Reading in 2017

At year's end I try to be a bit reflective on how my reading habit has helped shape my year and what changes might be worthwhile to implement for the next year. My reading is still guided in large part by "whim," thanks to this extraordinary little book by Alan Jacobs. Nonetheless, I think there is a degree to which I can plan the unplannable and make space for serendipity while still adhering (mostly) to a plan.

For example, last year I achieved a few of my ambitions, the main one of which was to read more theology and philosophy than I had in 2015. In 2015 I read 12 books in that category, or, brace yourself for some math here, one book per month. In 2016 I more than doubled that total, bringing the number to 25 and, math trigger warning again, a monthly average of ever so slightly more than two. In general, I am happy with how this went though if I had to make a critique of 2016's reading in this category it would be that I read too few primary sources and too many books about books. I hope to keep the high percentage of theology and philosophy books in 2017 but add more primary texts. Though I have to say that the book I am perhaps looking forward to the most in this category is Sarah Bakewell's At the Existentialist Cafe, a book that is decidedly about books. I am also looking forward in this category to Augustine's work on the Trinity paired with Augustine on the Christian Life, Michael Polanyi's Personal Knowledge, and Anthony Esolen's forthcoming Out of the Ashes. 

As far as novels go I don't have much in the way of plans. I am eager to finally read Shusaku Endo's Silence and the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy by Sigrid Undset, to finally finish Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan quartet (I've read the first two), and I am trying to squeeze in a rereading of Harry Potter. It feels like it's time. There is also a copy of David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest taunting me from the bookshelf. It might be time to dive into that rabbit hole.

One of my goals for 2016 that went unaccomplished was a reading of the Shakespearian corpus. That goal is carrying over to 2017. The only play I teach is Macbeth which feels woefully inadequate (though if you were to ask my students, more than enough). 

I am willing to sacrifice total number of books read for depth of reading. Despite my high figures from 2016--92 total books--I think I did a far greater job of in-depth reading. The sure path to this is through writing. My students probably get tired of me quoting Augustine's dictum that "I learn as I write and I write as I learn," but it is nevertheless true. Writing makes learning stick. And I hope to achieve far more in writing this year than I did in a fairly productive (at least second half of the year) 2016. I will have a post on 2017 writing goals forthcoming.

If you, reader, have any recommendations you would like to make for my list, please feel free to do so.