Alright, I've wanted to do this for years, and after reading so many the last few weeks and really enjoying the ideas and suggestions I decided to finally cave in. It's a little late, but who cares? I'm a sucker for a book list.
Over the last five years or so, my reading dropped drastically (3-4 books a year). This was due to paramedic and grad school burnout, as well as a lot of life changes like marriage and a baby. I started listening to audio books while Marcus was nursing because I was trapped sitting in one place for so long, and it felt like a book renaissance! I didn't realize how much I had missed it, and I have been tearing through audiobooks like crazy. Here are some of my highlights for 2019:
*audio book
*Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
This book needs to be read as an adult. I really appreciated the changes that took place in each character, and as I read it as an adult I totally understood why Jo couldn't end up with Laurie (a fact that I hated when I read it in high school). Favorite moments: Meg's new life as a wife/mother. I was actually laughing out loud at some points, and I certainly never understood it when I was in high school. Shout out to Celeste Watson for this recommendation!
*Mornings on Horseback: Biography of the Early Life of Theodore Roosevelt (David McCullough)
Super interesting read. It gives a good snapshot of that time in history as well as some interesting insights into his character. Favorite section: After the death of his wife, Theodore heads west to the Badlands and undergoes a massive reconstruction of his life. This whole section was fascinating.
*I Am Malala (Malala Yousafzai)
Very educational and informative, particularly on the history of Pakistan and the rise of the Taliban.
Favorite section: the background and ramifications of the U.S. strike on Osama Bin Laden from the perspective of Pakistan.
*The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Laurie R. King)
Excellent, fun read featuring Sherlock Holmes and his young, female protege, Mary Russell.
Favorite section: Mary Russell is Jewish, and they travel to Israel just after WWI. I also love that she majors in Theology, despite Sherlock's protestations that it is useless.
*King Lear (Shakespeare)
Watch out for flattery! Spoiler: everyone dies (of course). Watched the Amazon movie featuring Anthony Hopkins after reading it and had a great time.
Favorite thing: Great villain! He had motive and a legitimate reason for vengeance.
*To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
I really enjoyed this book from the perspective of the young protagonist. It feels great to cross off a book that has been on my list for a long time.
*Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)
Super interesting read. Sometimes difficult to follow, which was likely intentional. Favorite Depiction: the role of "entertainment" in the society. The way the "TV" took up the entire wall and lulled everyone into a sort of addicted stupor.
Content Warning: language
Words of Radiance: The Stormlight Archive, Book 2 (Brandon Sanderson)
I can only do one of these a year, and usually during summer break because . . . 1,000 pages. I soooooo enjoyed this book, though. I thought it moved faster than the first one and it started to answer questions and then ask even more questions--which is why I love Sanderson so much.
Favorite Moment: spoiler, spoiler, spoiler. I wanted to jump out of my chair in excitement. If you really want to know, send me a message. If you've already read it, then you might already know. :-)
The MacArthur Daily Bible
I used this to read through the Bible in a year (give or take a few months) and it was an incredible resource. It separates into 4 sections: OT, NT, Psalms and Proverbs. My husband and I both read through the Bible and it was really great to do it together. I actually read this on my Kindle reader and it worked great.
The Gospel Comes with a House Key (Rosaria Butterfield)
This was an excellent, paradigm shifting book. It really challenged my presuppositions about the home, hospitality and evangelism. It was thought-provoking and inspiring, but could perhaps set a legalistic expectation. Overall, highly recommended!
Joy (Lydia Brownback)
This small everyday devotional book has been such a blessing to me. It reads almost like a word study. Designed for daily reading, it is short, thought-provoking and deep. I've loved every book in this series, and have picked them up again and again in different seasons of life.
Becoming A Woman of Excellence (Cynthia Heald)
Published by Navigators, this little devotional book's strength is in the way it has you reading the Scriptures. I loved how it defined a "woman of valor" and how it shapes the picture of what a Godly woman looks like by letting you read the Scriptures for yourself. This was exactly what I needed at the time--to be taken by the hand and led into Scripture passage after Scripture passage. It was cleansing and it was encouraging.
Foreshadowing for 2020: I'm starting out the new year with a bang! (pun intended)
Midnight in Chernobyl (Adam Higginbotham)
I had to include this because I can't stop talking about it--just ask my husband. All I can say so far is, wow! It's been un-put-down-able. I was snatching opportunities to read it during the weeks of holiday celebrations because I had to know what would happen next. Obviously super nerdy subject matter, so consider yourself forewarned. What makes this book great is its insight into human nature, the Cold War, and oh yeah . . . some nuclear reactors. ;-)
Content Warning: isolated language in direct quotes
Books I Listened to With My Husband: We have a grand time listening to audio books together in the car. We usually alternate back and forth with who gets to choose a book, so we both get exposed to a variety of genres. This year, we often just moved to the next in a series by mutual consent. Here's our list from the past year:
*Gods and Kings, Books 1-3 (Lynn Austin)
Fictionalized series set during the time of Ahaz, Hezekiah, Isaiah and Micah. We both really enjoyed the way these put the stories in historical context and feel like we now have a better understanding of the times and cultures. It made the prophets feel like real people speaking to real events.
Special Note: After reading these, the Assyrians will never be just some random enemy again. They were brutal, unrelenting and fierce.
*Steelheart and Firefight, Books 1-2 (Brandon Sanderson)
We both really enjoyed this YA series about when the superheroes are "bad" and the normal people are the "good guys." Filled with good twists and adventures, we were frantic for a car ride where we could listen to it.
*Fearless (Eric Blehm)
This biographical sketch of a Navy Seal started with his descent into addiction and drugs and followed him through his conversion and then into his career as a Navy Seal. We had no idea the wild ride we were in for when we started this book. We were surprised and shocked as we followed the path of one man's life. It took turns we were never expecting.
Content Warning: language
*Galloway (Louis Lamour)
This was one of our favorites so far. It was short, sweet and to the point. We were laughing out loud at some of the characters and some of the lines.
Content Warning: It's Louis Lamour . . . lol
Honorable Mentions from years past:
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus
Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert
Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
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