My "top 3" books of 2017

As the year draws to a close, I get to reflect not only on what God has done in my life but also what he's been teaching me.

One of the ways God teaches and molds me is through the words of other people.  As I read, my eyes are open to the ideas of other people and I'm compelled to create a response.  In some cases, the response is criticism.  In others, it's compelling life-change.  In others, it's knowledge that is helpful in conversation.  

Over the course of the year, I have finished 13 books (one a month, plus one extra!) according to my goal. 

I wouldn't recommend them all, but..

If I could recommend three books for you to read from those that I've read this year, they would be:

1. Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
   "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."
   I re-read this book at the beginning of the year and have found that it beautifully complements the daily study I am working in at the moment.  Tozer addresses what he finds to be the most compelling problem of his generation: a breakdown in the knowledge of God.  Though the book is nearly a century old, it continues to be relevant! I will say that this time around I was more aware of what some may consider simple or cheap dismissals of some weighty questions (there are several points in which he scoffs at science and philosophy), the purpose of these dismissals is to once again land the focus of the reader on God and his character.
2. Rid of my Disgrace by Justin and Lindsay Holcomb
   I went looking for a book about sexual assault from a biblical standpoint earlier this year and was so surprised by the quality of the Holcomb's book.  Written by a husband/wife, pastor/therapist team, the book is relevant for women and men, survivors and otherwise. The overarching theme is that sin is deeply painful but that God's grace goes deeper still.  The gospel is all over this simultaneously compassionate and practical book -- exactly as it should be.
3. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
   This is a book by an anthropologist about the meeting of Hmong culture and Western medicine.  It was recommended to me by professors during my speech pathology studies as an illustration of how culture can affect desire for and acceptance of medical treatment, including speech therapy.  The book is personal, broad, detailed, historical, and enlightening.  I wish there were a book like it for every culture that exists.