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 2019, I had the privilege of reading 51 books and writing reviews for some of them that I’ve posted at the end of this blog. One significant change in 2019 is that I read a lot more fiction books than usual and chose not to write reviews for some non-fiction books that I read just for fun or to learn something new. 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
Books from 2018 51 books
From 2010-2019: 494 books
The most important reading that I have done this year is to read through the Bible completely. When I turned the last page on Revelation 22 early this morning, there was no feeling of relief. No sense that I had “checked that off the list.” Instead, I’m eager to pick up God’s word tomorrow morning and start a new reading plan for 2020. What a PRIVILEGE it is to be able to draw near to the Lord by reading His word. Can I be honest with you? I haven’t always felt that way. Even as a Christian for 25 years, I haven’t always chosen to study God’s Word. And…I missed out and had to learn that the hard way. The last several years, I have intentionally chosen to read and study God’s Word and to ask Him to read and study me. And I have been stretched in so many delightful ways. The last few years, I’ve been doing the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan. I posted a little about that last year and will paste that below…
- 5 Good Reasons to Use the Robert M. M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan (The Gospel Coalition)
- HERE is the actual plan. I printed a copy and keep 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!
Below I have posted the books that I read in 2019. I keep the totals for each month and can see how our schedule as a family and with my school tend to cause my reading to ebb and flow. I definitely didn’t read as much over the summer as I normally would, but this summer I found myself taking a walk almost every single day. That hour was well spent!
I’m already starting on my 2020 booklist and would love to hear any suggestions that you’d have for me to include. Again, I’m so grateful for the ability to read and to live in a time when books and great thoughts are so readily available. Here’s to more reading in 2020!
January 2019 (10)
- Overextended and Loving Most Of It by Lisa Harper
- No Fail Meetings by Michael Hyatt
- I Declare War by Levi Lusko
- Holy Roar by Chris Tomlin and Darren Whitehead
- Hope in the Dark by Craig Groeschel
- How to Instant Pot by Daniel Shumski**
- Endurance: My Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly**
- Real Artists Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins
- Unexpected by Christine Caine
- To-do List Formula by Damon Zahariades
February (2)
- High Impact Learning Environments**
- Humanizing the Education Machine by Rex Miller
March (3)
- Here and Now by Robby Gallaty
- Letters to the Church by Francis Chan
- Irresistible Faith by Scott Sauls
April (5)
- The President is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton**
- Digital Minimalism by Cal Newpoet
- let my people go surfing by Yvon Chouinard
- The Reckoning by John Grisham**
- The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith
May (4)
- A Long Way from Home by Tom Brokaw**
- Before You Open Your Bible by Matt Smethurst
- The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman
- It’s Not Supposed to be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst
June (3)
- Run the Mile You’re In by Ryan Hall
- What School Could Be by Ted Dintersmith**
- Developing Female Leaders by Kadi Cole
July (3)
- The Grand Weaver by Ravi Zacharias
- Juliet’s School of Possibilities by Laura Vanderkam
- 168 Hours: You have More Hours Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
August (1)
- Above All by J.D. Greear
September (6)
- Something Needs to Change by David Platt
- The Forgotten Jesus by Robby Gallaty
- Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt
- Now We’re Talking: 21 Days to High-Performance Instructional Leadership by Justin Baeder
- The Apostle’s Creed by Al Mohler
- Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
October (5)
- The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron
- How to Lead in a World of Distraction by Clay Scroggins
- Upstairs at the White House My Life with the First Ladies J. B. West with Mary Lynn Kotz
- The Matriarch: Barbara Bush by Susan Page**
- That’s Why I’m Here: The Chris and Stephanie Spielman Story by Chris Spielman**
November (2)
- Cries of the Heart by Ravi Zacharias
- Radical Business by Gary Ringger
December (7)
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
- Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock**
- God has a Name by John Mark Comer
- A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult**
- The Rooster Bar by John Grisham**
- Know What You’re FOR by Jeff Henderson
- Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado
**No Review, just read for fun to learn something new
51 books