My books of 2021

 

Last year, I set myself the target of reading 50 books, which I hit.  I think I've actually read a couple more than 52, as I still (sorry!) have some reviews to write up, and I don't always add them to Goodreads if I haven't done the review.  If you are a Goodreads user, feel free to click this link to follow me there too.

This next year, I've set myself the even more modest target of 24 books in a year.  This is because I barely wait whilst the girls are dancing anymore, so I have less time to read actually structured into my week.  I also (before last week) hadn't read anything since about October.  I had less free time, and in December you have to watch as many made-for-TV crappy Christmas movies as you can.  It's the law.

Here's a pictorial summary of all the reading I did last year, and I'll give a link to each review below.

Fiction

• The Dark Side of the Sun by Terry Pratchett
  
• Red White and Blues by Rysa Walker
  
• Ember by Jessica Sorensen
  
• Forgotten by Don and Stephanie Prichard
  
• Genesis Code by Eliza Green
  
• Happiness is a Smoking Gun by Alaine Allister
  
• I Spy, I Saw Her Die by Ian C. P. Irvine
  
• Juliette and the Monday ManDates by Becky Doughty
  
• Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
  
• Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson
  
• The Legacy of the Key by S L Morgan
  
• Mouse Tails by Sonny Collins
  
• Nocturne by Kat Ross (The Fourth Talisman Series)
  
• Out of a Dream by Rosemary Hines
  
• Pancakes and Corpses by Agatha Frost
  
• Quantum by Patricia Cornwell
• Rift by Andreas Christensen
  
• Season of Hope by Dayo Benson
  
• Taste by Mary E Twomey
  
• Ugly Girl by Mary E Twomey
  
• The Vine Witch by Luanne G Smith
  
• The Wave at Hanging Rock by Gregg Dunnett
  
• Yesterday by Amanda Tru
  
• Meadowlark by Melanie Abrams
• Brainrush by Richard Bard

Non-Fiction

• Trim Healthy Mama Plan by Barrett and Allison
  
• I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna
  
• The Diet Trap Solution by Beck & Beck
  
• The Obesity Code by Jason Fung
  

Christian Inspirational

• Women Rising by Meghan Tschanz
  
• Finding Intimacy With Jesus Made Simple by Matthew Robert Payne
  

Book Organisation

Ok, so I have gone through all my past Book Reviews and tried to classify them, so that if you wanted to find a certain type of book that would be easy to do now.  All you have to do is look at the Word Cloud on the right, squint a bit, and then choose the genre you're looking for.

If you have read something based on my recommendation and think that I have missed a classification (from the list below), please comment and I will add it.  Depending where you read, there are 7 or 8 main classifications of genre (I have made sure I covered them all) but there are also 150+ subgenres and classifications that I can't always see the difference between.  As such, some things you'll have to give me artistic license for, such as grouping Paranormal under Fantasy, rather than giving it its own classification.  And I'm surprised to see that despite reading a load of Stephen King and James Herbert as a teen, I haven't got any Horror listed.  That's probably the only addition that I would make.

And, you will notice that some of the links give more than just books listed, especially in the non-fiction list, but you'll just have to cope with scrolling down to find the books for those.

So here is the list of classifications, so that if you did want to find something quickly, you can either click the link below, or the word cloud.

Fiction:
Adventure
Chick-Lit
Childrens
Classic
Cosy
Dystopia
Fantasy
Horror (No link yet, as there are no books yet)
Mystery
Romance
Sci-Fi
Thriller
YA

Non-Fiction:
Bible
Childrens
Christianity
Feminism
Non-Fiction
Real Life
Recipe
Weightloss

The Daily Message by Eugene H Peterson

 

The Daily Message is a Bible-in-a-Year using The Message version.  I have not read much of The Message version before, but I do like it's simplicity to understand.  It may not be the most accurate in terms of specific words used from the original language, however this translation means the Gospel is more accessible as it gets the meaning across.

The other thing I particularly liked about this book, was that every 7th day was a rest day for reflection on the previous week - for me, this was a catch-up day, so even if I fell behind slightly, I knew that by the start of the next week I would be all caught up.

The blurb says:

The Daily Message is the perfect one-year reading Bible, allowing for both flexibility and time to let the readings soak into your heart and mind. Arranged into six readings per week, this simple, easy-to-do plan will revolutionize your daily quiet time with God. Features include:

• Discipleship Journal’s “Book-at-a-Time” reading plan
• Inspirational words from Psalms or Proverbs and thoughtful questions for deeper reflection
• Alternative reading plans that allow you to start any day of the year and read at your own pace

If you have considered trying to read through the Bible in a year, but thing the task is too mammoth or the language is too antiquated, then this is the book for you. 

Stories Aren't Just For Kids by Christine Dillon

I read this book over the summer, and really enjoyed it, even though I hadn't considered storytelling at all (would you have guessed I prefer reading books? lol).

The blurb says:

In a world increasingly anti-Christian, how can you communicate in a way that slides under listener's defences? How can you leave them hungry for more? 
Stories are God-designed way to impact hearts. 
But many Christians reject stories as just for kids. Christine Dillon has trained thousands of people in storytelling. 10 myths come up over and over again, and they block Christians from using this life-changing ministry tool. 
MYTH 1: Adults won’t listen to stories
MYTH 2: Stories are only for non-literate cultures 
MYTH 3: Men won’t listen to stories ...
MYTH 6: Storytelling won’t grow mature disciples
MYTH 8: Storytelling will lead to heresy ... 

Using stories from around the world Dillon tackles each myth and challenges you to master this tool. 

Christine Dillon is a Bible storyteller and trainer who works in Asia and Australia. Her book, Telling the Gospel Through Story: Evangelism that keeps hearers hungry for more (IVP, 2012) has inspired many to start telling the greatest story of them all.

Having read the book, I think storytelling is a pretty impressive tool to use, not least because it was how the Bible was passed from person to person in years gone by.  There is a website and a Facebook group for anyone wanting to find out more. 

I'm not in a place, right now, to be able to learn or make use of this book, but, I am very glad I have read it (and have made a note of it) so I can come back to it in the future.  I particularly liked Christine's idea of praying before every holiday/trip, in order to meet someone with whom to share your relationship with God; something I will try to do in future.  It was very inspirational.

Finished Reading the Bible!

I have done it! I have read the whole Bible in 6 months. I have read the Bible through before, but this was the fastest I had ever achieved it. We aimed for 50 chapters a week, and on the whole we managed it; adjusting sometimes depending on what was going on in our lives. It wasn’t easy going, but I am glad I have done it.

Whereas I read every word (I am generally a fast reader anyway), my study partner read some of the books, and listened to others whilst cooking or driving. The idea behind such a read-through is to see the over-arching themes of the Bible, see how books relate to each other, rather than a deep dive into specific topics, so it’s possible to get the gist of what is happening whilst doing other activities. For me, I like to read as I take DD2 to bed. She still doesn’t like going to sleep on her own, so my husband or I stay in her room with her until she drifts off. I know some parents may consider that to be a huge ask, but for us it works – on the nights I take her to bed, I get to do reading on my phone in the dark, and the nights my husband takes her to bed, I get to watch my programs/films in peace.

Having read the whole Bible, I’m not going to dive straight back into Genesis (though there are some people who can do that). By focussing on completing my 50 chapters each week, meant that I couldn’t read the other books I usually do. Normally, I read 1 chapter (or ‘Day’ if reading Bible-in-a-year) of the Bible, 1 chapter of each of the non-fiction books I read, and then as-much-as-I-can of the fiction book I’m reading (and I only read 1 fiction book at a time). As I haven’t had as much time to read, or when I did it was late in the evening, it has meant that I have not read my current fiction book as fast as I usually would. I won’t say to much about it now, as I’ll describe it when I finally do finish it, but I’m only just over half way through the book, and have been reading it for months now. It’s not helped by it being set in the 1600s, so uses very old language, which means I need to concentrate when reading it (hence why I can’t read it late at night). I am enjoying it though, so am looking forward to having a bit more time to read it. What I will do, Bible-wise, is read some daily devotionals/readings books, and then in January, I’ll read a Year-in-a-Bible again.

If you haven’t read through the Bible, and it is something you would like to do (whether because you’re a Christian or because you like the kudos of being able to say you’ve read various works of literature) it isn’t as daunting as it first seems. 50 chapters a week, and it takes 6 months (or 25/wk and it takes a year) or you could get a Bible-in-a-Year which takes all thought away as you simply look up the date and it gives you a reading from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs, such that you’ve read the whole thing by New Year’s Eve.

Women of Courage: 31 Daily Bible Readings by Jennifer Carter

Women of Courage feels a short book because every chapter is only a few pages long.

Each starts with a short passage about a woman from the Bible, and then expands to how we can put the lessons into practice in our lives.

The blurb says:

Women of Courage explores the lives of inspiring women from the Bible, through thirty-one daily bible readings. In a quest to understand what a Godly woman looks like, Jennifer examines the often untold stories of thirty-one women in the Bible. Each of these remarkable women has much to teach us. They led busy lives and experienced challenges, disappointments and triumphs. Yet each found fruitfulness, purpose and contentment. Their stories can inspire us to be more courageous and help us find our place in God's plans and purposes. Understand more of why God has created you to be exactly the way you are and enjoy the special gifts that He has given you. Discover and embrace the unique plan and purpose for your life, and be set free to experience God’s gift of fullness of life. Find inspiration and hope in the stories of these ordinary, yet courageous, women.

I really liked this book, and it helped me understand more about the women mentioned in the Bible, especially when they are not given a starring role in that context. I particularly liked the thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter, as they made me think for a while after I’d finished reading.

Come, Let Us Adore Him by Paul David Tripp

Our whole church read this Advent Devotional together (albeit separately in our own homes) over

this last Christmas period.  It was a good chance to come to a deeper understanding of the mystery that is Christmas and why Christ was born on earth at all.

The description reads:

This year, don't let Christmas sneak up on you again.
The wonder and awe of the Christmas season can easily get overshadowed by lights, tinsel, bows, and paper—not to mention last-minute trips to the mall and visits to the in-laws. In all the hustle and bustle, we often lose sight of what’s most important. This book of daily readings for the month of December by best-selling author Paul David Tripp will help you slow down, prepare your heart, and focus on what matters most: adoring our Savior, Jesus.

Each chapter is only a few pages long, and at the end it include a section of further reading from the Bible plus a discussion starter for parents with their children.  I have to confess, that I didn't do the latter and read the devotional alone.

What I did like was the continued focus on who God is, His grace and mercy as well as interesting chapter starters like "For once, I was excited to go to Spanish class.", "The birth of Jesus was bad news.", "No, it wasn't a zombie apocalypse." and "I have a confession to make: I love food." amongst the more expected sentences from an Advent devotional.

Read it.  It'll only take a few minutes each day, but will help you appreciate Christmas for what it is and what it is meant to be.

A One Year Trip through the Bible by Stephen Ruth

I finished reading through this book for the second time at New Year's.  It is a Bible and commentary separated out into daily readings based on a 365 day year.  As it does include the author's own thoughts, it does not include the whole Bible itself (eg genealogies) but various quotes from each section; it does, however, give the reference for the whole section so you can follow it up in your own Bible.  Additionally, this book include the Apocrypha.  Despite having been brought up in a Catholic church, I hadn't read the apocrypha before, so I find it really interesting.  One day, I would like to delve into why these books were excluded, as some of them certainly seem like they could be part of the canon (based on the excerpts I've read).


The description on Amazon reads:

Read The Bible With Commentary In A Year By Spending Only a Few Minutes Every Day-- The book aims at readers of any denomination who want the full Bible experience, with daily reflections--Genesis through Malachi in the Old Testament and Matthew through Revelation in the New Testament--in one year. (The Apocrypha is also included.) The theme is a layman's journey through scripture, so the comments are those of a visitor, not an experienced traveler, but expert Bible commentators are always nearby. Each day's reading requires 10-15 minutes, more or less, including scripture and commentary.

All the Great Stories, Prayers, Incidents and Memorable Characters Are Included--Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Joseph and his coat of many colors, Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath (there arereally two Goliath stories, one not involving David at all),  Jezebel and Ahab--and Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Peter and Paul, James and John, Herod, Pilate, Mary Magdalene, centurions, priests and all the heroes, villains and common people of the New Testament. The major character is Jesus, and since he knew the Hebrew Bible very well, there are countless times when he quotes the Psalms, prophets and Torah. several other translations occasionally used.

Easy to use--The book is designed to be simple to use and easy to read. It's possible to find various scripture passages, specific days' readings and even key words, with a click or two.

Inclusion commentators and other experts--The author, a lay person, has studied hundreds of outside resources, scripture experts from Christian, Jewish and other denominations. His role is mostly as a person being whisked along on a year-long tour by expert guides, although sometimes he disagrees with the tour leaders.

Layman's perspective--As a layperson who is still marveling at the immense complexity of the Bible, the author's spin on each day's readings is different from that of an expert. It must be. Yet the essential Bible messages shine through every day.

Frequent geographical updates and maps--There are many comments on the "where" of the scripture. When the Israelites go to the wilderness of Paran, its current location (on the Sinai Peninsula) is described. Abraham lived near Hebron in today's Israel. Jonah's Nineveh is probably today's Mosul, Iraq. The journeys of Paul, which covered about ten thousand miles, and the movements of Jesus are described in contemporary geographical detail with maps and charts.

 Famous quotes are singled out--The best-known stories, sayings, prayers, curses and hymns of the Bible are emphasized. In most cases there are special graphics to call attention to these  memorable lines from the Old and New Testaments.

Enumeration of commandments, feasts, blessings, curses, etc.--Whenever there are important enumerations, bold numbers or brackets set them off. You'll find this in the tribes of Israel, the Ten Commandments, the ten plagues, the three dreams that guided Joseph early in Matthew, etc.

Some examples from the Latin Mass--Just skip these parts if you want. Pilate probably said in Latin"Quod scripsi scripsi" ("what I have written, I have written"--meaning leave the words labeling Jesus "King of the Jews" as they are) in the Passion story. For Catholics of a certain age, many psalms will be quite familiar. Psalm 43, for example, includes "I will go to the altar of God", "Introibo ad altare dei" .That's what the priest said during the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. The altar boy's reply was "Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam" or "to God who is the joy of my youth".

Reference to useful web site--Internet links are provided for further study of Solomon's temple, of Michelangelo's Moses statue and dozens of others.

Other translations included--While the basic Bible source is New Revised Standard Version, some other translations are also included.

So, if you wanted to be guided as you read through the Bible in a year, I would recommend this book.  As I said, it's not the complete Bible, so I tend to alternate years between this and a full Bible in a Year.  (This year, I am doing a Bible Read-though with a friend from church - we aim to try and complete the whole Bible in 6 months, meeting up weekly to discuss passages that caught our eye.)  While I know some Christians may have an issue with this, I particularly like how the commentator doesn't always accept the Bible to be literal, but judges the different styles of writing as they are (whether that be history, prose, metaphor, prophecy, revelation, opinion etc).  I may not always agree with Ruth's comments, but I find his stance to be a refreshing read.  And as I said before, I liked the chance to read the apocrypha.  I think every Christian should read it once, just to be able to make an informed decision about it, and to understand some of the history of the Jews (eg the book of Maccabees) that is not included in the Protestant Old Testament.