I began this year with a new goal for myself. I didn’t call it a New Year Resolution but that’s essentially what it was. My goal was to read a book a month. That meant that outside of my regular bible reading time I had to set aside at least 10 minutes to read a day. I started out feeling like this goal was attainable and if I read more? Great! And if I didn’t reach it? I’d re-evaluate and try again the following year.
So far this year I have read 38 books. That’s triple my goal! No, this does not include the read alouds read to my children or the Bible studies done. They’re just plain, old, good books I’ve had on my reading list for a while and have finally been honored to read. I am so thankful that I was able to make the time to do this. Now, I can hear your question, “Where were your kids? Are they ok?” And the answer is Timmy has fallen in the well, but aren’t you proud of me?
Joking.
In all seriousness, my kids are right here. They were watching me, snuggling me, playing and using their imaginations. They benefitted because we watched so much less tv and they learned to read. They watched mom and were inspired to pick up their own books. Even Preston has jumped back into the habit of reading and it has warmed my heart to see that my goals and priorities have a visible ripple effect throughout my family(and yes, it can be positive!). Some days I read only ten minutes, some days it was much much longer, and some days not at all. Overall, I was able to be flexible with it but also enjoy the challenge. It made all of the difference.
I want to begin this review series by giving a little insight as to why I’m doing book reviews at all. I do not fancy myself an intellectual or someone who can tell you what and what not to read. I am someone who has been inspired to read for fun, to educate myself and to read widely so that my perspective can be challenged. Naturally, when I find my life improved by something, I want to share it.
I will break some of these books off into sections such as: Historical fiction, fiction, theology, psychology, relationship and miscellaneous. I’ll split it into two or three posts to finish off the end of the year. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to pick up some of these books and experience them for yourself!
So Here Goes Nothing
Here’s a list of the books I’ve read in the category of theology:
- When To Walk Away by Gary Thomas
- Is The Bible Good For Women by Wendy Alsup
- Gay Girl Good God by Jackie Hill Perry
- Gentle And Lowly by Dane Ortlund
- Mother To Son by Jasmine Holmes
- Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry
- Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes by E Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien
- Worthy by Elise Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher
- Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
- Theology Basics by Phylicia Masonheimer
- The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis(audio book)
- Good Boundaries And Goodbyes by Lysa Terkherst(audio book)
- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero(audio book)
- Motherhood Without All The Rules by Maggie Combs
Now if I could recommend you read all of these books, I would and I believe in you! But I’m going to categorize them, for the sake of realism and knowing that we all have only so much time on this earth and we must be selective with the books we read.
Top 3:
Gentle And Lowly by Dane Ortlund – This is a book I plan on reading again next year during lent. Dane is an excellent writer who does a wonderful and clear job at explaining theological concepts that are fundamental to the Christian faith. I highly recommend this book to any Christian. This would be a great read in preparation for Easter or whenever you need to remember who your savior is(and who doesn’t need that every day of their life?).
Theology Basics by Phylicia Masonheimer – If you’ve ever met me, or been on my social media pages or knew someone who knows me you’ve probably heard me talk about Phylicia Masonheimer. What can I say, the gal has inspired me! I would recommend so many other books/blogs/posts/podcasts of hers but this book is one of the ones I read this year and I found it to be so well written. To be honest, when I ordered this book, I thought I would keep it on hand for reference rather than reading from cover to cover but I found myself reading it after my time in the word each morning and couldn’t stop. It’s full of basic theological concepts that matter for our faith. It’s written with different theological biases in mind and gives you the room to do your research, rather than telling you what to believe. I recommend this small, easy to use book for anyone who would like to become more familiar with theological concepts that shape their Christian walk.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero – This book has been amazing and is one that I would say that every Christian needs to read. It helps break down our barriers and moves us toward a more clear understanding of emotionally and spiritually mature Christianity. It’s full of biblical wisdom and inspires some strong self reflection.
Perspective Shifting:
If you’re someone like me, you squirm when your strong-held beliefs are being turned on their head. So as you can imagine I’ve been squirming since 2020 and frankly, I don’t plan to stop anytime soon. Sometimes our strong-held beliefs are not truly biblical and are more formed by culture or our own pride more than we realize. What better way to grow in Christ than to loosen the vice grip on our opinions and let God change and re-arrange our hearts? So without any further ramblings, here’s a category to challenge Christians to see the dignity and diversity that God ordains amongst His people.
Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry – Jackie gives a vulnerable gift to us in the writing of this book about her life and the perspective of same sex attracted people. She helps us see them as humans rather than a problem and tells her redemptive story in such a beautiful way. I highly recommend reading Jackies story and seeing her testimony as a reflection of God’s glory!
Mother To Son by Jasmine Holmes – This book is a special look into the perspective of a black mother writing letters to her young black son. Jasmine is a skilled writer and someone who knows what it’s like to grow up as a minority in a mostly white church, as well as the daughter of a famous pastor. She conveys incredible love, sound theology and biblical encouragement to her son through her letters. I appreciate the vulnerable look into her concerns for her son. It is a privilege to see the challenges faced through another mothers eyes. A must read for those seeking resources that help them empathize and better understand their black brothers and sisters.
Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes by E Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien – This book, written by missionary pastors, gives insight to how our western culture effects how we read and interpret the Bible. Challenging readers to consider the original audience and allowing personal application to happen only after understanding the context and nuances of scripture, these authors are challenging our individualistic, western minds in this insightful book. Take the time to read this book!
Women In Ministry:
Worthy by Elise Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher – This book was a good work by Eric and Elise, whose voices I knew well before opening this book. Their podcast(also called Worthy) is where I began learning from them and what led me to their book. For those who have wrestled with their place in Christian circles due to being a woman or for men who would like to better understand how to serve and come alongside female image bearers, this is an excellent book full of questions that need to be asked and answers rooted in scripture. I am looking forward to reading their next book Jesus And Gender.
Is The Bible Good For Women by Wendy Alsup – Written from a complementarian standpoint, this book gives excellent biblical insight to some really hard questions that women have been asking about the Bible due to our changing culture and the harsh realities of the ancient world for women. Wendy helps bring people to a healthy understanding of historical context when reading scripture and trying to understand some hard to read passages of the Bible. She does a thorough job without answering all of the questions for you, giving you the opportunity to dig deeper in the Word. This book isn’t my favorite because I do not land heavily in the complemetarian view of marriage but it is, without a doubt, done well and lends a good perspective to how to read the Bible without misunderstanding and misapplication.
Motherhood Without All The Rules by Maggie Combs – I am almost finished with this book. It’s been on my ‘to read’ list for what seems like ages. Maggie is a lovely woman of God who’s testimony and motivation for writing the book were why I picked it up in the first place(listen to her interview with The Daily Grace co. Podcast). This book is a great one for breaking down ideas that we build up in our minds of what motherhood should be and replacing it with transforming gospel truth. It’s enjoyable while making us take inventory of our hearts in motherhood.
Miscellaneous:
Good Boundaries And Goodbyes by Lysa TerKeurst – This book will be a re-listen without a doubt. Lysa talks about emotional and spiritual health and maturity in this book with clarity and experience. If you’re someone who needs some biblical clarity on issues like boundaries, grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, Christlike love then this book is for you. This is a must read for all Christians.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis – This book was riveting. In this fictional story you get a glimpse at humanity and Christianity from the standpoint of a senior demon and his apprentice in their attempt to cause a man to stumble and be ineffective for the Kingdom. This classic is eye opening and worth a read.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis – After hearing quote after quote from this book from various Christian speakers, authors and teachers, I felt that it was necessary to finally read the thing for myself. Lewis gives timeless insight to core christian beliefs. It is somewhat philosophical in nature which is not surprising considering the intellectuals at the time were well versed in this process of thought. All in all I found this book to be enjoyable and an excellent read for those who are established fans of C.S. Lewis or are becoming more acquainted with his work.
The Crunchy Vagabond 