Despite not getting much done in January, one area that was above average was the amount of books I read! I read eleven books in January. My record is twelve books in one month, so this was pretty close! Here are the books I read, and brief thoughts about them.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson - This was our read aloud from December that we finished up in January. The Herdmans are the worst kids in town, and when they decide they want all the major parts in the church Christmas pageant, drama ensues. My kids thought this book was hilarious, and we all liked the end when the Herdmans start to see the true meaning of Christmas, and inadvertently help everyone else see it too. Content notes: Some mean names, I just edited them out as I was reading it.
Love Your Life Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze - This book is written by Dave Ramsey’s daughter, so if you know his money philosophy, you already know most of what is in this book. Cruze presents her points in an engaging way, and I generally agree with her money “habits”. The book was motivating, and helped me refocus my money strategy, but my self-help-averse side didn’t always love the way she so specifically told the reader what to do. (There is a reason I don’t read many self-help books.)
Raising Them Up by Israel Wayne - Two parenting books in two months, who even am I? Like I said last month, I am picky about the parenting books I read, but I had heard Wayne speak before, so I picked up this one. While the chapters seemed a little disconnected, there is a lot of solid biblical parenting advice and good points to consider in this book. I’d recommend it!
Lord Of The Flies by William Golding - My friend Danae and I were going to read this together two years ago, and I’m just now finishing it. Whoops! I’m really glad I read this for the first time as an adult, because I got so much out of it. I thought the political analogy was really interesting in this book, and also found the portrayal of the fallenness of human nature very impactful. I read a quote from the author talking about how the boys are rescued from their worst impulses by the arrival of the navy, but his question was, who is going to rescue the adults from all the evil we commit against each other? And that made me think about how as Christians, we DO have a Rescuer coming (Jesus!) to save us from our sin and evil natures. So I found this book really meaningful, and in an odd way, uplifting, because of that. Content notes: Lots of violence, and disturbing imagery.
Sweep: The Story Of A Girl And Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier - In this middle-grade book, a girl who is a chimney sweep in Victorian London is rescued from a chimney fire by a small piece of char that has come to life (given to her by her adoptive father before he died). There are strong themes of loss in this book, so if I were to let my kids read it someday, I’d wait until the older end of the age range. I think it’s probably going to be more appreciated by older kids or adults with a little more life experience - personally, I loved it. It made me tear up multiple times, and the ending was perfect. Content notes: Sad themes, fantastical/magical elements.
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime by Mark Haddon - This book is written from the perspective of a child with autism, as he tries to navigate the very adult problems of the people around him. In one sense, I thought it was really interesting to read a book about an autistic character - on the other hand, it broke my heart a little bit to read how he was affected by a lot of the poor decisions of the adults in his life. Interesting, but not very uplifting, and not for kids. Content notes: Lots of cussing, adult situation references (you can read between the lines here, right?), and various atheistic/evolutionary references since the kid doesn't believe in God.
The Lake House by Kate Morton - A one year old disappears from the family estate and is never found. Years later, a detective on leave stumbles upon the old estate and starts digging into the case. Kate Morton always does a fantastic job of tying up every loose end in a surprising way. This was one of her better books I’ve read so far! Content notes: Infidelity is part of the plot, no explicit descriptions.
The 7 1/2 Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton - The plot of this book is wild - a man wakes up in a body that is not his own, and finds out he will wake up in a different character’s body each day over the course of a week, as he tries to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. This book has definite creepy elements - the main character is basically trapped in a bizarre psychological prison. Despite the weird elements (it was definitely not written with a Christian spiritual framework), the mystery and the way the author weaves together such a bizarre plot was interesting to me. Not entirely sure if I’d recommend it or not, but it did keep me reading. Content notes: Rather graphic on the violence, infidelity (not explicitly described), and bizarre supernatural elements required for the plot.
Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglas by Frederick Douglas - This is the autobiography of Frederick Douglas, written after he escaped slavery. Despite being written so long ago, this book is written in a really engaging way, and I found Douglas's escape and viewpoint on slavery (which was still legal in the south at the time he wrote this) so interesting. He wrote this book in part to convince others of the evils of slavery, and I found it really moving. Definitely recommend if you are interested in the pre-Civil War time period.
The Narcissism Epidemic by Jean M. Twenge - This book addresses the different cultural trends that are leading to a rise of narcissism. I found this book really insightful and interesting, though the definition of narcissism was slightly more narrow than other definitions I've come across. I found this especially interesting to read as a parent, thinking about how I can protect my kids against the cultural narcissism that is almost encouraged today. I'd recommend it if you are interested in psychological and cultural subjects.
World Religions And Cults: Volume Two by Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge - This series is a summary of all the world religions, and is written from a Christian perspective. What I love about these books is how each chapter not only tells about a different religion, but it explains how it is different from Christianity, and how the people in each religion can be reached for Christ. I'm planning on moving on to the third volume this month, but these books, though engaging, are so full of information that I know it will take me a while to finish the third one!
And that's it for January! Remember, if you fill out the survey in this post (make sure to include your email), you will be entered to win one of these books, or one of the books I finish in February! You can sign up for my newsletter if you want a sneak peek of the books I'm going to attempt to finish in February (no guarantees, but I'll try!).
Have you read any of the books I read in January? What did you think? Am I the only one who hasn't read The Lord Of The Flies until now? What have you been reading this month?
How do you find time to read so much? Is that what happens when you get off Instagram? ;)
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