This post has been reverberating around the blogosphere from Mr Challies for some time, but as it is helpful for the subject matter of this blog, and will be helpful for you as you seek to digest the subject matter of books without end, readeem the time, as you upload on some helpful hints to make the reading experience more of what it can-should be!

Challies introduces his post this way…

The subject of reading has been much on my mind lately. I love to read but often receive emails from people who struggle to read and struggle to enjoy reading. Thus I thought it might be beneficial to piece together a list of tips to read more and to read better. I hope you find it useful.

This leads him so you can read him, to reference his maybe top ten ideas to read forth and bookaply (just so you’re not confused… think “go forth and multiply”).

Here they are, with a little taste and see that reading the rest would be good…

1] Read – We start with the obvious: you need to read.

2] Read Widely – I’m convinced that one reason people do not read more is that they do not vary their reading enough.

3] Read Deliberately – Similar to reading widely, ensure that you read deliberately. Choose your books carefully. If you neglect to do this, you may find that you overlook a particular category for months or years at a time.

4] Read Interactively – Reading is best done, at least when enjoying serious books, when you work hard at understanding the book and when you interact with the author’s arguments.

5] Read with Discernment – Though books have incredible power to do good, to challenge and strengthen and edify, they also have the power to do evil. I have seen lives transformed by books but have also seen lives crushed.

6] Read Heavy Books – It can be intimidating to stare at some of those massive volumes or series of volumes sitting on your bookshelf, but be sure to make time to read some of those serious works. A person can only grow so much while living on a diet of Christian Living books.

7] Read Light Books – While dense books should be a serious reader’s main diet, there is nothing wrong with pausing to enjoy the occasional novel or light read.

8] Read New Books – Keep an eye on what is new and popular and consider reading what other people in your church or neighborhood are reading.

9] Read Old Books – Do not read only new books. I cannot say this any better than C.S. Lewis: “It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones. Every age has its own outlook.

10] Read What Your Heroes Read – A couple of years ago, while at the Shepherds’ Conference, a young man who was in ministry but had not had opportunity to attend seminary asked John MacArthur what he would recommend to this man so he could continue learning and continue growing in his knowledge of theology.

Just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you can’t judge this post by this brief cover-ing!

Therefore, to go and read the rest, I need to send you thus… HERE!

Readeeming the Time!

Jonny

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