What I Read In 2016

One of the reasons I wanted to become an author is because of my love of reading. I am fascinated by books, and can’t visit someone’s home or office without spying what’s on his or her shelf. (Don’t take me to a library unless you’re in it for the long haul.)

Because I always find it interesting what other people are reading, I thought you might enjoy knowing which books I have been reading. (By the way, I’m on Goodreads, and if we’re not friends, we should rectify that absurdity right now.)

Eli Francis

This list is not exhaustive. These are simply the books I read in 2016 I thought you might find interesting. (The links to each book are affiliate links, which just means I get a small commission if you buy them. It doesn’t cost you any extra.)

What I Read in 2017

The turn of the calendar is the time of year when we must endure those inane end-of-year lists on blogs, on television, and on podcasts. At first they are interesting. They may spark your memory about an event from the previous twelve months or remind you how far—or how little—you’ve come since last January 1. But after exposure to a few lists, subsequent countdowns become nauseating. 20 Most-Liked Celeb Instagram Posts of 2017. Seriously?

Aaron Burden

Just as a photograph or a song (or a web page detailing the most creeped upon celebrities) can spark memories in one’s mind, so can a well read book. For example I recall the chill of the vinyl hospital rocker as I read Frank Viola and Mary DeMuth’s The Day I Met Jesus. The room was quiet that day as Abram, my asthmatic, and his mother rested in each other’s arms, passed out in exhaustion after the ordeals of illness gave way to the relief of albuterol, prednisolone, and a couple liters of oxygen—just one in a series of hospitalizations the youngling has had to endure in his short span on earth.

What I Read in 2018

I dreaded writing this report.

When I thought back to the past year, I remembered having read only one or two books worth sharing with you all in my annual What I Read post. I was embarrassed because as an author, I feel like it's my obligation to be reading deep and wide in order to hone my craft, become more knowledgeable in my subject matter, and to support the concept of reading as a whole. How could I, someone who aims to write books for a living, expect people to read what I write when I didn't read anything all last year!

Photo credit

But when I reviewed my list of finished books on Goodreads, I discovered all my fears were for naught because I actually read a healthy slate of books in 2018, saving my authorial face for another year. (Excepting, of course, that I just shared with you my insecurity and fear of hypocrisy.)

I've got four books to share, which, while not the largest number a person could muster, is a good clip for me. Nevertheless, just the past few weeks, I've felt a growing urge pressed into my subconscious to read even more than those I finished this year. I know of course that quality is more important than quantity, but I have many books I want to read. Books about martians, books about marketing, and books about Christ. Books by Carrie Fisher and Ray Bradbury. Books that will increase my understanding and appreciation of Jesus Christ and the world in which he operates.

If you only read one book this year, it should be my forthcoming book The Last Lessons of Christ. (Seriously, this one will knock your socks off.) But if you read two books in 2019, might I suggest one of these?

5 Ways to Enjoy God's Word (Even If You Hate Reading)

Trust me, I know how it feels to be lacking in time.

At the Gilmore household, many days we're lucky just to have time to eat dinner. Were it not a biological necessity, we'd probably skip it (despite my love of food). But after work, school activities, homework, and all the other things we have to do when is there possibly time to read the Bible?

And even if time presents itself, if you don't understand what you're reading or why it's important how are you going to enjoy the process? 

CollegeDegrees360 (CC)

So too often we skip Bible time either because it's not urgent or because the process is boring and frustrating.

But what happens if you stay on such a course? What if you continue allowing your Bible to collect dust on the bookshelf?

One Simple Way to Be More Like Jesus

We all want to be more like Jesus. But the prospect of carrying a cross, of turning the other cheek, of loving our enemies is overwhelming.

Ryk Neethling (CC)

What if I told you there’s a simple way to start down that path of becoming more Christ-like? Here it is:

What I Read in 2019

If you're struggling with reading as much as you'd like, may I suggest a trip (sans children of course) to the beach?

Link Hoang

This past summer Katie and I visited the gulf coast where I finished two books on my list and made my way well into a third. In fact one day on the shore, I had to trudge my way through the white sand and back up to our condo's Wi-Fi so I could purchase and download another book on my list. It was glorious!

Katie and I at the beach.

But even if you can't get away this year, the best approach, of course, is consistent small steps towards a goal. On a typical day, I only read two to four pages and yet on average I finish eight books per year--a paltry number for the avid reader to be sure, but twice as much as the median reader in the United States. All with minimal (but consistent) effort!

With that preamble out of the way, here are three books I read in 2019 I think you might like:

What I Read in 2020

Four of my favorite books from 2020, plus I'm giving one of them away!

Darren Richardson

Whatever else you can say about 2020, time spent sequestered at home afforded the opportunity to read more than usual. And, although I conclude just about every year wishing I had spent more time reading, I navigated my way through some good books these past twelve months. Here's what I read.  

What I Read in 2022: 3 Books You Might Also Enjoy

Three of my favorite books from 2022, plus I'm giving one of them away!

Update, 1/25/23: Congrats to Thomas from Spain on winning the book giveaway!

Siora Photography

I GOT AMBITOUS in September of 2021 and decided to pick up Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.

I remember my first exposure to the book. I was in high school and a I spied a guy a grade ahead of me buried in the novel. Although I didn't know him well, he had a reputation as a superior intellect.

I love reading, as you know, and I've always admired a good intellect, so seeing Atlas Shrugged in this high school senior's hands was reason enough to add the work to my mental to-be-read list. That was in 2001.

Twenty years later I had occasion to pick up Rand's magnum opus. I am in graduate school at the moment, and a scholarship opportunity arose involving the reading of and writing an essay about the book. Those interested received a complimentary copy of the book in a digital format.

Although I knew the book was long, the electronic format masked its true girth. The English Standard Version of the Bible contains 757,439 words.[1] Atlas Shrugged, in comparison, contains an estimated 645,000 words.[2]  Within a couple of weeks my coursework overtook most available free time for reading. But as the scholarship deadline came and passed me by, I found myself enthralled in Rand's book. So from September to May I read until I worked my way through the novel.

Alas, I cannot recommend Atlas Shrugged in my annual roundup of books I read. I had high hopes for the book, and the work was compelling much of the time. In the end, though, only strict adherents or new converts to Rand's objectivism philosophy will probably consider a book of such length worth the read. Although I resonate with much of Ayn's worldview, she makes zero allowance for either God or for charity of any kind. Additionally, portions of the book—the Galt speech, for example—are so long as to become repetitive.

I only bring up Atlas Shrugged as context for my year of reading; I spent almost half of the year finishing up the book. With that background established, here are three books I think you might enjoy.

How to Read the Old Testament Without Getting Lost, Getting Bored or Giving Up

You’ve probably started reading Genesis many times.

You may have even made it all the way through, moving on to Exodus. Moses, the plagues, the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments. All interesting stuff.

Jona Park (CC)

But then you hit Leviticus. You start reading about guilt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, and offering offerings. (Okay I may have made that last one up.) Then you start nodding off. Your mind starts wandering to important things like how much toilet paper is left in the bathroom or who won the 2014 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

So you close up the Bible. The next day you flip to Matthew with a possible pitstop in Psalms and Proverbs. You’ll try the Old Testament next year.

Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s had this problem.

Don't Believe Everything You Hear: The Privilege (and Burden) of Reading

What Jesus expects of those who can read.

Johannes Krupinski

If you were a Jewish person living in the first century, there's a good chance you wouldn't know how to read.

Or at least not know how to read well.

It's hard to say for sure, but literacy estimates I've encountered range from 3 to 30 percent. Catherine Hezser, professor of Jewish studies at the University of London, concludes that only 10 percent of Jewish people in first century Israel could do more than write his or her own name.[1] Jewish culture valued reading and writing, perhaps more than any ancient culture, but it reserved such tasks for the scribes and other elites like the Sanhedrin.

With this context in mind, it is interesting to examine some of Jesus's own words when teaching or rebuking his fellow countrymen.

How to Discern God's Will for Your Life

For a couple of weeks a few summers ago, I spent my lunch breaks in the car. Of course in Oklahoma the summers are usually a bit warm, so I would turn the ignition on my Dodge Boat and move it beneath a great oak tree that shaded a few parking spots at the tech school.

Tonystl (CC)

But even in the shade and with the windows rolled down, sweat would bead on my skin, and by the 60 minute mark I’d be ready to pass out. Occasionally I’d turn the car on for a few minutes of manufactured cold.

I let the fake breeze hit me then shut the car back off.

But the heat was worth the cost of what it bought me those August days: peace. I sought in vain for some quiet place indoors. A place where I could be still without distraction. A place without interruption. But failing in that endeavor, I retreated to my vehicle.

What was the point of peace I so dearly cherished?

What I Read in 2024: 3 Books You Might Enjoy

Three of my favorite books from 2024, plus I'm giving one of them away!

Update, 4/17/25: Congrats to Sven from Germany on winning this year's giveaway!

Clarissa Watson

AS HAS BECOME an annual tradition here at AndrewGilmore.net, I'm recapping the books I read this past year I think you will find intriguing. Many times I approach this assignment with skepticism, wondering if the exercise is mere self-indulgence, but I keep typing for two reasons.

First, I love knowing what other people are reading. I can't leave a conversation with my bibliophile colleagues or friends without inquiring about his or her latest read. Even on the beach or at a coffee shop, I try to spy book titles peaking through the finger lattice of public readers. So, my thinking goes, if I possess insatiable book curiosity, you might as well.

Second, I enjoy the giveaway tied to this tradition. Yes, the activity is somewhat self-serving in that you must surrender your email address to enter the drawing. But, as always, you can remove yourself from the list at any time with one click, no questions asked. Marketing strategy aside, I take pleasure in the act of generosity, and by sharing books I enjoyed I hope to form a bond—however tenuous—with the recipient.

This year, I am switching things up a bit. You must opt-in to be entered in the drawing. In years past I would draw a name from my existing list only to receive silence in response to the email notification. Whether the winner had no knowledge of the contest, ceased checking his email, or lay comatose in a county hospital I knew not. Therefore, even those currently on my email list must sign up for the contest. To do so, enter your email below and click "Enter the Contest."

Almost there!

Check your email to confirm your entry.

If you're new around here, the winner, drawn at random, will receive one of the following books for free, plus a copy of my latest book, You're Utmost Is Not Enough: Trusting God When Life Doesn't Make Sense, in your preferred format.¹

On to what I read.

Three Books You Might Enjoy

I had a consistent reading year by my standards, completing eight books while starting a few others that I did not enjoy and abandoned. As usual, nonfiction dominated the landscape; just two of the octet were fiction. Nevertheless, I dedicated a good portion of my autumnal reading to a thick anthology of short stories—one I look forward to finishing.

With the constant bustle of life, it seems I must always fight my exhausted brain for reading time. Yet I never regret the minutes I spend reading, and I need only pore over my TBR list to generate some internal giddiness at all of the wisdom, knowledge, enrichment, and entertainment awaiting me on my bedroom bookshelf or overstuffed Kindle library.

Here are three books I read in 2024 I think you might enjoy.

What to Do If God Is Ignoring You

Lee Haywood (CC)

You pray, and you don’t feel anything.

You plead with God. Dead air.

Have you ever been there?

I have.


When God Stopped Talking to Me

A few years ago I read through the Bible in ninety days. It was exhilarating. It was exhausting.

That, coupled with the step of faith my wife and I took to be foster parents, led to one of the most intimate periods of my life with God.

I could feel his presence at church and when I prayed. There were multiple times when I felt God impressing things on my heart. Life was stressful and emotional, but it was all okay because me and God were tight.

Then one day it stopped.

No more tingling sensations in worship. No more direct messages from God.

I was still reading my Bible every day. Still praying. Still going to church.

Why was God ignoring me?

The Best Bible I Ever Read

Sitting in that dark sanctuary four years ago, I felt a fire rising in my belly. On any other Sunday, I might have attributed it to bad pizza. But not that day.

What Are You Known For?

  Start living for what you want to be known.

Tim Mossholder

WE KNOW PEOPLE based on their actions. Good or bad, reputations have a way of preceding us. John was "the Baptist." Frank Sinatra, "the Voice." Pinocchio, liar.

In Proverbs 21:24, Solomon writes about a different nickname. He wrote,

"'Scoffer' is the name of the arrogant, haughty man

    who acts with arrogant pride."

In case you're wondering, as I was, what exactly the word scoffer means, here is the definition according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Are You Afraid of the Holy Ghost?

When I hear of modern day “prophets” or faith healers, I cringe. When I read about the spiritual gift of healing or speaking in tongues, I scoff.

I tend to reject these things outright.

Toa Heftiba

And yet, the Bible—a collection of books I hold to be authentic, reliable, and authoritative—speaks of prophecy, spiritual gifts, tongues. God granted the disciples power to heal others.

Am I a hypocrite?

What I Read in 2025: 3 Books You Might Enjoy

Three of my favorite books from 2025, plus I'm giving one of them away!

Update, 2/25/26: Congrats to Dave from Oklahoma on winning this year's giveaway!

patsanannn

THE TURN OF the calendar is one of my favorite times of the year. I know changing a number from one year to the next is, in many ways, an artificial marker. It is similar to a woman lamenting turning 40 or the global hysteria when the calendar switched over to the year 2000. These are just numbers, after all!

And while I recognize the superficiality of the new year, I am also reminded that God set forth the seasons and the planet's orbit around the sun. He set up the axial tilt and the 365-day cycle, even inaugurating holidays for his people to celebrate.

The new year inspires me because of its apparent limitless potential for growth, accomplishment, and progress. I can't wait to see what 2026 has in store for you and for me. May we find ourselves in the center of God's will.

While looking ahead is energizing for me, I also, as I do every year, take a look back at the previous year and share with you some of my favorite books of the year.

I came across a LinkedIn post last week with a list of eight books to help you get "unstuck." As a sucker for reading recommendations I took note. In reading comments on the post, I came across multiple responses with an argument I have heard quite often. The comments were varied, but they were all to the effect of "books don't change lives."

Having heard this many times, even by authors themselves, I've come to the realization that this must be true for some. This is not true for me. The Bible aside, which is unquestionably life-changing, I can enumerate a dozen or so books that have had a profound impact on my life both in a practical sense and in ways that enlightened my perspective.

I say all of this only to encourage you to keep reading.

And as I also do every year, I am giving away one of the following books plus a copy of my latest book, You're Utmost Is Not Enough: Trusting God When Life Doesn't Make Sense, in your preferred format.¹ To enter is free, but you must opt-in even you are already a subscriber to my email list. To do so, enter your email below and click "Enter the Contest."

Almost there!

Check your email to confirm your entry.

But enough preamble, let's get on to what I read in 2025.

Three Books You Might Enjoy

In many ways 2025 was a bust because I started and did not finish more books than I ever remember doing. My TBR list is always growing, so I simply don't have time to tolerate poor or irrelevant writing like I thought I did in previous times. But by the end of 2025 I finished reading eight books, pretty standard for me. Following are the three books I think you also will most enjoy.