I love to read. I love to read more than I like to sleep. I love to read more than I like to eat. In 2018, I had the privilege of reading 51 books and writing reviews for them that I’ve posted at the end of this blog. I realize that reading is a HUGE privilege and it’s not anything that I take for granted. My mom is to thank for instilling a love of reading in all three of her kids from a very early age. I’ve written on this blog a number of times how I feel about reading and the way that reading shapes the influence that you have. I’ve heard it said that you can tell a lot about a person by the people that they hang out with and the books that they read. Words matter.
Here are some links to the books I’ve intentionally documented the last several years…
Books from 2010 41 books
Books from 2011 63 books
Books from 2012 78 books
Books from 2013 43 books
Books from 2014 32 books
Books from 2015 41 books
Books from 2016 54 books
Books from 2017 40 books
The reading that has impacted me the most this year…BY FAR…is the Bible. I was so glad to find the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan when I was deciding how to study the Bible in 2018. I had the privilege of sharing with our Upper School students at school about this choice back in January. One of the main parts of this process was purchasing a new Bible in order to get a fresh look at God’s word. Sometimes I tend to skim things that were already highlighted or already had notes in it simply because my eyes thought that I already knew those things. What a difference it made to bring a new highlighter and pen to fresh pages. This year the Lord granted me the grace to read familiar passages with new perspective and to learn so many new things about God through Scripture . I’m so grateful for this Bible reading journey and can’t wait to begin a new one tomorrow for 2019…more about that later. Here is some info about my Bible reading plan from this past year.
- 5 Good Reasons to Use the Robert M. M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan (Gospel Coalition)
- HERE is the actual plan. I printed a copy and kept it inside my Bible. That kept me from having to automatically go to my phone to look up that day’s reading. I love the electronic access our generation has to the Bible, but nothing will ever beat turning the pages and discovering the treasures of God’s word!
One of the most exciting developments in recent weeks about reading is the fact that our son Eli (6) has completely fallen in love with reading. That’s my boy! I love the look on his face when he is getting into a story…reading to us…or finishing up a great book. Reading introduces you to people that you might otherwise never meet, takes you to places you might not have the privilege of traveling to, and engages your heart and mind in a way that few other things can.
See below for a list of books that I read in 2018. All but 2 of them include a link to the review that I wrote after reading.
Favorite books of 2018:
Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
In His Image by Jen Wilkin
Everybody Always by Bob Goff
How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims
Didn’t See it Coming by Carey Nieuwhof
The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey
january 2018.
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kmkwamba
- Training Camp by Jon Gordon
- No One Ever Asked by Kate Ganshert
- Servant Evangelism by Alvin L. Reid and David A. Wheeler
february 2018.
- Strong and Weak by Andy Crouch
- VIP: How to Influence with Vision, Integrity, and Purpose by O.S. Hawkins
- Let the Nations Be Glad! by John Piper
- Reset by David Murray
- Talent Magnet by Mark Miller
march 2018.
- Before You Hit Send by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
- Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly (didn’t do a review)
- Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly
- Killing Reagan by Bill O’Reilly
april 2018.
- The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
- 10 Things Every Christian Should Know for College by Austin Gentry
- Playing God by Andy Crouch
- The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
- Everybody Always by Bob Goff
- Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst
may 2018.
- When by Daniel Pink
- Becoming a Welcoming Church by Thom Rainer
- Going Tiny by Davis Richardson
- In His Image by Jen Wilkin
june 2018.
- The Reason for My Hope by Billy Graham
- Good Boss, Bad Boss by Dr. Robert Sutton
july 2018.
- The Daniel Key by Anne Graham Lots
- Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne
- At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider
- One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
- Through The Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko
- Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
- The Google Infused Classroom by Holly Clark and Tanya Avrith
- How the Gospel Shapes the Sanctity of Life by Russell Moore
august 2018.
- Marcs of a Disciple by Robby Galaxy
- Promise Me, Dad by Joe Biden
- Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg
- The Imperfect Disciple: Grace For People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together by Jared Wilson
- Through My Father’s Eyes by Franklin Graham
- The Hard Hat: 21 Ways to be a Great Teammate by Jon Gordon
- Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
september 2018.
- The Life Giving Leader by Tyler Reagin
- Capital Gaines by Chip Gaines
- People are the Mission by Danny Franks
october 2018.
- How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims
- Not God Enough by J.D. Greear
november 2018.
- Didn’t See it Coming by Carey Nieuwhof
- The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker
- The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey
december 2018.
- A Higher Loyalty by James Comes
- The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
- Escape by Carolyn Jessop (no review for this one…incredible story!)
Total: 51 Books for 2018