R.C. Sproul: A Life by Stephen J. Nichols. 2021. [March] 371 pages. [Source: Review copy]
I loved every minute of this one! I did. I found it an enjoyable, compelling read. I loved learning more about Sproul. If you listen to enough Sproul sermons, you get a sense of his life story--his background, his childhood, his conversion, his romance and marriage, etc. But this book puts it all together as a whole and it's lovely to see it that way. Some facts felt like old friends; others were new-to-me. (Did you know he was converted by Ecclesiastes 11:3?)
There is a timeline of his life which includes his meeting the absolute love of his life when he was in first grade. (She was in second.) Also included lists of his BOOKS, teaching series, conference sermons, etc.
Fix Your Eyes: How Our Study of God Shapes Our Worship of Him. Amy Gannett. 240 pages. [October] [Source: Review copy]
I loved, loved, loved the premise of this one. Our worship is shaped by our view of God--our beliefs about God. To worship truly--genuinely, heart-soul-mind-body--we need to know God truly. And to know God truly, we must seek Him as He is. We must read the book He authored. Not just know in a head-knowledge sense. But KNOW in a loving, saving, trusting relationship. What we believe about God matters precisely because it relates to how we worship and glorify God. To clarify, this book isn't about a checklist of right beliefs, a practical guide to getting everything right giving you permission to be smug. No, this book is about the whole of Christian experience--heart, mind, body, soul. We are to love God with everything we are and everything we have. He is to be the center of our focus. HIM. Not his gifts. Not his blessings. Not his works. But HIM. Our seeking is to be a life-long seeking. Our knowledge should lead to MORE thanksgiving, MORE praise, MORE delight and adoration, MORE worship.
The book definitely has practical implications, but it is theology first and foremost. The holiness (of God) and the call to be holy (sanctification) is a WEIGHTY subject. Packer is thorough and solid.
I found myself highlighting PAGES because so much material was worthy of a second look--a dozen looks to be fair.
What you might not be expecting--and what I treasure most about it perhaps--is the RICHNESS of the chapters on SALVATION. Packer truly and clearly presents the gospel, and the gospel is beautiful, amazing, compelling. Though chapters two and three--the ones on salvation--are especially rich and wonderful, the book as a whole is worthy of your time, energy, and effort. Definitely worth a reread at some point.
Practicing Thankfulness: Cultivating A Grateful Heart in All Circumstances. Sam Crabtree. 2021. [February] Crossway. 144 pages. [Source: Review copy]
I loved this book. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. I loved it because it was convicting, challenging, relevant, insightful, timely, and above all else scriptural. It is subtitled CULTIVATING A GRATEFUL HEART IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. Note the words GRATEFUL and ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
I absolutely love, love, love, LOVE, love this translation. It feels like coming home. It feels familiar, right. Of course, many translations feel familiar. But that is often the result of months even years. It is hard to explain.
Geneva Bible 1560. God. 1560. 4305 pages. [Source: Bought]
With the 1560 Geneva Bible it was INSTANT LOVE. And it wasn't just infatuation--lasting for a few chapters of Genesis. Nope, from Genesis to Revelation I remained HEAD OVER HEELS in love with the 1560 Geneva Bible.
I loved the archaic spelling. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED. I think that is in part what kept me engaged with the text.
I loved, loved, loved, LOVED, LOVED, crazy loved this novel. It is a compelling, heart-warming, charming, thoroughly satisfying read. And quirky. Don't forget the quirky.
It is one of those rare books that is both CHARACTER-DRIVEN and PLOT-DRIVEN. The plot starts off with a little melodrama to hook you. (It worked.) But soon even though the plot hadn't really slowed down--offering a mystery or two, plus a light romance--I found out that it was really ALL about the characters.
It had the opportunity to be many things: a mystery, a comedy, a tragedy, a romance, a coming of age novel. But really it is more than any of those things.
Pudge and Prejudice. A.K. Pittman (aka Allison Pittman). 2021. [January] 346 pages. [Source: Library]
Does the adaptation work? YES. It works not because she keeps every single detail the exact same as the original but because she makes it her own.
There were a million little details that make this one oh-so-magical. I loved, loved, loved it.
I loved, loved, loved everything about this one!!! I loved the characterization. I loved that the characterization goes beyond just the heroine and hero. We've got a community of characters--residents at the hotel, the surrounding community, family--that are given enough depth and substance to come across as developed. That is rare--in my opinion. I loved spending time with the characters. I loved the development of relationships, the unfolding of secrets and mysteries. I loved the dialogue. Nothing felt rushed or under-developed in the romance department. I loved that I was kept guessing as to the identity of the murderer. I loved the author's note at the end.
This may just be my FAVORITE Klassen novel yet.
One thing that I especially loved, loved, loved about this one--something that makes it stand out--are the children. I loved getting to know the children. Especially Abner. But also others like Rawley, Wart, and Al. The children are an integral part of this one. Abner's scenes were show-stealers in my opinion. And one of the scenes with Abner just made my heart grow three sizes.
This is a wonderful novel.
Honorable mentions:
- Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism's Looming Catastrophe. Voddie T. Baucham Jr. 2021. [April] 270 pages. [Source: Library]
- The Heritage of Anglican Theology by J.I. Packer. 2021. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
- Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship. Jonathan Gibson. 2021. [November/December] 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
- The Gold In These Hills. Joanne Bischof. 2021. [August] 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
1 comment:
This is a great list! I am STILL waiting on my copy of Julie Klassen's book to arrive...anxiously waiting, LOL! Happy New Year! Here is my list of the best books I read this year: https://cindysbookcorner.blogspot.com/2021/12/best-of-best-2021.html
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