Reading List

2017:
My goal is 36 books this year.  I hope to read through the Bible twice, once in the Readers Edition and once in Chronological order. I'll keep you posted how that goes.  I will be reading a lot more Children's chapter books this year out loud to the boys, which makes the reading slower, but should add to my total. 

January
1. Little House in the Big Woods
2. Runaway Ralph
3. Father Christmas Letters

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2016:
My 2016 goal is more reasonable. Since, I have figured out how much time ESL, teaching, and other commitments take. This year I hope to read 26 books.  I am using this reading plan:
http://www.challies.com/resources/the-2016-reading-challenge
I am skipping around the list. I also may check off multiple categories with one book. :) I haven't decided yet.

January
1. Code Talkers - Chester Nez
(WWII book)
2. The Secret Garden
(Book over 100 years old)
3. The Father Christmas Letters - J.R.R. Tolkien
(Book with Magic)
4. Seabiscuit - Laura Hillenbrand (399 pages)
(Book about Sports)
5. Ravensbruck: Life and Death inHilter's Concentration  Camp for Woman - Sarah helm. (850 pages)
(Book over 400 pages)
6.God in the Dock - C.S. Lewis
(Book used as seminary textbook - I found this on RTS's webpage)

February
7. Relationships a Mess Worth Making - Tripp
(Book about Relationships) - Excellent book! Very challenging.
8. The Road to Character - David Brooks
(A Self-Improvement Book) - terribly disappointing
9. The Trouble with Poetry - Billy Colins
(Book of Poetry)

March
10. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
(Book recommended by your pastor)
11. The Great Divorce - Lewis
(A Book about a City or Country)
12. Persuasion - Jane Austin
(A Book written by Jane Austin)
13.Martin Chuzzlewit
(A Book by or about Charles Dickens)

April
14. Emma - Jane Austin
(A Book about Marriage)
15. Dispatches from the Front
(A Book about Revival) This book is excellent. Probably the best I have read this year.

May
16. The Wright Brothers
(A book by David McCullough)

June
17.The Family at Church - Beeke
(A book about preaching -- A great little book about how to listen to sermons and attend prayer meetings -- one of the best books I read this year)
18. Bringing the Gospel to Covenant Children - Beeke
(A book with Gospel in the title -- best parenting book that I have ever read and it is only 80 pages)
19. The Last Jews in Berlin
(A memoir)
20. For the Glory - Biography about Eric Liddell
(A biography)
21. Phantastes - George McDonald
(A book someone said changed their lives - C.S. Lewis was highly influenced by this book - I was not smart enough to understand it. I just don't get fantasy.).

July 
22. Future Grace - Piper -- One of my top books of the year. A great devotional.
(A book about Christian living)
23. Shepherding a Child's Heart - Tripp
(A book about parenting)
24. When Trouble Comes
(A book about Suffering - also published in 2016, so I might move it)
25. Alive to Wonder - Piper
(A book about the Natural World)

August
26. Mom Enough
27. All Things For God - Watson (one of my favorites this year)
*** a bunch of free short missionary stories that I downloaded from Desiring God and I read in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep on my Kindle. But they were all under 50 pages, so I didn't count them.   

September
28. The Secret Thoughts of An Unlikely Convert (one of my favorites)
29. Let the Nations be Glad - Piper

October
30. Risk is Right - Piper
31. Lake House
32. Churches Partnering Together (also a favorite)

November
33. Attributes of God - Pink
34. Zeola
35. Race Underground - the race to build the subway in NYC and Boston

December
36. Mouse and His Motorcycle
37. Emily of New Moon
38. Emily Climbs
39. Emily's Quest
40. Old Testament
41. New Testament
42. Through the Year with William Still

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2015:
 I have decided to keep track of the books I read each year. I try to make it a goal to read 4 books a month, but I have fallen short the last few years. Maybe if I post a list it will hold me more accountable.

January
1. Unbreakable (4.5 stars - I wish she had spent more time on his life after he was converted)
2. Call the Sabbath a Delight - Chandry
3. Loving the Little Years
4. Shaping of a Christian Family - Elliot
5. Out of the Silent Planet - Lewis

February
6. Perelandra - Lewis
7. That Hideous Strength - Lewis

March
8. Tramp For The Lord - Corrie Ten Boom
9. The Prodigal God - Keller (2.5/5 - I don't understand why Tim Keller is described as "this century's CS Lewis." I don't find his writing clear. He is very wordy and muddled. I often have to read him several times to figure out his point. Example: " the gospel is therefore not just the ABCs of the Christian Life, but the A to Z of the Christian Life." That seems like it says the same thing. All that being said, this is the best Keller book I have read, not because it is more clear than the others, but because of the subject matter. I like the idea behind this book. If I knew another book on this topic, I would suggest it instead, but I don't, so read this one.)
10. Dare to Discipline - Dobson (the first two chapters of this book are some of the best child-rearing advice I have read. I highly recommend it).
11. Bound For Glory: God's promises for you family - Sproul jr. (A thought provoking book on covenantal child-raising. I picked some good ideas from it).
12. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austin

April
13. Swiss Family Robinson (I read two endings to this book because apparently the Kindle version is some completely different ending than the original...).
14. King Leopold's Ghost
15. 1776 - McCullough

May
16. The Hobbit (don't watch the movie, it is so frustrating).
17. The Tale of Two Cities - Dickens
18. An Experiment in Criticism - CS Lewis

June, July, August, September, October
Nothing - Leading the ESL program at my church took up all my free time

November
19. The Martian
20. Son (the 4th book in the Giver series)
21. Bringing Up Boys (I started this in August or September, but just now finished it)

December
I started a couple books, but didn't finish them.

Books in progress:
Knowing God - Packer
Christian Reflections - Lewis
Path Through the Sea - McCullough
All Things For Good - Thomas Watson