My first post of each new year always contains the list of books I read the previous year (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021). I post the list for personal accountability, not to showboat. Knowing I have to confess my list helps me stay on track.

The total this year comes to 63 books. You can see from glancing at the graphs below how the tonnage relates to other years. I’ll just give you the punch line, though, so you don’t have to spend time figuring it out. This year I read fewer books—significantly fewer—than any year since 2015. I know, I know, for many readers, finishing more than sixty books in one year would feel epic. And when compared to the general population, it is epic. I’ll explain.   

Around seven or eight years ago I started taking reading (and writing) seriously and set the goal of reading over one hundred books a year. I don’t typically make it, but I often get much closer than I did this year.

There’s not necessarily one reason why my total finished so low. But I could sum up the reasons in the phrase “intentional sacrifice”; I chose to do other things. I have a large family, and as my older children tend to stay up later at night, so do my wife and I, which means I get up less early. I helped coach sports at my children’s school, which means I can’t pad my reading total by hammering audiobooks while I work out. Right there I lost more than a dozen books. Also, life at our church was super full. We had several staff transitions and geared up to plant a church. All good stuff, right? But it meant I rarely read books at work.

The same sentiment about sacrifice applies to my writing. Not only have I not read fewer books in seven years, but I’ve also probably never written less. I used to write forty blog posts and a dozen guest posts each year, while also tinkering, if not finishing, a book project. This year I wrote a mere half dozen blog posts, a half dozen guest posts, and didn’t do much more than tinker with a book.

I love my part-time job as the managing editor for Gospel-Centered Discipleship. I get to edit and oversee the publication of over 150 articles a year, coach staff writers and editors, and work on our book projects. It’s wonderful to get paid to do something I would do as a hobby. But this work garbles up precious free time that I have in the mornings for writing.

But for all the sadness of sacrificing words read and words written, I know I’m making the right decision. Books to read and books to write will still be there, Lord willing, when children are not.

One final comment. In last year’s recap, I noted that I wanted to read the Bible using my English Standard Version Study Bible and that I also wanted to read all the introductions to each book as I went through the Bible. By God’s grace, I did. That added 66 extra days of reading or over two months’ worth of mornings. This meant I had to read an extra chapter or two each day to finish in a year. The sacrifice was a good one. Even as a pastor, I must keep reminding myself of whether Hosea wrote to the northern kingdom of Israel or the southern kingdom of Judah and why that context matters.

If you have a favorite book from the previous year, please let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for great books to read, fiction or non-fiction.

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In order of completion, this year I read . . .

1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (160 pages)

2. Confessions of a Pastor: Adventures in Dropping the Pose and Getting Real with God by Craig Groeschel (224 pages)

3. Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson (272 pages)

4. The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & Life by Marion Roach Smith (128 pages)

5. Love Me Anyway: How God’s Perfect Love Fills Our Deepest Longing by Jared C. Wilson (256 pages)

6. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers (479 pages)

7. The Bible: Romans to Revelation, Part 6 of 6 by God (300 pages)

8. The Givenness of Things: Essays by Marilynne Robinson (304 pages)

9. Storycraft, Second Edition: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by Jack Hart (286 pages)

10. The Subversive Copy Editor, Second Edition: Advice from Chicago by Carol Fisher Saller (200 pages)

11. The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom by Andrew Peterson (224 pages)

12. Economical Writing, Third Edition: Thirty-Five Rules for Clear and Persuasive Prose by Deirdre Nansen McCloskey (76 pages)

13. A Separate Peace by John Knowles (204 pages)

14. The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr (256 pages)

15. The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home by Russell Moore (320 pages)

16. A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller (176 pages)

17. Wordcraft: The Complete Guide to Clear, Powerful Writing by Jack Hart (282 pages)

18. But the Blood: A Novel Based on the True Story of America’s Bloodiest County Seat Battle by Stephen R. Morefield (209 pages)

19. The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World by Brett McCracken (192 pages)

20. The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective by Russell Moore (320 pages)

21. The Bible: Genesis to Deuteronomy, Part 1 of 6 by God (300 pages)

22. Style: Toward Clarity and Grace by Joseph M. Williams (226 pages)

23. Surprised by Jesus: Subversive Grace in the Four Gospels by Dane Ortlund (144 pages)

24. The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis (176 pages)

25. The Best Punctuation Book, Period: A Comprehensive Guide for Every Writer, Editor, Student, and Businessperson by June Casagrande (256 pages)

26. The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism by Carl F. H. Henry, Foreword by Russell Moore (112 pages)

27. The Death of the Artist: How Creators Are Struggling to Survive in the Age of Billionaires and Big Tech by William Deresiewicz (368 pages)

28. Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches by Russell Moore (256 pages)

29. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (448 pages)

30. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins (400 pages)

31. Always Longing: Discovering the Joy of Heaven by Stephen R. Morefield (162 pages)

32. The Bible: Joshua to Esther, Part 2 of 6 by God (300 pages)

33. The Liars’ Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr (352 pages)

34. Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ by Russell Moore (208 pages)

35. Ecclesiastes and the Search for Meaning in an Upside-Down World by Russell L. Meek (80 pages)

36. The Unwavering Pastor: Leading the Church with Grace in Divisive Times by Jonathan K. Dodson (160 pages)

37. Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel by Russell Moore (240 pages)

38. The Courage to Stand: Facing Your Fear without Losing Your Soul by Russell Moore (304 pages)

39. The Lincoln Highway: A Novel by Amore Towles (592 pages)

40. The Bible: Psalms to Song of Solomon, Part 3 of 6 by God (300 pages)

41. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society by Eugene Peterson (216 pages)

42. Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Henry Cloud and John Townsend (352 pages)

43. Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr (224 pages)

44. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (531 pages)

45. Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge by Henry Cloud (272 pages)

46. The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr (256 pages)

47. Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God by Tim Challies (224 pages)

48. The Possibility of Prayer: Finding Stillness with God in a Restless World by John Starke (200 pages)

49. 1984 by George Orwell (328 pages)

50. But the Blood: A Novel Based on the True Story of America’s Bloodiest County Seat Battle (Audiobook) by Stephen R. Morefield (209 pages)

51. The Secret Place of Thunder: Trading Our Need to Be Noticed for a Hidden Life with Christ by John Starke (192 pages)

52. God, Technology, and the Christian Life by Tony Reinke (320 pages)

53. The Bible: Isaiah to Malachi, Part 4 of 6 by God (300 pages)

54. Primed to Plant: Overlooked Requirements of Church Planting by Dwight Bernier (168 pages)

55. Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work by Eugene Peterson (251 pages)

56. Everything Sad Is Untrue: (A True Story) by Daniel Nayeri (368 pages)

57. Leading Change by John P. Kotter (208 pages)

58. American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman (560 pages)

59. Memory Wall: Stories by Anthony Doerr (256 pages)

60. About Grace: A Novel by Anthony Doerr (432 pages)

61. Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz (224 pages)

62. The Bible: Matthew to Acts, Part 5 of 6 by God (300 pages)