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Books I Have Read: Book of 2013

Back in January, I set myself the goal of writing a blog post about every book I’ve read; and here is the full list. That is 42 blog posts, some of which include more than one book. I think I’ve included just about everything, but there may be the odd thriller that I got free for my Kindle which I forgot to write about – those books are generally forgettable. There are three books that I haven’t reviewed so far, which deserve a quick mention.

Missing in Malmö: Book 3 (Inspector Anita Sundström mysteries) is a terrific little murder mystery and a worthy successor to the earlier two books in the series (reviewed earlier in the year). Accidents Waiting to Happen is another great thriller. I bought it cheaply on Kindle, but it has now reverted to full price, which is a shame.

I haven’t given more space to these two books because I just finished them in the last day or two. No such excuse exists for Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, a delightful book, which I finished months ago. This is sure to please anyone who loves or cares for languages. In a world where politicians, advertisers and others twist the meaning of words, while others coarsen our language through laziness or to gain cheap laughs, this plea to protect and nourish language is a breath of fresh air. The book is an extended theological reflection on the nature of language by a professor of English and anyone who has words to thank for their position should read it.

So, having caught up, what my book of the year?

Back in February, I predicted that this would be the funniest book I would read all year; and I was right. But it’s not the best book. Three titles vie for that place:

The first is a review of English translations of the Bible by someone who is outside of the English language publishing machine and who has an international perspective and the second two books are essential biblical theologies. Choosing between them is difficult, but in the end, Dave Brunn’s book wins out because it is most focussed on the area that Kouya Chronicle deals with. If you haven’t read it, you should and if you have read it, you should buy the other two and read those. If you’ve read all three, let me know and I’ll give you some other recommendations!

2 replies on “Books I Have Read: Book of 2013”

Well – 3 really good books obviously – and congrats for being bold enough to give such a high rating to Tom Schreiner, given that he would otherwise be a tad too conservative for some of your followers. I think this will now be the ‘overview’ I will recommend to Home Group Leaders, occasional preachers, youth leaders, and almost anyone who wants a one-volume reliable Bible overview with a consistent ‘shape’ to it.

Thanks Roger; I’d also consider Goheen’s Light to the Nations as a good overview of Scripture with a consistent ‘shape’.

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