Here is my reading highlights list for the last 2 years. I actually wrote half of this last year and never posted it. So this is 2 years worth (don’t judge me) . . . lol
Just assume everything on here was listened to through an audiobook, unless marked otherwise. Only one or two were actual physical books that I read. It’s just not the right season for me to sit down and read, but I have been greatly blessed with Audiobooks. Shoutout to Libby and Christian Audio for having free books and great sales.
I have 3 general categories: Spiritual Growth, Nonfiction/Classics, Fiction
I usually attempt to alternate and rotate through these genres throughout the year.
Spiritual Growth
All of Grace by Spurgeon
I was never a big Spurgeon fan (horrifying, I know), but this book has really changed my perspective. His illustrations are great, he is understandable, and the reader has done a great job making Spurgeon come to life. I think, as a friend of mine said, “Spurgeon was meant to be listened to” and I wholeheartedly agree. #wouldreadagain
Fire Road by Kim Phuc Phan Thi
This was a truly amazing story about a young Vietnamese girl’s experience during the Vietnam War, and how she was severely burned by Napalm. Her life under the new Vietnamese government and how she dealt with her health and disability was both fascinating and horrific. The beauty of this story, and the way she miraculously came to faith in Christ will stick with you for a long time. Her spiritual growth over the years as she navigated many challenges and obstacles to ultimately end up in (insert country *spoiler*) was heart-wrenching and deeply encouraging to read about. Highly recommended reading if you want to branch out and try something new.
Caution: heavy subject matter
Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund *actual book
I had heard really great things about this book, and I don’t think they were exaggerated or overrated. This book is accessible, the chapters are short, and the author takes the time to explain the passages from the Puritans that he quotes. I really deeply enjoyed this book and looked forward to picking it up because I knew I would be refreshed. I felt that every time I read it, I was seeing more of Jesus--and that is truly a beautiful gift. #wouldreadagain
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret
I read this book as a teenager and didn’t care for it that much at the time. But as an adult, this book carried a lot more weight and was incredibly challenging and encouraging. I was very curious how my perspective on this book would change after 15 or so years. I found myself seeing not the “amazing Hudson Taylor”, but a man who was weak, had challenges and went through deep suffering. He went from a sort of bright-eyed naïve young man who was willing to obey God, to a man whose faith rested securely in a God who had brought him through many things and had always been faithful. I was able to see how God used him in a mighty way during his time and place of ministry. If you haven’t read it since you were a teenager, I think you would enjoy reading it again. I was particularly amazed at how close all of these events were to the Mao Revolution.
Glimpses of Grace by Gloria Furman
This was an excellent book taking the everyday occurences of life and shining the light of God’s grace on them. It takes the daily things, like taking care of children, preparing food and cleaning the house and shows how God uses them to sanctify us and grow us. As of this writing, I read it 2 years ago, and I’m going to go pick it up and read it (or listen) to it again. #wouldreadagain
Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full by Gloria Furman
This book came to me right when I needed it. I was so caught up in my own expectations of how things were supposed to go, and so wrapped up in my own perceptions of perfection that I was like a ticking bomb waiting to go off. I cried while listening to this book during the dishes, folding laundry and many other random things. Because God opened my eyes to see that I needed to take my focus off myself and look at Christ. It is his grace that gets us through each day, not my own strength (because that was obviously failing). I hope it is an encouragement to you as well. #wouldreadagain
Identity Theft edited by Melissa Kruger *actual book
This was a great little book that was very accessible and readable. I actually really liked how each chapter was written by a different woman, although I was originally skeptical that it would be choppy. It kept it very fresh, and I was curious about each chapter and its writer. It had excellent study questions for each chapter, and the next time I go through it, I would like to do it as a partner study with another woman. #wouldreadagain
Honorable Mentions:
The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges
Christmas Playlist by Alistair Begg (read by the author)
Nonfiction/Classics
The Black Count by Tom Reiss
I really, really enjoyed this book. The Alexander Dumas connection was intriguing, and I was absolutely amazed by the breadth of history contained in this book. If you want a crazy ride through the French Revolution, the Rise of Napoleon and a look at what life was like for a Black man in Europe during that time, you will love this book! I was particularly fascinated by the book’s unique perspective on Napoleon, as the main character not only knew him, but his life was deeply affected by his rise and fall.
Caution: occasional adult content
The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas
After reading The Black Count, I was excited to try a Dumas book (having already read The Count of Monte Cristo). I think I misunderstood the intent of the book, and when I realized that the Three Musketeers were not meant to be set up as gallant heros, I enjoyed the book much more. Indeed, when tasked with a mission, none of the original 3 even make it to the mission (D’artagnan barely succeeds) because they are successively waylaid by their own weaknesses, pride and vices. Once I realized that we were really just along for a rollicking, fun ride about flawed and personable characters, I actually enjoyed the book. I found myself wanting to do a *facepalm* every chapter or so due to the antics of one character or another, but at the end I found that I really had a good time!
Caution: D’artagnan spends 90% of the book pursuing another man’s wife, and I can’t even begin to list the ways this gets him in trouble …*facepalm*
Martin Luther by Eric Metaxas
Overall, I felt this was a great biography. It took the time to look at the big picture of the history and context. I actually felt like I understood the politics of Germany and the Vatican (as much as I could) and all the details that had to fall into place for the Reformation to even happen. I actually enjoyed the section following the Diet of Worms the most, because I knew the least about what transpired with the Peasant War and other issues that arose immediately afterwards.
Caution: occasional language
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
First of all, this book is long. I particularly loved that it took one pivotal year and chose to focus in on the lives of several key people. I enjoyed the perspective of Winston Churchill, but I found myself the most fascinated by the look at the everyday lives of Britons during the Blitz. At the time of reading, I was living in a trailer, it was rainy and dreary outside, and I felt like I was constantly cold due to the weather and living conditions. Listening to the firsthand accounts of the Blitz actually really helped me look at my surroundings with thankfulness. And I will forever attribute this book to that feeling—thankfulness. While I did not like this book quite as much as the other Larson books, it was still a good read. I have a tendency to approach WW2 books with a sense of “been there done that” because it sometimes feels like that is the only history anyone wants to write about, but this was an excellent read in a tired genre (I acknowledge the deep bias in this opinion).
Dead Wake by Erik Larson
This was the first book I read by Larson, and it truly sets the bar high for readable historical nonfiction. It sets the stage for the sinking of the Lusitania, and I have never been so gripped by a sense of impending doom as when I read this book. One has no idea which characters will live or die, and there is a steady building of stress as one reaches the point of the calamity. The parts of the book I most enjoyed, however, were the sections about submarine boats in WW1. I felt like I was shocked at the conditions, situations and environment in every paragraph. I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t even remember that there were submarines in WW1. I certainly will not forget again—which is a good motivation for reading. I did find the actual account of the sinking difficult to read. Difficult in a heavy, emotional way. If you are sensitive to the subject, be warned.
Caution: heavy subject matter
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
This book is not for the faint of heart. While it paints a vivid and interesting picture of life for a working girl, it also has rather gruesome depictions of the long term effects of radiation poisoning. The incredible advances in technology that were occurring came with the horrific side effect of not truly knowing what they were dealing with. The tendency of human nature to enjoy and take advantage of the immediate without regard or caution for the long term consequences is blatantly obvious in this story. Even as technology and our knowledge of the world increases, this story is a reminder that human nature does not change. Worth the read, if you are interested in medicine, health, radiation or technology.
Caution: heavy subject matter
George Washington’s Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
This book was a lot of fun. It is not that long, and gives a lot of good insight into the role spying and intelligence gathering played in winning the Revolutionary War. Excellent insights into each character, they felt like real people doing really scary things. I especially liked the information on Benedict Arnold, who I now find fascinating. Nothing happens overnight or in a vacuum, especially not turning into a traitor. And I thought his fall was a very interesting lesson about the character of man and what motivates him.
A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell
This was a fascinating book about one woman’s role in espionage behind enemy lines during WW2. What made this book so interesting is that she only had one leg, and managed to accomplish amazing things because she flew below the radar. I feel like I will never forget my horror when I read she had to scale the mountains, in the snow, with her disability. This was a unique read on WW2 history involving the OSS, that was informative and interesting.
The Storm before the Storm by Mike Duncan
This is a riveting, wild ride through the fall of the Roman Republic (before the Roman Empire). It traces the cracks in their culture and political system and brings you to the rise of Tyranny. I was on the edge of my seat reading about all the political machinations, because most of it was new to me. Standout moment: the first time someone is killed in the actual hall of the Senate. I read this in 2020, just months before January 6, 2021. Highly recommended if you are interested in ancient history and politics. #wouldreadagain
Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Scott Anderson
This was a really fascinating read about something I knew almost nothing about. It removes some of the “fiction” from Lawrence’s story and places him in the bigger context of WW1. I really loved that this book also focused on a German spymaster and a Jewish Agronomist who was fighting for an independent nation for Israel. While I was expecting more of the “making of the modern Middle East” what I got was a lot of “War, Deceit and Imperial Folly”. And it was so interesting and shocking that I cannot complain. If you want to look at an area of WW1 that is almost never mentioned and want to read about one man’s impact on world events, this is a great book! It’s not for the faint of heart (it’s long), and it includes some heavy subject matter, but it has some fantastic, real-life characters that will stay with you long after you read the book.
Fiction
The Advocate by Randy Singer *actual book
My sister recommended this book to me, and it was a recommendation I now pass on to you. It is about a “lawyer” or "advocate" during the time of Paul. There is a lot of great historical insight, particularly Roman politics and the workings of the legal system during that time. It is a book that spans many years, and takes time to develop its characters and its story. It is one of the best fiction books I have read about early Christianity under Rome. Better than Ben Hur? fight me . . .
Caution: some adult themes
Honorable Mentions:
The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin (WW2 Fiction)
New author that surprised me with good, flawed characters
The Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar (Fiction set during New Testament time)
I pretty much like anything by this author *actual book
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Why did it take me so long to read this? It was great!
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