Favorite Books of 2013

Wouldn't you love to have a tree like this for Christmas?  This was at the White House when we took a tour this last month.   Reading is a part of our family.  Most of the time we read off of our digital devices but these past few months we have enjoyed reading from hard copies of books.  We have even had the opportunity to use the city library which has been a real treat.

Every year I list my favourite books for the year.  Here are my lists for 2012 and 2011.  This year I am excited to link up with Modern Mrs. Darcy and other bloggers on their favourites for the year.  Hopefully I will find a few good reads for next year off the other lists.

Here is my list in no special order.

1.  Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst.  I liked this book so much I read it twice.  The second time two friends read through it with me, and we would meet to discuss the book and our progress in not being unglued emotionally.  Her book gives great practical applications on how to handle the emotions of life.  My favourite quote of hers from the book is that "emotions are indicators not dictators."

2.  Invisible by Ginny Yttrup.  Each chapter alternated between the viewpoint of four different characters.  One of the characters was an overweight chef which contrasted with the natural food store employee who was dealing with anorexic issues.  It dealt with the issue of weight and eating with wisdom and grace in the midst of a beautiful story of redemption and friendship.

3. Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent.  This books takes place in the south during the time of the ku klux klan.  The story is told from the perspective of a young, white girl.  When her best friend's parents die, her family takes her friend into their family.  The only problems is her friend is black, and some people have trouble accepting their actions.  It is a story of friendship and doing the right thing even when it is hard.  

4. Changes that Heal by Henry Cloud.  This book was timely for me helping me think through my relationships and how I interact with others.  Dr. Cloud goes through steps on how to bring healing to damaged emotions.  A quote that best describes the book is "no real and deep change occurs outside of relationship and trust, for that is the place where the heart lives."

5.   Messy Church: A Multigenerational Mission for God's Family by Ross Parsley
This is a story of Ross's journey from being a pastor in Colorado to a pastor in Texas as well as giving great ideas and insight into dealing with the different generations in our churches today.  I would like to reread this one again soon especially the part on how to mentor those coming up in leadership.  

6. Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson.  I enjoyed this book a lot mostly because she goes back and references a lot of the characters that I liked in her O'Malley series.  The plot also had some fun twists in it.

7.  The Brides of Alba Series by Linda Windsor.  The series is set in the time of King Arthur and Merlin.  Each book deals with one of the brothers in a certain family and how God works in and through them.  I enjoyed this series partly because I had never read much about this time period.  

8.  The Book of Daniel by Russell Stendal.  This book is a really a series of sermons in print covering the book of Daniel.  I liked how Russell brought out different aspects of Daniel that I would have never seen on my own.  Since they were sermons, I actually enjoyed the small review in each chapter which helped me to better retain the material.  

9.  The Man in the Middle: An Inside Account of Faith and Politics in the George W. Bush Era by Timothy S. Goeglein.   This is a combination of autobiography, biography and commentary on politics.  My husband and I currently reading this book together and have enjoyed the discussions that have followed.  We have enjoyed learning more about our era of history and what happened behind the scenes.  If you ever wanted to know more about the conservative movement, this is a book for you to read.  

10. The Shepherd's Heart series by Lynette Bonner.  This is a fun fluff series.  I read it while recouping from a broken foot.  It is set in Idaho and covers a time period I didn't know much about.  The characters deal with some tough issues, and the author handles those with grace.

What books did you enjoy this past year?  TJ

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