It’s almost Thanksgiving!
I’ve been thinking about favorite books I’ve read this year. I never set a reading goal (my goal is more like, don’t read when you’re supposed to be doing something else), but maybe I should’ve.
I’ve lost much of my love for reading.
For so many years, reading has been part of my job. Working as an editor for publishing companies, that’s increased a lot.
Don’t get me wrong, I love it! For example: one of the books I can’t put on this list (because it’s not out yet) is a memoir by the first American woman to win an Olympic medal for snowboarding. I edited her book and it was an honor.
But reading for fun? It’s been sparse.
Which means I have to start this list with the book that got me back to believing in the power of reading.
***Disclaimer: I use affiliate links. I don’t link to anything I wasn’t going to talk about anyway.***
A Study of Shattered Spells by Josiah DeGraaf
I finished it in two or three sittings. When I heard that Josiah DeGraaf was coming out with a Christian dark academia, I was so completely on board.
Part of the promise of this book was to “help you face the darkness with confidence.”
It did that for me. The message of repentance at the end was amazing and all the twists/turns throughout? Beautiful.
It has a slow start, BUT it helped me believe in the impact of Christian fiction again, and for that, I’m deeply grateful.
It’s on Amazon if you want it –> https://amzn.to/4igalVv
The Year of the Buttered Cat by Susan and Lexi Haas
This book is loosely based on Lexi’s life story.
I LOVED this disability awareness fiction. It made me laugh out loud and the suspense is great! It was very much like Wonder and Out of My Mind, which I loved.
It’s not written from a faith-based perspective, but as a Christian, it’s fascinating to see how God’s kindness to her rings true anyways. It’s very much a read-for-hours-on-a-rainy-day sort of book.
It’s on Amazon if you want it –> https://amzn.to/447sEWJ
[I also enjoyed “Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus,” which is a sweet story about a girl born without arms.]
Unclutter Your Heart and Your Home by Juli Ubbenga
I’ve talked about this one before, because IT MOVED ME SO MUCH.
I got it because I needed to go through all the stuff I left at my parent’s house. (That’s the downside to getting engaged.)
So I thought it would help me declutter.
Instead, it helped me grow closer to Jesus!
It’s on Amazon if you want it –> https://amzn.to/4eUmnSG
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s just so good!
People recommended this book to me for years before I actually got around to reading it. It’s a Christian living book that’s pretty popular.
I’m so glad I finally listened. It’s a masterpiece.
On Amazon if you want it –> https://amzn.to/40T02io
Do you set goals for how many books you’ll read each year? Do you get into reading slumps too or is it just me? Leave a comment with your thoughts. <3 I’d love to hear about it.
BONUS BOOK: Fantastical Summer
I literally didn’t think of this until I’d already started writing the article…
But my first book came out this year!
I didn’t write every story in this collection of short stories, but I put it together. (Because I worked for the publishing company.)
As part of that, I got the honor of reading every word. It’s such a beautiful collection of imagination and light.
It’s a beach read for the Christian girls, but it’s also a reimagining of what it looks like to belong and wrestle with real life from a biblical perspective.
On Amazon if you want it –> https://amzn.to/461Uky5