I made a resolution last
January to read more. And I did! I kept my resolution and read double the
amount of books that I’d normally read in one year. Being in two book clubs,
listening to audiobooks in the car and reading aloud to the kids helped me with
my goal. I also spent 3-4 nights a week reading, instead of doing something
else (like blogging, hence the dust around here!). Keeping books scattered
around the house, near all my sitting areas, also helped.
Today I’m linking up with the Modern Mrs. Darcy to discuss my favorite books from this year. *These are books
that I read this year, they were not necessary published this year. I read so
many great books, it’s almost impossible to narrow the list down. I decided
to go with the standout books – the ones that impacted my life – and the
stories that I really enjoyed. These are the books that that I would recommend
or give to a friend.
Fiction
Gone With the Wind by
Margaret Mitchell
I conquered this beast of a
book during the summer. I had mixed feelings going into it because I had heard
mixed reviews and I liked the movie but wasn’t sure how the melodrama would
translate in the story. The first quarter of the book was a little slow going
for me but once Rhett Butler came on the scene I was completely and totally
hooked on the story. Oh, Rhett Butler! Never have I loved and, at the same
time, hated a fictional character as much as Mr. Butler. I would recommend this
story for its characters alone, but the added bonus is how much I learned about
the Southern perspective of the war, the harsh conditions they endured and the
shady post-war reconstruction dealings. The ending was gut wrenching, even more
so than the pathetic ending scene in the movie. It’s a time investment but well
worth it!
The Rosie Project by Graeme
Simsion
Hands down, The Rosie
Project was my favorite “feel good” story of the year. The sweet but misguided
(and super uptight) main character, Don Tillman, finds himself paired with the
easy-going but street-wise Rosie in a project to find her real father. At the
same time, Don is trying to find his future wife using a series of tests that
he’s created. Over the course of the project, they discover a few things about
themselves, often with hilarious and sometimes poignant results. The story
showed that we don’t always know what’s best for us.
Non-Fiction
Animal Vegetable Miracle by
Barbara Kingsolver
This is the story of how
Barbara Kingsolver and her family moved to a farm and lived on locally produced
food products for a year. She sprinkles the story with sobering information
about our current farm practices and yet keeps us laughing with her stories
about life on the farm. This book reads like a good conversation with a witty
friend. The highest praise I can give it, though, is that her story was
persuasive enough to cause us to change our habits. We started shopping at the
local Farmer’s Market, my husband started making his own bread, and now we
check labels in the produce section to see how far our apples have traveled. If
you eat, you should read this book.
Bread and Wine by Shauna
Niequist
Do you notice a trend? I
like books about food! This is not a cookbook (although the recipes are a nice
perk!). It’s a compilation of stories, from her life, about food, friends and
family, and faith, and how they are all connected. I think Shauna Niequist has
such a neat writer’s voice. She gently inspires, encourages and makes the
reader laugh, all at once. I feel like I could be her friend. I want to be her
friend! This is a book to be savored.
Wherever the River Runs by
Kelly Minter
This is Kelly Minter’s story about
how God lead her on several missions trip to South America and how it impacted
her life. It reads like a travelogue, but inspires as much as some of my
favorite Christian classic books. Read at your own risk, the story is so
impactful that it might make you want to go on a missions trip!
Favorite Family Read-Aloud Book
Mustang: Wild Spirit of the
West by Marguerite Henry
We
read a lot of books together. This year we’ve read SO many great stories. I
could write a whole another post on the topic. I’ve included this story here
because I think this book is worth reading even as an adult. It is based on the
true story of an unlikely hero, Annie Bronn. It starts with her early childhood
and her struggles with polio, and then goes on to tell how she took on big
business and the government to help save the wild mustang horses from being
slaughter. Her story kept all of us on the edge of our seats, wondering how it
was going to turn out. I think it’s an important story to read to kids because
it shows how people can turn struggles into triumphs. It also made me think
about how sometimes in life we are given situations that we can’t turn our back
on and how we must find the strength to fight for what we believe in. It is truly
a great book for all ages.
- The Runner-Ups -
These books didn’t make the
cut but are worth mentioning….
State of Wonder by Ann
Patchett (great story but too bizarre for the “best of” list),
Me Before You by
Jojo Moyes (a solid love story with a Kleenex-worthy ending),
Out of the Depths
by Edgar Harrell (not as good as Unbroken but equally inspiring),
Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw and The Long
Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
My complete 2014 reading
list is here.
What books did you enjoy in
2014?
