2017 reading log (and book recommendations!)

You guys.  I am so proud of this year's reading list.  I not only crushed last year's accomplishments (eight measly books last year! EIGHT.), but I broke my own personal record.  In my thirty-one years of life, I have never before read this many books in a single year.  I feel victorious.  And, on top of just looking at numbers, I read some really good books.

I have highlighted ones that really jumped out at me, not necessarily because they're the only good books on the list.  (I didn't highlight any re-reads; only first-time reads are in bold.)

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (1/5)

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (1/6)

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper (1/11)

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (1/12)

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (1/13)

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (2/2)

Teaching from Rest by Sarah McKenzie

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (3/08)*

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (3/27)*

A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley (4/1)

A Chicken in Every Yard by Robert and Hannah Litt (4/10)

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver (4/21)*

The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers (4/26)

On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam (5/1)*

An Amish Garden: A Year in the Life of an Amish Garden by Laura Anne Lapp

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells(6/17)*

Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot (6/20)

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (7/1)

A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George (7/2)*

Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend (7/7)

The Heart of a Woman Who Prays by Elizabeth George (7/15)

Seven Women and the Secret of their Greatness by Eric Metaxas (7/16)

A Natural Sense of Wonder by Rick Van Noy (7/18)

Disciplines of the Home by Anne Ortlund (7/21)*

Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung (7/22)*

All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth (7/23)

When You Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling by R.C. Sproul, Jr. (7/25)*

Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry (7/29)

Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung (8/4)

Grit by Angela Duckworth (8/8)

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis (8/11)

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (8/13)

50 Women Every Christian Should Know by Michelle DeRusha (8/26)

Listen! The Art of Effective Communication by Dale Carnegie and Associates (Audio)

Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C. S. Lewis (8/31)*

Diastasis Recti by Katy Bowman (8/31)

In My Father’s House by Corrie ten Boom (9/7)

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan (9/9)

Home Grown by Ben Hewitt (9/21)

A Handbook to Morning Time by Cindy Rollins (9/23)

Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin (9/29)

The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson (10/8)

A Simple Way to Pray by Martin Luther (10/12)

Trim Healthy Mama Plan by Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett (10/17)*

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey (10/20)*

Ragweed by Avi (10/25)

A Love That Multiplies by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar (10/31)

Ten P’s in a Pod by Arnold Pent III (11/6)

Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (11/18)

Practical Theology for Women by Wendy Horger Alsup*

The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliott (12/2)

Growing up Duggar by Jana Duggar, et al. (12/15)

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller (12/29)

The Vanishing American Adult by Ben Sasse (12/30)


*Subsequent read-throughs of books I've read before.

There you have it. Fifty-four books! I read seventeen in the first half of the year, and thirty-seven in the second half, after deciding to set some ambitious reading goals. I'm a converted believer: setting goals really does help me accomplish more!

Now, for my absolute favorite "Books of the Year," by category:

On Homeschooling:

Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie.  This one absolutely has the potential to be a perennial re-read.  Biblical, practical and refreshing.  I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone who homeschools, or is considering homeschooling, regardless of method.

On Parenting:

The Vanishing American by Ben Sasse.  I've sung the praises of this book before, but I can't recommend it more highly.  With the scope of an historian, the passion of a senator, and the vested interest of a parent, Ben Sasse covers the history and trajectory of adolescence and adulthood in America (including the role of public schools), and offers tons of practical help in catching a vision for our kids as they grow to adulthood.  I am so excited to read this again soon.

The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot.  While this isn't a how-to parenting book, it's a really beautiful look into Elisabeth Elliot's childhood, her parents' marriage, and how they raised their six kids.  I just love the close-up look at a couple worth emulating, who loved God and each other, and whose children all grew up to dedicate their lives to sacrificial service.

Random excellent writing:

The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson.  I know I am getting annoying with how much I rave about this book, but I just love his writing.  He's definitely not a Christian, and he uses profanity, so there's that heads up (or incentive?) if you need it.  But the storytelling and humor are excellent.  I'm looking forward to reading more by him in the upcoming year!  I've already checked out every single book of his my library has...

Fiction:

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather.  I don't even know how to describe this.  I don't even know how to summarize the plot without giving anything away.  So all I'll say is this: it was really moving, and I just loved it.



Go read one of these awesome books, and then come back and tell me what you thought!  And, if you've already read some of these, how would you review them?