible for over 45 years, so I’m not really a dummy😀. But I like listening to the overview because it regularly gives me a top-level reminder of the whole story.
I’ve no idea whether the writers of The Bible for Dummies are evangelicals (like me), but unlike so many modern authors, they don’t focus on criticising the Bible. They just tell you what it says. And they don’t use it as a launching pad for long sermons that have little to do with the passage in question, which you sometimes get in evangelical books.
I’m sure I might disagree in places, but my experience of the “For Dummies” books is that they are always thought provoking, easy to read and to the point. There’s a good one on the Book of Revelation too.
The funny thing with books, is that I’ve often derived great benefit from a particular book at a point in time. Then, I’d read it a few years later and I’d wonder why I liked it. This happened with a biography of the Apostle Paul by F.B Meyer. I bought it back in 1981 and found it way too boring. Then, two years later, I absolutely loved it. I tried to read it some years later and found it boring again. Maybe I’ll try to read it again and see what I think😀.
I suppose, the Web has changed our reading habits. But I think we should be grateful for all the additional resources. For example, I quite enjoy the BibleProject videos. I generally watch one when I’m about to read a particular book of the Bible.
Something else worthy of mention is David Suchet’s readings. You can listen to the entire NIV version of the Bible on YouTube.
For fiction, I quite like Alice In Wonderland. I took little notice of it as a child. In later years, I saw a friend at work, who was studying philosophy, reading The Annotated Alice. Some years later, I read Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed them. My favourite character has always been the cheshire cat. I just like the way he’s so calm and contented amidst all the madness. I wish I could be more like him 😀.
I’ve read most of the 18th and 19th Century famous classic novels, but I’ve never got into modern fiction.
I did make a few attempts, but perhaps the most modern novel that I actually enjoyed reading was Strumpet City by James Plunkett. It was written in 1969 about Dublin before the first World War. And then, maybe that’s because I liked the TV adaptation so much. Most of my books are non-fiction and related to my hobbies and interests.
Hibernia Gospel 