“What do you like doing?”

“I read.”

“What do you read?”

“Ermm…books?”

Two years ago I was sick of replying “Ermm…” when people asked what I liked to read. To be honest, I had no idea what the true answer was. What genre did I like? What sort of books did I gravitate towards? Don’t ask me. I didn’t analyze, I just read.

Two years ago I decided to start analyzing. The results were interesting. Last year, I continued analyzing. It’s 2017, and I’m still analyzing.

What genre do I read?

What books do I like the most?

Which would I recommend?

I really enjoy reading these sorts of posts. I found this one fascinating. If you don’t, just skip it. No loss!

Here are the results:

2015

I read 55 books, 3 of which were audio books.

2016

I read 56 books, 10 of which were audio books.

Overall, my top genres were:

“Classics”

“Christian living”

“Biographies”

“Young Adult”

I wrote a very short review for each one and rated it on a system of stars. The results were as follows:

2016

Shortest book: The death of Ivan Ilyich – Leo Tolstoy

Longest book: The Bible

Memorable quote:

“… stability isn’t nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand.”

~ Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

2015

Shortest book: The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint Exupery

Longest book: Moby Dick – Herman Melville (audio book)

Memorable quote:

“I still live on the edge of Paradise, although it is sometimes less obvious than during the years I spent in Turkey. I still don’t know when the sun will set on my time here and a new day will dawn in eternity for me with an all-illuminating brightness. In the meantime I choose to live each day with the abandon, fearlessness and love for my God that Jesus taught me through my missionary experiences. Together, He and I will live on the edge of Paradise.”

~ The Edge of Paradise –  Martin De Lange

And lastly…

Books which spawned ideas which have become (for better or for worse) part of my thought-fabric:

The Epic of Gilgamesh

What’s Best Next – Matt Perman