A Reading List for 2026

No, gentle reader, it's not a reading list for me... it's for you.

I was responding to a thoughtful post from artist/author Wes Molebash yesterday and what was intended to be a quick affirmation of his wisdom with a bit of added "spiritual stuff" from me turned into an epic list of novels/graphic novels/series that I heartily recommend. 

Here's the original post from Wes:

I replied that reading fiction has had the same kind of impact on my faith in God... both the reality of sin and the hope of truth & grace stand in stark relief in well-written stories. And then I was off to the races.

So, rather than waste all that effort on a mere Facebook post, I decided to revise my list and share it with the kind souls who read my blog. I've arranged the list in alphabetical order by author name.

• Shardik (Richard Adams)
• He's better known as the author of Watership Down... but this epic fantasy novel explores the nature of faith, religion, and politics in ways that profoundly affected me.
• Astro City (Kurt Busiek)
• superhero graphic novel series set in its own universe that focuses on characters & motivations rather than fight scenes
• currently published in six really large (nearly 500 pages each) Metrobooks
• I've re-read the series multiple times - it's tremendous.
• also recommended by Kurt Busiek - Superman: Secret Identity (the best "Superman" story ever... yes, even better than Alan Moore's "For the Man Who Has Everything" and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?")
• Codex Alera (Jim Butcher)
• a six novel fantasy series that surprised me over & over as it built a fascinating world and developed characters over time
• also recommended by Jim Butcher - the Cinder Spires fantasy/steampunk series... so far there are only two books of a planned six books, but what is out there is really good.
• Saint Ben (John Fischer)
• a slice-of-life story from late 50s Southern California that turns out to be much deeper than anticipated.
• also recommended by John Fischer - his non-fiction book entitled Real Christians Don't Dance.
• Amulet (Kazu Kibuishi)
• I'm not sure how to describe this nine-volume graphic novel series... it has elements of science fiction, fantasy, and definitely pays homage to Studio Ghibli. 
• In the process, there's a lot about loyalty, trust, healing from abuse, facing tragedy and death... though intended for middle schoolers, the series got under my skin.
• Bright Empires (Stephen Lawhead)
• a five-volume time-travel (sort of!) epic filled with wild settings, characters who actually grow and change, and fascinating plot twists
• also recommended by Stephen Lawhead - I'd recommend his Pendragon Cycle (seven books) as well as Empyrion (two novels) and the Celtic Crusades trilogy
• I have specifically chosen not to watch the new streaming series of the Pendragon novels - it is financed and broadcast via the Daily Wire. 

• To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
• chances are excellent you read it as a student (it's often taught/read in 8th grade)... but you should read it again as an adult
• on the other hand, I would not recommend reading Go Set a Watchman - it is essentially an early draft of what became To Kill a Mockingbird and has a much darker/nastier tone
• Travis Daventhorpe (Wes Molebash)
• These funny & family-friendly graphic novels are filled with lots of pop-culture references and homages, esp. for kids who love video games. The tinges of "afterschool special" conversations are offset by some great twists, clever Easter eggs, and thoughtful bits of philosophy/theology.
• The third book is due out this year!
• The Twenty-One Balloons (William Pène du Bois)
• this Newberry Award-winning book builds an amazing world and then tells a fantastical story (with lovely illustrations)
• it was a favorite of mine as a kid... and reading it to my boys when they were younger made me fall in love with it all over again
• Mouse Guard (David Petersen)
• a graphic novel series with stunning artistry and stirring tales of faithfulness and betrayal
• I'm reasonably sure that these tales of brave mice inspired not only the role-playing game directly based on the Mouse Guard books (and the Bloomburrow Magic: The Gathering set that included some Petersen art)... but also board games like Mice & Mystics and Everdell.
• Wingfeather Saga (Andrew Peterson)
• the four book series is whimsical, nail-biting, heartbreaking, hopeful... evil isn't glossed over, heroes can be hurt, and actions have consequences - and I love it.
• also recommended by Andrew Peterson - well, he's one of my favorite singer/songwriters
• Usagi Yojimbo (Stan Sakai)
• Stan Sakai has been writing the story of Miyamoto Usagi, a rabbit samurai (ronin) in a world of anthropomorphic animals set in 17th-century Japan for forty-two years.
• I rejected reading this for years... but finally tried it and was sucked into the excellent storytelling, sly humor, and real emotion.

• Stormlight Archive (Brandon Sanderson)
• Sanderson is brilliant at world-building and writing intriguing characters... and the events/revelations of the last section of the book wouldn't land with the same impact if you hadn't lived with the characters through the admittedly long lead-up portion of the first novel.
• I'm midway through Oathbringer (the third book) and enjoying it immensely.
• East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
• As part of working on an honors thesis in college, I read almost everything John Steinbeck wrote. This massive novel is - in my opinion - his magnum opus. (The thesis - which I did not finish - was titled "Theodicy in John Steinbeck's East of Eden" - and I just noticed that Steinbeck himself thought East of Eden was his magnum opus. Great minds think alike!)
• Also recommended by John Steinbeck: You likely had to read The Pearl, Of Mice and Men, and/or The Grapes of Wrath in high school. While I think The Grapes of Wrath is brilliant, I'd recommend Cannery Row & Sweet Thursday.

Finally, I would remiss if I didn't heartily endorse C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy & Chronicles of Narnia as well as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings. (And, for that matter, the excellent graphic novel about their friendship entitled The Mythmakers.)

aka preaching archive (January 2026)

As some of my long-time readers know, I spent nearly 15 years as a church planter & pastor (after 13+ years in youth ministry)... which came to end in early 2013. (You can read more about that on my posts aka former pastor guy and Kenny Rogers, Toffee, and a Hatmaker.)

For nearly ten years, I didn't preach. (That's not entirely true - I officiated at funeral services for friends and former congregation members - but I didn't deliver the message for a Sunday morning service.) 

In March of 2023, that changed - thanks to the leadership and encouragement of Aarron Schwartz and our church family at Restoration Church Nashville. It's been humbling and wonderful and a bit scary to be back "in the pulpit" (even if we don't actually use a pulpit). The Restoration Church family has been so supportive. (A special shout-out to Bethany and the worship team... it's a privilege to speak after they've helped us prepare our hearts and minds.)

I need to also say "thank you" to a number of folks who encouraged me to take Aarron up on his offer to be part of the preaching rotation - including my wife (Shari Jo), my sons (Braeden & Collin), and even some of the folks I know through my "day job" (thank you, Teri & Denette.)

I decided that I needed to pull those messages into a single place... so that's what this post is for. I'll update it as needed. I'm putting the time stamp for the start of the message - but you're missing out if you don't get the worship team as well.

January 11, 2026 - Joshua 3 & 4 - Upstream Faith

• message starts at the 31 minute mark
• the video quality is not as good due to WiFi issues at the church (the A/V team had to use the old system in order to stream the service)
• "Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]." (Hebrews 11:1 AMP)
• Managed to name-check Disney parks, Star Wars, and my Romantic poets professor at Baylor in the process of telling Joshua's story.

February 23, 2025 - 2nd Samuel 6 - When The Ark Comes to Town...

• message starts at the 40 minute mark
• I left out another 80s reference from my notes to the 1984 film "Footloose"
• Eugene Peterson quote from his book, Leap Over A Wall

God will not be put and kept in a box, whether the box is constructed of crafted wood or hewn stone or brilliant ideas or fine feelings. We don't take care of God; God takes care of us.

September 1, 2024 - Exodus 35 - More Capable Than You Realize

• message starts at the 35 minute mark
• "Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." (Psalm 33:3 NIV)
• C.S. Lewis quote I use is from his classic book Mere Christianity

Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. So that when we talk of a man doing anything for God or giving anything to God, I will tell you what it is really like.

It is like a small child going to its father and saying, "Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present." Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child's present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is sixpence to the good on the transaction. 

May 5, 2024 - Luke 22:31-38 - When You Turn Back

• message starts at 31 minute mark
• book I reference: Saving the Bible From Ourselves
• "I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith].” (Luke 22:32 AMP)

March 17, 2024 - Luke 20:27-40 - Jesus & the Theobros

• message starts at the 38:30 minute mark
• balloon illustration is borrowed from N.T. Wright's Luke for Everyone
• Yeah, I somehow managed to combine Narnia, levirate marriage, and Admiral Ackbar into the message.

September 24, 2023 - Luke 14:25-35 - Counting the Cost

• message starts at the 38:30 minute mark
• my personal notes call this message "The Symphony Bar"
• “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33 MSG)

March 26, 2023 - Luke 8:22-25 - Master of the Storm

• message starts at the 33 minute mark
• The message here is NOT “Jesus will calm all the storms in your life”… it is “Jesus will not leave you alone in the boat”.
• "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139:9-10 NIV)

It's Still Personal: Mark's Five & Dime Games for 2025

Here's my own personal Five & Dime list (the games I played 5+ and 10+ times in 2025). I may have stopped collecting the Five & Dime stats for everyone else - but I haven't stopped collecting my own!

As always, I include only face-to-face games and games played with human opponents over apps/online. What that means is that games that I play only solo via an app or website (examples: Next Station: London, Ascension, Draft & Write Records, etc.) are not counted. (All three of those would be 50+ plays if I did.)

Games with an asterisk [*] were on my Five & Dime list last year. Each asterisk indicates another year... and each plus sign indicates five years! Believe it or not, there's actually one game that has been on this list for 15 years [+++].

If you're curious, here's the games that have been on my Five & Dime list for 5+ years

• Race for the Galaxy (15 years)
• Jump Drive (8 years)
• Unmatched: Batlle of Legends (6 years)
• Can't Stop (5 years)

Dollars

• Memoir '44 134 ***

Quarters

• Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread 38 

Dimes

• Unmatched: Battle of Legends 16 +*
• Clank! Catacombs 12
• Flamme Rouge 12
• Ticket to Ride: Legends of the West 12
• Can't Stop 11 +
• Undaunted 2200: Callisto 11
• Distilled 10 *
• Lost Ruins of Arnak 10 *
• Path of Civilization 10 *
• Pirates of Maracaibo 10 *

Nickels

• Endeavor: Deep Sea 9
• Galactic Cruise 9
• It's a Wonderful World 9
• Race for the Galaxy 9 +++
• Sniper Elite: The Board Game 9
• Terraforming Mars 8 *
• Fast Food Franchise 7 *
• Heat: Pedal to the Metal 7 ***
• Heroscape 7 *
• Jump Drive 7 +***
• New Frontiers 7 *
• Small World 7
• Thunder Road: Vendetta 7
• World Wonders 7
• 7 Wonders: Architects 6 ***
• 7 Wonders Duel 6
• Ancient Knowledge 6 *
• Minigolf Designer 6 ****
• Return to Dark Tower 6 ***
• Ticket to Ride & City versions 6 *
• Sea Salt & Paper 6
• SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 6
• Tales of the Arthurian Knights 6
• The Guild of Merchant Explorers 6
• Canopy: Evergreen 5
• Draft & Write Records 5
• Dune: Imperium & Uprising 5 ****
• Everdell 5 ***
• Fill or Bust 5
• In the Footsteps of Darwin 5
• Innovation 5
• Let's Go To Japan 5 *
• Lost Cities 5
• Rise 5
• Roll for the Galaxy 5
• Unstoppable 5
• Waypoints 5

Just Missed (with 4 plays)

A caret [^] denotes that they were on the Five & Dime list last year... and a pound sign [#] marks games I'm pretty sure will return in 2026. A dollar sign [$] indicates that the game was on the "Just Missed" list last year.

• 7 Wonders Dice 4
• Ascending Empires: Zenith Edition
• Buffet Boss #
• Cabanga!
• Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers
• Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale ^
• DC Comics Deck-Building Game $
• Fishing
• Fliptoons
• Great Western Trail: El Paso
• Hamlet: The Village Building Game #
• Marvel Champions: The Card Game
• Pixies
• River Valley Glassworks ^
• Sanctuary #
• Spooktacular
• The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth ^

After All These Years

These are games that fell off the list... after years of repeated play. I felt compelled to say a few words at their passing.

• 7 Wonders
• After nine years, this classic game dropped out of the Five & Dime (despite playing it just last week!). I will need to fix this in 2026 - it's too good to leave behind.
• Yeah, there was just this one that dropped off despite being played year after year. Don't know if that's good or bad. :-)