My Approach to Reading

I’ve always enjoyed reading, most likely getting my love of reading from my parents, both of whom loved books, though neither my brother nor sister are big readers. My wife Tammy enjoys reading, so on a nice summer evening in Illinois, with the sun going down, mosquitoes biting, birds at the feeder, and crickets chirping, you might just find us out on the patio with the glow from our Kindle and iPad screens illuminating our faces.
I expect to read about 50 books this year. How many books you might read will depend on a number of factors, such as your love for reading and the amount of time you have available for reading.
Here are 6 thoughts on my approach to reading:

1. I read books in a number of different genres, such as theology, biography, faith and work, personal and professional development, leadership and sports. I always have a list of books “on deck” to read next.   What I choose to read at a given time will depend on a number of factors such as:

• What kind of book I just finished.

• What kind of book I’m in the mood for.

• Whether I am reading to prepare for a class I’m going to be teaching.

• Whether one of my favorite authors has a new book out. There’s nothing finer than finding a new release from a favorite author.

2. I rarely will read a physical book, almost always reading on my Kindle device. In fact, the only times I’ve read a physical book over the past several years has been if I was reading an advanced copy of a book, or if I were reading a book that wasn’t available in the Kindle format. Since I can listen to one free audiobook per month with my subscription to Amazon Music, I will also occasionally listen to an audiobook, such as Phil Wickham’s Everyday Hallelujah: Unlocking Deep Joy Through Everyday Acts of Worship. However, since I review each book I read or listen to for my blog, I’ve found that for that particular purpose, not all books are as good to listen to in the audiobook format, though biographies are particularly good, and I especially enjoy it if the author is reading the book.
3. Reading for my blog. I am always reading two books for my blog – one general book and one specifically related to faith and work or leadership. Each week I’ll share helpful quotes from a chapter of the book in that week’s blog post.
4. Daily Readings. Each day, I’ll read a number of short readings from a few devotionals, including Ligonier’s Tabletalk  In addition, I work through a “Bible in a Year” reading plan listening to the Bible on the ESV Bible app.
5. Re-reading of books. I remember listening to a podcast a few years ago when a pastor encouraged the listeners to read less books overall, but to read good books more often. Applying that advice, there are a number of books that I have read more than once. Among those books are Don’t Waste Your Lifeby John Piper, The Holiness of God and Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul, Prayer by Tim Keller, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell, and most recently A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation by Matthew Bingham.
6. I want to share what I learn in the books that I read. As a result, I always write a review of the book. I’ll share the review in a number of places, including my blog, X, Facebook and Goodreads.

These are a few thoughts about my approach to reading. How do you approach your reading?