What I Read in 2015

In 2015 I set out to read 24 books, a good number I thought would be just enough of a challenge without being annoying. I hit that goal on July 14th and immediately rejoiced before bumping that goal up to 40. I hit my goal of 40 books at 2 in the morning by reading Unbroken and I've since read another 15 books since then. I can say with complete confidence that the only reason I read this many books was because of Goodreads and the competitive nature within me that comes out at random times, especially with books as I've learned this year. I read a wide spectrum of books and learned a lot from reading so many different types of books as well as many different authors, something I tend to do badly at since I don't like change, even in books. Towards the end of the year I got rid of close to 100 books and thus don't have pictures of the majority of the books. If I have a picture it's because I either thought to photograph it before giving it away OR I still own the book which indicates its worth to me.

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz // February

I have always loved Anthony Horowitz and have pretty much read everything he's produced and have subsequently loved it, not so with this book! This is the second Sherlock Holmes book that he's written and it paled in comparison to The House of Silk, which I love. Horowitz's writing was great as usual but the storyline and general feel of the book was not all that impressive and left my disappointed in the end.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett // February

The Help was a reread and just reminded of the love that I already had for this novel. I'm not one for civil rights type of things but this book is so well written and not overly feminist/civil rights-y that I enjoy it every time I read it. The book outweighs the movie by a landslide, no surprise there, and I'd highly recommend it to any woman who hasn't read it yet, it's worth it!

Purity is Possible by Helen Thorne // February

I've written about this little book before and am currently reading it again right now, high praise since I only read it 10 months ago. The title is tacky but the pages inside carry so much insight and wisdom from the Bible and Thorne that I think this is a book that every woman needs to read since it directly address the sins that women tend to stumble in versus the sins of men.

The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst // February

The Best Yes was the perfect book for me to read this year as it helped solidify the idea of only saying yes to the things that God has for me right now and the things that I can handle without being overwhelmed in busyness. The book contains many stories from Terkeurst's life and is in general a good book for anyone who tends to overwork or is too busy and needs help in knowing what to cut out to find that balance of busyness in life.

Alex Rider: Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz // February

The Alex Rider series is the second book series I ever truly loved, second only to Little House on the Prairie. The 10 books center around a 14 year old boy and his adventures as a spy within MI5 and across the world. The writing is definitely meant more for a younger teenager but I always enjoy reading them for nostalgia's sake. Ark Angel is the 6th book and is about a Russian and ends with Alex Rider going into space to save America, simple and slightly tacky which I discovered as I read it this year. Even if I likely won't read the series again I have fond memories of reading them in middle/high school and would recommend them to young adults in a heartbeat.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler // February

I eagerly awaited this book when I heard Poehler was writing it and was generally disappointed by it. Poehler can write well and the parts about birth and Parks and Rec I enjoyed but the huge emphasis on SNL and the crass language kept me from loving this book. Certain parts of this book I would reread but I ultimately ended up getting rid of the book and moving on to better things.

Make it Happen by Lara Casey // February

I love Lara Casey and am on the 3rd year using her power sheets however I didn't love this book. Casey's story was interesting and the bonus material to be used with Powersheets was nice but I found myself not enjoying it enough to make it worth the time I spent reading it. I think if someone was starting out with goal setting and the Powersheets in general this would be a great book but for myself I found it not as helpful as I needed it to be.

The Fringe Hours by Jessica N. Turner // March

I'm not sure why I bought this book and subsequently read it but I did and got absolutely nothing out of it. This book, for starters, is for moms and didn't have any information that is useful to me in my season of life right now. Turner was very long winded at times and the theme was repeated constantly throughout the book without much new information being added to it. Even for moms I wouldn't recommend this book as the ideas contained within it are simple and can be found in other books and blogs. 

Lady Jane Grey: Nine Day Queen of England // March

I thought I knew a fair amount about Lady Jane Grey but within the first pages of this book it became quite clear that Jane Grey was far more than history has made her out to be. An outspoken and wise protestant, Jane stood up for the true church against Henry VIII and suffered far more from King Edward and his councilors than I ever had understood her to. Cook writes well and keeps the story moving while still giving many historical facts and information regarding that time in history and the struggles the church went through to get to the point that it is today. 

The PIG book to Islam (and the Crusades) by Robert Spencer // May

I read this book at my dad's behest since I'm going to a muslim country and was completely bogged down by the information provided by Spencer. The first part of the book goes over the Koran and the true words it gives to its followers before delving into the Crusades and how history has misrepresented the Crusaders as well as how pivotal that time was to the modern day. While I'm glad I read this book I have no intention of ever reading it again and don't really think the latter half of the book was worth the struggle it took to read it.

Nobody's Cuter than You by Melanie Shankle // May

I've met Shankle twice and enjoyed her other books but I ended up not really appreciating this book by her. The book's topic is friendship and walks through Shankle's childhood friends all the way to her best friend's grandmother's friends. The 80's and 90's references were way to much for me and I, personally, don't really care about her distant friends and interweaving of her life while at A&M, a massive presence in the book. I understood the general idea of the book but I think someone older and more extroverted than myself would like this book more than I.

Joyous Health by Joy McCarthy // May

I found Joyous Health through a youtuber and found it interesting but eventually decided on a different idea of health than the one that McCarthy provides in this book. The recipes seem neat but aren't ones I'm interested in making which led me to not picking the book back up once I finished it.

Prayer by Timothy Keller // June

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. Enough said. This book radically changed my idea and practice of prayer and had so, so many rich quotes within 

it.   "Jesus lost his relationship with the Father so that we could have a relationship with God as father. Jesus was forgotten so that we could be remembered forever-from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus Christ bore all the eternal punishment that our sins deserve. That is the cost of prayer."

Divergent trilogy and Four by Veronica Roth // June

I'm typically not one for YA fiction but the Divergent trilogy is a particular favorite of mine, a series I love to reread as time permits. I've read the series multiple times and enjoy them as a time of distraction from some of the heavier books that I read on the regular, notice that I read these right after Prayer and the book on Islam. I normally love books that have real depth and opportunities to learn but sometimes I need a guilty pleasure type of book to read and these are mine.

Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney // June

This is the type of book that I truly love and I enjoyed every minute of the time I spent reading this. The author gives just enough examples, personal wisdom, and biblical wisdom to make a perfect book. I did skip a chapter but I intend on reading this again, particularly right before marriage. 

A Christ-Centered Wedding by Catherine Strode Parks and Linda Strode // July

I tend to read a lot on marriage but not much on weddings and this book was the perfect book for me to read this past summer. The book is part practical advice and part theology on weddings and where the focus is to be. While I don't agree with everything they wrote my perspective on weddings has changed for the better and I feel more prepared as to how to plan a wedding focused on Christ rather than just the couple.

And the Good News Is... by Dana Perino // July

This book is Perino's memoir about her time spent going up the political ladder and advice she  was given along the way as well as advice she gives to people now. I enjoyed this book and found Perino to be a good writer aside from the very lengthy part about her childhood which I found more tedious. I'd recommend this to anyone politically minded or to anyone interested in different types of memoirs.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton // July

I absolutely love Jurassic Park and the sequels it has produced and went on to love the book that they're based off of. The book is different enough from the movies to be shocking while the plot lines of the movies, specifically 1 and 3, are very clear. I was surprised by the characters and impressed with the detailed science behind the dinosaurs which the movie doesn't delve into much. 

Counter Culture by David Platt // July

Counter Culture wrecked me in the best way and I plan on reading this again in 2016 as a way to start the year off right. Platt devotes each chapter to a different modern issue and his chapters regarding marriage/sexuality and human slavery were eye opening and so full of wisdom from Platt and the Bible.   "The pain of past sin is often a powerful deterrent to future sin, but don't let it rob you of the peace God has designed for you in the present."

The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie // July

I've been a longtime fan of Agatha Christie, I owned 40+ books by her, and have a tradition of reading her books while in Seattle. This book is one of my favorites and was a reread which I thoroughly enjoyed once again while we sailed from Friday Harbor to Anacortes, WA. If you're going to read only one Christie book, this is the one to read although it only vaguely features Miss Marple in it towards the end.

After the Funeral by Agatha Christie // July

This was the book I completed my first book goal with and was another reread for me while we were in Seattle. After the Funeral is another great Christie mystery and since I'd completely forgotten the ending of the book it provided me with a few hours of wonderful distraction. This book features Hercule Poirot and delves into the personal lives and human natures of many of the characters.

The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan // July

I read this while flying back from Seattle and couldn't wait to reread it once I put it down, high praise indeed. Keegan's writing is excellent and her perspective throughout her fictional essays and nonfictional writings is spot on and perfectly recorded. Her title essay is something I want everyone to read as it sums up what people want most out of their community of people that they surround themselves with.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan // August

I'm extremely embarrassed to say that I read this book as an adult but unfortunately tis true. I read this while at a retreat where this was the only book to read, the last time I'll be unprepared with books! I read this as a middle schooler and can say that I begrudgingly enjoyed it again but have no plans to continue with the rest of the series now. 

If You Find this Letter by Hannah Brencher // August

This book is a memoir by Brencher about her faith and struggles with depression in New York City post college and is another excellently written book. I read this book in pieces and thoroughly enjoyed her writing and the lessons that she learned as she began More Love Letters. I don't agree with some of her theology but I enjoyed her coming to faith story and her walk with the Lord afterwards.

Below Stairs by Margaret Powell // September

I read this book in a day and enjoyed the similarities between it and Downton Abbey as it documented a servant's life and relationship to those "upstairs". The writing is nothing impressive and the stories can be repetitive but it's not meant to a breathtaking book so much as a documentation of the treatment of poorer people during that time of history. Any Downton lover would enjoy this book as an easy, yet true, read.

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan // September

This is the book I referenced earlier that changed the way I eat and view my food. Pollan delves into the history of food and eating up to the current time and the progress of how our food has become more and more processed. I agree with everything he wrote with the added idea of wanting to eat things that God has made in its purist form without the processing many of our foods today go through to get to their current state.    "We know how to break down a kernel of corn or grain of wheat into its chemical parts, but we have no idea how to put it back together again. Destroying complexity is a lot easier than creating it." 

Dead Wake by Erik Larkson // September

I fully intend on reading this book again in a few years, once my memory of the events wears off enough to warrant it. I absolutely loved this book and the way that Larson wrote this historic event in a way that it felt almost like a novel. Larson documents the German side, British side, passengers' side, and the American side all to the culminating event of the sinking of the Lusitania during World War I. Any history buff or really anyone interested in the beginning of the involvement of the US in the Great War would find this fascinating.

Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller // September

I read Counterfeit Gods with the idea that this would be similar to Counter Culture, just from a different and older perspective. Generally I would say they're familiar with the exception that Keller's book is about how current events/idols affect us personally. While not Keller's strongest book I enjoyed it nonetheless and liked how he paired the modern idol with its biblical counterpart and story.

Servants' Hall by Margaret Powell // September

After reading Below Stairs I quickly read the sequel and was disappointed with how similar it was to the first book. The fascinating part of this book was the storyline that Sybil and Tom from Downton Abbey were taken from, almost exactly although the roles were switched. At this point I have no interest in reading books of this sort again although I liked the stories and bits of history these books contained.

Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung // September

This little book is packed full of wisdom and along with The Best Yes influenced my decisions regarding what is truly important to me versus what I'm pressured to perceive as important, whether as a believer, a young woman, or as a single. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone and I'm quite interested in DeYoung's other books based on his excellence with this one.    "It's not wrong to be tired. It's not wrong to feel overwhelmed. It's not wrong to go through seasons of complete chaos. What is wrong-and heartbreakingly foolish and wonderfully avoidable-is to live a life with more craziness than we want because we have less Jesus than we need."

When God Comes Calling by Ted Fletcher // September

This book was required reading for my Pioneers orientation week in October and I'm glad it was. The story of how Pioneers began and how Fletcher was saved was fascinating and so informative as to the basis of Pioneers and what is important to them as an organization. I didn't really get much out of the book to apply to my own life but I'm more thankful for Pioneers now that I know its roots and beginning.

The Astronauts Wives Club by Lily Koppel // October

I watched the first couple of episodes of the ABC series by the same name with my mom which prompted me to read this while at Pioneers, a light read during a time of lots of information and some stress. While totally out of my comfort zone I found the history of America's flight program in the lives of the men and women involved quite interesting.

This Momentary Marriage by John Piper // October

This book, particularly the chapter on singleness, rocked my world and is another of my books about marriage which I love. The book is easy to get through and has Piper's typical out-of-the-box approach to familiar theology. This is an easier read in regards to most marriage books but is no less valuable and helpful. 

All About Indonesia by Linda Hibbs // October

This is obviously a children's book but it provided a lot of information about Indonesia and the culture and language of its people, something I'm a bit desperate for since the internet has let me down in this regard. This book had a surprising amount of information within it and was a very informative hour or two or reading. If you're interested in Indonesia, its journey to democracy, or its current culture I'd recommend this particular book over other books currently available.

Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin // October

This book is full of tips and ideas as to how to study the Bible and how to actively apply it to your own life, all based on scripture. I found this to be a little too detailed at times but overall got a lot out of this book and plan on studying sections of it again. This is only the second book I've bought since purging my books and it's well worth the expense and storage to keep this book handy.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis // October

This is one of a few books that I've counted as read even though I read it as a read aloud to children I work with. I've read this book many times and loved rereading out loud to children that hadn't read the book but had seen the movie. The magic of C.S. Lewis is still alive and well even in this age of simplified books and dumbed down storylines. 

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand // October 

I accidentally got the YA version of this book but I still loved the story and was absorbed enough in it to spend 6 hours reading it, finishing at 2 am when I had to work that day. I loved the history this book contained and the unfortunately true account of the Japanese cruelty inflicted on Allied men captured and placed in their camps. The emotions throughout the book are powerful and his salvation story is just amazing. Worth a read if you haven't read it already.

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson // November

This goes on my epically-well-written-but-still-disappinting book list. Larson doesn't disappoint in his writing but I think my expectations of the book were way to high for even him to fulfill. The book is about the first serial killer at the Worlds Fair in Chicago and the murder house he built for himself before taking off and killing more people. While the tale is gruesome there's scant few details of the murders and the murderer while there is an enormous amount detail given to the fair, almost too much detail at times. I feel like I have a substantial, though pretty much useless, knowledge of the Worlds Fair as well as the roots of Chicago. 

The Finishing School by Valerie Woerner // November

I bought this book because I love what Woerner has written on her blog and I use her prayer journal and other resources. The book was good, but not great. I liked her perspective and writing about balance, minimalism, and prayer but after that I found I didn't get much out of her book. Each (short) chapter is devoted to a different topic and I think that's part of the reason I didn't like it as much, I like meatier books than this one provided. To most people this format would work quite well and I'd still recommend this book to people, particularly those with less time and a want or need for broader topics.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett // November

I read this book out loud to kids and thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent on it as I'm not sure I ever read this as a child or not. I won't spoil it for you but the ending of the book is nothing whatsoever like the ending of the movies, happy but quite different. I sometimes forget how beautiful the writing of old books is and how necessary it is for me to go back and read books from the past to challenge my brain and appreciate the beauty of how they wove words together a couple hundred years ago. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn // November

Everyone loved this book but I hated it and it seems I'm the only one. I liked the premise of the book but the execution was slow and contained a plot twist which I absolutely hate, a plot twist that was in 3 of the books I read this year. The writing was fine but I'd rather read Agatha Christie or The House of Silk over Gone Girl any day.

Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places by Kate McCord // November

I was given this book by Pioneers and I liked the perspective on violence from a missionary's point of view in Afghanistan. The book got a bit repetitive towards the end but I would still recommend this as a good, Bible based book about missionaries in violent places and how to overcome and trust the Lord with that.

The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller // November

I've read this book 3 times in 2 years and tell everyone I meet to read this book. READ THIS BOOK.    "To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us."

The Selection Series + 2 novellas by Kiera Cass // November

I borrowed the first from the library and promptly bought and read all 3 books + 2 novellas in 2 days. Along with Divergent this is my guilty pleasure series of books that are essentially worthless accept as distractions. The books are like Divergent and the book of Esther combined, a weird sounding descriptor but it accurately describes the general plot line of the series. 

The Royal We by Heather Cocks // November

I think this book is as far out of my comfort zone as I can reasonably get and I *gasp* liked it a lot! I liked the modern young-person perspective which I don't see or understand much as a conservative Christian in a more sheltered atmosphere and the storyline was well written. It definitely felt like it was based off of Prince William and Kate Middleton but it went its own way and didn't stay completely on track with their romance and marriage. I can see myself reading this book again in the future although I sort of devoured this book instead of pacing myself, a bad habit I have towards fiction books. 

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart // December 

I quickly read this book because I thought it would have a great ending and was terribly let down. This book contains that awful plot twist that I hate and was way too full of teenage emotions and trivial issues. I have learned my lesson this year: there is very little quality YA fiction that an adult can enjoy. I realize I'm not an older adult but I'm finding that my book tastes lean more towards the older side with only a few dalliances in the younger side of fiction. 

Lessons from Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott // December

Many minimalist blogs recommend this book and for good reason, it's a great book! Whether interested in minimalism or not I think anyone could learn something from this book of lessons Scott learned from her stay in Paris with a french family. I loved the general message of not having things sit around for "special times" or an extremely specific purpose but actually using them for every day life, not saving them and ending up rarely using something so special. I suppose you could sum it up by saying to "live life to the fullest" or something like that and I plan on rereading this book again next year. 

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale // December

After reading the Selection Series I went on a fiction kick and concluded it with this book I read in middle/high school and loved. I still love the storyline and the writing is as good as I remembered it to be, Hale weaves a typical storyline with enough new elements to make it unique without being completely strange. The 2 kingdoms are called Bayern and Bavara which are almost like Bayern and Bavaria, my soccer team and location of the team, which makes me very happy as I read the book. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a nice fiction book that is 100% clean and has a lovely and entertaining storyline.

And this concludes the 55 books I read in 2015! I still can't believe I read all of those books and I'm happy I found plenty of new favorites to reread in years to come. I'm thinking of doing 40 books for 2016, a nice sized goal since I'll be leaving and not have nearly as much time to read as I do now. 

Do you have any good book recommendations for me for 2016?