Book Review: Lit!
Today, I’m reviewing Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke, published by Crossway.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All views expressed are my own. This post includes Amazon affiliate links.
My Review
“Reading books is hard work.” So states the author of Lit! in the Introduction. I expect I’m the exception to the rule, but for me, reading books is not hard work. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s more like breathing.
If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you already know I read widely across a variety of genres. However, I don’t read as deeply as I might like. Reading deeply takes greater concentration than I usually have (or make) time for. Lately, I’ve been making a conscious effort to include more thoughtful literature and nonfiction in my “diet.” For that reason, I was interested to read Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books.
As a lifelong avid reader, some tips and thoughts didn’t really apply to me. However, there were also several good suggestions that will be helpful on my reading journey.
One such suggestion, which I already knew but hadn’t practiced all that much, was to mark in your books, or “The Fine Art of Defacing Books with Pencils, Pens, and Highlighters.” And so, I underlined a few passages in this very book. Here are a few quotes that stood out to me:
- “Good Christian novelists connect grace to life and make spiritual reflection unavoidable.”
- Regarding books about spiritual growth: “…due to the spiritual dangers associated with these practical books, readers should choose them very carefully.”
- “Nothing squanders time away more than pursuing things without a purpose. And given that the average American adult invests only 10 minutes a day reading, yet watches 116 minutes of television, I think many of us have time that we can spend differently.”
And here’s the one that most resonates with me:
“For every one book that you choose to read, you must ignore ten thousand other books simply because you don’t have the time (or money!).”
Such a good reminder to be more selective of what I invest my time in.
If you enjoy reading… or if you would like to read more but just don’t seem to find time to fit it in… I highly recommend Lit! Check out the first chapter here.
From the Publisher
I love to read.
I hate to read.
I don’t have time to read.
I only read Christian books.
I’m not good at reading.
There’s too much to read.
Chances are, you’ve thought or said one of these exact phrases before because reading is important and in many ways unavoidable.
Learn how to better read, what to read, when to read, and why you should read with this helpful guide from accomplished reader Tony Reinke. Offered here is a theology for reading and practical suggestions for reading widely, reading well, and for making it all worthwhile.
