When someone walks into my study (not office) at the church, they almost all comment on one thing. The books. Then come the questions. Are they all mine? (Yes) Is this all of my books? (No) Have I read them all? (No but working on it)

One question that often arises is how I choose what to read. As I mention each time I do a book recommendation, I am a bit of an eclectic reader. Even as I type this and look at one shelf of books, they cover topics ranging from education to Handel’s Messiah to hip hop music to reclaiming conversation to Dostoevsky. Some of the shelves are filled with books related to my vocation as a pastor. For example, the two bookshelves behind my desk are where my commentaries on books of the Bible reside. But most represent my personal interests.

Here then are a few criteria or thoughts that go into my decision-making process when it comes to books.

• Read at whim. I got this idea from Alan Jacobs’ wonderful little book, The Pleasures of Reading in the Age of Distraction. He proposes the concept of whim as the guiding principle. Whim is defined as reading what gives you delight - at least most of the time - and doing so without shame. So, I feel little guilt that the majority of my fiction reading is not found on some list of the 100 classics everyone should read before they die but is almost all a steady diet of mystery books.  
• The great corollary to this is:  You do not have to finish every book you start! If you are 50 pages in (my standard of what I commit to when starting a book) and the book is not giving you any joy, stop reading it. Maybe this is not the right season for you to be reading it and you can come back to it. Or maybe it’s not the book for you.
• Try to read a mix of old and new books. This is the advice of C.S. Lewis in his essay, On Reading Old Books. I admit I struggle with this one but I think there is a lot of value to it. Lewis’ contention is that for every new book you read, you should read one old book. He does concede that if that is too much for you, then one old for every three new. He believes this will keep one from chronological snobbery, a form of arrogance and pride that believes one’s own time is inherently superior to all that has come before.
• Find a few authors and read all that they write. It is okay to have favorites. I have a group of authors, both for fiction and nonfiction, that I read pretty much everything they write. This is usually based on two factors. One, what they write challenges me or moves me. Two, they write beautifully. I love reading writers who are masters of their craft.
• Read people you disagree with. The other caveat I always put in my book recommendations is that a recommendation does not mean I agree with everything in the book. But reading books by people who think about and see the world differently than I do has two benefits. First, it helps me to be able to charitably summarize their views without resorting to strawman arguments. Second, it sharpens my own views and often clarifies my own thinking.
• Learn to love language. This is why I love beautiful writing. Its use of images, similes, and metaphors often opens up my understanding in ways that dull prose can’t. Often a playful turn of phrase becomes the key to unlocking an idea I have wrestled with. A good dose of good poetry is often helpful in this regard.

There is more that I could say.  But instead of reading more of me, I invite you to grab a book and a nice beverage, find a cozy spot, and immerse yourself in the world the book invites you to inhabit for a bit of time. Tolle Lege (Take up and read)!