Last year, I decided not to take part in a Reading Challenge. Life was busy and whilst I had read plenty of books during the previous year and enjoyed the chance to read more widely, I didn't manage all the categories in the 2017 Christian Reading Challenge.
2018 wasn't a bad reading year but many of the books were either read alouds to my children or books that I preread to check whether they would be suitable for the home education book club. It was a busy year, after all my eldest daughter was married and strangely enough, this was rather more important than reading! So, 2019 seems a year for a reading challenge but people, I need advice. My reading is in the doldrums and I don't feel best inspired.
The plan is to do the avid reader level of the 2019 Christian Reading Challenge so 26 books not 104. I would like to succeed! Please would you send me ideas. I don't want to buy many books so ideally books from the library/free on line would be great.
The categories follow with my comments. A blank means that I don't know.
- A BIOGRAPHY-ideas?
- A NOVEL-possibly Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
- A BOOK ABOUT HISTORY-SPQR by Mary Beard. I have started this but haven't been gripped so far...
- A BOOK TARGETED AT THE OPPOSITE GENDER-haven't a clue!
- A BOOK ABOUT CHRISTIAN LIVING-possibly a reread of the Loveliness of Christ by Samuel Rutherford
- A BOOK WITH AT LEAST 400 PAGES-I have downloaded Dicken's Our Mutual Friend which seems to have over 800 pages according to Amazon.
- A BOOK A FRIEND RECOMMENDS-ideas welcome
- A BOOK ABOUT CHRISTIAN LIVING-a couple of friends have recommended titles by Jen Wilkin
- A BOOK MORE THAN 100 YEARS OLD-Should be easy but I don't know yet.
- A BOOK BY OR ABOUT A MISSIONARY-Reading Letters from the South Seas by Margaret Patton
- A BOOK FOR CHILDREN OR TEENS-thinking about Beverley Naidoo's Journey to Jo'burg which is conveniently in the local library.
- A BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE
- A BOOK ABOUT FROM A “BEST OF 2018” LIST-not sure. I need to read some lists!
- A COMMENTARY ON A BOOK OF THE BIBLE
- A BOOK WRITTEN BY A PURITAN: John Owen's Glory of Christ.
- A BOOK BY OR ABOUT A MISSIONARY
- A BOOK ABOUT THEOLOGY: reading Stuart Olyott's Son of Mary: Son of God
- A BOOK YOU THINK YOU CAN FINISH IN A WEEKEND-Doug Bond's new book The Resistance
- A BOOK RECOMMENDED BY A FAMILY MEMBER
- A BOOK ABOUT AGING-Jennifer Bute and Louise Morse's book Dementia from the Inside.
- A BOOK PUBLISHED IN 2019 -Hopefully, Beyond the Thirty Nine Steps: a biography of John Buchan by Ursula Buchan
- A BOOK ON THE CURRENT NY TIMES LIST OF BESTSELLERS- possibly the Tattooist of Auschwitz but it seems a bit grim.
- A BOOK ABOUT CHURCH HISTORY-hope this isn't a cheat but I am reading SM Houghton's Sketches in Church History with my children. I love this book and it has lead to some interesting discussions and rabbit trails. Who would have known that Patmos is 15 days walk from London plus a few ferries-thank you Google maps!
- A BOOK OF 100 PAGES OR LESS
- A BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE
- A BOOK ABOUT MUSIC OR A MUSICIAN-not a clue.
Thank you everyone, in advance for your suggestions!
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Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion is a book written by Joel Beeke. It's described on the back as 'A rich,practical exposition of the Epistles of John.' I'm working through it with a local book group and we are finding it very profitable. At the back of the book are thirteen studies on the book.
That sounds interesting. I love the idea of reading it as a group.
DeleteSome ideas/books I enjoyed:
ReplyDeleteBio - Surprised by Joy (Lewis) Cross & the Switchblade
Mary Barton was good, Ruth is too.
I’ve enjoyed some Elizabeth Goudge titles lately eg. The Dean’s Watch
Happy reading in 2020 🙂
Thank you for the ideas. I like the Dean's Watch, too but ought to look out some more Elizabeth Goudge.
DeleteI think that I have a copy of Ruth that I have never read-must pull it out.