I was quite a few books shy of my reading goal this year. Despite that disappointment, I can't say that overall the books I did read were disappointing! Minus a few here and there, I enjoyed them all. (Visit my Goodreads Year in Books to see more of what I read.) In the mean time, here are my top ten reads of 2018... (in no particular order)
1. Footprints of a Pilgrim by Ruth Bell Graham is a book of poetry by Ruth that her daughter encouraged her to publish and a few stories interspersed throughout of Ruth and her life with friends, children, and as a wife. Read it! You'll be inspired, convicted, and encouraged. You'll laugh, cry, and oooo and awww.
2. Katharina and Martin Luther by Michelle DeRusha is like reading a very interesting text book. It is so packed full of information, but it is so good. I appreciated DeRusha's efforts to remain as factual as possible, while giving a new understanding and perspective of this famous couple in history. It was one I checked out from my local library and one I want to make part of my personal library.
3. Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot is a must read for every Christian. This story is powerful and will change the way you think about evangelism, life, and death. To see my entire review, go here.
4. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul blew.my.mind. I believe that if you call yourself a Christian, you have to understand who God is according to what HE said about Himself. Sproul was a master theologian who studied this well and I am so incredibly thankful he took the time to write about what he learned about the holiness of God - the central aspect of God's character. I am eternally changed as a result. Sproul once said that the number one problem people face is that they have no idea who God is according to His word therefore they have no idea who God created them to be. This book helps establish a foundational and mind blowing understanding of who God is, helping you understand who you are because of your Creator! Read.it.
5. J.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring is a book that we read as we travel. Since we grocery shop once a month in a city forty-five minutes away, this was one we savored slowly. Since Tolkien is a literary and linguistic expert, it is impressive. More than that, Tolkien is a master story teller and I thoroughly enjoyed reading and discussing it alongside my hubby.
6. What Really Matters for Struggling Readers by Richard Allington is a must read for every teacher in any subject, in any grade level. Reading is a foundational subject where many students struggle, causing issues for education for the rest of their learning lives. We cannot make life long learners without first teaching students how to read well. This book is incredibly helpful for teachers as we sift through the plethora of curriculum available, the so called research that goes along with this curriculum, and the researched strategies that are proven to work. I highly, highly recommend adding it to your professional library.
7. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix by J.K. Rowling was the first book in the Harry Potter Series that I actually enjoyed from beginning to end. I seriously dragged through the first books, trusting a few of my literary expert friends that they were worth reading over and over and over again. It wasn't until reading this book that I began to understand that statement. (Also, I know, I know, don't judge. I'm 34 and reading them for the first time! Haha! Better late than never can apply to books too.) With that out of the way, I will admit that the next two were equally as enjoyable...
8. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
10. The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict was actually an infuriating book if what Benedict researched and wrote had an ounce of truth. While it's historical fiction, I imagine that there is some truth to the life of Mitza - Albert's wife. Einstein may have been a brilliant scientist, but his marriage failed. Why didn't he work as hard on that relationship as he did in his learning science? He may have been a genius there, but it's obviously lacking in other areas and this book brought that to light by revealing the spider webs in the darkest corners of the Einstein home. Every home has its secrets, but my goodness, my respect for Albert dropped significantly if he did what was claimed. If you want to be anything like Albert, do not mimic his "husbandry".
1. Footprints of a Pilgrim by Ruth Bell Graham is a book of poetry by Ruth that her daughter encouraged her to publish and a few stories interspersed throughout of Ruth and her life with friends, children, and as a wife. Read it! You'll be inspired, convicted, and encouraged. You'll laugh, cry, and oooo and awww.
2. Katharina and Martin Luther by Michelle DeRusha is like reading a very interesting text book. It is so packed full of information, but it is so good. I appreciated DeRusha's efforts to remain as factual as possible, while giving a new understanding and perspective of this famous couple in history. It was one I checked out from my local library and one I want to make part of my personal library.
3. Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot is a must read for every Christian. This story is powerful and will change the way you think about evangelism, life, and death. To see my entire review, go here.
4. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul blew.my.mind. I believe that if you call yourself a Christian, you have to understand who God is according to what HE said about Himself. Sproul was a master theologian who studied this well and I am so incredibly thankful he took the time to write about what he learned about the holiness of God - the central aspect of God's character. I am eternally changed as a result. Sproul once said that the number one problem people face is that they have no idea who God is according to His word therefore they have no idea who God created them to be. This book helps establish a foundational and mind blowing understanding of who God is, helping you understand who you are because of your Creator! Read.it.
5. J.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring is a book that we read as we travel. Since we grocery shop once a month in a city forty-five minutes away, this was one we savored slowly. Since Tolkien is a literary and linguistic expert, it is impressive. More than that, Tolkien is a master story teller and I thoroughly enjoyed reading and discussing it alongside my hubby.
6. What Really Matters for Struggling Readers by Richard Allington is a must read for every teacher in any subject, in any grade level. Reading is a foundational subject where many students struggle, causing issues for education for the rest of their learning lives. We cannot make life long learners without first teaching students how to read well. This book is incredibly helpful for teachers as we sift through the plethora of curriculum available, the so called research that goes along with this curriculum, and the researched strategies that are proven to work. I highly, highly recommend adding it to your professional library.
7. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix by J.K. Rowling was the first book in the Harry Potter Series that I actually enjoyed from beginning to end. I seriously dragged through the first books, trusting a few of my literary expert friends that they were worth reading over and over and over again. It wasn't until reading this book that I began to understand that statement. (Also, I know, I know, don't judge. I'm 34 and reading them for the first time! Haha! Better late than never can apply to books too.) With that out of the way, I will admit that the next two were equally as enjoyable...
8. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
10. The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict was actually an infuriating book if what Benedict researched and wrote had an ounce of truth. While it's historical fiction, I imagine that there is some truth to the life of Mitza - Albert's wife. Einstein may have been a brilliant scientist, but his marriage failed. Why didn't he work as hard on that relationship as he did in his learning science? He may have been a genius there, but it's obviously lacking in other areas and this book brought that to light by revealing the spider webs in the darkest corners of the Einstein home. Every home has its secrets, but my goodness, my respect for Albert dropped significantly if he did what was claimed. If you want to be anything like Albert, do not mimic his "husbandry".
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