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Well, in spite of completely deleting my social media presence almost two years ago (Nothing went wrong. My marriage is happy; my kids are happy. We continue to amass weddings and grandbabies...), people still read last year's reading list. That's amazing to me! And while I have not blogged faithfully in a couple years, I do have a few ideas I think might be worth a post or two, so stay tuned. But for now, here's my 2022 reading list. At forty-five books long, it's one of my shorter ones. I'm not sure why I didn't read as much this past year. But, hey, January of 2023 is almost over, and I have five books done already so that bodes well for the reading year ahead.
And without further ado...
The Winter King by Christine Cohen. A fantasy civilization. A book of guidance that the elite rulers take great pains to hide from the ordinary reader. The corruption and misery that result. Huh. What does that sound like? Fun read!
The Majesty of Mystery by Scott Oliphant Like an old pastor used to say, do you really want a God small enough for you to completely understand? So good.
Andrew and the Firedrake by Douglas Wilson Kill the dragon; get the girl. I loved the premise, but the story was more intriguing to my 9 year old than myself. Not quite as brilliant as The Man in the Dark.
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes This was a dutiful read-aloud. I wish it was one hundred pages shorter.
Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl by ND Wilson Sighhhhhh. Still my favorite book and annual read. It never gets old. My husband is finally reading it along with all my margin notes. :)
Reflections on the Revolution in France by Edmund Burke Burke was watching the French Revolution closely from across the Channel. College kids should be required to read this. Shoot, college professors should be required to read this.
That Hideous Strength by CS Lewis I think this was my second time through. I hated the Space Trilogy the first time it was forced on me. Now that I'm an adult reading for my own growth, I find it absolutely fascinating.
The Things of Earth by Joe Rigney John Stonestreet once mentioned that the old hymn got it wrong, that as we turn our eyes upon Jesus, the things of earth should grow strangely bright, not dim. Rigney's book seeks to prove just that. Despite David Platt's cuckoo radicalism, it's actually a good thing to enjoy the things of earth as good gifts from our Father in Heaven.
Leepike Ridge by ND Wilson Totally wicked ride. A great adventure mystery story. It's his best fiction!
Saints, Sinners, and Sufferers by Michael Emlet. Meh.
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe Second time through, this time with my high schoolers. They balked at the conveniently happy ending, but I loved it again.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis Can you read Narnia too much? Nah.
Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
Rip Van Winkle and Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving Do you realize how little dialogue there is in these stories? No wonder they made them movies. So much potential. So little realized in the written form.
Huntingtower by John Buchan Best spy author ever. I just love everything he writes.
Voyage of the Dawn Treader by CS Lewis
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo Jean Valjean is simply the best, better than all the rest, better than anyone, anyone I've ever met...Anyway...It was fun to discuss this time through with my high schoolers. And they were disappointed in the musical afterword because it left so much out.
The Silver Chair by CS Lewis
The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis
Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien Didn't love it. But as a LOTR fan, I read it.
What Grieving People Wish You Knew by Nancy Guthrie A friend of mine lost her son in May in a motorcycle accident. Not having a clue what to say or do, I found Guthrie's book extremely helpful.
The Great Divorce by CS Lewis Like the Space Trilogy, I don't remember enjoying this one the first time through. But this time it was fascinating. I'm still not ever going to read Til We Have Faces again. And you can't make me.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder I hate this series. Loathe. Despise. Abominate. But I read this one to my 9 yr old. If he wants to read the rest, he is welcome to. My job is done here.
100 Cupboards by ND Wilson Fun but weird.
The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis
The Light from Behind the Sun by Douglas Wilson In which Wilson attempts to argue that Lewis is reformed. Uh, no.
The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Fenorella This is a BEAUTIFUL book. Just absolutely lovely and probably the best fiction I have read in a long, long time.
Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry Good, though I think I'm done with Berry for a while.
Such a Mind as This by Richard Smith A book on the biblical theology of thinking. I have never read anything like it. It traces epistemology--how we know--from the garden, through the fall, the Wisdom books, Job, and the Teacher of Ecclesiastes. Absolutely fascinating!
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Meh.
The Abolition of Man by CS Lewis Chapter two. My head hurt. This is one of those little books that you can glean something from every time you read it.
Being the Bad Guys by Stephen McAlpine Like it or not, believers have been pushed to the margin. But the Church being taken seriously by the world has historically been the exception, not the rule. And now, as we head back to being social outsiders, it's important to understand how to embrace that to God's glory. I assigned this to my teens after I read it. It's that important.
A Severe Mercy by Sheldon VanAuken A marriage with a sappy, ridiculous, idolatrous agreement. And then they get saved. Whoa.
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman If you want to know why the world seems to have lost its mind, Truemen offers a scholarly thesis. Heady stuff. Well-documented. It's hard work but worth the read. I finally get it.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald What other end should we expect for the self-absorbed?
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque I love this book. The horrors of war and using boys as chess pieces for little despots in big houses. Makes me mad.
Animal Farm by George Orwell When you're done reading about the effects of tyranny on warfare in All Quiet, you can read about tyranny in the suburbs here.
The Intimate Marriage by RC Sproul Good, not great. Still nothing out there to rival Wilson's Reforming Marriage.
Rejoice and Tremble by Michael Reeves I just love Reeves. And this book about the fear of the Lord was another great one by him.
Learning to Love the Psalms by Robert Godfrey Being rather left-brained, I readily admit to being utterly lost in the psalms. Godfrey's book did, in fact, help me to understand and even begin to love the psalms.
The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien This will probably be my last time reading it aloud, as I am going through it with my 9 yr old. It's a different experience reading it aloud, but I am still finding qoutes for my commonplace book.
Dracula by Bram Stoker WHY have I never read this before? I loved this story so much. So much good vs. evil. So much heroism. Loved, loved, loved.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham Made me laugh out loud. Again.
The Dawn of Redeeming Grace by Sinclair Ferguson
Live Like a Narnian by Joe Rigney I think Narnia can speak for itself. Nevertheless, Rigney pulls out some really wonderful insights.
Til next time, may you have books on your nightstands, quotes in your commonlplace books, and heroes to emulate. Happy reading in 2023!
