2023 Treat Yo' Shelf Reading Challenge: Introduction

For all of my declarations that I was going to slow my reading down in 2022, the results of the Book It Reading Challenge belied them. After saying that I would slowly and thoughtfully read one book a month (12), I ended up reading my largest yearly total of volumes (65).  Yes, some of them were slowly and thoughtfully read, while others were adequately absorbed. 

Note:  I only had two "Ain't nobody got time for that" books in 2022. 

For this year's challenge, I'm just going to go for broke and set a goal of reading 60 books.

I make no promises that I will review a certain number of books.  My teaching schedule cranks up again in February.  If I have time between grading papers and studying content for my courses, I'll write a review.  If not, you'll at least have a list of what I read.  If you feel so inclined, be sure to check out my "First Line Friday" posts.  Also, if you'd like to follow my reading progress, see my Goodreads page.

Like my other reading challenges, this one doesn't have any specific instructions or types of required books.  However, some books may be part of various categories.  Examples include:

• Kiddie Lit -children's books.  Hey, just because I'm 50 doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good (or bad) children's book.
  
• Recommended Reads - books recommended by what I hope are trustworthy sources.
• Glorious rereads - books I enjoyed so much that I'm reading them again.
• Everybody's Reading It - books that everybody and their grandma read that I'm just now getting to.
• Nobody Admits to Reading It - books that others have said to stay away from (whether they've read them or not).
• Impulse Reads - Books I bought, borrowed, or checked out of the library for no other reason than "hey, this looks interesting."
• "Potty" Books - No, not that kind of potty book.  I noticed that I was spending my extended visits in the potty scrolling on my phone and/or playing a game (at least it was Words With Friends, so I was feeding my brain somewhat).  Don't act shocked; I know some of y'all do it too.  Before the days of cell phones, I used to keep books and magazines in my bathroom for those times.  I want to see how many books I can read during those times.  I see enough screens during the day, so I'm reading paper books.
  

My rating systems is as follows:

✮✮✮✮ = Outstanding
✮✮✮ = Pretty good
✮✮ = Could have been better / could have been worse.
✮ = Not so great.  What the heck did I just read?  I'm finishing this one purely out of spite.
Zero stars = Ain't nobody got time for that = DNF (did not/would not/could not finish)

Whether you read one book or 100 this year, I would enjoy some company.  Drop in a comment once and a while to let me know how it's going. Yes, I know I say this every year...I mean it every year.

So, what are your reading goals for 2023?
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Books Read and Reviewed:

Completed books will be marked as a link to the review or Goodreads comments.

Book 01 - A glorious reread
Book 02 - A glorious reread
Book 03 - A glorious reread
Book 04 - A glorious reread

Read, but Not Reviewed:

1. The Dark Tower and Other Stories by C. S. Lewis  ✮✮
2. God is in the Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer  ✮✮✮✮
3. Hinds' Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard   ✮✮✮
   
4. Win At Work and Succeed At Life by Michael Hyatt  ✮✮
5. The Way of the Shepherd by Dr. Kevin Leman and William Pentak  ✮✮✮✮
6. Practice Resurrection by Eugene Peterson   ✮✮✮✮
7. Have a New You by Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman  ✮✮
8. Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel ✮✮✮
9. When Your Best Isn't Good Enough by Dr. Kevin Leman ✮✮
10. When I Don't Desire God by John Piper ✮✮✮✮
11. Tell It Slant by Eugene Peterson ✮✮✮
12. The Romantic Rationalist by John Piper et al ✮✮
13. Conversations With My Dog by Zig Ziglar  ✮✮✮
14. Never Go Back by Dr. Henry Cloud  ✮✮✮✮  
15. Win the Day by Mark Batterson ✮ (If I could give it zero stars, I would)
16. Desiring God by John Piper ✮✮✮
    
17. A Hunger for God by John Piper ✮✮
18. How to be a Best Friend Forever by Dr. John Townsend ✮✮  
19. When the Darkness Will Not Lift by John Piper ✮
20. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson  ✮✮✮✮
21.  Detox Your Thoughts by Andrea Bonior  ✮✮✮✮
22. Calvin's Letter to Sadoleto by John Calvin  ✮✮✮✮
23. Exactly What to Say by Phil Jones  ✮✮✮
24. Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton  ✮✮✮✮
25. Business for the Glory of God by Wayne Grudem  ✮✮✮
26. Healing the Soul of a Woman by Joyce Meyer ✮✮✮
27. The Hidden Life of Prayer by David McIntyre  ✮✮
28. Faith and the Marketplace by Bill Winston  ✮✮✮✮
29. Living a Life You Love by Joyce Meyer ✮✮✮✮
30. How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell ✮✮✮ 
31. A Diary of Private Prayer by John, Bailie (a glorious reread) ✮✮✮✮
32. Run With the Horses by Eugene H. Peterson ✮✮✮
33. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer.  ✮✮✮✮
34. Jesus Himself by Andrew Murray ✮✮✮✮
35. The Magic of Thinking Big by Dr. David Schwartz ✮✮✮✮
36. Praying by J. I. Packer  ✮✮
37. Everyone's a Theologian by R. C. Sproul ✮✮✮✮
38. Taking God Seriously by J. I. Packer ✮✮✮
39. The Church by C. S. Lewis ✮✮✮
40. Reflections on the Psalms by C. S. Lewis ✮✮
41. Basic Christianity by John Stott ✮✮✮✮
42. The Simplest Way to Change the World by Dustin Willis and Brandon Clements ✮✮✮✮
43. B.L.E.S.S. by Dave and Jon Ferguson✮✮✮✮
44. Toxic Charity by Robert Lupton ✮✮✮
45. St. Francis of Assisi by G. K. Chesterton ✮✮
46. A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller ✮✮✮
47. The School of Obedience by Andrew Murray ✮✮
48. Saint Thomas Aquinas by G. K. Chesterton ✮✮
49. Rediscovering Holiness by J. I. Packer ✮✮✮
50. Prayers to Start Your Day by Crisswell Freeman  ✮✮✮
51. Excellence in Online Education by Kristen Ferguson  ✮✮✮
52. George Muller:  My Journal by George Muller  ✮✮✮
53. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson  ✮✮✮✮
54. The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott (a glorious reread) ✮✮✮✮
55. Shepherd's Abiding by Jan Karon  (a glorious reread)  ✮✮✮✮
56. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (a glorious reread)  ✮✮✮✮
57. Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin (a reread) ✮✮

 

First Line Friday Entries for the Year:

#2   #6   #10   #14

#3   #7   #11   #15

#4   #8   #12   

#5   #9   #13  

Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!:

Wow!  None for 2023!