Another year, another 25 books. My goal was to double the amount from last year and I did--so, personal goal reached!
"The Screwtape Letters" C.S. Lewis--This was such an
interesting book. Written in letter form from "Uncle Screwtape" who is actually a demon to his "demon in training" nephew. Weird coming from C.S. Lewis, right? I thought the same! But what an eye opener this book was! The ease of our sins, the way we so frequently take things that God intended to be good for us and make them in to sinful things, how we are always being tempted, but God prevailing! Take the chance and read this book. Please!
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The Kite Runner"
Khaled Hosseini--This book was so good! It was so different than anything I've read before. Set in Afghanistan, before, during, and after the times of war. While there is a little bit of a historical feel to it and it really gives you a picture of what Afghanistan might have been like during those times--it's mainly about a young boy, the decisions he made, the relationships he had, and how they all come full circle in the end. On the cover one of the critics said: "Powerful...Haunting" and I couldn't have said it better myself. It's definitely for an older crowd to read due to some of the language found in it and some of the events that take place are not child appropriate.
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A Thousand Splendid Suns"
Khaled Hosseini--My OCD usually takes over while reading and if I like the previous book I've read, I will read all the others I have by the same author. So, since I liked the "Kite Runner" so much, I decided to read this one. It was yet again, another great read. Very different than his last. This one is based on 2 women and their stories and how in the craziest of ways, they end up intertwining.
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Mister God, This Is Anna"
Fynn--This was a recommended read from a previous teacher from my high school and it was a sweet little book. A little girl randomly finds this man in a park one night and they basically become inseparable. Anna, is quite the thinker and all of her thoughts make full circle and relate to "Mister God". I would say you should definitely give this book a read, I read it in one day so it's a very quick read!
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In The Key Of Genius: The Extraordinary Life of Derek Paravicini"
Adam Ockelford--As the title would suggest, this book is about Derek Paravicini who is a young boy that was born blind and has autism. But, let's not stop there because those are not his defining qualities. He is also a musical prodigy who could actually play noticeable tunes on the piano at age 2 (remember, he is blind which makes that statement even more amazing!). It was a great story.
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Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story"
Ken & Joni Eareckson Tada--This was a wonderful book! If you know anything about Joni Eaerckson Tada, you know that woman can write and this book is no exception. It's so hopeful, humbling, and honest. I loved it. "After all, loving that one to whom you said yes, well...it's just another way, maybe the best way, of loving and serving God."
"Heaven is for Real" Todd Burpo--Really good, quick read. Sweet little story about a little boy named Colton and his experiences while going through a tragic accident--you will be moved!
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Peter Pan" J.M. Barrie--I just had to read this because I never had! I've seen the movie, seen the plays, watched Hook (who knows how many times) and there it sat, on the shelf, unread. It was really great! Brought me back to my childhood and made me really thankful for how close they kept the cartoon movie to the book. A must read if you never have!
"The Mathematics of Love" Emma Darwin--This book was hard--like, really hard to get in to. I feel like I wasted a good 334 pages before I got to Part 4 where I actually got in to the book. The last 138 pages were pretty good though. All in all though, I wouldn't recommend this one. (This one isn't even pictured because I already sold it in a garage sale!)
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Nephilim"
L.A. Marzulli--Jason wanted to read this trilogy (this is the first in the series) and he liked it so much he wanted me to read it. One of the funny things about this book is that you can't find it in any bookstores (we checked for the longest time), you can't get it on kindle, you have to buy it on amazon, used. It was really good! It was an easy read and it has a huge twist to it. Once you get to the last 150 pages, you can't put it down. There are some Christian themes (& references) throughout the book but it is fiction (almost sic-fi(ish)). If you like sic-fi you will like this book (or even if you don't!). It's the first of 3...so you can only guess what my next read is.
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The Unholy Deception"
L.A. Marzulli--This one was even better than the first in the series! So many unexpected twits. I couldn't put it down the week we were at the beach! Here's to hoping the 3rd (last one) is even better!
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The Revealing" L.A. Marzulli--The final book in the Nephlim Series and it wasn't a disappointment. It took on a different view than the first two but it was just as interesting. I do feel like there could have been another one after this...but I think that's just wishful thinking on my part!
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Crazy Busy"
Kevin DeYoung--Our young adults class at church went through this book on Sunday Night's and I really liked it. Jason and I aren't very busy at this time in our lives (which we are very thankful about). But, this book brought so much light as to why we make ourselves/find ourselves being/feeling so busy & overwhelmed. It was a short read and one I would highly recommend for school (college) age to full time working to full time parent!
"This Momentary Marriage" A Parable of Permanence John Piper--Phenomenal book for married, engaged, single, all alike. It was a quick read too. It is packed full of reminders & scripture that points us to the fact that marriage is mainly about the covenant-keeping love between Christ & His church. It touches on the roles of husbands as the leaders of the household, wives and submission, singleness, hospitality, children, divorce and remarriage, this book covers it all.
"'Heart of the Matter" Emily Giffin--I love Emily Giffin. She is the author who wrote the "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue" which are fun reads! This book was no different. It was easy to read and I couldn't put it down. I finished this sucker in 2 days!
"Unbroken" Laura Hillenbrand--Out of all of my reads for 2014, this one was the best one. This book was amazing. I love stories...about people's stories. This one blew me away. I think I went through every emotion while reading this one. Louie Zampernini has a story that needs to be heard and I promise that you want to read it! A quick synopsis: a WWII survivor, who was on a raft for days on end, captured by the Japanese and spent time as a POW and a lifestyle that's almost unbearable to read. I'll stop there---and just say that the ending is worth it. It's amazing.
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Shakespeare's Landlord"
Charlaine Harris--Our school nurse loaned me this book. It's the first in a series of five and I had no idea what to expect (
which I love a "random read") and it didn't let me down! It's a mystery book, really quick read. The main character is Ms. Lily Bard who is the cleaning lady in the small time of Shakespeare, Arkansas. There's a murder in the town, and she's going to figure it out. You can only guess what my next 4 reads are going to be!
"Shakespeare's Champion" Charlaine Harris--Just as good as the first one. I am loving this little series. This one had a bit of an "unexpected element" to it. I am liking Miss Lily Bard more and more. She has this quiet, steady strength about her that is quite admirable. On to book #3
"Shakespeare's Christmas" Charlaine Harris--Ah! So far, this one has been my favorite in the series. You really get to know more about Lily on a personal note. You meet her family and see that strange happenings just seem to surround her. Only this time, there's a bit of a different dynamic. So, so good. I couldn't put this one down.
"Shakespeare's Trollop" Charlaine Harris--They just keep getting better and better. This one hits "close to home" seeing as how a character that we've seen in the previous 3 books is highlighted in this one. It was a quick read and now I'm on to the 5th and final!
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Shakespeare's Counselor"
Charlaine Harris--Such a good ending! This little series was so great. I definitely recommend it to all!
"Dead Giveaway" Joanne Fluke--Another loaned book from Nurse Melissa at work. This one was good! A thriller that kept my on my toes!
"A Christmas Carol" Charles Dickens--(you can get this one for only $3.99 in a beautiful, red, leather-bound cover--my link takes you right to it!) I had to throw in a Christmas read this December. I had actually never read this book. I've only ever seen the movies and known the story. My favorite line in the book came from Tiny Tim: He was in a church with his father and he said: "That he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk and blind men see."
"Loveology" John Mark Comer--I picked up my copy of Tim Keller's "Meaning for Marriage" to read again this year, just as a refresher after one full year of marriage--but then I took a different route. Tim Keller is an amazing author and quite the insightful man. But, I do know that he is just a man and I figured his book on marriage wasn't the only one I should read! So, here lies my newest read, "Loveology". I had seen multiple recommendations for this book and it's been on my ever growing Amazon book wish list--so when a sweet friend gave me a B&N gift card, I already knew what I wanted to buy. This book did not disappoint. It was wonderful! So much wisdom and insight and it shows you where in scripture to find the basis for it all. It's for singles, dating, engaged, married, all the same. I really enjoyed this read. It was the perfect end to 2014.
