What I read in February

What I read in February

I’m a pretty aggressive reader, regularly making my way through over 100 books a year. But even though I’ve been reading fairly broadly, it’s still pretty easy to get into a rut when you read that much.

Maybe you have the same struggle—you read regularly, but it’s hard to know what to read next.

A few weeks ago, I shared a look at what I read in the month of January, along with a bit of explanation as to why I read what I read. I was pleasantly surprised to get a few emails encouraging me to do this again (along with my periodic “random thoughts on things I’m reading” posts). So, here goes with a look at what I read in February.

Over the last month, I read 11 different books, including three graphic novels, three biographies, one on current events, one humorous memoir, one all-ages fantasy story, and two books related to the Christian life and theology. Here’s what I read:

  1. CH Spurgeon’s Autobiography, vol 1: The Early Years by CH Spurgeon, et al.
  2. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
  3. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
  4. Batman vol. 1: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
  5. Batman vol. 2: The City of Owls by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
  6. Batman vol. 3: Death of the Family by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
  7. We Cannot Be Silent by Albert Mohler
  8. CH Spurgeon’s Autobiography, vol 2: The Full Harvest by CH Spurgeon, et al.
  9. Unashamed by Lecrae
  10. Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper
  11. Understanding Baptism by Bobby Jamieson

This month was a pretty heavy one for biographies and memoirs, as well as exploring some of the more “mature” offerings mainstream comics have to offer.

The graphic novels

The three Batman graphic novels are the first storylines from the most recent creative team; they’re heavy stuff—a new potential threat in the Court of Owls, and a Joker that’s actually kind of terrifying at times. For all the darkness and violence of the stories they definitely embrace the trappings of being superhero comics, though they’re  of a sort I don’t recommend for everyone. (And these sit way up on a high shelf out of reach of the little people in my house, in case you’re wondering.)

The biographies

Spurgeon’s Autobiography (both volumes) was wonderful to go back through, especially without having to worry about taking notes and pulling out excerpts to include in a script. There’s so much one could say about Spurgeon’s life—particularly about what not to imitate, and the dangers of how his fans try to represent their lives in light of his. (Can you tell I’ve got something up my sleeve on that one?) Meanwhile, A Walk in the Woods was a slow-burn pleasure read. I actually started this back in the fall, and it was set aside for about two months. In hindsight, this was a library read, not a purchase, but it’s too late now. Unashamed is shockingly good. That’s probably all I’ll say about it until I sit down to write a proper review.

Current events, theology, clear thinking and good storytelling

The remainder of the books on the list were all over the place: Mohler examines the issue of same-sex marriage simply, clearly, and perhaps more charitably than his critics would believe him capable of being in We Cannot Be Silent (look for a review soon). Jamieson’s little book on baptism seems like an excellent tool to use in baptism preparation courses, or small groups for churches that affirm the credo position. Think is even more relevant than it was when first published six years ago. And The Silver Chair is a continued reminder why C.S. Lewis is a better storyteller than most of us (and was a real treat for my middle child). There’s no rhyme or reason to these, but they were all worth my time.

Have a suggestion for a book for me or someone else to read or want to share what you’ve read? Connect with me on Twitter or Facebook and let me know!

Posted by Aaron Armstrong

Aaron is the author of several books for adults and children, as well as multiple documentaries and Bible studies. His latest book, I'm a Christian—Now What?: A Guide to Your New Life with Christ is available now.

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