Mark's 2012 52 Books Year End Review

Here's a list of my top ten books for 2012:

1. A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison (2012)
2. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (1980)
3. The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf (2009)
4. Unto Death by Dalton Thomas (2012)
5. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (2004)
6. Prague Winter by Madeleine Albright (2012)
7. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tokein (1937)
8. 1984 by George Orwell (1949)
9. Moonwaking with Einstein by Joshua Foer (2012)
10. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1931)

Here's a quick recap of my highlights and insights in reading during 2012:

• This is the third year I've completed the 52 books challenge... it gets easier every year.
• I'm often asked, "When do you find time to read?".  I read most of my novels in in bed each night before falling asleep.  I 'read' some novels and nonfiction while listening as I drive.  I read most of my Christian nonfiction either for sermon preparation, ministry events (apologia, leadership meetings), or personal edification during the day, especially on the weekends. I also try to always have a book on me when I go to places I know I'll have to wait (dentist, city hall, any military office).
• This year I read more novels than usual.  In my reading of fiction, there was an emphasis on dystopian novels including classics such as Brave New World, 1984, Animal, as well as newer works such as Cloud Atlas and Amped.
• Another reason why I read more novels than usual is because of the availability of free e-books via our local library.
• I continue to eschew television watching and most movies, though I did give in and buy Madden 2013 to play on the Xbox... yeah, it's wasted too much time.
• I read several books dealing with the mind and psychology, including books for memory development, thinking, and habit formation.
• I read more 600+ page books this year than the previous two years combined (5 or 6).
• Next year I plan on reading more books about the culture and history of the Czech Republic in preparation for ministry there.
• I would also like to continue to read the classics, and I hope to step up to some of the great books of western civilization.

Mark's 2012 Books Breakdown

Mark's #52 - Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka

Born in Prague in 1883,  Franz Kafka's passion was literature and writing, though it was merely a pursuit on the side away from his day job working with the state insurance company.   This book is a collection of all of Kafka's writings that were published during his lifetime (there were other works published posthumously - though apparently he burned 90% of his writings).  It is a collection of mostly short stories ranging from a few paragraphs to 60 pages or so.  Kafka is credited with spearheading the existentialist writing style that would be taken up by the likes of Albert Camus a couple decades after Kafka's death from tuberculosis. Though bizarre at times, these stories are engaging in their symbolism and character interactions.  Metamorphosis is about a young man who wakes up one day as a giant bug.  His parents and his sister  discover him and keep him locked away in his room, feeding and watering him, until he eventually dies, presumably from loneliness.  Much of Kafka's writing deals with tension with father figures -  apparently Franz had daddy issues.

The Country Doctor is yet another bizarre, almost dream-like tale with nonsensical actions and characters (a man bites a woman's face as he's trying to kiss her... the doctor is stripped naked and forced to lie in bed with a dying boy with a fatal wound in his side)... After continually re-reading passages, I finally looked up the plot summary on wikipedia, only to come to find out I really was following along as well as possible.

Perhaps the most engaging and disturbing story was In the Penal Colony.  Here a visitor from a far away country is invited to witness an execution of a condemned prisoner.  The officer in charge is very proud of the torture/execution device that uses a series of needles to engrave a message repeatedly over the condemned man's entire body, slowly rotating him, and maximizing his pain until death comes at about the 12th hour.  The visitor is horrified to learn of the whole procedure.  The officer in charge knows the winds of change are coming since the new prison commandant disapproves.  Realizing this, he tries to appeal to the visitor to keep the procedure going, but when his plea is rebuffed and his cause is helpless, he frees the the prisoner and takes his place on the torture device.  After the machine begins its work, it begins to break apart, sending cogs and bolts flying everywhere, and driving the needles through the body of the officer - I know, I told you it was bizarre.

Bottom line: These stories would probably be great to discuss with english teachers like Ron Coia, or perhaps people on drugs.

One last nugget, apparently there is a Metamorphosis movie that came out this year based off of Kafka's story.  Here's the trailer:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGM-albAel8

JRF's # 44 - The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy by Tim Keller

This short book by pastor and author Tim Keller is an exposition I Corinthians 3:21 - 4:7 focusing on how a person who has been set from sin through Christ should esteem themselves and others.   In a few short chapters Keller dissects this powerful passage of scripture and lays bare the core of humanity's problem -  sinful, self-centered pride.

From there Keller shows how our basic bent towards selfishness and pride is at of the root of both those who esteem themselves too highly and those who "suffer" from low self esteem.  This section is an insightful exploration into a biblical view of the natural condition of the human ego and how Christ can rescue us from ourselves.

Keller goes on to explain that Christ doesn't transform our view of ourselves but actually transforms our very self.  Finally, Keller brings us back to I Corinthians and shows through Paul that ultimately it is not how others view us or even our view of ourselves that sets us free but it is God's view of us that matters and that through Christ, He can justly view us as holy and precious in His sight.  Our sinful nature and deeds no longer define us in Christ. We are accepted "because of what the Lord Jesus has done.  Then, the only person whose opinion counts looks at me and He finds me more valuable than all the jewels in the earth."   That is freedom.

A very helpful, powerful little book.

JRF's #43 - Create: Stop Making Excuses and Start Making Stuff by Stephen Altrogge

This book by a Sovereign Grace pastor is like having a motivational speaker in paper form.  It's not incredibly deep, and the content is not overly original, but what is said is said enthusiastically, optimistically, helpfully, and clearly.  Altrogge reminds his readers that part of being created in the image of God is that we all have the ability to create and that this ability is given to us in order to bring praise to God, not ourselves.  Since worship is the motivation, we can be free from the hindrance of fearing what people think of our creativity.  And as we continue to be faithful in flexing our creative muscles, we will often improve the quality and efficiency of our creations.

Altrogge also confronts other excuses we often give for not starting or finishing creative projects, like laziness, doubt, and business, showing from Scripture why those are not legitimate reasons for neglecting and failing to foster what talents and passions God has given us.

As someone who struggles with all of these excuses, and as someone who firmly believes that Christians need to once again be a meaningful voice - if not the dominant, trailblazing force - in culturally important sectors such as art, exploration, and literature, this book was a great little reminder and motivator.

JRF's #42 - Adopted for Life by Russell Moore

This is the book that started a movement in the church local and global to call God's people back to orthodoxy and orthopraxy in the area of adoption, both earthly and heavenly.

I have no doubt that I will look back at the end of my life and see this book as one of the most influential I read.  You may think that you only need to read this book if you are considering adoption.  You would be wrong.

While the entire book is wonderful, I believe the most helpful portion is not the practical wisdom given about earthly adoption.  It is the more foundational section at the beginning about the theology of adoption and its implications for God's children.  After reading this section I share Moore's conviction that the doctrine of adoption has been severely neglected in the modern church.

This book has been amply reviewed by both Mark and Ron here and here.  Seeing these men strive to be faithful to the truths the Gospel as laid out in this book over the past few years has been a great encouragement to me.

This book will change you and change how you see your Heavenly Father.  Read it.

JRF's #41 - Good News of Great Joy by John Piper

Although I tend to be schizophrenic when it comes to traditions (my tradition is not being tied down by tradition...unless I want to be) -  getting married, growing a family, and getting older has shown me the importance and value of traditions, especially within the family.  Every family has traditions, even non-traditional families.  The question is to what purpose do our traditions serve?  Are we are slaves to our traditions, as if they exist for their own sake?  Or are traditions our slaves, our tools, or old testament Ebenezers - reminders to point us to something more important and meaningful than the tradition itself?   As we strive to create a Christ-centered culture in our family, we have looked to some traditions that God's people have observed throughout history and tried to incorporate those that help us keep our eyes and hearts fixed on the Gospel.  Advent is one of those traditions.  And that's where this book comes in.

Released this year as a free ebook, Good News of Great Joy, is a collection of short daily Advent devotionals taken from John Piper's sermons and writings.  We found this to be a great resource for focusing us on the celebration of the Incarnation of God at Christmas.  It's short daily readings made it more realistic that our family would find the time to actually read it and meditate on the truth it highlighted.

A great Scripture driven, Gospel-centered, Christmas resource.  I think a new tradition has begun.