In 1957 H. L. Mencken coined a new word to describe a group of people that he called the bibliobibuli, which means “people who read too much.” (From the Greek “biblio,” meaning books, and the Latin “bibulous,” from “bibere,” to drink.)
But how much is too much? And who decides that? I happen to believe that there is always room for more. I was once asked what I did for a living. I answered, “I read.” They followed up with the question, “What do you do for fun?” I smiled and said, “I read.” It is both a privilege and a blessing to work with so many gifted authors and be immersed in their ideas daily.
But there are tons of books I read outside of work. Thinking about the variety of books I read these past few months became a fun exercise, so I decided to describe a few of them below. I have intentionally avoided books by clients or other prospective authors.
Nonfiction
I teach the Bible in our church every Sunday morning. Last week, we completed our 12th session on Ephesians. (We still have a number of weeks to go!) As part of my research, I have been working through:
- Ephesians by James Montgomery Boice
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I also scan dozens of others for info.
I also try to keep on top of the new books coming out in theology, history, cultural issues, business, writing or publishing, and biography. (At the beginning of the year, I read Luther by Eric Metaxas.)
- Banana Ball by Jess Cole
- The Untold Story of Books: A Writer’s History of Book Publishing by Michael Castleman
Fiction
Fiction is my “mind candy.” I lose myself in stories of wide variety and scope. I cannot list all the novels I have read these past few months, but this should give a taste.
- Cobra – Timothy Zahn
- The Sand Wars – Charles Ingrid
- Death Day – William Dietz
- The First Billion – Christopher Reich
- Eruption – Michael Crichton and James Patterson
- Centers of Gravity – Marko Kloos
Feel free to tell us what you read these past few months in the comments below.
Of the dozens of books I read this summer, two really stuck with me: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker and Falling Upward by Richard Rohr.
The best novel I read was The Alpine Tales by Willis. I normally don’t read fantasy but this was a “complete” work: great use of language, description, and places. I felt like it was real. Best work of non-Fiction: Metaxes’s Amazing Grace. Although i did not enjoy it as much as I did his treatment of Bonhoeffer, that may be because Bonhoeffer has always been a hero to me. What else did I read? The Hunt Club by Brett Lott, Half a Yellow Sun by Adichie, North of Hope by Hassler, Bad Intentions (by Karin Fossum–my least favorite of her wonderful books), A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, and 2 wonderful children’s books: When I Was Young in the Mountains by Rylant and Martin de Porres by Gary D. Schimidt.
And I almost forgot one of the other “best books” I read over the summer: A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash. I have an affinity for Southern Writers and he can stand alongside Michael Morris (Man in the Blue Moon) and come close to rivaling Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor.
What did I read this summer?
I really can’t recall,
for days dragged by, a bummer,
but at least I’m here for fall.
I tried to read Shelby Foote,
his narrative of the Civil War,
but these days my brain’s kaput,
and I didn’t get too far.
I sought the new and read a bit,
looking for what I might be needing,
but never found a decent fit,
and I’d forget what I was reading,
so I go now where I’ve gone before,
and read the books I’ve loved once more.
My most recent is The Watchmaker’s Daughter by Larry Loftis, a story of Corrie ten Boom and others during WWII. 💔❤️🩹❤️
I prefer historical fiction. This summer I split my reading between new reads and a reread of Ellis Peter’s Chronicles of Brother Cadfael. Titles in the former include:
Walk the Earth as Brothers: A Novel
By Any Other Name: A Novel
Lady Clementine
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
At the Fall Line
The Silent Hen
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
Among the Cadfael books I’ve reread the first eight. Plus a dozen science fiction, fantasy, philosophic, and Christian titles.
I like reading essays, and science fiction books that explore themes of freedom, self-reliance, and what it is to be human. In this period, I reread Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I am impressed by his ability to convey so well the concept of freedom and independent thinking through his interesting novel.
Oy I read quite a bit… let’s see…
Ignite by Kara Swanson
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Bridge to the Sun by Gwen Terasaki
Activated by Nova McBee
The Last Archer by S.D. smith
Extension Squad Volume 3 by R. M. Scheller
The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson
Write Your First Novel by Steve Laube and Gilbert Morris
Crafting Character Arcs by K. M. Weiland
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Citizen of the Galaxy… the author escapes me XD
Old Possum’s Book of Cats by T.S. Eliot
Visions of Grandeur by Josiah DeGraaf
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Easy Target by Tim Shoemaker
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The Perfect Horse by Elizabeth Letts
The Truth Seeker by Dee Henderson.
And I’m working on North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, The Chaos Grid by Lyndsey Lewellen, and Secret of the Mist by Morgan L. Busse.
I have an eclectic tastes in reading XD.
I only get to read for pleasure at night, and I don’t get much reading done at night because I always end up falling asleep.
I’ve read loads of picture books (I write them, edit them, and do Storytime at the local library) and read 3-4 novels (paperbacks) and listened to the same amount on Audible while in the car.
Some of my summer reads:
Nonfiction:
Be Decisive (Jeremiah): Taking a Stand for the Truth by Warren Wiersbe
Read This First: A Simple Guide to Getting the Most from the Bible by Gary Millar
Lenten Lands: My Childhood with Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis by Douglas H. Gresham
Everything Sad Is Untrue: (A True Story) by Daniel Nayeri
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
A Boy’s War by David Michell
Fiction:
Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens (audiobook)
The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron (audiobook)
A Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate (audiobook)
When We Were Young and Brave by Hazel Gaynor
Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham (one of my favorites of the year so far).
I found Ruth Haley Barton this summer and loved the two books I ordered: Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation and Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence. I also recently devoured the four-book Sensible Shoes series by Sharon Garlough Brown
I’ve just finished reading The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger and Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur. I give them both 5 stars.
I have The Dragon’s Prophecy by Jonathan Cahn on my desk waiting until I have a long stretch of time to absorb it.
Fiction: Sensible Shoes by Sharon Brown; The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. Non-fiction: God on Mute by Pete Greig; Resilient and Redeemed by Chris Morris; Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.
In all honesty, between preparing to adopt a child, preparing to adopt a dog, finding out that I’m allergic to dogs, and all of the fun craziness that comes with a family and a farm, I’m having trouble remembering the titles of what I’ve read this summer. Most of which veered on the nonfiction side this year. Books on training dogs, dog agility, etc. I do miss reading fiction books and would love some recommendations for anything lighthearted that I can dive into this winter.
Do cookbooks count?
If so, I highly recommend A World of Dumplings by Brian Yarvin and A Very Chinese Cookbook by Kevin Pang.
If you can believe this, I hadn’t ever read “To Kill A Mockingbird.” So, I read it this summer. Loved Harper Lee’s writing style.
Most of the books I read these days are nonfiction—memoirs and books on the arts. This summer, I read some screenwriting books, took a course, got some notes, and finished the first draft of my screenplay in July. I’m currently in the first rewrite. Soon, my manuscript editing will begin.
While working on an outdoor project, I listened to the Audible version of Eric Metaxas’s “Bonhoeffer,” and I’m looking forward to seeing the movie in November. I’m especially drawn to true stories of people who have stood up against evil.
“Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11
As Christians, our service to Christ might require our ultimate sacrifice. Be strong and courageous.
“Then Jesus declared, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” Luke 9:62
Now…back to plowing.
Books I read this summer:
NON-FICTION:
M’Cheyne bible reading program. Started it during the lockdowns, and with only a couple very short breaks, have been doing it every day since. Best thing ever!
Transforming Prayer by Daniel Henderson. We have a class at church that I took as well. It’s a phenomenal book that every Christian should read, imho.
People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck. Recommended by at a writers’ conference, to build villains in novels. Very fascinating and very helpful.
FICTION:
Flannery O’Conner short stories (various). Recommended to me at a writer’s conference. Interesting, but sometimes difficult to understand. Some amazing descriptions and imagery.
Monster Hunter Files by Larry Correia, Jim Butcher, and others. I don’t recommend this for everyone because of some of the language and some topics, but honestly, it was the most entertaining anthology I’ve ever read. Not all the stories, but most of them. A trusted source recommended it.
Dracula by Bram Stoker. Still a favorite.
In Darkness Cast by Jonathan Shuerger. Christian fantasy in the sword and sorcery style.
Hawk of May by Gillian Bradshaw. Still my favorite coming-of-age story.
I’m at the bottom of a long line of respondents! Great comments!
Benjamin Franklin-by premier biographer, Walter Issacson. “Safely Home”, Randy Alcorn’s too-accurate novel about persecution of believers. Loved William Kent Krueger’s page-turner “This Tender Land”. Anything of his C.J. Box series will make you love and respect America’s West. Better cut it off here because I agree there’s a thing of “too much”. I also understand and sympathize with Andrew.
Oops! Krueger’s series is Cork O’Conner—northern Minnesota. C.J. Box is Joe Pickett in Wyoming.