Awards
- Book of the Year: Harris, Mr. World and Miss Church Member
- Surprise of the Year: Hugo, Les Miserables
- Worst of the Year: Thomas, When to Walk Away
Scoring
0 The book was notable for lacking this category repeatedly.
1 The book dipped into this category at times.
2 The book consistently demonstrated this category.
Non-Fiction Categories
- Weight: Did the book ask and answer the most germane questions about an important topic?
- Research: Did the writer demonstrate a thorough command of the subject?
- Style: Did the theme, vocabulary, and composition represent an enduring standard?
- Logic: Did the book model logic in definitions, formatting, and focus?
- Affections: Was some truth presented powerfully to the affections?
| NON-FICTION: Annotated Bibliography | W | R | S | L | A | Score |
| Milton, John. Paradise Lost. 1674, reprint 1935. 412 pp. Book of the Year 2023. 3rd Reading. Satan fell to Hell then raised himself to conquer new-made man. Heaven, angels, demons, and our glorious Creator come to life wonderfully. It is hard to find a more glorious painting of the Son of God in human writing largely because so many, many Scriptures are used. Unique insights to human nature and sin abound. Best of the best: Book 3—Covenant of Redemption Book 6—War in Heaven (Rev. 12) Book 9—The Fall (Gen. 3) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Ryle, J. C. Holiness, 1879, 324 pp. Read with Amy. Author’s point: True Christianity is a lively rejection of sin and an active clinging to holiness. My evaluation: I want my life and ministry to sound and smell like this. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Thomas, Gary. When to Walk Away. 2019. 240 pp. Author’s main point: Some people sap our time and heart without any evidence that they will respond wisely or humbly and therefore, we should leave them and serve others. My evaluation: The appendix was eye-opening as he listed more than 20 Scriptural examples of our Lord ending relationships to serve others, but there are several important theological errors. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| The Psalms of David (Scottish Psalter). 1650 These are all 150 psalms of David versified and rhyming. Prepared for the Presbyterian church in Scottland. I had expected them to be my favorite poems, but rarely did my heart rise when reading them. | ||||||
| Murray, Douglas. The Strange Death of Europe. 2017, 352 pages. Audio. Author’s point: Europe is losing its glory because its culture is diluted and deranged by Islamic immigration. My evaluation: Europe’s leaders clearly hate its ancient Christian heritage, and so they are perpetuating any change from it, even to barbarous Islam. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| Edmonds, Christopher. No Surrender. 2019, 347 pages. Audio. Author’s point: A young US military officer stands up for Jews in a German concentration camp risking his own death, and saving scores of Jews. My evaluation: A stirring story, yet stretched too long and including too many crudities, especially since the author is a Baptist pastor. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Tyler, Bennet. Asahel Nettleton. 1854, reprint 1975. 454 pages. Author’s point: God powerfully used Nettleton through his serious, searching preaching to bring thousands upon thousands to Christ. My evaluation: As an evangelist, this account makes my own soul long for more rain on my field. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Moody, Ralph. Kit Carson. 1955, 184 pp. Read with Amy. Author’s point: Kit Carson helped shape the west in America during its formative years. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| Johnson, Ken. Wildlife in the Kingdom Come. 1993, 126 pages. This is a humorous collection of drawings and descriptions of theological terms and positions as if they were all animals on a safari. Interesting and often insightful, it is a profitable way to introduce many theological categories. Read with the boys. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Platt, Richard. As One Devil to Another. 2012. 184 pp. Read with Colin. An update of Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Nathan, Adele. The Building of the First Transcontinental Railroad, 180 pp. Read with Carson. Author’s point: The building of a railroad across North America in the 1800’s was a massive, manly, amazing engineering feat. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| Rice, John. What’s Wrong with the Movies. 1938, 112 pages. Author’s point: The movie industry promotes fornication, greed, and violence while hurting faith and evangelism. My evaluation: His examples of sinful movies are even more striking because they are all before 1950, and his lively zeal for conversion, evangelism, and the Lord Jesus is inspiring. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| á Kempis, Thomas. The Imitation of Christ. Ca 1470, reprint 1980. 383 pp. Read with Thabiso. 3rd reading. Book of the Year 2021. Stirring, cutting, insightful, sweet. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 1776-1787. 3,928 pages. Audio. Author’s point: Writing elegantly, Gibbon records hundreds of stories that show through the rulers of the Roman empire, man’s inherent greed, ambition, and immorality while also presenting though much less frequently, remarkable virtue and providence. Fuller review here. Longest book I’ve ever read. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Ryle, J C, Thoughts for Young Men. 75 pp. 1888, reprint 2015. Read with boys. Author’s point: Young men have special value and temptations requiring special advice. My evaluation: The lively, pointed, Biblical writing is planned to make serious, evangelistic Christian men. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Stephens, Randall. The Devil’s Music. 2018. 317 pages. 2nd reading. Read with Colin. Author’s point: All the Christians hated rock music for several decades until it became so popular that they nearly all decided to change their position. My evaluation: Believers’ dual hunger for entertainment and fame overpowered their hatred of sin. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Lamb, Harold. Genghis Kahn. 1954, 182 pages. Read with Carson. Author’s point: The great kahn was an amazing organizer, strategist, and human lightning bolt. My evaluation: Genghis stands with few other leaders in history like Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar who dominated much of the world, and yet he simply shows the same dominating spirit of his father, Satan. A cruel and violent man. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Bunyan, John. Pilgrim’s Progress. Read with kids and church members. 4th or 5th reading. Spiritual matters are made visible, and Heaven appears real and lively in this book. Perhaps it is better than The Holy War because of its emphasis on perseverance. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Spurgeon, C. H. Spurgeon’s Forgotten College Addresses. 2016 from 1870-1892. 313 pp. Author’s point: 16 lectures to the Pastor’s College, 6 communion sermons, and 3 sermons in France. My evaluation: 4 of the 25 messages are worth the whole book “Stand Fast”, “Taking Stock”, and “Gifts Neglected and Stirred Up”, and “Young Preachers Not to be Despised.” These carry the power and grace of Spurgeon at his best. Insightful, Biblical, and practical. He includes comments about reading, evangelism, prayer, and spirituality. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Harris, W. S. Mr. World and Miss Church Member. 1901. 315 pages. Read with kids and church members. 3rd reading. Author’s point: A foolish church member compromises with the world again and again until she has lost Christianity and then her own soul in a tragic death. My evaluation: Worldliness appears in its terrible, incremental, and devilish colors as one deception follows another in this story. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |
| Dante, Aligeri. The Divine Comedy. 2nd reading. The Biblical and creative images quicken the heart for the next life either of eternal torment or eternal glory. Far too little Christ, and too much Mary. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
Fiction Categories:
- Biblical: Did the author honor Scriptural truth or a Christian worldview even if unwittingly?
- Creative: Did the author grip the imagination by inventing characters, situations, or other aspects of reality?
- Style: Did the theme, vocabulary, and composition represent an enduring standard?
- Credible: Were the characters, plot turns, and relationships believable?
- Affections: Was some truth presented powerfully to the affections?
| FICTION: Annotated Bibliography | B | C | S | C | A | Score | |
| Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. Second time reading. Read with family. There is no greater image in the world of the tension between Law and Grace than the scenes of Jauvert opposing Val Jean. Fantine’s acquittal overwhelms my soul with the wonder of justification. Val Jean at the trial amazes my heart at free grace. Cozette’s rescue from the Thenardier’s does the same with adoption. Val Jean in the sewer pictures salvation more brilliantly than Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Those scenes, and a few others, strike deeper than Tolkien. After reading, I reviewed and marked each paragraph if it were worthy to be read. Next time, we will read 500 of the 1,300 pages. The book falls short of 10 because of those extra pages. | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| Austen, Jane. Emma. Read with family. By her own blindspots and silly judgment, a good girl can make a mess of her own life as well as hurt others, but if she has a loving man in her life and a willingness to listen to him, she can grow into a crown of glory even if it is painful. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |
| L’Amour, Louis. Jubal Sackett. Read with family. 1985. 368 pp. Read with family. A man in 17th century America sets out somewhere around Missouri marrying an Indian and building a life in a very difficult place. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Graham, L B. The Binding of the Blade. Read with family. All the free peoples must bind together to destroy Malek and thus enter an age without weapons or demons. The dialogue is modern and stretched. Miracles must save the heroes several times. The faith and endurance of the heroes is inspiring. | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
