Welcome to my annual Reader’s Journal post! Here you will find a list of the books that I read this year with my top 5 highlighted. I think I am surprised that I didn’t read more books, what with the pandemic and all. My list does not include my Bible reading, The Cloud of Witness, Charlotte Mason’s 6 Volumes, or school books. Let me know if you have any opinions about these titles. If you post your list, feel free to link in the comments. I would love to see what you enjoyed this year.
- Kohila – The Shaping of an Indian Nurse by Amy Carmichael
Amy Carmichael was a missionary from Ireland to the temple children of India, establishing the Dohnavur Fellowship in 1901 and Kohila was one of those rescued children who grew up to follow Christ and serve at the Fellowship. I have written about the connection between Charlotte and Amy in the past. But THIS book, this book was what I wish I had read first! Here we have principle #1 of Charlotte’s – “Children are born persons” – put into action in a stunning way! You will see so clearly how Amy applied this principle in a different culture where it stands in such stark contrast to the norm, a beautiful theology of children as image bearers. She includes quotes from Charlotte and other PNEU leaders throughout. If you read this book, you will understand what it means to sacrifice for the children’s sake. (And for my LER peeps, this book was going to be Maria Bell’s selection for the Tom Wright Book Giveaway!)
2. The Return of the Prodigal Son – Anniversary Edition by Henri Nouwen
This book is a master class in picture study. It is Nouwen’s spiritual journey after a brief initial encounter with Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son. If you’ve ever wondered what good picture study might do for your students, this book will leave no doubt that when we work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, He may work deeply in their hearts over the course of many years, as Henri’s story attests.
3. Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher
This book arrived on my doorstep (thank you to Kate Powell!) the day after I had been talking with a friend from Hungary who described to me that she saw so many similarities between the current state of affairs in the U.S. and the communist country she escaped as a child. It was disconcerting. Dreher’s book painted the exact same picture with deft storytelling that my friend described. This book tries to not be too alarmist, but once you see all the parallels to the totalitarianism of Eastern Europe, you can’t help but be concerned about the soft totalitarianism all around us. He highlights the role of Christians under these regimes in the past and gives some guidance, particularly from Alexander Solzhenitsyn who urged Westerners to “live not by lies”. In fact, our Truth, Beauty, Goodness community will be reading this as a Citizenship/Geography (Eastern Europe) selection this winter. This interview will enlighten you more about the book.
4. Shakespeare’s Restless World – Portrait of an Era by Neil MacGregor
I just LOVED this book! If you are a Shakespeare geek, you will too. I kept thinking as I read along, “This is such an interesting history book and I just love how he ties in Shakespeare with each artifact!” Well, duh (see the title), but my point is that I would be swept away by his descriptions and stories and then tickled by the Shakespeare connections. It helped clarify so many aspects of the Shakespearean world for me, using words and scenes from the many plays I am already familiar with. I looked forward to each new chapter.
![In Every Corner Sing: A Poet's Corner collection by [Malcolm Guite]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51yJz-ZF6IL.jpg)
5. In Every Corner Sing by Malcolm Guite
Every night after writing in my 5-year journal and reading about a name of Jesus, I would read an essay from this collection. These are from Guite’s “delectable column that appears on the back page of the Church Times each week.” I love how he writes and have learned so much about essay writing from his magnificent prose and poetry. His musings were part of my sacred pause at the end of each day. In fact, I am now reading the next collection, Heaven in Ordinary.
And here’s the rest of my reading list for 2019. An “*” means I highly recommend it and it just missed making the top picks!
6. Finding Our Voice by Jeannie Kendall
7. The Book of Waking Up by Seth Haines
8. Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
9. CM* Christian Meditation by Edmund P. Clowney
10, Emma by Jane Austen (reread)*
11. Half Broke Horses by Jannette Walls
12. Leave Me Alone, I’m Reading – Finding and Losing Myself in Books by Maureen Corrigan*
13. The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher
14. Gentlemen from England by Maud & Delos Lovelace
15. Saint Catherine of Siena and Her Times by Margaret Roberts
16. Portage: A Family, A Canoe, and the Search For The Good Life by Sue Leaf
17. Minnesota’s Geologist: The Life of Newton Horace Winchell by Sue Leaf*
18. The Cross Timbers – Memories of a North Texas Boyhood by Edward Everett Dale
19. Like Dew Your Youth by Eugene Peterson*
20. This Too Shall Last – Finding Grace When Suffering Lingers by K.J. Ramsey*
21. Hope in the Age of Addiction by Dodd and James
22. Women of the Word – How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and our Minds by Jen Wilken*
23. Worthy – Celebrating the Value of Women by Fitzpatrick and Schumacher
24. Coronavirus and Christ by John Piper
Past lists of reading goodness:
I finally got mine done. 🙂 https://ampine-hearthridgereflections.com/2021/01/02/favorite-reads-of-2020-and-reading-ideas-for-2021/ I love, love reading yours, of course! Jotting a few down!
Yay! I always love your lists!
What age of child/teen would you recommend Shakespeare’s Restless World for? My 7th grader would be interested in reading that if it is appropriate.
I had such a wonderful reading year this year and last, and I really have James Mustich’s book _1000 Books to Read Before You Die_ to thank. It’s like browsing in the world’s best used bookstore and has helped me find many new favorites!
These were the best books I read in 2020:
* The Power and the Glory – Graham Greene
* Kon-Tiki – Heyerdahl
* A Place of Greater Safety – Hilary Mantel (an epic historical novel of the French Revolution and the Terror, by the author of the Wolf Hall trilogy)
* An American Childhood – Annie Dillard – (the best memoir I’ve ever read, with tons of amazing connections to CM ideas!)
* Nicholas Nickleby – Dickens
* On the Shortness of Life – Penguin Great Ideas pocket classics volume of 3 of Seneca’s essays
* War in Val d’Orcia – Iris Origo – her diary of life in wartime Tuscany – incredibly inspiring
* Nicholas and Alexandra: The Last Tzar and His Family – Robert K. Massie
* The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt – Edmund Morris
* I Was a Stranger – General Sir John Hackett – the WWII memoir of a British brigadier (at the time) who parachuted into occupied Holland, was badly injured, and was sheltered by the Dutch resistance. An incredible story of faith and faithfulness.
* Breaking Bread with the Dead – Alan Jacobs. I have so much enjoyed all of Alan Jacobs’s books! Nancy, you would LOVE these if you haven’t already read them.
And the best of what I read with my kiddos: Treasure Island, Chedper by the Dozen, Ill Met by Moonlight (Moss), Twelfth Night, Winter Holiday (Ransome), The Tempest, The Door in the Wall, The Occident (Halliburton), Idylls of the King (Tennyson), A Little Princess, Poems Every Child Should Know, The Wonder Book (Hawthorne), Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight, and just like every year, Winnie the Pooh 🙂
Such a rich list, Andrea! I loved American Childhood, too. Yes, Jacobs is on my list…should I start with BBWTD? Regarding Shakespeare’s Restless World, I think there were some mature references in it but I do remember thinking my high schoolers would love it. Maybe listen to a few of the BBC segments that Brooke recommends?
Warmly,
Nancy
Thanks so much, Nancy! Great tip, I’ll listen.
You can’t go wrong with any of Jacobs’s books imo but I did especially enjoy BBWTD and How to Think. (I waited a long time to read How to Think, just finding the title a little off-putting/arrogant-sounding – I think it’s one of those “the publisher made me do it” titles. Fantastic book though.) To me he is a voice of sanity and civility and I definitely plan to have each of my children read both of those particular books in high school.
My copies of In Every Corner Sing and Heaven in Ordinary are already on their way to me – I’m so excited! I’ve loved several others of Malcolm Guite’s books and have heard him speak and do poetry readings, but I had no idea these two books existed. I can’t wait to read them. Thank you again! 🙂
I, too, always look forward to your annual “Reader’s Journal” post, Nancy! These look so, so good!! Will add to my TBR list for sure (which grows by the hour this time of year, with all the “Best of 2020” lists coming out!).
I set a goal to read 30 books this year, and I surpassed that. I did allow myself to include the books I read aloud to my son, but still, I am happy with my effort. Could have, should have been more, but I was surprised by how LITTLE reading I got done during this pandemic, especially early on. But I take heart that I know I wasn’t alone in my struggle; the inability to concentrate, the rather deer-in-the-headlights feeling all spring was real. 2021 just HAS to be better.
I won’t share my list….not quite as cerebral as yours. I will say that I heartily enjoyed and recommend “The Snow Child” by Eowyn Ivey. A fairy tale for adults. Beautiful. I also just finished the audio of “Evangelism As Exiles” by Elliot Clark. Our new lead Pastor is a book hound and weekly gives us recommendations in his sermon. So I keep track and will tackle them slowly but surely. This particular one was convicting and encouraging.
Merry Christmas and Blessings to you and yours!
Yes, my list grows this time of year, too! I have heard of The Snow Child and will need to look into it as it sounds lovely.
Peaceful Advent to you and yours!
Nancy
I will have to add Live Not by Lies to my stack. Interestingly, I had what sounds like a very similar conversation with my Hungarian friend not too many months ago. What was happening in Hungary was why she and her family came to the United States, and now they are troubled by what they are seeing here and are struggling with some long term decision making. On another note, I have not read a whole lot of travel books, but I am working my way through “From The Holy Mountain” by William Dalrymple. It is fascinating to me and is making me realize how little I truly know about some areas of the world as they’ve changed over time! There have been times where I’ve had to stop and look up several things just from a single paragraph 🙂 I’d recommend this book especially to those with an interest in geography and culture. Thanks for sharing your list – I always look forward to it!
That sounds like an interesting read, Wendy! I will have to look it up.
Warmly,
Nancy
Love this Nancy. I’ll have to look over my list for the year too. I also loved Shakespeare’s Restless World. Wanted to note that if there are any readers with an auditory preference, there are 15 min BBC radio pieces (on website or search for podcast) for each chapter and the sections from the plays are audio clips as well, which is fun. I’ve not listened to all of them but will be assigning them to my daughter who prefers listening when she can.
Ohhh…really good to know, Brooke! Thank you!
Warmly,
Nancy
I always look forward to your reading list. My list is Whiskey in a Tea Cup by Reese Whitherspoon, Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez, Parnassus on Wheels, Gifts from the Sea by Anne Morrow LIndberg, The Sunflower by RIchard Paul Evans, Wish by Barbara O Connor, Homeschool Bravely by Jamie Erickson, A walk in the woods by BIll Bryson, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier ( a re-read), I won’t mention all the books I have started and yet to finish. I am terrible about starting and stopping books. I am in the middle of reading the Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck ( I started reading last year).
Yes, I have some of those that get started and don’t go anywhere, too! I see you read one of my favorites – Parnassus on Wheels. Gifts from the Sea was lovely.
Thank you for sharing yours!
-Nancy
I have just started Live Not By Lies, and I am going to recommend to anyone who will listen, as I think it is so relevant to what we see happening around us. My children are reading Shakespeare’s Restless World this term. Glad to see you loved it.
Very relevant. We will also be reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Solzhenitsyn this winter.
Warmly,
Nancy