I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “Oh, you’re a lawyer, You must really like reading”. While that is mostly true, some lawyers (or just me) don’t often read. Going through law school, you read a lot – ALOOOOT!! Whether it’s case briefs, research articles, books, newspapers, blogs, you name it. So when you have some free time, the last thing you want to do is pick a book. You’d rather watch a movie or listen to music.

For years, I used this excuse to justify why I didn’t read books. But after much reflection, I found out that I just didn’t have a reading culture. On top of that, I had not found book genres that I enjoyed. In highschool, my friends would read Harry Porter or Game of Thrones books and I would cringe. They enjoyed them but that’s not really my cup of tea.

Cultivating a reading culture for me has involved discovering what genres I enjoy – mostly faith-based books, memoirs, motivational and self-help books. I’m trying to get into fictional books but it’s a bit hard for your boy. Maybe I’ll add it to my 2024 resolutions. I also had to find a setting where I read – mostly on my train ride to work and occasionally on Sunday afternoons, just before my nap.

In 2023, I set out to read at least 6 books each month. A book every 2 months was a very reasonable goal for me. I’m glad to announce that at the writing of this blog, I have read 6.5 books (round of applause!!). Thought I would share some of faves and why you should consider reading them too.

Turn the page with me,

Live Free by Devon Franklin – Kicked off my 2023 with a book about freedom, because who doesn’t want to be free. Devon Franklin is one of my favourite preachers and authors and I knew this one would be Holy Spirit inspired. The book is all about expectations. Think about it – how many times have you expected someone to do something, didn’t communicate with them, then you got angry when they didn’t do the thing that you expected them to do, that they never knew they should do in the first place? You can’t relate? Ok. What about the time you expected to be at a certain point in your life by a certain time and when that time came you felt disappointed because you were nowhere close to where you expected to be?

We all have expectations and they are not always bad. The problem comes when we set expectations from a point of pain, jealousy, comparison and societal pressure. When we expect people to do something for us, but don’t stop to consider if they can do it, if they actually want to do it or if it aligns with who God has called them to be. A whole lot of problems in our lives and in the world would be solved if we simply learnt how to set good expectations, communicate them and manage our expectations when they are not met. Like I expect you to read this blog till the end – I have now communicated it to you so will you meet my expectations? 😊

From Scratch by Tembi Locke – If you are an avid reader of my blog then you know I am a huge lover boy. I am a hopeless romantic – I love seeing people in love, love a good rom-com, love a good ‘How we met’ Youtube video. This is what sold me to this book. Actually, I first watched the Netflix series of this book and let me just confess – I have watched it about 4 times. I used to tease my friends who would read a book then watch the movie about the same book. But I am embarrassed to say – I am now one of them.

The book takes you through the real life journey of an African American girl who goes to Italy for the summer and ends up falling head over heels in love with an Italian chef. Summer is over and the chef decides to follow her back to the U.S. They share this intense and charming love which has its own challenges – the chef’s family is not supportive of their union, the girl’s family are a bit hesitant, the chef struggles to establish himself in the U.S, you name it. Just when you think the challenges are over – The chef is diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare, life threatening bone cancer. Life as they knew it changes drastically. So this once fiery love turns into a nurturing care-giving one.

The reason why I really enjoyed this book is because in my life, I have not seen much of the dual sides of romantic love – I have either seen love that was mostly challenging and even inauthentic or I have seen the dreamy kind that seems to be without challenges. For the first time, I was able to see the love I desire – the real authentic sacrificial love, the simple kind of love that is not dictated by the flashiest of lifestyles. The kind of love where we fight and hold on to each other when everything says we should be apart. The kind of love that Jesus talks about in John 15:13.

Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all

Alfred Lord Tennyson

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer – In my head, I like to think of John Mark Comer as my mentor. Maybe it’s because we are both introverts, maybe because we are both Christians, maybe because we both like naps. I love this book for several reasons – The book has a red cover. I’m sorry – I know we always here don’t judge a book by it’s cover but the red cover reeled me in. It has been added to my ‘First Time’ list – first time reading a red book.

All jokes aside. God has been speaking to me for years about resting, slowing down, living in the present, enjoying each day as a gift, taking in the journey rather than rushing to the destination. I feel like this book put into words what God has been saying to me all along. It gave context to how I have been living for the last 2 years. Over the years, there has been a glorification for the people who are always on the go. The Youtube ad of the guy who has 10 ways to become a billionaire by 25. The person who says you are lazy if you do not work 10 -14 hours a day. The term ‘microwave generation’ referring to the generation that always seeks instant gratification. Our index fingers are muscular from the number of times we are scrolling through Instagram, texting each other, swiping right, left, up and down on Bumble.

What happened to slowing down? What happened to enjoying life? When we were able to shut down the outside noise and tune into the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. Somehow somewhere, we stopped being human beings and became human doings. To use John Mark Comer’s example, the average human has an attention span of 8 seconds. A goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds. We are losing to goldfish y’all. Everything has our attention now. Worse still, we now have Tiktok videos and Youtube Shorts which promise not to take much of your time but get you hooked into 1 minute videos, that can easily turn into 1 hour.

We are called Christians because we are followers of Christ. Following Christ means wanting to live like Him. Jesus accomplished the will of His Father, so much so that John 21:25 says,

There are many more things that Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that not even the world itself would have space for the books that would be written.

So this same Jesus who walked everywhere, took a nap in the middle of a storm, had time to stop and talk to the woman who touched her garment, to the Samaritan woman at the well, to Zaccheaus, time to walk on water, time to heal people and raise the dead, time to eat supper with his disciples and wash their feet? How Jesus. I can barely go to work, read my Word and work out in the same day? I believe if we want to live the life Jesus intended for us to live (John 10:10), then it’s time we adopt the Jesus way of living and eliminate hurry in our lives, not just casually but ruthlessly, intentionally and immediately.

What books have you read this year? What books are you planning to read in 2024? Please share any recommendations you have. I hope you get all of the books I’ve recommended. and I hope they change your life – like they did mine.

Wishing you a merry Christmas and a jolly New Year.

Yours restfully😊,

Victor