Reading is a much more educational way to spend your time than watching TV or listening to talk radio. People often ask me what books I like to read other than the Bible. Here are a few of my favorite books in various categories.
Novels:
"Ninety-three" by Victor Hugo
"Toilers of the Sea" by Victor Hugo
"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens
"Ivanhoe" by Sir Walter Scott
"Eclipse of the Crescent Moon" by Géza Gárdonyi
Non-fiction Books:
"Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser
"Blood Feud" a.k.a "Blood Medicine" by Kathleen Sharp
"How Music Works" by John Powell
"The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg
"Fluent in 3 Months" by Benny Lewis
"The Power of Body Language" by Tonya Reiman
Books about History:
"Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford
"Mao: The Unknown Story" by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday
"The Bridge at Andau" by James Michener
"The Gulag Archipelago" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn "The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War" by H. Crocker
"Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution" by A.J. Langguth
There are many more that I could list, but these are just a few of my top favorites. Obviously our primary reading material should be the Bible, but other reading outside of the Bible can be educational and broaden our understanding of a variety of topics relevant to our lives. Every time I read a new book, I get at least one sermon idea out of it because I read everything through the lens of God's word and my understanding as a Christian. Here are some sermons inspired by books I have read:
My sermons "Gambling" and "Habits," both preached on 4/7/13, were inspired by the book "The Power of Habit."
My sermon "The Whole World Lieth in Wickedness" preached on 6/30/13 was inspired by the book "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World."
My sermon "Learn by Doing" preached on 7/3/16 was inspired by the book "Fluent in 3 Months."
I am not a fan of "speed reading." I believe in carefully reading every word. I also read every good book at least twice. I always like to say, "Any book that is worth reading once is worth reading twice!"
I do like audio books in addition to reading physical books. They can be great for learning on the go and multi-tasking.
Let me know in the comments if you have read and enjoyed any of the books on my favorites list!
Gulag Archepelego is a life changing read.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try to read a Victor Hugo novel on your recommendation! Just find it hard to read fiction.
I get goosebumps every time I read Sydney Carton's last words in 'A Tale of Two Cities.'
ReplyDelete“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
Exquisite.
Maybe I'll give that a go, OR
DeleteFantastic post, very interesting reading materials. I'm Finnish, so I remember a time when reading books like The Gulag Archipelago was considered inappropriate due to our proximity to (and blind obedience to) Russia.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we will get a similar kind of post from you on films. So difficult to find anything non-idiotic to watch out there these days.
Bless you and yours!
I'm glad there are lots of people that love reading like you and I do, pastor Anderson!
ReplyDeleteI forget you have this blog sometimes, but this it's fun catching up & having quick links to send to people.
ReplyDelete