The Medieval Mind of CS Lewis: How Great Books Shaped a Great Mind by Dr. Jason Baxter, 2 Jan 2025
You’re probably keen to ask, what was my favourite book that I read this year (2024)? Honestly, it is a hard decision. But I think it would have to be The Medieval Mind of CS Lewis by Dr. Jason Baxter. Mum and I had many great conversations about this one and we got to delve in quite deep. Not only did it help me to understand Lewis better and the great books and ideas that shaped his mind, but it also broadened and deepened my understanding of medieval people and the medieval world and the way they saw and understood things. The sort of in-depth understanding that you don’t get in your regular modern medieval history book. I felt like the book helped me to get into their heads and to see with their eyes, and it deepened understanding of the medieval period a great deal. We moderns seriously misunderstand the medieval period and medieval people, and if I ever become a medievalist I’ll set the record straight.
Soul Survivor by Philip Yancy, 2022
How I have been appreciating and enjoying this book by Philip Yancy. Yancy has been difficult for me to get into because his style is not what I am used to. I am used to Christian books telling you how it is and how to live your life. But Yancy is different. Having experienced his own share of hurt by the church, his books are instead investigative and exploratory, and help him process his own questions and doubts. Soul Survivor is the stories of thirteen men and women whose lives helped to shape his own faith journey. These are people who are not afraid of the hard places and who are honest about their own doubts and questions. Most biographies put people on a pedestal and only show their good sides. Not this book. These are stories of broken imperfect people who (most of them) sought after God and touched lives and hearts through their words. Whether they’re writers, doctors, or civil rights activists, these people impacted Yancy and the world for good through their lives. I was deeply moved by the chapter on Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, two similar but very different Russians, one who found grace and one who didn’t. The stories in this precious book will stay with me, of that, I am sure.
Animal Farm by George Orwell, 12 June 2022
On the surface, a fairy tale about animals on a farm in England, underneath an allegorical satire about the slow road towards totalitarianism. With communist Russia as its target, it’s easy to see the historical parallels, but it is applicable to every country who gives away it’s freedoms to someone who draws them in with false promises and an inner desire to control. Sadly relevant to the west today, it gives deep insights into human nature and the patterns of history. I think this is a book everyone ought to read at some point in their lives. I’m very glad I did.
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