My Favorite Reads of 2015

2015 was a down year for me in terms of number of books read. I had some academic responsibilities in the summer and early fall that took up time I would usually have spent reading. Because of that I missed hitting my reading goal of 40 books. Still, I read 23 books, and these are my top 5:

1. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas – This was a great re-read, and I hope at some point to read the sequels.
2. In His Spirit by Richard Hauser, SJ – A spiritual must-read.
3. Sober Intoxication of the Spirit by Raniero Cantalamessa – A fantastic exploration of the Charismatic Movement by the preacher to the Pope.
4. Challenge by Mark Link, SJ – A daily meditation book that uses the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius for its structure. Highly recommended.
5. Blue at the Mizzen by Patrick O’Brian – The last book in the Aubrey/Maturin series is a worthy finale. This marks the second time I have read the series, and I can’t wait to read it again in a few years.

As 2016 begins, I have decided to read all of the books in Daniel Burt’s The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time. It’s a terrific list, and you can see all the books at The Greatest Books website.

I’m using the second edition in which he added twenty-five more, so there are actually 125 books on the list. I’m reading them from the bottom up, starting at number 125, and I’ve already started. I began with Treasure Island, moved on to The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Three Musketeers. I’d already read those three before, but they’re such great books it was a pleasure to read them again. I’ve finally gotten to a book I haven’t read before, Gone with the Wind, though I’m certainly familiar with the story, having seen the movie multiple times.