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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Seven Months of Reading

Over the last seven months, I've had some time to catch up on some of my reading. Since it is the end of the year, I thought I would give a run down of the books I have completed and those I am still working through and will complete in January 2014. It has been a while since I shared the books I have read over a period of time (here is my last post about that). For what it is worth, here they are (pages include footnote, which I normally read). The books are in alphabetical order by author's last name in each section.

Pastoral/Preaching (completed)

Title: 12 Challenges Churches Face
Author: Mark Dever
Year: 2008
Pages: 192

Title: Pastoral Leadership Is...:How to Shepherd God's People with Passion and Confidence
Author: Dave Earley
Year: 2012
Pages: 310

Title: And the Place Was Shaken: How to Lead a Powerful Prayer Meeting
Author: John Franklin
Year: 2005
Pages: 195

Title: Preaching with a Plan: Sermon Strategies for Growing Mature Believers
Author: Scott Gibson
Year: 2012
Pages: 141

Title: Spirit-Led Preaching: The Holy Spirit`s Role in Sermon Preparation & Delivery
Author: Greg Heisler
Year: 2007
Pages: 156

Title: Vertical Church: What Every Heart Longs For. What Every Church Can Be.
Author: James MacDonald
Year: 2012
Pages: E-BOOK

Title: I am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference
Author: Thom Rainer
Year: 2013
Pages: 79

Title: Preaching with BOLD Assurance: A Solid and Enduring Approach to Engaging Exposition
Author: Hershael York and Bert Decker
Year: 2003
Pages: 275

Pastoral/Preaching (In Progress - to finish in January 2014)

Title: Ministry Is...:How to Serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence
Author: Dave Early and Ben Gutierrez
Year: 2010
Pages: 313

Title: The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters
Author: Al Mohler
Year: 2012
Pages: 220

Christian and Non-Christian Fiction (Completed)

Series: The Book of Mortals
Author: Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

     Title: Forbidden
     Year: 2011
     Pages: 376

Series: The Thrawn Trilogy
Author: Timothy Zahn

     Title: Heir to the Empire
     Year: 1991
     Pages: 404

     Title: Dark Forces Rising
     Year: 1993
     Pages: 439

     Title: The Last Command
     Year: 1994
     Pages: 467

Series: Quadrail (Since May, I read the last 3 of this 5 book series - I have read the first 2 previously)
Author: Timothy Zahn

     Title: Odd Girl Out
     Year: 2008
     Pages: 387

     Title: The Domino Pattern
     Year: 2009
     Pages: 382

     Title: Judgment at Proteus
     Year: 2012
     Pages: 513

Christian and Non-Christian Fiction (In Progress - to finish in January 2014)

Title: S.
Author: J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst
Year: 2013
Pages: 456 + Inserts

Series: The Book of Mortals
Author: Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

     Title: Mortal
     Year: 2012
     Pages: 418

Title: Sargasso of Space
Author: Andrew North
Year: 1955
Pages: E-BOOK

Miscellaneous

Title: History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time
Author: Brad Meltzer
Year: 2013
Pages: 152 + Inserts


Throughout the year, I read more books than these, but these all were since the end of May. Some that I read earlier in the year are worth noting (The Painful Side of Leadership by Jeff Iorg, and Who Stole My Church by Gordon MacDonald) but this post is concerned with those book I have read since the end of May.

I have really enjoyed reading the Dave Earley books (Pastoral Ministry Is..., Pastoral Leadership Is...). I have a couple more in this series and will continue with them. I read a chapter a day after my Bible time.

Also, if you have not read "S." by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, it is the most unique book I have ever seen. If you like the T.V. show "Lost", you would like this book. The authors do the equivalent of flashbacks in the margins of the book you read, which is not a real book - you just have to see the book to understand. I got a copy for my daughter and a copy for me both at Sam's Club for about $20. It is worth it...so far.

2014 should usher in another great list of reading. I already have a few books burning a whole on my night stand ready to get started. And when I get through them, I will post them. Maybe even some reviews. I hope this has been helpful.