“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R. R. Martin
As an English teacher of elementary age children, I often speak of the need to read good books. And I require them to read an age-appropriate novel each quarter, with the customary requirements of written essay response. I admit that sometimes my requirements are met with moans and groans. Yes, encouraging children to read has its challenges. But, I carry on, because reading is a vital part of the educational experience and personal growth.
When I was a child, I was a consistent reader. I read plenty of books, but I also read anything else within reach: the daily newspaper, the National Enquirer, and even cereal boxes. However, my students sometimes offer strange glances when I tell them that I would also read the dictionary when I was their age. Perhaps even many adults would find that somewhat amusing, but rather odd!
My book-reading habits were quite wide-ranging, including novels of drama and adventure, science fiction, history, biographies, and many more. I especially appreciated great classic authors like Jules Verne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and others. Once I began middle school, my interest shifted to heavy doses of sci-fi, especially Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, and the afore-mentioned Jules Verne.
As an adult, my vision for reading has much wider variety. I own a significant personal library of classic and classical writings, but I also read books about the issues of our day, others that will enhance my spiritual life, and of course, books that have been written for upper elementary students. It is important that my students know I have read many of the books I have carefully selected, purchased, and curated for my classroom library, which has grown to several hundred volumes. I encourage the students to borrow them and many do so.
In 2025, I was able to read a number of books for my own personal growth and I offer the following list for the reader’s consideration:
The BIBLE (Dee and I read through the Bible each year)
Spiritual Growth:
The Confessions of St. Augustine
The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan
The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis
The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis
The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis
Lessons From a Sheep Dog, W. Phillip Keller
Educational
Tending the Heart of Virtue, Vigen Guroian
Reading Like a Writer, Francine Prose
Books that Build Character, William Kilpatrick
Social Issues
Disconnected, Thomas Kersting
Letter to the American Church, Eric Metaxas
Battle for the American Mind, Pete Hegseth
Children’s Books
Sounder, William Armstrong
Peter and Wendy, J. M. Barrie
Editha’s Burglar, Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Giant Leaf, Davy Liu
The Lost Princess, George MacDonald
Good Masters Sweet Ladies, Laura Amy Schultz
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Judy Blume
Adult Novels
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien
Out of the Silent Planet, C. S. Lewis
Perelandra, C. S. Lewis
Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton
Tales From the Arabian Nights, Andrew Lang (trans.)
The Bridges of Madison County, Robert Waller
Well, there we have it, my list of 27 books read in 2025. I would rank every one as being well-written and very much worth my time. Certainly, I recommend each title. However, I also think I should read more, much more. Therefore, my goal for 2026 is to read at least 60 books, with some from each of the categories noted above. I’ll let the reader know whether or not I attained my goal – next January 1st.
Happy New Year!
© Jeffery J. Michaels / Plain English Publications
(Quotations allowed with attribution to this blog)