In January of 2011 I made this post, which gave some short reviews of the best books I had read over the year of 2010. I wanted to do that for 2011 too.
Throughout 2011 I read through 70 books, not including those for school. I decided to also go through those and find out which ones were of "eternal significance", both for 2010 and for 2011. In 2010 I read 25 out of 91 books that I think were of eternal value. In 2011 I read 21 books less, but this time I read 39 books that I think were actually really good for me. So, we're getting better! :) You can go to my reading link to see when I read which ones. The following list are some short reviews of the ones I most enjoyed from this year.
1. Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. I've already done a sort of review on this book here, so I won't do another one. It's a great book, though!
2. The Guy I'm Not Dating by Trish Perry. This book is just plain funny. I really like it. It's a Christian fiction romance-ish book. Hilarious.
3. The Shelter of God's Promises by Sheila Walsh. I got this book from BookSneeze in February or March, and I really enjoyed it. It went through 10 different aspects of God, including love, confidence, grace, and home. I honestly didn't expect to like it as much as I did!
4. The Space Trilogy by C. S. Lewis. This trilogy includes "Out of the Silent Planet", "Perelandra", and "That Hideous Strength", all by C. S. Lewis. Lewis is a great fiction writer, as everyone already knows from The Chronicles of Narnia. The first two books were my favorite; the third was much longer and harder to get through. Great series!
5. The Mark of a Man by Elisabeth Elliot. I know this is a book Elliot wrote for men, but I've also heard it suggested that women read it so that they can see more of what God wants a man to be. The book was written to Elliot's nephew, Peter(?). I love Elliot's style of writing in that she is so straightforward and to the point. This book was no exception.
6. If You Love the Lord by Keith Green. I didn't know much about Keith Green when I first got this book, but throughout this book I came to be really excited to meet this man in Heaven! He was so very passionate and in love with the Lord, and he wasn't afraid to be brash and rude and make things awkward if he could tell them about Jesus through that. He had tremendous courage in Christ and is a great encouragement for believers.
7. Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot. For years I had heard about this book, heard it praised time and time again, and I finally got it at the end of January, 2011. Elisabeth Elliot is definitely one of my favorite authors, if not my absolute favorite. She's just so straightforward and blunt, and her clear-cut view of just about everything is something I really enjoy. Let Me Be a Woman is written to Elliot's daughter, who was about to get married. So there's not really a lot directed to single women, but there is a lot about submission. At the time I was preparing for my first Twelve Extraordinary Women Bible study that I'm leading, and the topic for that month was Eve. In Twelve Extraordinary Women one of the focuses of Eve was on submission, and Let Me Be a Woman really helped me understand that more and, hopefully, present and explain the topic of submission more clearly to my Bible study girls. The book also helped me understand more about who I am in Christ, and how I can live as He has called me to by making me who I am. I would definitely recommend it to any woman!
8. Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur. This book is very similar to Twelve Extraordinary Women by MacArthur, and was actually written first. Apparently Twelve Ordinary Men had such an overwhelmingly positive response that MacArthur agreed to write one for the women. Anyway, I so enjoyed Twelve Ordinary Men. Each chapter studies one of Jesus' disciples. My favorite chapters were those about John, Andrew, Phillip, and Nathanael.
9. A Tale of Two Sons by John MacArthur. You can go here to see my review on this book.
10. Surprised by Joy: The Shaping of My Early Life by C. S. Lewis. This book is Lewis' autobiography. I really enjoyed it because it showed how his life was just so radically transformed with his salvation and new love for the Lord.
11. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Go here to read my review on this great book.
12. Radical by David Platt. Incredible book. Read it.
13. Candles in the Dark by Amy Carmichael. I started this book back in 2010, I think, but then I lost it and couldn't find it anywhere. Anyway, I finally found it under my bed about six months later, and finished it. This is such a great book. I love all of Amy Carmichael's writing; she's very much like Elisabeth Elliot in her straight-out love for the Lord and bluntness.
14. If I Perish by Esther Ahn Kim. Such an incredible book about one who was tortured and punished for Christ and stood firm.
16. Fireproof by Eric Wilson and Alex and Stephen Kendrick. This is (I think) the book that the movie Fireproof was based off of. I really loved the movie, and when my sister got the book I just had to read it. I thought it really showed, better than the movie, how hard it is to fight for your marriage when it just seems like it's gone. This was a beautiful book.
17. The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers. The Last Sin Eater is one of the best books I have ever read. I first saw the movie, which is also amazing. This book is such a beautiful one telling of a young girl, Cadi, who is just completely weighed down with despair over this huge sin she feels she has committed, and she will do anything to get rid of the guilt. The sin eater is also a man plagued with despair and fear and shame. Through the courageous heart of Cadi the whole town is changed and set free through the word of God being brought to them.
18. A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael by Elisabeth Elliot. Over the years I've heard over and over again that I should read this book. I was finally able to borrow it from a woman at my church, and I so enjoyed it. Amy Carmichael is one of the missionaries who is most encouraging to me. Her life epitomizes exactly what I want to do with mine--go to India and work at, and eventually start, an orphanage. She gave up everything for the Lord, and is such an encouragement to me.
19. The Journals of Jim Elliot. I think I've mentioned this book a few times over the past month or so and how it was impacting me. I really, really love reading journals. There's something so great about peering into the minds and hearts of great people and being able to see an aspect to them that would never be seen otherwise. I already admired Jim Elliot because of his great sacrifice when he was martyred by the Auca people in 1956, but being able to see through his journals how truly enraptured with God he was just made me that much more excited to meet this man in Heaven! I also enjoyed reading how much he just adored his wife, Elisabeth, and how much he longed to marry her for so many years before God allowed that to take place. Such a great book.
1 comment:
Thanks, Sarah, for sharing this list of books. I am humbled by your passion and hope to learn much more from you as I am able to see your walk with Jesus our Savior deepen and grow day by day!
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