MY YEAR IN BOOKS

While attending a writers’ conference at Glorieta Conference Center many years ago, I heard a keynote speaker proclaim, “Good writers are good readers.” I was astounded when he shared his reading total for the previous year - almost a book a day. This writer/reader explained that he always kept a book close at hand - on his bedside table, in the car, in his briefcase, in his office. He often read four or five books simultaneously.

While I did not believe reading 365 books over the course of year was a reasonable personal goal, I did understand the wisdom of his proclamation. If I wanted to become a better writer, I needed to become a better reader. I needed to be more intentional about reading books.

Alas, another five years would pass before I began to compile a record of the books I read from January through December. I now have 15 years of reading logs in my Notes app, which I reference more frequently than you might imagine.

These days, I am usually reading a hardback or paperback version of a book while also listening to an audiobook in the car. (Yes, listening to an audiobook counts as reading a book.) If I have an appointment where I anticipate a long wait, I take a book with me. If I am flying, I opt to read rather than watch a movie. If I’m going to be driving for more than 10 minutes, I listen to an audiobook. Before bed, I prefer to turn the pages of a book rather than mindlessly scroll on my phone.

In 2024, I read 92 books, two shy of last year’s personal best. A third of those titles were familiar - books that inspired or intrigued me in previous years, words worth a second or third read. This year’s corpus included memoirs, historical fiction, theology, and science fiction, as well as books about the environment, creativity, and spiritual practices.

Many of the books I read in 2024 were pulled directly from the “Books to Read” entry in my Notes app, a frequently updated list filled with suggestions from writers I follow on Substack. Other books were queued up in my Audible or Libby app after I read a story about the author in The Washington Post or The New York Times. Several titles were assigned reading for my Bible study group or spiritual direction program.

Last January, I decided to reread several books from favorite authors, including Barbara Brown Taylor and Ann Patchett. Because of Patchett’s sage advice, I don’t hesitate to include so-called “children’s” books on my reading list. In the weeks after Hurricane Helene, desperately needing a nightly escape from the devastation, I reread the seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia series.

Several times during the past year I have been so enthralled by an audiobook or library book that I purchased the title for my own library so I could mark the pages for future reference. As I read a book, I fold down page corners when I come across a quote I want to be able to easily revisit. (A Christmas gift of tiny, magnetic bookmarks means I will no longer need to mar a book’s pages.) After I have completed the book, I return to the flagged pages to underline the compelling sentence or bracket the paragraph. On the blank pages in the back of the book, I record the page number and the quote (or a few words to spark my memory). This practice has served me well through the years, allowing me to quickly reference material to incorporate into a sermon, article, or blog.

As the new year dawns, I encourage you to not only set a reading goal for 2025 but also decide when and where and what you will read. Ask friends what they are reading. Peruse the staff picks at your local independent bookstore or library. Select a title from a best seller list. Revisit a book you read and loved years ago.

I offer you these ten suggestions from my 2023 list with no explanation; if you would like to know more, reach out to me.

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine - Sue Monk Kidd
The Tall Woman - Wilma Dykeman
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear - Elizabeth Gilbert
Echoes of Us - Joy Jordan-Lake
The Beatrice Prophecy - Kate DiCamillo
The Dutch House - Ann Patchett
Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith - Sarah Bessey
Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others - Barbara Brown Taylor
How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away - Emily P. Freeman
All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women's Bodies and Why It Matters Today - Elizabeth Comen

Happy reading!