I posted a list of books read this year here. It’s been a great year for reading! Here are some of my favorites from the year and why: you can click on the links to the reviews for more reasons why I liked them.

Non-fiction:

1. Beyond Suffering: Discovering the Message of Job by Layton Talbert, reviewed here. This book would qualify both for most edifying and most thought-provoking. I don’t just recommend it, I encourage you to read it if you’ve ever wrestled with the issue of suffering or the book of Job.

2. The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God by John Piper, reviewed here. This was referred to and recommended in the above book. It’s a beauitful poetical rendition of Job, another way of thinking through and processing it.

3. The Way into Narnia: A Reader’s Guide by Peter Schakel, reviewed here. I came across this in the library catalog while searching for the Narnia series for Carrie‘s Narnia challenge this year. I had thought it might be too academic or too arrogant, but it wasn’t: it greatly enriched my Narnian reading.

4. A Novel Idea: Everything You Need to Know about Writing Inspirational Fiction, reviewed here. Written by various authors, this book explored just about every aspect of writing inspirational fiction.

5 and 6. By Searching: My Journey Through Doubt Into Faith and In the Arena by Isobel Kuhn, reviewed here. I think of these two together because the first one covers the first part of her life and the second one overlaps a bit and then covers the rest of her life. Isobel became a missionary to a primitive area in China, and this is a record of an ordinary, flawed woman (like the rest of us!) who loved and followed God closely. I’ve read these many times and they’re among my all-time top 98.

7. Living with Purpose in a Worn-out Body: Spiritual Encouragement for Older Adults by Missy Buchanan, reviewed here. I got this for my mother-in-law but was edified by it myself.

Fiction:

1. Words by Ginny Yttrup,  reviewed here.  Top book of the year. Beautifully written. Hard to believe this is Ginny’s first novel! I was captivated from the first pages, as ten year old Kaylee has lost her words, her voice, after suffering unspeakable abuse. I wouldn’t normally be drawn to a story on that topic, but this book is as much about healing, for Kaylee as well as Sierra, a young woman who can’t forgive herself for her own past, and Ginny doesn’t present any of the situations in a maudlin or sensationalizing manner. As I said in my review, “The book is riveting, hard to put down, eloquent, and full of depth.”

2. A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin, reviewed here. Loved the characters in this WWII-era novel. Loved Sarah’s whole Wings of Glory series, but I think this is my favorite of the three.

3. Faithful by Kim Cash Tate, reviewed here. I wouldn’t normally have picked up a book about one woman finding out her husband was having an affair and another tempted in a similar way, but real women, even Christian women, do face these things, and Kim’s story was both engaging and helpful.

4. Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones, reviewed here. This would qualify for “most fun” book of the year. The dialogue just zings, and the story about having to face one’s fears before helping others is good as well.

5. Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner, reviewed here. I dubbed this “A tale of two Janes,” one modern and one historical (Lady Jane Grey). Susan beautifully wove together both women’s stories of seeming victims of circumstance finding they each have “far more influence over her life than she once imagined.”

6. Love’s Pursuit by Siri Mitchell, reviewed here. A model young Puritan woman struggles with being “good enough.”

7. She Walks in Beauty also by Siri Mitchell, reviewed here. A young girl groomed for snagging the most eligible heir during the Gilded Age finds that there’s a dark underside to all the glitter and glamor. When one man tells her God loves her just as she is, she doesn’t believe him, because no one else has ever loved her that way, until she’s sees that kind of love in him.

8. While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin, reviewed here. Another WWII-era novel, this one woven from the stories of a girl whose father enlists as a way to handle the grief of losing his wife, a young woman who pines for him, and a Jewish neighbor worried over his son’s family in Hungary and grieving the loss of his wife as well. I was pulled in from the first pages.

Classics:

1. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, reviewed here. One of my all-time favorite novels, tied with Les Miserables.

2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, reviewed here. Thanks to Carrie for giving me the excuse I needed to revisit these books with her challenge!

Beyond Suffering and Words would be my two top favorites of the year, but there were many wonderful books along the way. I’m looking forward to even more next year!

(Sherry at Semicolon‘s invites us to share our book lists for the year in this week’s Saturday Review of Books, and Booking Through Thursday asks this week for our favorite books of the year.)

Non-fiction:

A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz, not reviewed.
A Novel Idea: Everything You Need to Know about Writing Inspirational Fiction, reviewed here.
Beyond Suffering: Discovering the Message of Job by Layton Talbert, reviewed here. Excellent.
Boyhood and Beyond: Practical Wisdom for Becoming a Man by Bob Schultz, read with my youngest son reviewed here.
By Searching: My Journey Through Doubt Into Faith by Isobel Kuhn, reviewed here.
Coffee Shop Conversations: Making the Most of Spiritual Small Talk by Dale and Jonalyn Fincher, discussed here.
Created for Work: Practical Insights for Young Men by Bob Schultz, read with my son, reviewed here.
Daily Light on the Daily Path, a devotional book of Scripture verses compiled by Samuel Bagster.
50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning From Spiritual Giants of the Faith by Warren Wiersbe, a review here.
Goforth of China by Rosalind Goforth, reviewed here
Gospel Meditations For Men by Chris Anderson and Joe Tyrpak, with my son, not reviewed.
Gospel Meditations For Women by Chris Anderson and Joe Tyrpak, not reviewed.
In the Arena by Isobel Kuhn, reviewed here.
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter, compiled by Nancy Guthrie.
Living with Purpose in a Worn-out Body: Spiritual Encouragement for Older Adults by Missy Buchanan, reviewed here.
Looking for Anne of Green Gables: The Story of L. M. Montgomery and Her Literary Classic, by Irene Gammel, reviewed here.
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, reviewed here.
Selfishness: From Loving Yourself to Loving Your Neighbor by Lou Priolo, not reviewed but I shared some quotes from it here.
10 Gospel Promises For Later Life by Jane Marie Thibault, reviewed here. Serious problems, sadly disappointing.
The Best Seat in the House: How I Woke Up One Tuesday and Was Paralyzed for Life by Allen Rucker, reviewed here.
The Book Lover’s Devotional: What We Learn About Life From 60 Great Works of Literature by various authors, reviewed here.
The Invitation by Derick Bingham, devotional book from John’s gospel.
The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God by John Piper, reviewed here.
The Way into Narnia: A Reader’s Guide by Peter Schakel, reviewed here.
Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero by Michael Hingson, reviewed here.
Women’s Ministry in the Local Church by Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt, reviewed here.
Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World edited by C. J. Mahaney, reviewed here.

Christian Fiction:

A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell, reviewed here.
A Long Walk Home by Barbara Andrews, reviewed here.
A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin, reviewed here.
A Penny For Your Thoughts by Mindy Starn Clark, short review here.
A Walk In the Park by Barbara Andrews, reviewed here.
Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce, reviewed here.
An Unlikely Blessing by Judy Baer, short review here.
Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin, reviewed here.
Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes.
Faithful by Kim Cash Tate, reviewed here.
Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones, reviewed here.
Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner, reviewed here.
Learning by Karen Kingsbury, not reviewed.
Leaving by Karen Kingsbury, short review is here.
Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn, reviewed here.
Longing by Karen Kingsbury, not reviewed.
Love Finds You in Camelot, Tennessee by Janice Hanna, short review here.
Love’s Pursuit by Siri Mitchell, reviewed here.
Masquerade by Nancy Moser, reviewed here.
Mine Is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs, reviewed here.
No Distance Too Far by Lauraine Snelling, reviewed here.
One Imperfect Christmas by Myra Johnson, not reviewed.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, reviewed here.
She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell, reviewed here.
Snow Day by Billy Coffey, reviewed here.
The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson, not reviewed.
The Damascus Way by Janette Oke and Davis Bunn, reviewed here.
The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh,  reviewed here.
The House on Malcolm Street by Leisha Kelly.
The Judgment by Beverly Lewis, reviewed here.
The Mercy by Beverly Lewis, not reviewed.
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner, reviewed here.
While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin, reviewed here.
Words by Ginny Yttrup,  reviewed here.

Classics and other fiction:

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, reviewed here.
Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery, reviewed here.
Anne of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery, reviewed here.
Anne of Windy Poplars by Lucy Maud Montgomery, reviewed here.
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, reviewed here.
Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis, reviewed here.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, reviewed here.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Graphic Novel illustrated by Robin Lawrie, reviewed here.
The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly, reviewed here.
The Map In the Attic by Jolyn Sharp, short review here.
Voyage of the Dawn-Treader by C. S. Lewis, reviewed here.

That’s 73 books, if I counted correctly, though three of them were just booklets of 30 or so pages. That’s better than I’ve done in the years since I’ve been keeping records, though I’m not necessarily on a quest to read more books each year. I’d rather take the time to read well and to read quality than just to get through as many books as possible.

This was also the year I finally completed my first book in a e-reader. I liked it for traveling, and I did enjoy the book, but I think I still like real paper books best. But I do like getting books for free or very inexpensively through the Kindle ap at Amazon!

It’s been a great year for reading, and I trust next year will be as well.

(Sherry at Semicolon‘s invites us to share our book lists for the year in this week’s Saturday Review of Books.)

The folks at 5 Minutes For Books host What’s On Your Nightstand? the fourth Tuesday of each month in which we can share about the books we have been reading and/or plan to read.

Here is what I finished since last time:

Created for Work: Practical Insights for Young Men by Bob Schultz, read with my son, reviewed here. Pretty good resource.

The Best Seat in the House: How I Woke Up One Tuesday and Was Paralyzed for Life by Allen Rucker, reviewed here.

While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin, reviewed here. One of my favorites of the fall.

One Imperfect Christmas by Myra Johnson, not reviewed. Natalie fails to come help her mother take down Christmas decorations, her mother has a stroke, Natalie blames herself and distances herself from her husband and daughter…not a light, pleasant, frothy Christmas read. I liked where it ended up, but it was a little too depressing and annoying with the couple fighting.

The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson, not reviewed. An unconventional,even  weird stranger comes to town, opens a strange shop on the main street, putting the town in an uproar, until individual townspeople begin to visit the shop. I’ve liked others of Melody’s books, and I thought this was well-written (especially liked how the first line of the last chapter echoed the first line of the first chapter), and I liked the characters and underlying theme. But I just didn’t really care for the story or the premise of the “magical” store.

Longing, book three in the Bailey Flanigan series by Karen Kingsbury, not reviewed. I was thinking as I started that the story between Bailey and Cody had kind of dragged out long enough, but I did enjoy this story, and it doesn’t look like the series will end up where originally thought with the next book,  but then one never knows!

The House on Malcolm Street by Leisha Kelly. Just finished this yesterday.  After the loss of her husband and infant son, Leah has no resources and no place to go with her young daughter except to accept the invitation of her husband’s aunt to live in her boardinghouse. She’s angry at God and fearful of many things, yet begins to find healing.

Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes, my very first completed book on an e-reader! Also just finished this yesterday. A woman who is dying of cancer brings her five-year-old daughter home to try to discern who should raise her. I may review these last two more fully later in the week if possible.

I’m currently reading:

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room by Nancy Guthrie, reading with Jesse.

Belonging by Robin Lee Hatcher. Just started this yesterday.

Coming up next:

I’m totally not sure yet…My head is still spinning from celebrating Christmas in four stages and having everyone home for a while. Jim and Jesse are both off for the rest of the week, and I’m not sure what we’ll be doing after Jeremy leaves. I do have several books stacked up but haven’t decided what to read yet except for a couple of books for Carrie‘s Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge in January.

I’m working on a list of books read this year and favorite books of the year to post later this week.