A Hopeful Reading Year

I’ve never been much for New Year’s resolutions.

It’s not that I don’t believe in growth or intention—clearly I do—but the language of resolutions has always felt a little too rigid for me. Too much pressure. Too much room for self-judgment when life inevitably gets messy. I tend to work better with hopes, intentions, and gentle goals that leave space for grace.

That said, this year I am holding onto a very specific hope: I want to read more.

The reality is that since 2020, I’ve had a serious problem. I cannot, for the life of me, sit down and read a whole book. My attention span fractured somewhere between global crisis, constant screens, and the emotional weight of ministry in uncertain times. I’ve started books with enthusiasm only to abandon them halfway through—not because they weren’t good, but because my brain simply wouldn’t cooperate.

This year, instead of shaming myself for that reality, I’m trying something different.

I’m setting a gentle, doable goal: one church-related book and one “just for fun” book each month. That’s it. Not a reading challenge meant to impress anyone. Not a race. Just a rhythm.

If I stay true to that hope, it means I’ll read 24 books by the end of the year. Twenty-four!

Even typing that feels a little miraculous. Maybe setting my intention here on my blog will keep me accountable to that goal.

And here’s the thing—January has already started off strong.

I finished Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing (Four New Lenses for Making Sense of Scripture) by Zach W. Lambert as an audiobook That took a few weeks (I only drive ever yother day). I also read The Intruder by Freida McFadden. In. One. Day. (It was very good!)

Two very different books. Two very different parts of my brain.

Zach Lambert’s book required real mental energy. It was the kind of reading that makes you pause, rewind, take notes, and occasionally mutter, “Yes. Exactly.” It offered thoughtful, accessible tools for pushing back against ways Scripture has been weaponized—proof-texted, misquoted, and stripped of context in order to harm rather than heal. Some of his ideas have made their way into a few sermons. As someone who lives and works in the tension between deep love for the Bible and deep concern for how it’s often used, this book felt both grounding and empowering.

It reminded me of what I already knew and gave me some new language to explain it to others - particularly people who grew up in a different religious tradition than myself. It gave me lenses. And it reminded me that Scripture, when read faithfully and responsibly, is meant to bring life—not fear, exclusion, or control.

Then there was The Intruder.

Fast-paced. Suspenseful. A true “just one more chapter” kind of book.

I flew through it—and loved it for exactly that reason. It reminded me how good it feels to read simply for enjoyment. No sermon prep. No theological processing. Just story and momentum. I already know I’ll be heading back to the library and used book stores to check out more of Freida McFadden’s books because sometimes what we need most is a book that pulls us along when our brains are tired.

What I’m learning, even just a few weeks into the year, is that reading doesn’t have to look one way to count. Audiobooks count. Library books count. Fun books absolutely count. This isn’t about proving anything.

It’s about rebuilding a habit that once brought me joy. It’s about trusting that my attention can heal. It’s about making space again for curiosity, challenge, and escape.

So here’s to a year of reading with grace. One church book. One fun book. One month at a time.

No resolution. Just hope—and a really good stack of books waiting to be read.

Drop your best thriller novel suggestions or your best progressive theological book suggestions in the comment section below!!