For me, New Years is always a time for reflection and thought\u2014a time for me to remember the past year\u2019s struggles and triumphs and to look ahead to dreams and goals for the future. I\u2019m not big on New Years Resolutions (as one really has no idea what new challenges or opportunities tomorrow will bring), but for the past few years I\u2019ve been able to meet a general goal of reading on average one book a week\u2014sixty-five in total this year. They (whoever \u201cthey\u201d are) say that great authors are first and foremost great readers, and although I make no pretentions to greatness in either category, isn\u2019t that the standard to shoot for?<\/p>\n
That said, here are a few of the notable books I\u2019ve read over the past 365 days, with a few words on what I appreciated about them. As usual, I\u2019ll break them into rough categories.<\/p>\n
BEST GENERAL NONFICTION: Republocrat<\/em> by Carl R. Trueman<\/strong><\/p>\n Confession: I kind of hate politics. This isn\u2019t to say I don\u2019t have political opinions, but rather that I have a general distrust of most of the government and little patience for the social media name-calling that stands in the place of debate these days. I often joke that I\u2019m just conservative enough to piss off my liberal friends, and just liberal enough to piss off my conservative friends, being sure to alienate and enrage everybody. In that sense, Trueman feels like a kindred spirit, and Republocrat<\/em> like a breath of fresh air. For anyone dissatisfied with the state of American political discourse, this book can help make one make a little sense of the madness.<\/p>\n BEST SCI-FI: Childhood\u2019s End<\/em> by Arthur C. Clarke<\/strong><\/p>\n I now know why Clarke is hailed as one of the all-time greatest science fiction authors. Childhood\u2019s End<\/em> is an alien invasion story with a twist\u2026 then another twist\u2026 then another twist. By the time I reached the end of the book, my jaw was on the floor. No spoilers. If you trust my opinion at all, read this book. It is fantastic, in every sense of the word.<\/p>\n BEST COMIC: The Superior Spider-Man<\/em> by Dan Slott<\/strong><\/p>\n The three-volume collection of Superior Spider-Man<\/em> is a tour de force that ranks up with some of the best Marvel stories I\u2019ve read. After swapping brains with Peter Parker (resulting in the death of the former spidey), Otto Octavius determines that he will take over Parker\u2019s role as protector of the city\u2014his own way. The resulting story of supervillain-turned-superhero involves lots of good character moments, as well as plenty of action, ranging from the Green Goblin\u2019s dealings in the criminal underworld to time-traveling dimension-hopping madness. It\u2019s a total hoot.<\/p>\n BEST HORROR: Toss-up between It<\/em> by Stephen King and What the Hell Did I Just Read<\/em> by David Wong<\/strong><\/p>\n With the success of the recent movie, I suspect It <\/em>wound up on a lot of people\u2019s reading lists, but (cue hipster impersonation) I\u2019d like to say once and for all that I began the novel before I even knew there would be a movie (starting it in 2016 and finishing it in January). Regardless of whether people are bandwagoning or not, though, this novel deserves the attention. Although the final scene of the book (which I hear was cut from the film version) was a huge disappointment, the rest of the book was a delight. King is known for his slobbering, sharp-toothed monsters, but I find he shines most in his quieter moments of character interaction. The real heart of It<\/em> resides in a gentle nostalgia for the ups and downs of childhood, and a delight in the power of friendship.<\/p>\n As a contrast, David Wong\u2019s gleefully immature take on the genre never fails to entertain me. What the Hell Did I Just Read<\/em> is the third (and maybe best) addition to Wong\u2019s successful John Dies at The End<\/em> series, in which he blends absurd, outrageous humor with scenes of gut-wrenching terror. Imagine HP Lovecraft as a thirteen-year-old boy who has watched too many Saturday morning cartoons, and you\u2019ll have a fairly good idea of Wong\u2019s style. If you can tolerate the middle-school-level vulgarity, there is plenty of mind-bending fun to be found here.<\/p>\n BEST THEOLOGY: The Knowledge of the Holy<\/em> by A.W. Tozer<\/strong><\/p>\n The Knowledge of the Holy<\/em> is a slim, unassuming little book, but it is both dense in its content and profound in its implications. Contemplating on the attributes of God, Tozer manages to say more in two or three pages than many authors say in their entire books, and I found myself needing frequent pauses while reading in order to properly digest the ideas on the pages. It\u2019s good, rich, meaty stuff, but rather than being a mere intellectual exercise, Tozer uses the scholarly aspects to direct the readers\u2019 hearts to worship the amazing, incomprehensible, marvelous God who has revealed Himself in creation, in the holy Scriptures, and in the person of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n BEST CHILDREN\u2019S BOOK: The Brave Little Toaster<\/em> by Thomas M. Disch<\/strong><\/p>\n I grew up on the movie The Brave Little Toaster<\/em>, and it remains one of my favorite animated films. It wasn\u2019t until this year that I learned it was initially based on a book\u2014and immediately tracked down an audio version someone recorded online. The story wasn\u2019t initially intended for children, serialized in Fantasy and Science Fiction<\/em>, but no matter\u2014this is a children\u2019s classic on par and sharing its tone with Milne\u2019s Whinnie the Pooh<\/em> books. Although the movie is manic fun, the book\u2019s humor is a bit softer, gentler, and more poignant. It\u2019s sweet and innocent, a story I loved as an adult and intend to share with my own children one day.<\/p>\n So there you have it. What books did you love this past year? I\u2019m always on the lookout for recommendations.<\/p>\n So long, 2017. Hello, 2018. Let\u2019s make it a good one, friends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For me, New Years is always a time for reflection and thought\u2014a time for me to remember the past year\u2019s struggles and triumphs and to look ahead to dreams and goals for the future. 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