Reading Challenge 2016

According to Pew Research Center, "As of January 2014, some 76% of American adults ages 18 and older said that they read at least one book in the past year." In that same year, half of the people polled had read more than five books, the other half had read fewer than five books. I would guess there hasn't been much change in the last year. How many books did you read in 2015? One? Two?Five? Ten? Zero? 

Reading is important. It is a powerful tool for growth. Mark Twain supposedly said, "The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." But reading, like many other things, requires that one develops a taste for it. There was a time in my childhood where I hated reading, then I loved it, then I cooled towards it. It wasn't until after I came to Christ that I began reading again. It took awhile for the love of reading to kick in. Now, I really enjoy reading. 

According to Goodreads, I read 53 books last year. I may have read more than that, but I'm terrible at keeping track of what I have read. I didn't include commentaries or devotions in the count in 2015. Many of the titles are actually books I read to Sophia at bedtime. I rarely have a plan, I read what catches my attention or has been recommended by someone I respect.

This year, I decided I need a plan. There was a 26 book challenge floating around last year that I really considered, but never got around to it. I was revisiting it when Tim Challies, a blogger I follow, issued his 2016 Reading Challenge. It is a challenge broken up into 4 categories: light, avid, committed, and obsessed. If a person makes it through the obsessed list, they will have read 104 books in 2016. I'm hoping to complete the challenge. I at least want to make it through the light and avid sections (13 books each), that is about two books every week.

The thought of reading a 104 books in 2016 might make your brain hurt. So my challenge to you is to set your own goal. How many books did you read last year? If you read one book last year, why not aim for two this year? If you read five books, try to read ten. If you didn't read a single book last year, why not aim to read one book this year. I would challenge you to read at least one book in addition to reading your Bible this year. I plan to offer recommendations in the weeks and months to come.

Are you willing to read more this year than last year? Here are a few quick tips.

1. Pick a format that works best for you. Do you have a long drive to work? Try an audio book. Do you have a tablet? Try reading an ebook. Don't like gadgets? Get a print book.

2. Start of with a shorter book. Should you decide this is the year you are going to read the classics, fantastic. However, avoid starting with War & Peace. Look for a book with few than 300 pages (not counting the end notes and other material--you can skip this stuff). Skip introductions about the book not written by the author. I attempted to read Frankenstein several years ago, and gave up because I had to slog through 80 pages of introduction by an expert. Later, I picked it up again, only this time I started where Mary Shelley did. It was quite enjoyable.

3. Read a little bit each day. You don't have to block out an hour of your time each day to be a reader. Set a side 15 minutes or read 10 pages or a chapter--whatever works best for your schedule. Pack a book with you wherever you go, so you can make the most of down time (lines, doctor's office, etc.).

4. Pick a book that really interests you. This may seem unimportant, but you will most likely finish a book that you want to read. If you start a book and it bores you, put it down and get a different book. Your third grade teacher may not approve, but it's okay. Don't waste time on boring books.

5. Don't break the bank. I love books and bookstores. I can spend hours in a bookstore, and I'm always adding to my library. But you don't have to build your own library (if you don't want to or can't afford to). There is a magical place that will let you borrow books of various kinds--it's called a library (I know you probably knew that). Most libraries will even help you get books that they don't physically possess, either by inter-library loan or by purchase. If you don't have a library card, get one and wear it out. The library is also a great way to encourage daily reading. When you check out a book you have to have it back on a certain day--use that as a deadline to drive your reading.

Book to Film: The Hobbit

While I enjoy watching movie adaptations of books, I tend to be bit of a purist. I fuss and complain about changes that don't matter. I can't grasp the logic. When something has done well in print and can make the leap to the screen without losing its power, why would you want to change it? It's the height of arrogance to think you can improve on a classic. I'm not opposed to artistic license, particularly where it relates bringing print to a visual medium.

Back in December, when the first Hobbit movie was released, I thought about reading the book. Maybe I should say, "read the book again." It is one of the few books that I have read more than once. It had been several years since I last read the Hobbit, and I thought it would be a good idea to refresh my memory.

However, I stopped myself from reading it before I saw the movie. I knew that if the book was fresh on my mind, I couldn't enjoy the movie. I would spend the whole movie wondering why ignored this scene or changed that line. In order to enjoy the movie, I had to see apart from the book. The movie adaptation tends to be more enjoyable when I don't think about the book upon which it is based. I can enjoy the movie as a movie, and not as a desecration of cherished book.

I thought the first Hobbit movie was alright. It wasn't terrific (there are too many needless additions for the sake of making a trilogy, and not to progress the story. I'm afraid the dwarfish love of gold has infected Peter Jackson), but on its own it was good bit of story telling. And the special effects were astounding. It just wasn't the Hobbit.

Since viewing the movie, I have read the book twice and I'm currently reading it a third time. Why would I read it three times? It's a beautiful story. It makes me laugh. It makes me cry. It makes me believe in Middle Earth--a world and realm not completely removed from ours, but full of adventure and magic. It reminds me that just as Bilbo Baggins (the main character) learned that there was a bit more to him than he realized, so to there may be a bit more to me than I realize. It reminds me that courage isn't the absence of fear, but the willingness to endure and act in spite of it.

In spite of my disappointments with all that the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey wasn't, I intend on enjoying for what it was: eye candy. Strip away the stunning visual effects and the realistic back drops and you're left with an "Eh" kind of movie. The acting is fair. The action is exciting (even if unbelievable at times). It's a good (long) escape into another world where adventure is right outside waiting on your doorstep.

I'll give it a  D for accuracy (to the book); a B+ in entertainment value; and a A+ in visual effects.

Can Reading Fiction Help?

Me with Stephen Lawhead

I once that people who read fiction tend to have better interpersonal relationship skills. While I can't testify to the the truthfulness of the statement, I can say that my recent experience with fiction has thinking that it may be true. With fiction, as in life, you encounter a many types of people. Although it may be true that each is unique, there is also a lot of common ground between people.

In life, the first impression of a person often dictates the flow of the relationship. If they make a pleasing first impression, you may find yourself trying to build a friendship. If they strike in a negative way, you might find yourself avoiding that person. First impressions are often wrong, or at least slightly off the mark.

As you encounter characters in the works of fiction, you are given ample time to measure the person through their actions. You may not initial like a character, but through the events that change and shape them you come to love or admire them. Or you may find that your initial positive feelings for a character are unwarranted. These things can be said of life as well, but we tend to give real human being less opportunity to change our minds.

Fiction, then, can give us a framework to approaching the people that we meet. Watching a life unfold in a novel can help you to see the big picture. The future brings many twists and turns, many opportunities for change and growth, failure and betrayal. If a person reads widely in different genres of fiction, they will encounter many different types of characters. From that pool of characters, they will be able to more readily find common ground with people in the real world. Reading of this sort helps us to temper both our gullibility and our cynicism.

Individual who have no difficulty with meeting new people may find this a bit odd, but introverts often struggle with developing relationships. Earning their trust comes at a great price. However, I have found myself a little less apprehensive about approaching new people. The opportunity for friendship and adventure is great to risk throwing it away. I think the Spirit has been using fiction to help me becoming more discerning and more caring.

The imagination can be a powerful ally to growth. It can also be a great ally to the gospel. The Scripture is filled with vivid imagery. That imagery pulls you into the story, connects you to the people in those stories. Scripture is not fiction, but it still takes advantage of the story format. Story is important on an instinctive level.

I encourage you to read the Bible for the truth it teaches. Get lost in the stories, connect to the character, and try to understand their motives. It will help you to grow. But also remember that other stories echo some of the great stories of Scripture. You'll read about the ruin of sin, the role of providence in life, justice, forgiveness, and redemption. Just as Jesus taught great truth in parables, so to fiction can teach us great truths. Most of the fictional character you'll encounter in your stories are composites of real people. And most likely, you'll run into someone who is similar in some way.

I encourage you to find some good fiction, and devote some time to developing your imagination. Realize the authors worldview shapes not only the story he tells, but how he tells the story. Reading authors who write from a distinctly Christian worldview helps to reinforce the biblical world view for you. Reading authors who write from a non-Christian worldview give you a peek behind the curtain, so to speak. They help you to see how they wrestle with the implications of their worldview.

I'm not an expert on fiction, and my tastes run toward fantasy and science fiction. Although, I also like historical fiction and literature some. Some of my suggestions would be C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, and his Space Trilogy; J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (Trilogy); I loved the Song of Albion trilogy, The Pendragon Cycle, Byzantium, and The King Raven Trilogy by Stephen R. Lawhead (I'm a big Lawhead fan); Peter Pan was a good book; John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is a must read (even if you have to do it in modern English); and there are plenty of others. 

What works of fiction have you read and found helpful? Who are some of your favorite characters? What books would you recommend? Why not leave a comment?

An Action Plan for Reading to Children

Do you read to your children or grandchildren?  I recently picked up a copy of Bernice E. Cullinan's Read to Me: Raising Kids Who Love to Read.  This book explores the importance of reading to children and offers practical advice on how to raise children who love to read (as the subtitle would indicate).  In chapter 3, she suggests some ideas on where to get a start on reading to children.

Consider these tips:

1. Keep books on hand.
2. Choose good books your child will like.
3. Set a special time for reading.
4. Read at bedtime.
5. Don't panic if you miss a day.
6. Read twenty minutes a day.
7. Talk about the story as you read.
8. Mention the author and illustrator.
9. Get others in on the reading act.
10. Share your reactions to books you read.
11. If you can't answer a child's question, look up the answer in a book.

These tips offers an easy way to create a lifelong love of reading for your children.  Delia and I are trying hard to instill such a love in Sophia.  We want her to grow up loving to read.  There are many benefits to reading to our children.  It lengthens their attention span, it helps to them to become better readers, and it gives you an opportunity to bond with them. And these are just a few of the benefits.  I hope you will make time to read to your children or grandchildren.  It will bless them in more ways than you can count.