Key Takeaways

• My reading season runs from about September to February
• I didn’t enjoy every book, even those with strong endorsements
• Mission Drift was my strongest recommendation for church and nonprofit leaders
• Die with Zero was my book of the year
• My list included faith, evangelism, AI, organisational mission and personal interests

Why I Read in Seasons Instead of Year-Round

I have developed a habit that might seem unusual to some readers. Rather than spreading my reading throughout the entire year, I concentrate it into a five to six month season running from September through February. During that time, I read as many books as I want to. I don’t finish every one I start.

My approach to books has also evolved over the years. I no longer maintain extensive bookshelves. Once I finish a book, I either give it away or discard it unless it proves to be something truly rare and valuable. That is simply how I handle books once I’ve finished with them.

Books Still on My Reading List

Several books are either waiting to be started or are currently in progress on my reading pile.

Handbook for Dads by my friend Chris Brown, a pastor in New South Wales, is the next book I plan to start. Chris sent this to me personally, and I am genuinely looking forward to reading it. As I often say, it is never too late to learn how to be a good dad, and I am hopeful this book will strengthen my fathering even at this stage of life.

The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis represents a departure from my usual reading preferences. This is the sort of book I would rarely buy on my own. It is more devotional, more focused on soul and heart, and probably a bit poetic. I started reading it early in my reading season but did not quite get into it. Now is about the time I need to return to it.

I am kind of looking forward to it, but not entirely. It is simply not the sort of book I typically enjoy. However, with millions of words written about love and few as succinct as Lewis, this should prove valuable. It might even make me more loving, which would not be a bad thing.

The Chairman’s Lounge by Australian journalist Joe Aston has captured my attention. Aston is crazy good, very articulate, and straight to the point. There is no room for mucking around with his writing. You will not die wondering what he is thinking. The book examines Qantas, Australia’s main airline, and the damage done to it by a previous CEO.

I am about halfway through and enjoying it, though it is getting slightly tedious as the story reveals just how thoroughly this CEO wrecked Qantas’s reputation and brand. I may finish it or I may not.

The Books That Did Not Make the Cut

Not every book with impressive endorsements delivers on its promise. Two books this year fell into the category of books I started but could not finish with enthusiasm.

The first was Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff. Despite heavy hitters like Adam Grant, Ali Abdaal, and Cal Newport recommending this book, I found it boring. The content felt like a rehashing of familiar territory around goals and productivity. As someone who genuinely loves productivity books, this one simply did not resonate with me.

The 100-Year Life also disappointed despite its intriguing premise and appealing cover art showing a rocking chair positioned at a computer desk. Written by an economist and psychologist team, the book proved too broad for the specific information I was seeking. I finished it, but only by scan reading and skipping significant portions.

Books Worth Your Attention

These books drew different responses from me: one I didn’t finish, one I was enjoying in selected chapters and one with recipes I wanted to try.

Jim Penman’s No Other Success was a book I didn’t finish, but it offered a fascinating glimpse into the mind of the man behind Jim’s Mowing and the entire Jim’s franchise empire in Australia. The book reveals an obsessively driven individual who built an empire through personal upheaval, including three marriages.

The production quality of the book itself left something to be desired, and I suspect he did not hire an editor. I found the stories fascinating, although my recommendation was tentative. It may interest you if you want to read about what he achieved.

Andrew Purchase, my wonderful evangelist friend, wrote Be the One Who Wins the One for the One. I was partway through this collection, reading chapters that caught my attention rather than working straight through it. The evangelism stories feature chapter headings that immediately grab attention, including The Handsome Ladies Man and the Angry Man with the Wild Hair, The Napkin Diagram, The Shy Guy, The Indian Catholic Hippie, and The Feral Surfers. For anyone wanting practical tips on personal evangelism wrapped in engaging storytelling, this book delivers.

The Power of Protein caught my eye and my kids bought it for me for Christmas. It is quite good, and I gained valuable information about protein intake. I am actually using AI as my food coach this year to help with my eating, and this book complements that effort nicely.

The book contains some good recipes I plan to try since I do enjoy cooking. I have already folded over several pages, which is one of my habits. If I like a part of a book, I fold over the page to return to it later. Some people think this destroys books. I think it makes them useful. I would recommend The Power of Protein if you enjoy cooking.

Essential Reading for Church Leaders and Nonprofit Directors

These were among the books I most enjoyed, with recommendations for pastors, church leaders and people involved in nonprofits.

Greg Sheridan’s How Christians Can Succeed Today provides a deep dive into Christian history to understand what made the faith so robust and rigorous that it survived persecution through the centuries. Sheridan is an Australian journalist and Catholic. I found it interesting and easy to read, although some of the emphasis on Catholicism was less to my taste.

The book examines what historical Christianity can teach us about thriving in the modern era. My friend Stephen McAlpine even receives a mention, which added a personal touch to an already excellent read.

Made in Our Image by Steven Driscoll tackles the intersection of God, artificial intelligence, and personal faith. The cover alone demands attention with its image of a pastor holding a Bible and cross but sporting the head of a robot. While I took time to warm up to this book, I ultimately found it valuable.

Rather than focusing on the pragmatics of AI use, Driscoll provides a macro view examining ethics, future implications, and how artificial intelligence impacts us as people of faith. I recommend this book for pastors and church leaders navigating our technological age.

Mission Drift by Peter Greer and Chris Horst nearly claimed book of the year status. These authors are articulate, sharp, and smart in their examination of why organizations like the YMCA, Harvard, and Yale completely lost their founding missions while other organizations maintained theirs.

For anyone serving on a nonprofit board or leading a church, this book is brilliant. I have been insisting that all directors at Alta1 College, where I serve as a director, need to read this classic work.

Book of the Year: Die with Zero

Die with Zero by Bill Perkins has genuinely changed my life. I cannot recommend this book highly enough regardless of what stage of life you currently occupy.

The core premise involves maximizing your life through the decades in such a way that as you age, you accumulate memories that will feed your soul for years to come. One concept that particularly impacted me was the idea of five-year time buckets.

Rather than maintaining a general bucket list or vague intentions about things to accomplish before death, Perkins encourages readers to identify specific experiences to pursue in the next five years that will create memories worth living off for decades.

I found this idea revolutionary. It made me think about the experiences I want to have in the next five years and the memories I will carry into the decades ahead.

Building Your Own Reading Habit

I read in seasons, give away books I’ve finished with and don’t finish everything I start. When I want to return to a passage or recipe, I fold over the page. Some people hate that. I think it makes the book useful.

What are you reading? Let me know which books you’re enjoying.

Questions About My Reading List

What was my book of the year?

Die with Zero by Bill Perkins. Its idea of five-year time buckets changed how I think about making memories for the decades ahead.

Which book did I most strongly recommend for nonprofit leaders?

Mission Drift by Peter Greer and Chris Horst. It nearly won my book of the year, and I wanted all our directors at Alta1 College to read it.

Did I finish every book on this list?

No. Some were still on my reading pile, some were partway through and others I didn’t finish. The table shows my reading status at the time of the video.

When do I do most of my reading?

From about September through February. I usually work through six to twelve books during that season.

PLEASE NOTE all links to books are Amazon Affiliate links which pays me a small commission but does not affect the price you pay for the book.