When I started my adult reading journey back in 2013, my goal was to read 10 books in a year, but I only read 4 haha. I continued to improve over the years, because I truly wanted to make reading a habit, and it didn't take long before my love of reading returned.
The past few years, I have averaged about 75 books, and I think that is probably going to be the spot where I settle. But this year, I outdid myself {for good or for bad, I blame unemployment and grief}. This year, I read 100 books! To think that I started with 4; I have come so far :)
I tried out StoryGraph this year, to track my books, and I am still on the fence on whether or not I like it. It's not as easy to navigate as GoodReads {in my opinion}, but I like some of their stats/graphics better. I'll give it another year and see if I stick with it.
It's amazing to me how my TBR list continues to grow, as I constantly find new books I want to read. While I certainly have the genres that are my favorites, I also have enjoyed branching out and trying new authors and stories. They haven't all been winners, but I found my favorite books of this year by trying something new {The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion- I FLEW through all of those books, and I wish there were more!}
I am already off and running on my 2026 reads! :)
1. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore // Barbara Van Laar vanishes from summer camp. But it's not the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Her older brother vanished fourteen years earlier, and was never found. As the search unfolds, the layered secrets of the Van Laar family are unraveled. The idea of this story starts off intriguing, but the story quickly gets a little convoluted and slow. And in the end, I just felt "meh" about it all.
2. Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow by Jamie Erickson // In this book, the author unites the Danish practice of hygge with deeper theological truths of the gospel. She unpacks the ideas of hospitality, relationships, well-being, atmosphere, comfort, contentment, and rest, providing practical ways to help create a life-giving home that introduces guests to faith in Christ. I thought this book was well done, and I appreciated the discussion questions and prayers at the end of each chapter.
3. Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation by Nancy Guthrie // An overview of Revelation, pointing the reader to the more important themes of who we are to be and what we are to do as we wait for Jesus' return. I appreciated this book because it was less about the specifics of when Jesus would return, and it took the fear and confusion out of the book that is so often present when studying it. Highly recommend. Do I agree with all of here interpretations on Revelation? Not necessarily. But I referenced it multiple times for our Revelation Bible study, and I will refer back to it again in the future.
4. Darks Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop // The author shares a biblical perspective on lament, walking through some Psalms and Lamentations. He challenges the reader that we have lost the practice of lament in our culture and offers a way to recover the biblical practice in order to put words to our sorrow and wrestle with our pain. I wish he had offered the idea that lament is a response to our trials and sorrow, not the only response. Overall, it was not anything new to me, and I found it repetitive at times, but I have had the benefit of good biblical teaching on the topic. I still found the book helpful on a topic that is not generally discussed in depth or practiced well in the modern church.
5. Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer by Tyler Staton // This book was not what I expected, given the title, and this trend is starting to irk me. There was little discussion about how monks actually pray, or about how we are to "live foolishly" in the eyes of the world, so why he chose to title his book that way shows he was just trying to be cute. While he is obviously very passionate about prayer, and there were good things to be gleaned from the book, I think his execution was off. I don't think he's intentionally trying to mislead people; but some of his ideas are immature and not theologically developed. There's no discussion given to reverence in prayer, there's concern over his idea of a "successful" prayer, and there were a lot of assumptions regarding some Scriptural references {when they even were present}. So while a mature believer could parse through the book, I wouldn't be able to recommend this one to members in my church. Passion does not equal truth.
6. Framed by John Grisham & Jim McCloskey // Ten true stories of innocent men who were falsely imprisoned. Each story recounts the hard-fought battles to set them free. I appreciated this inside look into our broken judicial system, and I was shocked at how plainly obvious some of these cases were in allowing injustice to occur. A lot of the accused were just innocent bystanders. There was a vast amount of corrupt law enforcement, shoddy investigative work, and just flat out lies. The sad part was how the stories started to become repetitive, and sometimes the truth is ugly and boring.
7. A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy by Tia Levings // The author shares her story as a young wife, being recruited into fundamentalist Christian churches, learning to be submissive to an abusive husband, fleeing with her children, and learning to find herself outside of the religious life she knew. I do not doubt her experiences, and I am so very sad for the abuse she endured at the hands of her husband. My rating is entirely on the book itself, because it is written in such strange prose. Considering she is writing about abuse and manipulation, she wants to write in an ethereal way, using awkward similes and metaphors. Her writing is clunky, moving from describing instances of abuse to "well that's just how it is" type of statements and blaming the church, with no acknowledgements of actual feelings. And even knowing more of her story from outside this memoir, and understanding that she fully {and angrily} blames Christianity and the patriarchy for the abuse she endured {not distinguishing fundamentalism or gross cult misrepresentations}, the memoir was still hard to follow and feel full empathy for her story, considering the choices she knowingly made along the way. I just wish publishers would stop letting hurting people process their pain through books, when they are clearly not ready to do so.
8. She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica // Meghan's new ICU patient arrives in a coma after plunging from a bridge to the train tracks below. When a witness comes forward and calls everything into question, Meghan can't help but become emotionally entangled in her patient's life. If the book was JUST this storyline, maybe it might have had a chance. But there were so many other things going on, too many plot lines. Too many plot holes. Too many details about the city. The characters were dumb. It was slow and confusing. I finished it wondering what in the world I just read and why. Do not recommend.
9. Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God by Tim Challies // The author walks through his own personal story of grief in losing his 21-year-old son. The book offers his real-time reflections from his first year of grief, through the seasons from fall to summer. It's an honest but biblically mature look at grief, and I found myself nodding my head as tears fell from my eyes on multiple occasions. It will help people know how to keep their faith through a hard loss, how to work through biblical doctrine even in difficult situations, and understand how to love God more after a loss. It may not be the openly raw look at grief that some people may want, but it is the mature and anchoring truth that people need. I'm thankful for this book, that the author kept {and included} his real-time reflections, but waited to publish them, so that he could have the gift of time and wisdom to share alongside them.
10. The Wedding People by Alison Espach // Phoebe is the only guest at the Cornwall Inn who is not there for the wedding. She is determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail...except Phoebe. The paths of these two strangers intertwine on this chance encounter and ends up taking them to places they never imagined. This was a fun, interesting book, and overall I enjoyed it. It was a little slow, and I found the bride to be insufferable. I also couldn't give it a higher rating because there was so much unnecessary sexual content. Call me a prude, I don't care. But it added nothing to the story.
11. The Scuttlebutt Letters by Natalie Brand // Meant to be written in the style of The Screwtape Letters, the Heart speaks to the Tongue, in an attempt to steer the whole person from catastrophe. I appreciated the clever attempt, but not quite on par with Lewis {can anyone really be?} A short read that somehow seemed to read slow. Overall meh.
12. Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda by Megan Basham // I knew going into this book that it was controversial and basically click-bait propaganda. But in an effort to know what the religious culture is drinking from, I decided to read it. And this book just made me sad. Not because of what the author was presenting, but how she presented it and expected her audience to believe it. It is not credible, with blatant misrepresentations throughout, and it is overall poorly argued. I do not understand how her publisher allowed such inaccuracies to stand. While there are issues within the church with progressive theology, the topics she chooses just highlight her own lack of understanding on theological triage. This book lacks journalistic integrity and drips with political idolatry.
13. Middle of the Night by Riley Sager // Ethan and his best friend Billy were camping out in his backyard when Billy was taken from their tent and was never seen again. Thirty years later, Ethan has returned to his childhood home and strange things have started happening in the middle of the night. This book felt very slow. There was no suspense, no character development, no surprises. When there was the potential for suspense, it fell flat.
14. Neighborhoods Reimagined: How the Beatitudes Inspire Our Call to be Good Neighbors by Chris McKinney // The author invites the reader to imagine a neighborhood where neighbors are connected, fences are down, and we see God's kingdom come. Walking through the beatitudes, McKinney helps us envision how Jesus' upside-down values can transform our neighborhoods for the gospel. It's a good conversation starter.
15. Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams // I saw this book come across a book list and added it to my library holds, and then it became a huge news story that Facebook was {supposedly} trying to bury it. So of course I was intrigued when it came up in my queue. It's the memoir of a former Facebook executive, spilling her secrets on the unchecked corrupt leadership and rotten company culture. And while appalling, it was not surprising. I wouldn't necessarily characterize her book as "explosive" but I think people should read it, mostly because Facebook doesn't want you to. I couldn't give it a higher rating, only because it read slowly and repetitively, and I struggle when tell-alls are devoid of personal responsibility, of which this executive had her fair share. There is some merit in telling her story, but she threw everyone under the bus for what I suspect will be a fairly lucrative book deal...and that fits right into the culture she left.
16. The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence by Gavin De Becker // An expert on violent behavior offers ways to protect yourself, what to do if you are being stalked, and learn to identify danger signals. While there were some helpful ideas, I didn't feel like this book shed any earth-shattering light on this topic. And the author mostly repeated himself and had one main message: trust your instincts. If you feel fear, there's probably a good reason. Helpful, but not revolutionary.
17. Help for the Hungry Soul: Eight Encouragements to Grow Your Appetite for God's Word by Kristen Wetherell // I thought this was a very encouraging book! It is meant to encourage believers to stir their affections for God's Word. It can benefit both new and seasoned believers alike. There are reflections questions and practical applications in each chapter. I definitely recommend it.
18. Gospel-Shaped Womanhood: How Losing Yourself & Finding Your Identity in Christ Changes Everything by Sarah Rice // The author explores what it means to have a gospel-centered identity, in a world that tells us to "find ourselves." She talks about how centering our identity on Christ helps to shape our relationships, service, work, and self-image. I really appreciated this book, in that there was a lot of truth in it. But I had a hard time rating it because I felt like there was a lot of "Christianese" without a lot of clarifying definitions. I read one review that said it was a mile wide and an inch deep, and I would agree. So while it spoke truth, there was a lot that was still missing. Too much was covered at a surface level. Not a bad book, just not what I was hoping for.
19. An Unfinished Murder by Jude Deveraux // #5 in the Medlar Mystery series. I read this series back in 2022, and just realized that book 5 came out last year. While I appreciated the chance to continue a series a enjoyed, I found myself wondering why I liked this series so much. Maybe too much time has passed. Maybe my reading tastes have changed. Or maybe it was just a stretch in the series. There were just too many characters, and the whole dream aspect of solving the crime was just too much. I would probably still read a 6th book, but it would have to really "wow" me.
20. Girl, Missing by Blake Pierce // Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller #13. In the interest of looking up previous series I have read, I decided to pickup this one again. I read the last one in 2023, and even then I knew that it was already several books into being ridiculous. But it was the train wreck I couldn't look away from haha. And this book wasn't any different. It's ridiculous; you have to suspend reality. Am I going to finish the series? I thought I would, but now the author has extended from 15 to 21 books...so this could be endless LOL. We'll see where it goes as Ella figures out the mystery surrounding her dad {if she ever does}...
21. Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping {On a Dead Man} by Jesse Q. Sutanto // Vera Wong #2. This funny little Chinese lady is back, looking for more dead bodies to investigate. When she comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kind guidance, Vera steps in to help her find her missing friend. While snooping, Vera discovers that the missing friend is actually a John Doe in murder case, and she is off and running with her quirky antics to solve the murder. I just find this character and these cozy mysteries so funny and fun!
22. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon // A historical mystery inspired by the diary of Martha Ballard, an 18th century midwife. Martha is summoned to examine the body of a man pulled from the icy river. Months earlier, she recorded in her diary the alleged sexual assault of two men in the town- one of whom has now been found in the ice. This was an interesting story, though it was long and rather slow at times. I did feel like the author wrote too modernly into the text at times, but overall I appreciated the history. It could be fairly graphic at times as well.
23. Hard is Not the Same Thing as Bad: The Perspective Shift That Could That Could Completely Change the Way You Mother by Abbie Halberstadt // "All suffering is hard, but not all hard things are suffering." I appreciated the overall message of this book. It was a good perspective shift in our self-focused, "my life is terrible" mommy culture. But I did feel like this book didn't need to be a whole book. It could have been a couple of chapters in the author's original book M is for Mama. The "Dad Thoughts" at the end of each chapter seemed completely out of place. This book also seemed to be geared more toward moms in the toddler stage of motherhood. Another thing worth noting...while I appreciate some of the author's insights, at times her tone can be condescending and self-righteous. I obviously don't know her personally, so I can't judge her as such, so I wish she had a different editor to help her shape her tone better so that she doesn't come off that way.
24. The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke // The oldest daughter of Ruby Franke tells her story of survival growing up with the viral 8 Passengers vlog, experiencing the influence of Jodi Hildebrandt, and fighting to save her siblings. I clearly have no idea {except what the media sensationalizes and what Shari shared in this book} what this woman endured. So I am not rating her story or life. I simply am rating this book. The story was harrowing. The book was disjointed and detached of emotion, given the nature of the horrors described {or even not described}. The author is still so young and clearly processing the trauma she experienced. People have a right to tell their story, but she would benefit from more time and therapy, and a better editor.
25. Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke // Texas Ranger Darren Matthews investigates two murders in the small East Texas town of Lark- a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman. The racial tensions run deep, and the Ranger must wade through family dramas and his own personal demons to solve the murders. I could not really decide if I liked this one or not. At times, I enjoyed the writing style, but other times it seemed overly predictable. At times I was engrossed in the story, and at other times, it seemed to drag on. I didn't really connect with or like the main character. Or really any of the characters. I would give this author another chance, but it would need to be a truly compelling read.
26. The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith // The seventh of the Cormoran Strike series. {These are written by J.K. Rowling}. I actually read this one out of order, because I didn't realize that I hadn't read book 6 yet, which is on hold at the library. Strike investigates the Universal Humanitarian Church, and Robin goes under cover as a new follower. While interesting, this book was really long and really slow. I enjoy the characters, so I will continue to follow the series {and go back to the book I missed}, but man, this one was a bit of a slog to get through.
27. The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust and Threatens Us All- But There is a Solution by Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott // The title is long enough to summarize what this book is about haha. The authors offer definitions and examples of what cancel culture is and how it works, and they also make efforts to offer solutions on how to promote a free speech culture. While I appreciate the efforts in this book, it did seem heavy on anecdotal examples, rather than actual facts and data. Also, while the authors claimed to be balanced, it did seem to be more conservative-sympathizing {which is no surprise, given the source/funding- FIRE}. It still provided some good information and things to consider.
28. The Angel Maker by Alex North // I'd like to offer a summary of this book, but I can't, because I am not really sure what all happened in it. It was hard to keep the characters and storylines straight. It was chaotic and confusing, and the reader had to put in too much effort to work it all out. Too much effort for too little pay out in the end. I'll read his next book, in hopes that it is like his first two, and not like this one.
29. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis // Chronicles of Narnia #5. The adventure of Shasta and his talking horse, Bree. When they discover a plot by the Calormen people to conquer the land of Narnia, the race is on to warn the Narnians of the impending danger. I just found this book uninteresting. It wasn't as adventurous and magical as some of the other books. Not my favorite in the series.
30. Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn't Make Sense by Paul David Tripp // Tripp weaves together his own personal story, years of counseling experience, and biblical insights to help readers walking through suffering. He identifies 6 traps to avoid and 6 comforts to embrace in this biblically-sound and hope-filled book. Probably one of the best books on the topic of suffering I have read. Highly recommend.
31. One Way Back: A Memoir by Christine Blasey Ford // In September of 2018, Dr. Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee which was considering the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. I watched the hearing, and I believed her testimony at the time. So when I saw that she had written a book, I was interested. This is her story, behind the headlines, of her desire to just speak the truth. She paid a high price to tell her truth, and I appreciated reading her story. I still believe her.
32. Dethroning Jesus: Exposing Popular Culture's Quest to Unseat the Biblical Christ by Darell L. Bock // I read this book in preparation for a New Testament apologetics Sunday school class offered over the summer at church. This apologetics book seeks to address a few specific books and television specials that sought to reduce Jesus to a mythic legend and/or a mere man. He talks about the idea of "Jesusanity," where Jesus is simply a good, moral teacher, rather than the third member of the trinity that Christianity teaches. He walks through the gospels of Thomas and Judas, and refutes their claims that Jesus is not divine {as orthodox Christianity teaches}. I found it really interesting, helpful, and accessible. It's definitely more of an academic book, but it was also written for lay readers, so it wasn't overly difficult to follow or understand.
33. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave // Owen Michaels disappears, but before he does, he leaves a note for his wife of one year: Protect her. Hannah knows the note refers to his sixteen-year old daughter, who lost her mother when she was little, and wants nothing to do with her new step-mother. Hannah quickly realizes that her husband is not who he said he was, and his daughter may hold the key to figuring out his true identity. I enjoyed this one. It kept me guessing on who Hannah could trust, and what secrets would ultimately be revealed.
34. Good Material by Dolly Alderton // Andy loves Jen, but can't figure out why she stopped loving him. He's waiting for his stand up career to take off and wondering why everyone around him seems to have grown up without him. This was supposed to be a funny take on heartbreak and finding yourself...but I couldn't stand it. It was so painful to be stuck in his head for 98% of the book. And I don't think reading Jen's point of view at the end redeemed it at all. These characters were insufferable. This book should have been a DNF.
35. Becoming the Pastor's Wife: How Marriage Replaced Ordination as a Woman's Path to Ministry by Beth Allison Barr // The author tries to draw a connection between the decline of female ordination and the rise of the role of the pastor's wife in the evangelical church. While I found some of her research interesting and agree that the pastor's wife is not a biblical role that should be an assumed ministry position, I can't say that she had clear and convincing arguments. Much of her language was couched in language like "possibly, probably, perhaps," without providing corresponding evidence- she made A LOT of assumptions to fit her arguments. In addition, her arguments are made from {often assumptive} church history, not from biblical exegesis. She clearly has a bias when it comes to the SBC, and it shows in her writing. {To be clear, I am not affiliated or supportive or against the SBC, but she was unable to remain neutral in her positions}. Not a book I would recommend on the topic, as the arguments were not clear or convincing.
36. A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins // A young man is found murdered on his house boat. Three women are under suspicion: the troubled one-night stand, the grief-stricken aunt, and the nosy neighbor. Tons of secrets. Not great, not terrible. Kept my attention enough on the audio book to finish the laundry :)
37. The Crash by Freida McFadden // Tegan is eight months pregnant, her life is falling apart, and she gets stranded in a blizzard with a broken ankle and a dead car. She is rescued by a couple who offer her a room in a warm cabin, but she soon realizes something isn't right. I feel like the stories by this author have potential to be good, and then they always end up falling flat and just being ridiculous. I'm not sure what the draw is.
38. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis // The Chronicles of Narnia #6. Uncle Andrew, who fancies himself a magician, sends Digory and Polly on an adventure to Narnia. This is right at the beginning of Narnia, when it is born from the song of Aslan. This wasn't my favorite of the series.
39. The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh // Isadora Bentley lives a quiet, organized life. She is an academic researcher, and she's content with her research and nothing else. On her thirtieth birthday, she does something out of character and impulse-buys a magazine for an article entitled "Thirty-One Ways to be Happy." She sets out to prove the author wrong, but the deeper she gets into her research, the more she realizes that there's something to be said for loosening up and just being happy. Social awkwardness, self discovery, working through your past. This was a little bit different, and I enjoyed it. A cute read.
40. Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope by Amanda Nguyen // The author recounts how her life changed forever at a Harvard frat party after she was raped. She recounts how she had to put her dreams of NASA on hold to fight the legal system that was stacked against her. While she was incredibly brave to tell her story and help create the Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights, many of the details were repeated over an dover as she grappled with the injustice she faced. She also wrote in tandem about her grief from the points of view of herself at age 5, 15, 22, and 30, and their efforts to try to save 5, thus the name of the book. That part read strangely to me, as it was written more as stream-of-consciousness. Brave woman, and even a creative idea, just not my style of writing.
41. My Friends by Fredrik Backman // Louisa sees three tiny figures in a painting and is determined to find out the story behind them. More than two decades prior, those tiny figures spend a summer as teenagers, telling jokes and sharing secrets. Out of that summer, the painting emerges. A chance encounter in an alleyway makes Louisa the unexpected caretaker of this painting, and she embarks on a cross-country journey to discover how the painting came to be and what to do with it. I love everything this author writes. This was another good one.
42. The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World by Rosaria Butterfield // Re-Read. This was our first Summer Book Club read, so it was good to read through this one again. Just as good the second time around.
43. Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green // John meets Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. In this book, John tells Henry's story, while weaving scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world. He has become an advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of healthcare inequities. Such an interesting read!
44. Heartwood by Amity Gaige // Hiker Valerie goes missing on the Appalachian Trail. She writes poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to stay alive. Game Warden Beverly leads up the search team. Seventy-six year old birdwatcher Lena is an unexpected armchair detective. I was confused about the point of this book. It was confusing and boring. The ending was anti-climactic, to say the least. Not for me.
45. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith // The sixth of the Cormoran Strike series. {These are written by J.K. Rowling}. I went back to this one, since I read these out of order, by accident. But when it came up at the library, it left off where I had been before, so apparently I had started it before and never went back to it. And when I got back into it, I realized why. This one was a tough one to slog through. It feels like the book was long just for long's sake. It was super confusing. Not my favorite of the series.
46. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis // The Chronicles of Narnia #7. We wrapped up our time in Narnia! Old friends are summoned back to Narnia for its last days. While the story is adventurous, it was much darker than the others, and some of the descriptions are very problematic. After reading the whole series, I realize that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is my favorite, and I could do without the rest of the series, personally. But the kids LOVED the whole series and were asking to read through them all again!
47. The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi by Wright Thompson // A historical account of the Mississippi Delta and the murder of Emmett Till. It's incredibly well-researched, and it is ultimately a story about property, money, and power. It can feel long and disjointed at times, but overall it was a really fascinating read.
48. The Story of the World, Volume 2: The Middle Ages by Susan Wise Bauer // We finished up our history curriculum for school. Another solid read! We didn't quite enjoy the time period as much as the Ancient Times, but that's not really the author's fault. It was still an engaging way to learn history!
49. Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage by Gavin Ortlund // Re-Read. This was our second Summer Book Club read, and I think I actually liked it better this second time around. An important topic in our constantly divided church culture.
50. Just Be Honest: How to Worship Through Tears and Pray Without Pretending by Clint Watkins // Another really good book on lament. The author relays his personal story of losing his son at birth and how he processed that with the Lord. A good deep-dive into biblical lament and being honest with the Lord in the midst of our grief. One of my favorite quotes: "God's compassion does not depend on your ability to struggle perfectly." A really tender, yet biblically sound book.
51. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden // First...I put this book on hold at the library, and it was still on hold an entire YEAR later when it finally became available at a different library. It's still on hold at that original library haha. Anywho...I don't think this author is for me. Her writing is juvenile, her characters are wholly unlikeable, and her stories are ridiculous. This one was slightly better than the others I have read; I liked how you got all of the maid's point of view, then all of the wife's point of view, and then they converged. But it was still lazy writing and a ridiculous story. Certainly not a thriller worth waiting an entire YEAR to read.
52. Scrolling Ourselves to Death: Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age by Brett McCracken // The author explores many of Neil Postman's ideas from Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985). While he isn't saying much new from many of the other books warning against the dangers of technology/smartphones/social media changing our brains, I liked how he provided action steps for reclaiming healthy lifestyles. He also specifically addresses ministry leaders in helping the church navigate this issue. A good resource.
53. Overwhelmed Mom: Quiet the Chaos, Mind What Matters, and Enjoy Your Life Again by Jamie Erickson // I was part of Jamie's launch team, so you can find my full review here.
54. Unlocking the Secrets of the Feasts by Michael Norten // We are studying the seven feasts recorded in Leviticus 23 for Bible study, so I wanted to get a little bit of background information. This book was recommended to me. While I was able to get some information from it, I would not recommend this book and would look elsewhere. This is not a scholarly work, and the writing is reductive. It is written from one specific {biased} theological view, and many of his connections felt like they were reaching. Some of his claims were flat out inaccurate, which made it hard to wade through fact, fiction, and mere opinion.
55. Our Star-Spangled Story Part 1 by Charlene Notgrass // I chose this as a supplement for our history curriculum this year, as we are diving into American History. I would say that it is ok- not bad, not great. I think it's oversimplified for my kids; they could definitely handle more in 2nd and 3rd grade. I appreciate some of the first hand accounts/quotes that are included, but huge parts of history are skipped {I recognize not every history book/curriculum can cover it all, but it just felt like major chunks were missing so it felt disjointed}. It is a Christian resource, so Bible verses are included at the end of every chapter. As a Christian, I love my Bible, but these felt out of place and forced into the curriculum. I do feel like the history presented was accurate. There was an effort to to tell the truth, the good and the bad.
56. The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North // Dan Garvie barely escapes an encounter with a serial killer as a child, so he becomes a criminal profiler, in an effort to seek justice for innocent victims. When his father dies under suspicious circumstances, he returns to his hometown to uncover the truth, and wonders if the monster from his childhood has returned. I have been disappointed in his last 2 novels; they haven't been quite as "gripping" or "thrilling" as promised. This one was just ok, kind of meh.
57. Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May // A book meant to explore how to care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from this book, but it was not exactly what I thought it was going to be. It was more of a memoir, somewhat self-help, mostly disjointed. I gave it 2 stars, 1 for the descriptions of varying cultures and experiences and 1 for the beautiful writing. But otherwise, I felt like the author seemed to miss the mark in a lot of ways. She wrote from a place of incredible privilege, not truly addressing the depths of life's hardships, and some of her connections to winter didn't quite...connect. I probably wasn't the right audience for this book.
58. The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave // Nora's father was a self-made hotel magnate, a loving but distant family man. But he was a mysterious man whose suspicious death only deepened the mystery. As Nora looks into his death, she uncovers family secrets. It was a quick read, but it wasn't overly interesting or thrilling. It was pretty basic.
59. American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics by Kevin Hazzard // This was a little repetitive, and the reviews say it was a "dramatic story;" I wouldn't go quite that far. But I do think it was an interesting read! Obscure stories like this are so fascinating to me, and I really enjoyed it.
60. The Good Lie by A.R. Torre // Psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Moore has spent a decade treating killers. Defense attorney Robert Kavin's son was the victim of an infamous serial killer, and he has stepped in to defend the current suspect, believing him to be innocent. As they work together, questions arise and secrets are revealed. This was written as a cat and mouse game, but I did not like the characters or the twist at the end. For her supposed expertise, she missed quite a bit. I would be willing to try another by this author, but I would be wary.
61. The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy by Andrew Dunlop // A narrative nonfiction that investigates Munchausen by Proxy. The stories are from a Seattle podcaster whose own family was affected by it, and a Texas detective who has worked more medical cases than anyone in the nation. While this isn't investigative journalistic work, it was gripping and kept you reading to the end. She references her own story, but never actually shares any details, which I found interesting {and disappointing, as a reader, given how much detail she gives of the other stories}. Reading these stories was incredibly sad, and even horrifying.
62-65. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 1-4 by Beth Brower // It's the 1880s and Emma Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian's. Her plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the odd inhabitants of St. Crispian's. These were delightful, witty, and just plain fun reads; I blew through them in a matter of days, and am waiting for the rest of the books to become available at the library.
66. Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine // Gina Royal was an average Midwestern housewife with two adorable children. But when a car accident revealed her husband's secret life as a serial killer, she had to remake herself as Gwen Proctor to protect her children. This one was pretty out there, and the main character was such a terrible judge of character. I mean, poor thing, but also, what in the world? Not the book/storyline for me.
67. The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin // A memoir that recounts one woman's slide from soccer mom to opioid addict to jailhouse shot-caller to successful ghostwriter. While this was certainly a harrowing story, I will always struggle when people do not take responsibility for their actions. When everyone else is to blame for their own poor choices, and when the chances/successes afforded to them {despite their poor choices} are somehow owed to them. She never thought what she did was that bad and she hurt a lot of people along the way. Perhaps in real life she made amends, but it was not conveyed in this book. And that is what makes a truly good memoir, when it includes every part of the human element: the good, the bad, and the ugly {and the lessons learned along the way}.
68. A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis // A short book that observes Lewis' journey through grief. It's more raw, and shows more of his love for his wife. While accurate {as it describes his feelings of doubt, anger, and anguish}, I'm not sure if it's for everyone.
69. Pastors' Wives Tell All: Navigating Real Church Life with Honesty and Humor by Stephanie Gilbert // I was pretty disappointed in this book. It felt very pithy and trite. There was a bunch of "girlfriend" and "you know it!" and "don't dull your shine!" -type lingo, and that's just not my vibe. Which is fine. But what disappointed me was how self-focused and surface-level the whole book was. It was very much a book about "you being you" as the pastor's wife. And while there is room for that in the conversation, it shouldn't be the whole conversation. There was so little focus on the Lord and His work, His calling, His strength, His power. I am clearly not the audience for this book, and my heart hurts that there is one for it. It was not an edifying book for pastor's wives, and it is not one I would recommend.
70-71. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 5-6 by Beth Brower // A couple more became available at the library, and I read them back to back. We are 6 books in and the love story just now picked up. And I think that's partly why I love these books. It has certainly been in the background, and you knew it was coming, but I love that it's not the focal point. I am just enjoying the quirkiness of St. Crispian and the stories that Emma writes. Looking forward to continuing the series!
72. Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church by Michael J. Kruger // The author addresses the problem of spiritual abuse, how to identify it, and how to handle it in the church. While there were many helpful points regarding spiritual abuse in churches, particularly in addressing recent, more higher profile ministry leaders, there were few actual solutions to the problem. There was also very little Scripture used or applied. So I would have liked to see more from this book.
73. Happy Lies: How a Movement You {Probably} Never Heard of Shaped our Self-Obsessed World by Melissa Dougherty // This book traces the origins of the philosophy of the New Thought Movement and how it has shaped our culture today. I found it really interesting and well-researched. It did make me curious as to why no one has every heard of New Thought {and she never really explains that}. I do wish her tone had been different at various points in the book, as it tended to be snarky, which I find unnecessary and off-putting.
74. Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up by Abigail Shrier // Where to begin on this one...there were no citations for her "research," which was a huge problem with this book. It is filled with opinions, anecdotes, and overgeneralizations. She also makes A LOT of assumptions {example: teams of psychologists and therapists and social workers on staff at schools...my kids don't go to public school, and even I know that's not true. I know parents fight for these types of resources that are non-existent}. And while I don't necessarily disagree with her title {there is certainly some bad therapy out there} or her subtitle {the kids are not growing up}, I don't think that therapy is the reason that the kids are not growing up. She even switches gears and starts blaming schools and parents. So I am not quite sure what her aim was here. And I wonder if she has every met a therapist. Do not recommend.
75. The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting // Why is this on a list of classics for kids? I apparently read a massively edited/censored book when I was a kid, because this book is filled with terrible things. We listened to the unabridged/uncensored audio book, and I found myself having to pause it to explain racism and racist words. While we don't shy away from those topics in our schooling, they were outright offensive and wholly unnecessary in this book. I don't see how this is a "classic" or even a "product of the time." Aside from those things, it's not even a fun or great story. My kids didn't even like it. Do not recommend.
76. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin // A woman spent her whole life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right 60 years later when she is found dead on her estate. Now it us up to her great-niece to catch the murderer. While this sounded like it would be a cozy mystery, it just fell flat for me. The characters felt one-dimensional, the plot was slow and un-interesting, and I just found myself not caring about any of it. Not my favorite read. Not sure if I want to continue with this author.
77. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 7 by Beth Brower // I read this in one sitting haha. This book felt exciting! So much happened in this book. There's only one left to read {at least that is available for now}, and then I don't know what I am going to do! :)
78. The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully // Olivia lands a job with the renowned private investigator, Aubrey Merritt. They are hired to look into the death of Victoria Summersworth, and Olivia is desperate to prove her detective skills. I loved the title and the premise. But this book was not great. Is it too much to ask for authors to write main characters that are actually likable?? Olivia was so grating throughout the book, I almost didn't finish it. She's not just an "okay assistant," but a terrible one. The rest of the characters and the dialogue were so robotic, and it was so strange that a 65 year old woman was portrayed like a crocheting granny. Such an unfortunate read.
79. Middletide by Sarah Crouch // Suspicious death of a beautiful young doctor. Failed author returns to the small town and has to fight for his innocence when the circumstances around her death seem to mirror the plot of his failed book. This book was ok, just a little slow. You saw the plot twist coming.
80. The Anxious Generation Goes to Church: What the Research Says About What Younger Generations Need (and Want) From Your Church by Thom S. Ranier // After reading The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt last year, I was excited to see this one come out to address how it applies to the church. But I have to say that I was pretty disappointed in this book. It felt like a book report of The Anxious Generation, and it mostly kept insisting that the anxious generation should go to church because the church could be helpful to them. While I do believe the church can help, I felt there was a massive misunderstanding of the purpose of the church. A very therapeutic gospel was presented, if a gospel was even presented at all. There were not any concrete practical things for the church to do, there was very little Scripture employed, and I feel like this book lacked focus. Do not recommend. {I do, however, recommend The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt}.
81. Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister // Camilla is returning to work after maternity leave and reads a cryptic note from her husband. Before long, she is visited by the police and learns that there is a hostage situation and her husband is to blame. I enjoyed this book...until the end. I thought the ending was really far-fetched and dumb. It also wrapped up really fast and out of nowhere. I might try another book by this author, but I would hope her endings are not as wild and unbelievable...
82. The Ghostwriter by A.R. Torre // Helena Ross is a famous author and she's dying of cancer. She has one more story to tell, but she is too sick to write it. She hires her rival to help ghostwrite it and tell her truth. I really liked this one!! It was written so well, but it was also really sad. It's not like "all the others," which is why I enjoyed it so much.
83. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 8 by Beth Brower // I finished up the series {at least what is currently published/available. What am I going to do without an Emma M. Lion journal to read?? Haha. Such a fun series.
84. Holy Disruptor: Shattering the Shiny Facade By Getting Louder With the Truth by Amy Duggar Truth // The "crazy cousin" from the Duggar family tells her story in this memoir. A memoir is always someone's story, but Amy is not a great writer, so I struggled to get through this book. It is very unorganized, and she seemed to repeat the same things over and over. She also seemed convinced that she was a holy disruptor; while she may have been loud a few times to her individual family members, she didn't really seem to disrupt much {at least not based on what was presented in the book}.
85. Every Moment Holy Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope by Douglas Kaine McKelvey // A book of liturgies for seasons of dying and grieving. This was a gift from a dear friend when Michael died, a friend who herself later died. I have gone back to this book over and over for comfort, and I know I will continue to do so as I process through my grief. There is so much good and helpful and needed in this book.
86. Know My Name by Chanel Miller // Emily Doe's memoir. She was sexually assaulted by Brock Turner on Stanford's campus, and her victim impact statement was published online and went viral. In this memoir, she reclaims her identity to tell her story. She has such an incredible story, and for 75% of the book, she has a powerful way with words in describing her experience. But this book was WAY too long and desperately needed to be edited. The parts that repeated or got off topic {political commentary at the end} could have been removed. Because it dragged on, she developed a self-important tone that lacked a necessary level of self-awareness and reflection.
87. That's a Great Question, I'd Love to Tell You by Elyse Myers // I follow Elyse on Instagram; she's fun and seems genuine. Her talent is short-form video storytelling, and she's good at it. That being said...that is not what her book was. Or maybe it was an attempt at that, and it just didn't work as a book. It seemed to be a collection of short story vignettes, but it felt chaotic, messy, and stressful. It was very much just stream of consciousness and meandering. There was no reflection, life lessons, theme, or goal. I didn't walk away knowing anything deeper about Elyse Myers.
88. Gray After Dark by Noelle W. Ihli // An olympic athlete is abducted in the remote wilderness and held captive in a desolate off-the-grid cabin. She must do what she must to survive, and as the nightmare escalates, she is forced to form an unlikely alliance to attempt escape. This is a tough read, since there are descriptions of abuse. But it was definitely an edge-of-your-seat read. Some parts had me wondering how much license they took, since it was inspired by true events.
89. Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker // The author and I have never seen eye to eye theologically. After reading this memoir, all I can say is that my heart breaks for her. Breaks for all that she endured, yes. But more than that, it breaks for all of the lies that she has believed about Christianity. How she has never believed the true gospel and the truth of Scripture. That people who used the name of Christ hurt her, and that she has such a distorted view of the church and God. As she tells her story, she writes from an incredibly privileged place, with endless positive support, resources, and time to heal. More than that, it was so off-putting to read "me, me, me" throughout; the whole book is self-worship on full display. My heart breaks for how the enemy has lied to her about where to find truth; that she believes that it is found within herself. That she has convinced herself that she is now somehow "awake," {enlightened} but instead she is just very, very deceived.
90. The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith // The eighth of the Cormoran Strike series. {These are written by J.K. Rowling}. This one was really long and slow. The mystery was confusing, and the personal story between Cormoran and Robin was exhausting. For such a talented writer, I don't understand how she can stretch a novel for so long {and not necessarily in a good way}. There needs to be resolution, already!
91. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham // Luther and Nora Krank decide to skip Christmas this year and take a cruise. Their tradition-loving neighbors try to pressure them into festivities, but they hold their ground...until their daughter calls on Christmas Eve to surprise them with a homecoming they didn't expect. So they, of course, scramble to throw together a Christmas at the last minute. A lighthearted Christmas read. Totally goofy {just like the movie Christmas with the Kranks}, but still fun.
92. Near to the Brokenhearted: The Comfort of Jesus in the Grief of Losing a Child by Dan & Anna Martin // Addresses difficult questions and offers comfort and prayer surrounding the grief of losing a child. There are specific chapters on miscarriage, stillbirth, losing an older child, as well as disabled children and advice for family and friends. A biblically comforting book and helpful resource to those who are walking alongside those who are grieving.
93. The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson // Ashley Smith doesn't have any family to spend the holidays with, so she immediately accepts when a classmate invites her to spend Christmas with them at their English manor. She soon realizes everything isn't all holiday cheer, as a sinister figure lurks in the woods and an unsolved murder hangs over the family. This was just not believable at any point; it was slow, hard to follow, and I just couldn't get into it. Such a disappointment. All the reviews say this is not the author's typical writing, but I'm super skeptical...
94. The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani // I tried again for a Christmas mystery, and while this was better than the last, it wasn't that much better. Sigh. I liked the concept: eight friends meet together for an exclusive murder mystery club, until one of them goes missing. Twelve years later, they meet for a reunion. Everyone is hiding something, and they start dying, one by one. But this too was very slow, and the characters just were not developed very well. This could have been so good, but it just didn't land very well. So sad.
95. The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku // The story of how this man survived and maintained his humanity through the Nazi concentration camps. It was a quick, at times tough, but inspirational read. I loved how he was able to face the worst of mankind, and yet refuse to hate. I was grateful to have read his story.
96. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson // The Herdman siblings are "the worst kids in the history of the world." They take over the annual Christmas pageant in this hilarious and heartwarming tale. A fun and short Christmas read with the kids.
97. The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware // A sequel to The Woman in Cabin 10 {#8 read in 2017}. You need to have read the first book to understand the references and characters in this book. She refers to them A LOT. And since I read the first book 8 years ago, I didn't remember any of it, so it was hard to follow {or care}. The first half was so slow, and I almost put it aside. This book was not my favorite and was overall ridiculous. The main character was insufferable throughout. Absolutely skip the audiobook, because the reading made it 10x worse. Do not recommend {for plot, for characters, for language}.
98. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan // It's 1985 in a small Irish town. Bill Furlong is a coal merchant who is delivering an order to a local convent. He makes a discovery that forces him to confront his past and the things swept under the rug in a town controlled by the church. The description sounds more deep than the actual writing and story than was presented; it was more "cozy" of a story than the weightiness of the subject matter, which felt slightly off, but I appreciated the simplistic portrayal of courage in doing the right thing.
99. The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper // My personal advent read for this year. Lots of rich, biblical truth, written in 25 short meditations. He has the reader fix their eyes on the source of our lasting and indestructible joy. I wouldn't say it was my personal favorite advent read, but the true meaning of Christmas is clearly explained.
100. Bless Your Heart: A Field Guide to All Things Southern by Landon Bryant // This one was a fun read to end the year on. As a southerner, I approve :) If you follow him on social media, it's much of the same material, just in book format. But I still enjoyed it. And the audiobook makes it more fun.
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Books I started but didn't finish:
- Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention by Sarah Clarkson // I tried so hard to hang in there with this book, but the lofty language and descriptions were too much for me. The writing was not for me, and it ultimately proved to be too much of a distraction. There also seemed to be a concerning lack of Scripture references.
- The Girl in the Woods by Gregg Olsen // I thought I would give this author another try, since this book came recommended. But I just couldn't do it. The writing again was not that great and it felt gruesome/crass/gross just for the sake of it. Every other sentence seemed to mention a random serial killer case, for no reason, other than to show that they knew a ton of serial killer cases??? I don't know. When I started reading an extremely graphic sex scene, I was done.
- Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall // This book got a lot of great reviews, but it was not the book for me. First, there were too many love scenes {too detailed for me...definitely not closed door}. And even if I could skip past those parts, most of the time I was reading, I kept wondering, what am I reading? Why am I reading it? Why do I care? So it just wasn't worth my time.
- The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre // Holy, sexual content, Batman. I missed the reviews on this one; I was just trying another book by this author. Right out of the gate, it was explicit, and I knew I couldn't read this one. The premise sounds super intriguing {from a psychological/thriller standpoint}, just not the content for me.
