Books I read in 2013

They say good writers have to be good readers, so I aimed to read well written books this year. I read a lot this year. I read in a way that I have not read since probably before college. I read to know. I read to escape and entertain. I read to see what good literature is these days. I read books that I definitely would not recommend to others. Books that I don’t think my pastor would say were good reads, because he says that we should be mindful with the things we fill ourselves with, but I’ll get to that. So here’s what I read:

Fiction

Popular Young Adult Fiction

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) by J. K. Rowling
2. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (turned into movie)
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) by J. K. Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
8. The Scroll (The Gateway Chronicles)by K. B. Hoyle

Popular Fiction

1. The Healing by Jonathan Odell
2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (being made into movie)
3. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight (being made into a movie)
4. Serena by Ron Rash (being made into a movie)
5. Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)
6. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
7. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (British literary book award)
8. The Round House by Louise Elrich (National Book Award 2012)
9. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (Amazon book of 2013)

Christian Fiction

1. Rebekah by Orson Scott Card
2. Stand by Me (A SouledOut Sisters Novel) by Neta Jackson
3. Come to the Table (A SouledOut Sisters Novel) by Neta Jackson
4. The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers
5. The Chance by Karen Kingsbury

Romance

1. The Wishing Tree by Marybeth Whalen

Children’s Fiction

1. The Field Guide by Holly Black

Newbury Award Winning Fiction

1. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
2. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Nonfiction

1. Blog at Home Mom: Balancing Blogging and Motherhood by Christin Slade
2. Sparkly Green Earrings by Melanie Shankle
3. A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet by Sophie Hudson
4. Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster
5. A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman
6. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala
7. The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp
8. Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine

A total of 34 books in 2013, and I skimmed “The Highly Sensitive Person” by Elaine Aron, but did not list it. I suspect I will reread  it soon.

Books I Started and did not Finish (yet?):

1. Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart by J. D. Greear
2. The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling
3. Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain (the part I did read made me cry; it so fully described me in a way I didn’t know I could be known outside of God)
4. The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom (I am in the middle of this one, and I expect to finish it.)

A Few Thoughts and Recommendations

I really loved the Harry Potter series. J. K. Rowling strings words that are rich and beautiful, and she has created a fascinating world. These books create a redemptive picture of Christ, and the alchemy that she weaves together is amazing. One can tell by reading her work how much creative imagination and work she did do to write the series as a whole and each novel on its own. The series has details that are weaved throughout each book, which I loved. Topnotch. I will let my children read these books one day. I look forward to discussing them (hopefully) with the kids.

I don’t know if you have heard of the Gateway Chronicles. They are written by K. B. Hoyle, a local Alabama author, and are similar and style and feel to the Potter series. They are a great read as well, and the last installment comes out this year in October.

“The Healing” is a book about plantation slaves, and in particular how a woman named Polly Shine took a girl called Granada to be her apprentice as midwife and healer.  This story is beautiful. I was able to see in full why there is a law in Alabama against widwives. The reason? Because midwives used to be former slaves who used natural methods to heal and there was a shift to use conventional medicine. How I wish this wisdom was still around today and that midwives in Alabama were not illegal! This book is in no way about homosexuality. However, because the author is a gay man, it really made me reflect on the homosexuality issue in our nation today. I think that ultimately it is not the same issue as how Christians viewed slavery before it was abolished, but it made me think about the possibility nonetheless.

I read a few popular books that were full of cuss words and vulgarity, and I found myself blushing because I haven’t read anything like those books in quite a long time. Maybe never. Coming back into the reading arena of fiction, I wasn’t sure how to figure out what to read, so I found a list of books that were becoming movies and placed myself on the library’s waiting list. These were bestsellers. I would recommend that no one read “Gone Girl” or “Reconstructing Amelia.” There is nothing redeeming about these stories, and the stories, though they were supposed to have a surprising twist, were predictable. Mainly I say this because of language and sexual innuendo. I think I am more sensitive to reading these type of scenes than most so you can take with a grain of salt. “Serena” is similar with language and sexual content, but it was less bothersome. I don’t know if I was partially numb at that point though. I decided to follow The Modern Mrs. Darcy for book recommendations. I don’t know if I will fair better there than finding good reads at random, but thought it would be worth a try.

“The Goldfinch” was a good read though its part two was very difficult to read. It was dark, full of sex, cursing, and drug use. There is drug use throughout the book. Donna Tartt is a very skilled writer. She generally takes 10 years to write one book. This book has a timeline problem, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s the reason why. The timeline does not distract you from reading though. Otherwise, she is gifted as a writer. The book is long, and you will wonder if it will be worth it to finish it, but I was glad I did, as I liked the way she wrapped it up.

Orson Scott Card writes a great sci-fi novel in “Ender’s Game,” but he does not write women’s biblical fiction well. I loved “Ender’s Game” and hated “Rebekah.” The book is by far better than the movie as usual.

My favorite book of 2013 was “When You Reach Me” by Rebecca Stead. Beautiful. I highly recommend it. It is an easy read. My 7 year old read it too.

After reading and loving the Harry Potter series, I read “The Cuckoo’s Calling” and attempted to read, “The Casual Vacancy.” Again the book had some language, but I enjoyed “The Cuckoo’s Calling.” By the time I got my library book for “The Casual Vacancy,” I gave it up because I lost interest. I may try to read it again, but it is a dark comedy, and I don’t know if I want to read it.

Neta Jackson is a top rate Christian fiction author, if you are looking for an easy read and a getaway that edifies at the same time.

“Life after Life” was the most inventive book, though sad, gloomy, and gray at times, though I am glad I read it.

Best Nonfiction was probably “A Million Little Ways” by Emily Freeman, “The Greatest Gift” by Ann Voskamp, and “Say Goodbye to Survival Mode” by Crystal Paine.

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