Well look at that, it’s almost time for 2017’s list. But these posts are my archive of not only what I’ve read, but also my thoughts on the books and what I’m looking forward to reading. (That last part may be hard to recall and differentiate from what I’ve ended up reading.) So regardless the time of year, I still wanted to get this written up.
Better late than never, as they say. So here is what I read in 2016:
- January: Vertical marriage, by Mike & Anne Rizzo
- January: Letters & Life, by Brett Lott
- February: Love & War, by John & Stasi Eldredge
- January-March: The Bands of Mourning, by Brandon Sanderson (audiobook)
- May: The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Henri Nouwen
- August: How To Make a Living As a Writer, by James Scott Bell (ebook)
- November: The Cassandra Project, by Jack McDevitt (w/ Katie)
A Year of Marriage
2016 brought a big change to my reading: I married the most amazing woman in the world! It was an incredible year full of getting to know my wife and spending time together. All those years I had been alone and reading books, but now I could spend that time with Katie! Thus, the list was shorter than previous years—and so worth it :)
There were a few other changes: first, I started reading marriage books. There is an incredible wealth of experience and knowledge from wise Christian leaders, and their books have been invaluable in learning how to be a better husband and partner to my wife.
In Vertical Marriage, Mike and Anne Rizzo (who did our marriage counseling) walk through great topics that you need to discuss in marriage and give a strong biblical foundation for the covenant that marriage is. One of the biggest points Katie and I took away from the book and our time with the Rizzos was that Jesus has to be the first priority for both of us. It feels counter-intuitive that something should be of more importance than my marriage (and Jesus is the only thing that is in that category), but putting Jesus first enables us to love sacrificially and pursue one another through his strength.
John Eldredge’s Love & War is another great a marriage book that I would definitely recommend. With his customary style and depth, John and his wife Stasi talk honestly about their journey together and what has helped them walk closer together. I continue to think how much I need to read his books at least once a year.
The second great thing about reading while married is: I got to read something Katie recommended! She has a great collection of theology books and knows them very well, and her recommendation of The Return of the Prodigal Son struck my heart to the core. Henri Nouwen’s classic look at Rembrandt’s painting of the prodigal son connecting with my journey from start to finish, and I can remember multiple times thinking, “This is me!” as I wiped away tears. I can so easily slip into the role of the older son, and this book gave me language to see it and turn toward the Lord. Again, definitely a book I need to read regularly, and I’m excited to read more recommendations from my wife.
The third great discovery I had was reading with Katie! On a road trip for Thanksgiving we read Jack McDevitt’s The Cassandra Project. It was so fun being able to read the book and talk about what was happening. It was like a TV show, only we were able to be buried in a book together! The book itself is classic McDevitt and written so well. Our only quibble was that he somehow managed to carry out the mystery until literally the last few pages. If it had been any slower we would have given up, but he kept the tension going so well that we just had to finish. We still talk about it a year later!
Other Books
Brandon Sanderson’s The Bands of Mourning was another good Mistborn book, though I like the original trilogy much better than the Wax & Wayne trilogy. I’ll probably keep reading the series whenever he gets around to writing another book, but my interest waned (eh? eh?) a little with this book.
How to Make a Living As a Writer was a fantastic book by James Scott Bell. His disciplined approach to writing really resonates with me, a lot more than some of the fluff, write-a-bestseller-in-five-days kind of books out there.
Lastly, Letters & Life by Brett Lott was a welcome surprise. I’m always on the look-out for books about writing and the Christian faith, and Brett wrote some really great essays on the subject. The surprise part was a multi-chapter essay about his father’s death, which having lost my own father thirteen years ago really connected with me. It was an unexpected journey, but welcome.
Books in 2017
It’s a bit funny to write this section with 2017 nearly done and (spoiler) I’ve read almost 18 books, but if I remember right, I was hoping to read more marriage books, some writing books, and a little more fiction. It ended up being a great list for the year, and especially since there’s a new addition to the family: our baby! So that added some good books to the list.
So at last 2016’s list is posted! Archive complete.
Jesse Koepke 
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