Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Read in 2025

 

Top Ten Books I Read in 2025

These were some of the best reads of 2025, in no order. In fact, I had to do eleven because I could not eliminate any of these. I rated them four and five stars on GoodReads. It does not mean I agreed with them all of the time, but rather that I felt engaged and learned something new or enjoyed the story experience. 

    

1. The Aeneid by Virgil (translated by Christopher Pearse Cranch) : Enjoyed the writing/translation style and much of the story; however, the war scenes were at times laborious. I skimmed through a bit.

2. The Essential Writings by Josephus : According to Josephus, the Jewish people were so divided and weakened by civil strife that the Romans did not have to exert themselves to take Jerusalem. In fact, the Temple was already in ruins at the hands of the Jewish sects, that it was not even salvageable. The Roman general Titus gave orders to burn it down. I believe Josephus suggested that the Romans would have preserved it, if they thought there was anything to save.  Fascinating stuff!

3. My Dear Hemlock by Tilly Dillehay : This is a woman's take on C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. Very engaging, especially if you read it with her Discussion Guide.

4. Our Town by Thorton Wilder : A very American-themed play set in the early 20th century showcasing our common human experience. Bring tissues. After reading the play, I was lucky enough to see a local theater perform it. 

        

5. My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir : If you love nature and stories set in nature, you'll truly appreciate John Muir's journaling of his time in the Sierra's. He knew every tree, flower, shrub, and bird ever created. It was also adventurous.

6. The Pioneers by David McCullough : An intriguing insight told through personal accounts about the first New Englanders who risked their lives and comfort to explore and settle the new and wild Northwest Territory (Ohio Valley).  

7. Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean : While this is a version for children (junior high and older), it does not dilute or leave out the agreeable characteristics of this ancient tale about love and friendship, and life and death. 

8. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair : This story reminds me of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath in some ways because it was a preachy novel. It was a train wreck so well written, I couldn't put it down, the same way people slow down to stare at the car wreck on the side of the road. I disagreed with this story, but I don't mind reading penetrating stories that cause me to reel with disbelief. 

 
9. John Adams by David McCullough : Again, McCullough is a master of vivid story telling about history and people, particularly through the use of letters and other correspondence, news articles, and journals. He helps the reader understand his human subject(s), flawed and broken, at times, but capable of triumph and goodness. Kind of like all of us.

10. Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris : Another successful author with a pleasant writing style about a fascinating American, Theodore Roosevelt. Talk about privilege! This is the second book in a trilogy, and  I believe it covers his entire two-terms as president. Exceptional!

Bonus: The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Clark : I had to include this. It's a western, but more than that. It's shocking! This story will make you take a good long look at yourself -- on the inside. Where God looks. If you don't have a conscience, this book won't bother you. But for the rest of us...prepare to shudder. 

* * *

Happy New Year 2026 Reading Goals

The beginning of a new year is a great excuse to lay out well-meaning reading plans, which I have done already.

Last June, my husband bought me the audio version of The Little House series, read -- performed is more fitting -- by Cherry Jones. And since I get the itch to read The Little House series every two years, I plan to listen to all nine books in 2026. 

I've also been working through a Self-Education Project since summer. My last student graduated in June, and as I am now a retired homeschool mom, I thought, What ever shall I do with myself without homeschooling? Therefore, I pulled out our history spines (TruthQuest History by Michelle Miller) and started from the very beginning of Creation. I have completed the first three books of the series (Beginnings, Greece, and Rome), and now I shall begin jousting into the Middle Ages. I have a list of supplemental history and literature to read and continue reading. 

Now that I am done with The Well-Educated Mind reading list (though I intentionally skipped many of the plays), I long to return to the novels...again. 

I am also working through my Bible, Bible Commentary, and three possible books for the Simply Bible Book Club by Simply_Bible on Instagram. 

And, of course, I always add unread books from my unread shelf, which has slowly reduced to 33 books. I think it is safe to say, however, that I won't be reading 50 books this year; therefore, I am lowering my threshold to 40. 

So here is what my TBR looks like for 2026. (For reference, I completed 62% of my 2025 reading goals.)

THE LITTLE HOUSE SERIES (AUDIBLE)

1. Little House in the Big Woods

2. Farmer Boy

3. Little House on the Prairie

4. On the Banks of Plum Creek

5. By the Shores of Silver Lake

6. The Long Winter

7. Little Town on the Prairie

8. The Happy Golden Years

9. The First Four Years

SELF-EDUCATION PROJECT / MIDDLE AGES (some re-rereads/unreads)

1. TruthQuest History Middle Ages (Miller)

2. The Story of the Middle Ages (Miller)

3. Fire Upon the Earth (Langford)

4. No Other Foundation (Jackson)

5. How Should We Then Live? (Schaeffer)

6. Beowulf (Tolkien) 

7. The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (Pyle)

8. Purgatorio (Dante)

9. Paradiso (Dante) 

WELL-EDUCATED MIND (all re-reads)

1. Don Quixote (Cervantes)

2. The Pilgrim's Progress (Bunyan)

3. Gulliver's Travels (Swift)

4. Pride and Prejudice (Austen)

5. Oliver Twist (Dickens)

6. Jane Eyre (Brontë)

FOCUS ON FAITH

1. Thru the Bible (McGee)

2. Morning and Evening (Spurgeon)

3. Voices of the Martyrs (Foxe)

4. The History of Christianity (Johnson)

SIMPLY BIBLE STUDY BOOK CLUB (re-reads)

1. Mere Christianity (Lewis)

2. Confessions (Augustine)

3. Cost of Discipleship (Bonhoeffer)

MISCELLANEOUS UNREADS

1. Undaunted Courage (Ambrose)

2. Colonel Roosevelt (Morris)

3. Mornings on Horseback (McCullough)

4. Broken Bread (Dillehay)

5. Roots of the American Order (Kirk)

Total projection: 36, with room to add, if possible. And I know that is definitely possible.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 

AND WISHING YOU BEST SUCCESS IN YOUR READING ENDEAVORS!

TEN BOOKS OF SUMMER

 

via Anna Book Bel & Words and Peace

Summer is "right around the corner," but where I live, summer has arrived. 

Technically, summer begins when we take a break from school and all activities have halted. I only have one homeschooler left, and she is doing school at her own pace. (This fall she will be a senior.) Her year-end dance recital is this weekend, with a summer break to follow. Yay! And my son completed his final karate tournament a few weekends ago. Therefore, no more traveling until next year; then, summer officially begins next week for me. 

However, I am so behind!! I have seven unreviewed books sitting on my nightstand, which will be my homework for the summer. Then, I saw this on Fanda's blog -- Twenty Books of Summer, which will help me focus to knock out more reading and to add more books to my unreviewed pile. For me, I am going to aim for ten. Annabel is hosting on her blog Anna Book Bel. You can sign up there, if you haven't already. 

These are the books on my summer TBR list:

1. Muir: My First Summer in the Sierra 

2. Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451

3. Bainton: The Reformation of the 16th Century

4. - 6. Shakespeare: Richard III / A Midsummer Night's Dream / Hamlet 

7. Stewart: Letters of a Woman Homesteader

8. Barakat: Balcony on the Moon

9. Lewis: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

10. Kovaciny: My Rock and My Refuge

There are only two summer-related titles in my group, but I am already committed to three reading challenges this year, and many of these titles are also my unreads, which I need to get them read or else.

Enjoy your summer reading!!

 

John Adams by David McCullough

JOHN ADAMS
David McCullough
Published 2001
American Biography
The Gentle Challenge: (Book Recommendation)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When I joined Silva's Gentle (reading) Challenge, my goal was to fit more of my un-reads into specific categories. One of the categories was a book recommendation (or a book you would read because you trusted the word of others). 

John Adams by David McCullough has been on my un-read list for a decade or more. A book blogger I admire recommended this book; but, in fact, she was not the only one who gave it excellent reviews. Therefore, I trusted these opinions. 

I am excited to announce that it was absolutely worth it, and they were correct. I am so grateful that I finally read this book.

Frankly, I do not know where to start or what to say about this epic narrative, except to begin with an emotional response. 

I embrace this book fervently and will add it to my personal canon. It was pleasantly written, exceptionally well done, and absolutely enjoyable. I often imagined that I was transported back to the 1700s and lived through every moment. I walked away with an appreciation for what these men (and women) did to form a new government based on the ideas of self-government and personal liberty and freedom, even if we "could[n't] keep it." 

McCullough's writing style was intelligible, concise, and delightful. He included an abundance of supporting evidence from correspondence, newspaper articles, books, and diaries (sadly, a lost art). If a written work supported a statement or idea, it was included. I do not think he left anything out. Often, I was amazed at how much written correspondence took place, and McCullough used many sources to cross reference who said what and when and where just to piece this history back together. 

By the way, this story was not only about John Adams, although it was very much about him; it was a window into the heart and soul of his faithful, intelligent wife, Abigail, and fellow compatriots, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, and many others. 

I was not aware of the degree Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and some others disapproved of and betrayed Adams, and that Vice President Jefferson, in my opinion, may have committed treason under Adams during his presidency. Scandalous! (Reminds me of Mike Pence and Donald Trump. There is nothing new under the sun.)

I enjoyed the relationship between Adams and his wife, a beautiful, faithful couple, faithful to God and to one another through long periods of separation. Abigail was an excellent partner and helper, encouraging her husband in honorable pursuits. She was a well-educated and well-rounded woman, a protective mother, and a patriot. Both Abigail and John were of one mind on many moral, ethical, and  political perspectives. They had a model union, as is evident from their written correspondence. Mr. Adams absolutely adored his wife, and I can see why.

McCollough presented a genuine and true character analysis of Adams. Of course, he was not a perfect personality, while grievances about him were probably warranted. But he was an admirable, fair, and trustworthy man. Most notably, his relationship with Jefferson later in life was charming, and their collection of letters to one another was and still is inspiring of reconciliation and friendship. 

I especially appreciated the sections on Adams' love for books and reading, which actually contended with Jefferson's obsession with books. 

Unlike Jefferson, who seldom marked a book, and then only faintly in pencil, Adams, pen in hand, loved to add his comments in the margins. It was part of the joy of reading for him, to have something to say himself, to talk back to, agree or take issue with, Rousseau, Condorcet, Turgot, Mary Wollstonecraft, Adam Smith, or Joseph Priestley. "That is no doubt that people are in the long run what the government makes out of them...," Adams read in Rousseau. "The government ought to be what the people make it," he wrote in response. (LOL!)

Adams was guilty of defacing books while reading and once wrote 12,000 notes and comments in one book alone! He read French Revolution by Wollstonecraft twice "with delight" because he disagreed with almost everything she said. Adams and Jefferson "were two of the greatest book lovers of their bookish generation." Adams owned over 3,200 books and Jefferson, before he sold them, owned (if I remember correctly) over 5,000. Yikes!

John Adams by John Singleton Copley, 1784

Other adventures experienced in this chunk of history included Adams' overseas life in France and England; the terrible French Revolution, whose outcome Adams predicted; the provocation of America by the French and British; the ongoing issue with slavery; the complications with disease; and the nasty disputes among men like Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, and Aaron Burr. How many times did I scribble in the margins: There's nothing new under the sun.

This is only a small fraction of what I went through. The biography is over 650 pages, with an impressive bibliography. The pages are full of memorable quotes and passages. (I had to stop writing them down while reading, though I plan to return to the book and collect them.) This work is chronologically written, beginning in the early 1770s, the eve of the American Revolution, until right after Adams' death, July 4, 1826, just a few hours after his friend Thomas Jefferson died. Adams was 90 years old. 

WHO WANTS TO READ THIS?

Obviously, if you like: 

• biographies, 
• biographies about U.S. presidents, 
• histories, 
• American history (particularly early American History), 
• books about war or Revolutionary war histories, 
• political science or government systems 
• (or want to witness the birth of man's best attempt at good government ever), 
• stories about brilliant minds together in one time or place, 
• and love stories -- yes, love stories! 

...then this is your next book.

THE GENTLE CHALLENGE

 

Poetics by Aristotle

POETICS 

Aristotle

Written 4th century B.C.

Greek essay

The Well-Educated Mind Plays

⭐⭐⭐

I read this for my WEM (plays) reading challenge, but it is not a play at all. It is an essay on poetry, particularly drama, including forms and parts, marks of success and failure, as well as Aristotle's criticisms and resolutions. 

According to the author, the art of poetry, particularly tragedy, is the imitation of life. Drama is the vehicle which poets use to imitate "people doing things." Imitation comes naturally to human beings...and it is pleasurable. 

There are two kinds of poetry: comedy and tragedy. Aristotle's narrative on comedy has been lost, but the remainder of his essay focused on tragedy. He noted that over time, spoken word plays developed and then plot-construction and stories. 

Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is admirable, complete and possesses magnitude; in language made pleasurable, each of its species separated in different parts; performed by actors, not through narration; [a]ffecting through pity and fear the purification of such emotions. 

The plot is the source and the soul of tragedy... 

A good tragic plot should be complex and imitate true life events. However, it should not present decent characters beginning with good fortune and falling into horrific circumstances because this would exasperate the audience. Nor should depraved characters begin with poor fortunes and excel because this is least tragic. The best tragic plot begins with an intermediate character who experiences a life change not of his own moral fault, but by a mishap outside of his control. 

The plot should also take the character through a realization of his downturn and an understanding of why the reversal of fortune. An excellent tragic plot succeeds when it produces pity and fear. Pity is what we experience when we empathize with the character and fear when we recognize that the same could happen to us. 

WHO WANTS TO READ THIS?

I suppose this is an excellent source for those studying drama or poetry, and certainly it has been used as required reading in high school and college. Simple, insightful, and well organized. Who said the Greeks were difficult to read?

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Doctor Zhivago

Boris Pasternak

translated by Hayward and Harari

Published 1957

Russian historical fiction

Classics Reading Challenge 2025

⭐⭐⭐

 

In 2016, almost ten years ago - gosh, time flies! - I read this classic for the first time. I was mesmerized by it and added it to my personal canon. That's how confident I was about its ability to affect and transform me. 

Meanwhile, I re-read it last month for my Classics Reading Challenge: Russian classic, and I cannot believe I read the same book. I dragged myself through this, completely disoriented, having forgotten much of the story. Come to find out, there really is no clear plot in Doctor Zhivago. There are a million characters with a dozen or so interchangeable names each. And love story? There is NO love story. If Pasternak intended to include a love story, it is a lousy excuse for one. 

Having said all of that, I decided to read my original review from 2016, and I preferred my review to re-reading Zhivago because my review was short and sweet. I am still in agreement with my initial response to the exquisite writing style and aesthetic descriptions of Russia. Pasternak was a naturalist, it seemed. Very effective writing, indeed! Is it safe to assume that was why he won the 1958 Nobel Prize in literature for his poetic method? I also approved of the author's dissertations on essential themes, particularly on liberty and freedom, Marxism, beauty and art. I did underline quotes here and there; hence, there was some active reading going on, which means I was thinking and reading at the same time. I had a pulse, I mean, while reading.

But other than that, I was not mentally or emotionally engaged this second time, and I think it has more to do with how I have changed over these ten years. This time, I was more irritated by Yuri, our protagonist -- our tragic hero - and his adultery. And by page 486, I was extremely grateful when I turned the page to find that I had written "JERK" across the top margin because even back in 2016, I had had enough of Yuri's self-serving character. 

OK...maybe I am being a bit dramatic. 

A majority of the story is its background and setting, which is Russia, during WWI and the Russian Revolution, 1917-1922. The history is actually a beneficial part of the story. In fact, if you are looking to expand your understanding or experience of this time period, and of Russia, add it for that reason. 

But if you are looking for an entertaining story with characters, human experiences, relationships..., this is not it. I went from a five-star experience to a three-star, mainly because of the lack of cohesive plot or storyline and the disappointing characters. 

 

The Birds by Aristophanes

 

The Birds

Aristophanes

Written 414 B.C.

Greek Comedic Drama

The Well-Educated Mind Plays

⭐⭐

The Greek poem The Birds was a strange, carefree comedy. It was very odd. I found myself asking: What am I reading? Where is this going? What is the point? There was no point. 

Aristophanes wrote The Birds during a time of worldly peace and ease, with no concern for war or turmoil. The setting was not Athens, though there were historical references to Greece and its surroundings. 

The two main human characters, Peisetarius and Euelpides, traveled an unknown road, bellyaching about their dull lives in Athens, while taking pointless directions from their pets, a crow and jackdaw. (Already the poem felt wayward.)

Peisetarius had an idea to seek out the mythological character Tereus (who had transformed into a bird)  and convince him to create a city just for birds, where humans (such as themselves), tired of human life (also them), may find sanctuary in the sky.

Once connected with Tereus, the main characters easily persuaded him to build this bird city where birds would live together rather than fly freely everywhere (which seemed like a worse idea to me). However, the conciliation was that birds could concentrate control of all humans below and also besiege power from the Greek gods above. After all, birds were the original gods, he told him. Tereus enthusiastically agreed and called all the birds together and employed the two humans to convince the world's birds of the plan. 

As birds appeared, they were fearful at first sight of Peisetarius and Euelpides, until Peisetarius presented his flattering birds-were-the-original-gods speech and assured them to regain their lost powers from the Olympian gods. They ecstatically agreed and prepared to do battle with the gods. 

After the city was built, the gods, who were pathetically feeble, puny, and half-witted, visited the city.  They did not stand a chance against the birds, obviously, and unsurprisingly capitulated power to Peisetarius, who was naturally crowned the new king of the birds. (He wasn't shrewd for nothing.)

There was a symphony of music, bird song, and colorful plumed costumes throughout the play. And there was a Shakespearean semblance to the play, which tells me the Bard read Aristophanes, no doubt! But there were also extreme sexual overtones towards females and F-bombs, too, that were unfortunate. That is why I could only give it two stars. My final words are that I'm grateful to be done with it, and I'll never read it again.

The next title on TWEM plays list is Poetics by Aristotle.

The Theodore Roosevelt Trilogy (Volumes 1 & 2) by Edmund Morris

VOLUME ONE

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

Volume One

Edmund Morris

Published 1979

American biography

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I began my Teddy Roosevelt journey last year when I read The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, by Edmund Morris, the first volume in the Roosevelt trilogy, which covered the first forty-two years of his life. He had the most excellent privileged beginning -- well-off, well-educated, and well-loved. His father was his greatest inspiration, and though Theodore experienced extreme health complications from asthma, his father encouraged him to overcome his weakness with physical exertion and a rigorous spirit of mind. This approach to life produced the epitome of a manly man. After a disciplined regiment of boxing and weight lifting, Roosevelt conquered the great outdoors -- mountain hiking, swimming, and hunting became part of his lifestyle.

Roosevelt also developed excellent character, principle, and esteem. He honored women with respect, and he expected all men to be true. He feared no man and earned the admiration of his enemies. 

This first book of the trilogy covered the death of his father, his first marriage, the tragic death of his wife and mother on the same day, after his wife gave birth to their first daughter, and his second marriage to childhood friend, Edith. The book also included the political positions Theodore accomplished. While he was the Police Commissioner of New York, his focus was to end corruption in the police force. Many loathed him for being a hardliner, but he was obligated to follow the law. And of course, one of his most famous adventures was leading the Rough Riders during the Spanish American War in Cuba and liberating the Cuban people from Spain. 

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt ended with Theodore becoming President McKinley's vice president and shortly thereafter learning that McKinley had been shot...catapulting him into the role as president. He was the youngest ever to become president, at that point in history.

VOLUME TWO

Theodore Rex

Volume Two

Edmund Morris

Published 2001

American biography

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The second volume in the trilogy, Theodore Rex, began with Roosevelt's first administration in 1901, and ended after his second term was finished, in 1908. He was a most beloved and popular president. Though he was a Republican, he was more of a progressive (by today's standards) and sided with the people on many issues. He was definitely the people's president.

Here are a few highlights from Theodore Rex: 

• He would bar correspondents or whole newspapers from the White House for misquoting him.
• He was friends with Booker T. Washington. White Southerners were angry that he met with Washington in the White House, but Roosevelt did not care what they said about him. 
• He also permitted black politicians to bring their black wives to the White House for dinner, which was not heard of and caused quite a stir. 
• He believed equality would occur naturally, eventually.
• He cared more about quality and merit, not quantity.
• He had an extensive booklist and devoured books even while listening to others speak, and he wrote books, too.
• He gave excellent speeches.
• He won the Nobel Prize for helping to end the Japanese Russo War.
• He believed that to postpone war, one must prepare for it. He encouraged the military to build up its fleets. 
• He had an energetic personality, and was always drawn with a huge smile full of teeth. He exhausted some because they could not keep up with him.
• Some of the foreign entanglements on his plate included dealing with Columbia during the creation of the Panama Canal; and issues with Cuba, the Philippines, and Japan and Russia.
• Near the end of his second term, he lost support of black voters due to an incident which occurred in New Orleans, firing black soldiers who were accused of rioting.

Someone came up with a perfect motto for Roosevelt: 

Rem facias rem, si posis recte, si non quocunque modo rem --

"The Thing, get the thing, fairly if possible, if not, then however it can be gotten." 

All three of the volumes are over 500 pages each, and Edmund's notes are bountiful alone. The writing style is exceptional and enjoyable. Theodore Roosevelt is an extraordinary moral character, whose boundless energy jumps off the pages. God certainly broke the mold after He made Teddy Roosevelt.  

The third volume is Colonel Roosevelt, and I hope to finish that this year. 

Medea by Euripides

Medea

Euripides

Written 431 BC

Greek tragedy

⭐⭐⭐

The Well-Educated Mind Plays

First, I have to explain the issue with this book cover. The cover art is a detail from a painting by Eugene Delacroix of Medea preparing to kill her children. (Sorry, I know, spoiler alert.) As is common in Classical and Romantic art of the Greeks and Romans, there is nudity, and this image included enough that I had to give Medea a bandeau. So that's what that is about. There are other artworks available featuring a clothed Medea that would have been more suitable, but I digress. 

ABOUT THE PLAY

Well, well, well...a woman turns psycho after her two-timing husband decided to upgrade and marry a princess to advance his own agenda. What could possibly go wrong? 

I thought I liked Jason of the Argonauts, but he left his wife Medea to help Creon, ruler of Corinth, and married his daughter, leaving Medea devastated. She was in such turmoil she threatened to kill her own two children. Creon was naturally concerned for his own life, and he banished Medea and her children from the land. However, she successfully convinced Creon to give her one last day before she left for good, and he granted it, which was a big mistake. 

In the hours leading up to her departure, she met with Jason, who, for whatever reason, had compassion on her, though he conveniently blamed women for all that was wrong with society. 

But you women have sunk so low that, when your sex life is going well, you think that you have everything, but then, if something goes wrong with regard to your bed, you consider the best and happiest circumstances utterly repugnant. The human race should produce children from some other source and  a female sex should exist. Then mankind would be free from every evil. 

In their time together, each had a moment to share his/her side of the story. Jason also explained why Medea was being exiled by Creon: because she dare curse the royal family. Medea described losing one's native land as the worst misery. 

After her meeting with Jason, Aegeus paid Medea a visit. He had a problem which Medea could help him with, and in return, he would offer her protection in his land, which she would need after she followed through with her wicked plot to kill Jason's new wife. 

She asked Jason to persuade his new wife permission for her children to stay behind and be raised with Jason and her. Medea provided gifts, a robe laced with poison, to appease her.

Immediately the princess put on the robe and the poison began to work. She was like a girl on fire. And Creon embraced his daughter, and died with her. 

Next, Medea prepared to flee to Athens, but not before seeking ultimate revenge on Jason by murdering her children. Afterward, Medea and Jason had a few choice words for one another, but in the end, Jason was left to suffer. 

LAST WORDS

I felt awful after reading this play. There were so many verbal insults and offenses exchanged between Medea and Jason, and obviously nothing good came out of this story. Of course, Euripides challenged the status quo of women in society of his day, as he portrayed a woman who violently acted out her scorn and abuse by her husband, Jason. She sought the worst kind of revenge by murdering her own babies. Certainly she punished herself in the process, though I did not get that impression. I imagine audiences must have been shocked to watch this play. I would have. 

Next play in The Well-Educated Mind list is: The Birds by Aristophanes. 

 

The Well-Educated Mind Book List 

A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent

A Gospel Primer for Christians:

Learning to See the Glories of God's Love

Milton Vincent

Published 2008

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

For five or six days now, I have been down with a really bad flu or something, and while I am certainly improved, I am still feeling the effects of it. This illness has gone through almost every person in my household, but thank God, we are on the mend. 

Meanwhile, I have neglected reading my books the entire days I have been sick and am only now hoping to review the three books I had finished a week ago. This first one should be the easiest to review because it was under 100 pages and had a simple premise: Christians need to recite to themselves the gospel every day. The author provided the why and how, with supporting references to and examples from Scripture. 

PART I is a series of Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily. But here, I just included a portion of my notes while reading through those reasons.

1. Paul taught believers how to apply the gospel to their own lives. 

2. It is a daily battle to believe the gospel.

3. The gospel is the power of God. 

4. We should give the gospel a central place in our thoughts each day.

5. We are commanded daily to take up and put on the whole armor of God for our own protection, and to put on each piece with prayer. We were actually chosen for prayer. 

6. Make preaching the gospel to self an obsession of the heart.

7. Be in the gospel at all times, and God will supply all your needs.

8. Stop dwelling on your sin and the guilt thereof. Start using the gospel to liberate yourself from that guilt because Jesus took care of it for you.

9. Become practiced at celebrating the gospel. Should cause joy and then a passion for the lost. 

10. You should come to realize: "I deserve hell. Jesus died for me (in my place) and now I do not have to go there. That's how much He loves me." (Jesus did not deserve to die. I do/did.)

11. Self-love is NOT liberating. It is lonely, mundane, and tiresome. The gospel frees us from the self-love shackles.

12. The gospel makes good news out of every aspect of life, including trials. Trials are for God's purpose to improve our character and conform us to Christ.

13. God had to do something so radical (like the death of His Son on the cross) because of the hardness of our hearts, the arrogance and selfishness of man. It could not have been something as simple as "Jesus loves you" that saves us from God's wrath. 

14. God prepared works for us to do and prepared us to do them. The works He prepared for us to do are refreshing to our souls. The works are so valuable to Him that Jesus died on the cross so they could be performed.

Part II offers a gospel narrative, a refreshing prose version of the TRUTH. I highlighted every word because all of it was so good. Here are the sections and a favorite truth from each: 

1. The Glory of God: He is unimaginably awesome in all of His perfections, absolutely righteous, holy, and just in all of His ways. 

2. My Sin Against God: Instead of giving thanks to Him and humbly submitting to His rule over my life, I have rebelled against Him and have actually sought to exalt myself above Him. 

3. God's Work on My Behalf: God loved me so much that He was willing to suffer the loss of His Son, and even more amazingly, He was willing to allow His Son to suffer the loss of Him at the cross. 

4. My Salvation: In saving me, God also justified me, and being justified through Christ, I have a peace with God that will endure forever. 

I don't deserve any of this, even on my best day, but this is my salvation, and herein I stand. Thank You, Jesus. 

Part III is a poetic version of the Gospel Narrative, and it is very beautiful. It probably would be very nice to memorize, too. 

I love this little book and will read it again and again until I lose my eyesight. It really is an essential help for Christians. It lays out a concise and uncomplicated understanding of the gospel in a way that is applicable to one's daily walk in faith. 

After I finished this book, I was listening (via YouTube) to a pastor speak at a convention and he said that the gospel should be preached in every sermon, but the reason he gave was for those in church who had not heard it, yet. And immediately I corrected him in my mind and recalled why the gospel is absolutely crucial for every Christian to hear and recite daily, including in church. The gospel message is not just to reach the lost; it is especially for believers, and now I understand why.