I made a concerted effort to read more books this year with no constraints on what I read. Simply read what I want. I didn’t make it to a book a week, but I did make it through 45 books, which I think is pretty good.
Though I had no intention to do so, I read mostly fiction this year and it turned out to be great for my soul. Fiction has a way of capturing the human condition and imagination in a way that many non-fiction books don’t.
Here are some of my favorite things I read in 2016 (in no particular order):
The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King – I started this series something like 20 years ago but (for no reason I can remember except that my reading habits became captured by theology for several years) never finished it. But there was something about Roland that would reappear in my imagination from time to time so I decided to finally work through the series and I’m glad I did.
Combining elements of epic quest tales with a spaghetti-western vibe, this is not what you might typically expect from Stephen King. (buy)
The March trilogy by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell – Dispatches from the front lines of the American Civil Rights movement. Don’t let anyone tell you that comics can’t be important. This should be required reading for anyone trying to understand race relations in the U.S. Your heart will break and you will be inspired. (buy)
Kurt Vonnegut – I read more Kurt Vonnegut than any other author else this year. By my account, I read 12 of his books. I know that his openly humanist atheism might cause some of my Christian friends some concern but Vonnegut’s books dwell deeply on the human condition. He often wrestles with the idea of what it means to be human in the midst of inhumanity. His keen insight, sense of humor and absurdist situations allow us to reflect not only on war but how we can achieve peace. Vonnegut has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I look forward to reading the rest of his material. (buy)
What were your favorite reads of 2016?
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