Which book should I read for 2000?
OR
OR
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Thursday, January 29, 2026
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Let's Bust a Recap : The Reason for God
Here we are again, recapping my most recently finished book. Generally speaking, non-fiction doesn't stay with me as long as good fiction does so when I read a book like The Reason for God, I want to recap it right away before I forget everything I thought about it. There are always exceptions to this rule, of course, but those exceptions definitely don't apply to The Reason for God as it's a library book that I wasn't able to mark up and will be returning soon so I won't even have a physical copy to refer to when writing a blog post. This was the first book selected by my book club for 2026—yes, we're trying to resurrect our poor book club—which is why I went off-list so early in the year to check out a library book instead of reading one of the 700+ unread books that live in my house.
Tim Keller was a very popular pastor and Christian apologist who founded Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City back in 1989 which has now grown to a congregation of over 5,000. In his 2008 book The Reason for God, he urges skeptics to wrestle with their doubts about Christianity and encourages believers and non-believers alike to "rise to the level of disagreement rather than simply denouncing one another." In the first half of his book, he attempts to dismantle seven common objections to Christianity. Then he writes an "Intermission" in which he sets the stage for the second half of his book, the second half being his reasons for believing Christianity. He ends with a heartfelt appeal to his readers to examine their own motives for belief or disbelief and offers them practical advice on how to begin a journey of faith for themselves.
Personally, I thought the first half of the book was pretty weak with chapters three (dismantling the argument that Christianity is a straitjacket) and seven (dismantling the argument that you can't take the Bible literally) being the exceptions. He makes some good points overall, but a lot of his arguments come across like the old playground taunt I know you are but what am I? If I was a skeptic, I have a hard time believing his defense would be particularly moving for me or even really give me much to think about. (But to be fair, I'm not a skeptic so I may be way off the mark.) The second half of the book in which he is giving reasons for Christianity is much stronger, although on the whole his arguments are very repetitive. He quotes other theologians a lot and to good effect...but in a way that makes me want to pick up their books instead of reading his. (Particularly the philosopher Alvin Plantinga whom I had never heard of and am making this my note to self to get my hands on one of his books.) C.S. Lewis has obviously been a huge influence in Keller's life—can't fault him for that; I'm right there with him—but if I was recommending a book to a skeptic of Christianity, I'd just go ahead and give them Lewis rather than Keller. I did really like how Keller referenced popular books, movies, and authors in making some of his points which, I think, makes The Reason for God more accessible to a 21st century audience.
If you're reading this, I don't want you to think I'm being super critical of Keller's book. This is the first book by Keller I've ever read and after reading it, I'd be open to reading other books by him. This year, I'm reading through a daily devotional of selections from Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones' writings, and as I was nearing the end of Keller's book, I came to a selection in my devotional on Faith and Reason that helped me pinpoint why exactly Keller's book wasn't resonating with me. Lloyd-Jones states that faith is not a matter of reason. He goes on to explain that "our reason brings us to the point where we realize that reason is not enough, and at that point we have nothing to do but submit ourselves to...faith." While Keller certainly touches on this in The Reason for God, it's not a point that gets hammered home and it's a crucial point to make in writing a book like this one.
Overall, maybe The Reason for God could be a really helpful book for someone who is honestly looking to engage with the claims made by Christianity but having a hard time swallowing them for one reason or another. It may be helpful for Christians to be able to hold their own positions with greater clarity and greater humility. But it also may not be. I appreciated how respectful Keller was in his writing to both camps and how he encourages thoughtful discussion. I'm glad I read it, and I'm interested to see what type of discussion it will spark in our book club.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
1996 : My Life In Books
Which book should I read for 1996?
OR
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Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Let's Bust a Recap : A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears
The first book I read this year was A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears by Jules Feiffer, and yes it has jumped the line of other recaps I'm still planning to write someday for the sole reason that it is my sister's all-time favorite book, and it is one of my biggest missions in life to never disappoint her in any way. (We don't mind a run-on sentence around here, sorry if you're new.)
A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears was published in 1995 and it's basically the story of Roger, a prince who makes everyone laugh all the time. But not in a good way; more in like a we-can't-be-around-him-for-too-long-or-we-will-literally-die-laughing kind of way. In order to sober him up and make him into a worthy monarch, his father, King Whatchamacallit, recruits the help of J. Wellington Wizard to send Roger on a quest to accomplish the purpose.
The book starts out very silly. I was mildly amused and there were certain things that put me in mind of my sister's sense of humor. (There was a line about ketchup in particular that made me think, "Did this book shape Sarah's entire personality?") Jules Feiffer's style reminded me a bit of Norton Juster's in The Phantom Tollbooth, just not as clever. But then I realized Feiffer illustrated The Phantom Tollbooth so maybe that's what actually triggered the comparison? Either way, the narrator is an absolute hoot, breaking the fourth wall constantly to explain the story and certain characters to his readers. After a couple chapters of silliness though, I was starting to wonder if we would really get anywhere or if I would even ultimately enjoy the book on the whole. I thought maybe the reason Sarah likes A Barrel of Laughs so much is more for the nostalgia since she's loved it since she was a kid and oh no, what if I have to lie to her about what I think?? because obviously disappointing her to tell her I thought it was ridiculous is not an option (see above).
But I truly and honestly had nothing to worry about. Sarah's taste is not to be questioned. She is, after all, the one who finally convinced me to read Harry Potter. As Roger's quest went on and he learned to genuinely care for others and their well-being more than just laughing his way through life, I was impressed with the way Feiffer snuck profound truths about life into his book. Because sometimes, people you thought were your friends really do turn against you for no reason and make your life harder. And sometimes, our own deep-seated insecurities and anxieties really can be our worst enemies. We really do need help from others sometimes to tell us the truth and pull us out of the funk of our own making we've descended into. Some days we're soaring, and some days we're barely hanging on. Some days we're rescuing others, and some days we need the rescue. And most importantly, life rarely goes according to plan. It is our response to the life we actually find ourselves in—not the life itself—that will determine our happiness.
What I'm saying is: A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears is a fantastic book. And now I need to buy my own copy because Sarah lent me hers to read. You should definitely read this book too. Come for the laughs, stay for the reminder that life isn't all bad and it's how you choose to look at it that can make the difference.
Thursday, January 15, 2026
1993 : My Life In Books
Which book should I read for 1993?
OR
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Monday, January 12, 2026
Let's Bust a Recap : David Copperfield
Um, you guys? I snapped this photo on a sunny fall day in November...of 2023.
David Copperfield first made an appearance on my annual book lists in 2019 when I was trying out my first reading challenge. I put him in the category of a book published before you were born. (1850 for those wondering. A solid 137 years before I was born.) He then took up residency on my book lists in 2020, 2022, and 2023 at which point I did finally pick him up to start reading. In February. I was so determined to finally read this doorstop that year. But, if memory serves, I only got about ten chapters under my belt, and then left him largely ignored in my book cart for 2024.
As you now know if you read my end-of-year recap on New Years Day, my secret goal for 2025 was to finish David Copperfield. And despite picking up the book several times throughout the year to try to start a streak of reading a chapter a day until I finished, I barely scraped by, finishing on the very last day of 2025 reading the final four chapters. I can only attribute my difficulty with David Copperfield to psychological warfare because it wasn't a particularly challenging novel to read. I enjoyed it every time I picked it up. But the sheer length (64 chapters, 877 pages) meant that every time I finished a chapter, it seemed like I hadn't made a lick of progress. And for whatever reason, that made it feel like a slog. On top of that, I wouldn't call David Copperfield a plot-driven novel so there was no big impetus to keep picking him up. I could pop in and out of old Trot's life story whenever I wanted and didn't feel any big drive to stick with him. I think by the time I got to December last year, I still had about half the book left to finish. Crazy.
David Copperfield is famously known as Charles Dickens' "favourite child" which is how he described it himself in his second preface to the completed novel. It just goes to show you there's no accounting for personal taste because of the three Dickens I've read, David Copperfield has been my least favorite. I loved Great Expectations and I was fully blown away by the masterful storytelling in A Tale of Two Cities. David Copperfield is the life story of the titular character who is telling us the story himself. The first chapter is literally titled "I am born" and we just go on from there as David recounts the death of his little mother, the harsh treatment he endures from his stepfather and stepfather's sister, running away to find his aunt Betsey Trotwood, the girls he falls in and out of love with, his friendships—ill-fated or otherwise, his rise to fame as an author, and so on and so forth. It's not what I'd call compelling, but it is known to be Dickens' most autobiographical work so it makes sense that Copperfield is his favorite.
Dickens' greatest strength in David Copperfield (in this reader's opinion, anyway) is his character sketches. I can't tell you how much I loved, loved, loved Betsey Trotwood. Definitely a new all-time favorite literary character. I loathed Uriah Heep. I rooted for Mr. Peggotty. I admired Tommy Traddles. My heart went out to Martha and Little Em'ly. I wanted to smack the smug "respectability" off of Littimer and wring Steerforth's worthless neck. I couldn't roll my eyes hard enough at ridiculous Mr. Micawber or his wife. And poor little Dora. As far as I'm concerned, she and Doady deserved each other and Agnes really could have done better. I could go on but suffice it to say, Dickens is a master at giving us fully fleshed out characters who feel real and timeless 175 years later.
As for David Copperfield himself—Davy, Trot, Doady; whatever you prefer to call him—he was a bit insufferable, very much like Victor Frankenstein. I don't know if it's the device of having the character narrate their own story that takes away a measure of their likability for me, but at times I was groaning for old Trot to just get on with it already or to grow up for Heavens' sake. Which he ultimately did, but with all of Dickens' colorful cast of characters, Davy himself was the one I could have done without. I'm not sure what that says about me, but there you have it.
Just this past February (probably during one of my hapless attempts to get back on the Copperfield wagon), I stumbled across this 2024 Forbes article which, among other things, posits Dickens' ten greatest books and ranks them in order. I found that I had unknowingly started my own Dickens journey in the correct order (according to the article) and so I plan to keep working my way down that list in future. It may be a few years before I pick up another Dickens, but when I do, it'll be Oliver Twist which is what comes next on the list. (Although I may have to sneak A Christmas Carol in somewhere because it doesn't make the top ten since it's not a full-length novel and I've never actually read it. I know. The horror.)
All said, it feels good to finally close the loop on David Copperfield. He has without question shown up on more book lists than any other book I own and finishing him feels like a small kind of accomplishment.
Thursday, January 8, 2026
1992 : My Life In Books
Which book should I read for 1992?
OR
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