Books,
not kids. Just to clarify.
Back
in the summer of ’06, I started keeping a list of books I read, and just a week
ago – eight years later – I finished number 400!
I’m
pretty sure I might be classified as an obsessive reader. Only, that is, if never
going anywhere without a book and celebrating
the end of every semester by buying a book or going to the library (usually both)
is considered obsessive. (I know, hopelessly nerdy, right?)
And
now to share some of the highlights from the 400. . . .
(Italicized synopses adapted from back
cover or website descriptions)
Non-Fiction
Desiring God by
John Piper
Multnomah Books
As important today as ever, Desiring
God may turn your Christian world upside
down. And that will be a good thing, for the glory of God, and for your deepest
joy.
Rare
are the moments of discovering a life-changing book.
Treasure
them.
It
was just before Easter 2012, and I was browsing our bookshelves in search of
something to fit the season. I pulled down John Piper’s Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die and asked whether the author – who
I was somehow unfamiliar with but who has since become one of my favorite and
most respected writers – was a good and trustworthy writer. After all, who
wants to end up with some heretic’s book? (Not that we stock our shelves with
many of those.)
After
searching the library’s website for some of his other books, the next thing I
knew, I was there in the library holding Desiring God.
In
it I encountered carefully reasoned and profoundly biblical arguments that built
my trust and challenged my thinking – my entire worldview, really. Because Desiring God has done more than any
other book (outside the Bible, of course) to enlarge my view of God and my
delight in knowing him.
So
if you ever find yourself with a book in your hands and you’re not quite sure
how it got there, read it. It might change your life.
Desiring God is
available as a free PDF download here.
Other
great Christian books: Living the Cross-Centered Life by C. J. Mahaney and Forgotten God by Francis Chan.
Peace Child by
Don Richardson
Regal Books
Richardson's gripping account and
classic tale of treachery and redemption on the mission field.
Discover
the miracle of redemptive analogy as the gospel transforms the Sawi people, a
tribe of headhunters. A cultural idealization of treachery rendered the gospel meaningless
to these people – in fact, Judas was the hero of the story – until . . . well,
you really should read it for yourself.
It’s
so hard to choose a favorite book on missions, but this one is close to the top
(along with some of the others below).
If
you read Peace Child, don’t miss this update on the Sawi people – fifty years
later.
Other
great books on missions: Reckless Abandon
(pioneer missions) by David Sitton, In Search of the Source (Bible translation) by Neil Anderson, and Bruchko (pioneer missions) by Bruce
Olson.
Fiction
Against the Tide by
Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House Publishers
After a childhood rampant with uncertainty, Lydia Pallas has
carved out a perfect life for herself. She spends her days within sight of the
bustling Boston Harbor, where her skill with languages has landed her an
enviable position as a translator for the U.S. Navy.
Lydia's talents bring her to the attention of Alexander
Banebridge, a mysterious man in need of a translator. Driven by a campaign to
end the opium trade, Bane is coolly analytical and relentless in his quest. He
cannot afford to fall for Lydia and must fight the bittersweet love growing
between them.
When Bane's enemies gain the upper hand, he is forced to
turn to Lydia for help. Determined to prove her worth, Lydia soon discovers
that carrying out Bane's mission will test her wits and her courage to the very
limits.
I
bought this book because of its stunning cover and my long-time fascination
with sailing ships (as well as the fact that Bethany House has the delightful tendency
of publishing much of my favorite fiction). That decision was rewarded by the most
engrossing historical novel I’ve read in a long time (if ever).
I
loved how the characters sprang to life and how the action (sometimes bizarre but
completely believable all at once) flowed so naturally from the characters
themselves.
If
you like historical fiction, I highly recommend it. Against the Tide won the RITA Award, Christy Award, and Daphne du
Maurier Award last year, so I am not certainly alone in my admiration of this
well-crafted novel.
I
can’t wait to read her other books!
Check
them out at Elizabeth Camden’s author website.
Other
great historical romances: The Tutor’s Daughter by Julie Klassen and Ring of Secrets by Roseanna M. White.
Books by G. A. Henty
G.
A. Henty has a remarkable talent for weaving a surprisingly complete picture of
an era’s politics and history into each of his heroic tales. A warning, though –
he’s a nineteenth-century author writing for nineteenth-century boys, so his
books aren’t my top pick for an easy read. But if you have a middle schooler
who loves reading or history (preferably both), I definitely recommend them.
I
read more than a dozen of his books in middle school (like I said before,
nerdy, I know), and since most of his stories trace British history, they have
done more than anything else to give me a historical framework for studying
British literature. (Although that’s probably not too high on most people’s
priority list.)
Other
great (and easier to read) historical fiction for kids and young adults: Regina Silsby’s Secret War and Regina Silsby’s Phantom Militia by
Thomas J. Brodeur (Age 12 and up), both set in Revolutionary Boston, and Enemy Brothers, set in World War II, and
The Reb and the Redcoats (Age 10 and
up) by Constance Savery.
What I’m Reading Now
I never
can read just one at a time, so I’ve been working on approximately four:
Writing Fiction for Dummies by
Randy Ingermanson and Peter Economy. Carrying this one around is great for my
self-image.
Duncan’s War by
Douglas Bond. Rereading Book 1 of The
Crown and Covenant Series, which gives a great introduction to a valiant
but little-known group of people: the Scottish Covenanters.
The Lightning Thief by
Rick Riordan. A very original and lighthearted look at Greek mythology – which I
finished while procrastinating on this post.
Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship by Colin Duriez. How could I not love a book that traces
the nearly forty-year friendship of two of my favorite authors – and the ways they
influenced each other’s writings.
I’ve
heard that “a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,” so . . . 600 to
go!
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