But my early love of and devotion to reading has, of course, been profoundly encouraged by the writers I’ve discovered along the way: Dickens, Doyle, Chesterton, Dumas, Lewis, Schaeffer, Stevenson, Scott, Tolkien, Solzhenitsyn, Alcorn, Buchan, Shakespeare, Beach, Sabatini, Thurber, O. Henry, Forester, Melville, Ironside, Heyerdahl, Wilder, Barrie, Sayers, Verne, Morison, Tournier, Churchill, Aldrich, Karon, Barnhouse and several other favorites.
However, even with this legacy, I must confess that a life of “purposeful reading” is not easy to maintain. The temptations to opt for more immediate gratification (television, internet surfing, social media trolling, getting lost in the political news, you name your poison) are always looming on the horizon. So too is the easier path of reading “fluffier” stuff, consuming the literary equivalent of potato chips instead of a nutritious, well-prepared, thoroughly-enjoyed meal. No, a life of “purposeful reading” takes work -- commitment, planning, motivation, accountability, creating a conducive atmosphere, and sharing the fruits of your laborers with others.
For 30 years, these things were provided in great abundance to me by the Notting Hill Napoleons, a book club of dear friends and pro-life colleagues who tackled quality novels every month. But with the passing of that noble company 3 years ago -- and with the normal waning of energy that comes with advancing years, I have had to really redouble my efforts to keep a healthy pace. I still set reading goals; I still keep track of my reading; I still cherish those friends who help inspire me to read; and, from time to time, I still share my own book adventures to motivate others.
All of this today serves as a preface to my expression of thanks to a few of my reading friends (Greg, Ian, Jack, Jessica, Nancy, and, of course, Claire) whose devotion to good books (and reflections thereon) serve well as an ongoing motivation for me. Thank you; I do indeed appreciate your lives of purposeful reading and below I’ll share a quick report of my own reading this past year. Here you go...
2025 began with reading the Richard Hannay series by John Buchan and ended with E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker. The total for 2025 was 59 books, most of which were re-reads. The most noteworthy authors this year were old friends: Buchan, Dickens, Forester, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Randy Alcorn, Francis Schaeffer, George Patton, Edward de Vere (aka William Shakespeare), Dumas, Tournier, C.S. Lewis, J.M. Barrie, Zane Grey, Chesterton, Louisa May Alcott, and Rafael Sabatini.
