Favorite Books Read in 2019

stack of books to read with glasses resting on top

2019 was a good year for reading! If you are wondering “What good books should I read?”, I probably can help you out! In all, I believe this list comes to 80 books. Not too shabby. My 2020 reading rate is off to a much slower start. 😉

This book list also includes chapter books I read to or listened to with the kids. (Those books are marked by an *.) There are also a good number of children’s novels Kenna and I both read (separately) and I few I just read.

I have divided this list into a handful of broad categories and I’ll try and tell you the highlights of each group! It was interesting for me to see which books I still get excited about a year later.

The categories are: Fiction (including classic novels), Missionary Biographies, Biographies/Memoirs/Historical Non Fiction, Christian Non Fiction, Other Fiction and Children’s Novels

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Fiction

Little Women
The Count of Monte Cristo
Jane Eyre
Daniel Deronda
Middlemarch
Till We Have Faces
The Chosen
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader*
The Five Red Herrings
Becoming Mrs Lewis
A Portrait of Emily Price

I had so much fun re-reading some of my favorite classic novels! The 4 books in bold are my top picks from the category. I had forgotten just how good they were: Little Women, The Count of Monte Cristo, Daniel Deronda, and The Chosen.

Of course Jane Eyre and the CS Lewis books are also must reads.

A friend told me Middlemarch was her favorite George Elliot book, so I tackled it for the first time. I enjoyed it, but still loved the story of Daniel Deronda more. I am going to read it a second time, because I have a feeling the story will grow on me. Deronda was like going back to an old friend. 😉

Missionary Biographies

The Hiding Place
Through Gates of Splendor
God’s Smuggler
Evidence Not Seen
Daring to Hope

Honestly, I don’t have a top favorite. I’d say read them all! Except for Daring to Hope, these were all re-reads for me. Each of these individuals have amazing testimonies – these books are so encouraging and convicting.

Biographies/Memoirs/Historical Non Fiction

Growing Up Amish
How to Be Like Walt +
The Boys in the Boat
Save Me the Plums
The Push +
Code Girls +
The King’s Speech +
The Magnolia Story
Shoe Dog

I love this category. True stories are so fascinating. I also enjoy learning about times in history I know little about and about people who live lives nothing like mine. Books are a great way to expand your horizons and keep educating yourself. The Boys in the Boat and Save Me the Plums are probably my top picks. Both books were very well written (and made me want to pick up other books by those authors). I also really enjoyed Code Girls (I was so clueless about this part of history), The King’s Speech, and How to Be Like Walt. If you are into rock climbing at all, The Push is a must read! (Actually, I’ve only been rock climbing once and I still really enjoyed it.)

The Magnolia Story and Shoe Dog were easy reads that I did enjoy and found fascinating how these “empires” got their starts, but they were a little stressful! I found myself wanting to read a not so risk driven entrepreneurial story after that. 🙂

neat stack of books waiting to be read

Christian Non Fiction

If
God in the Dock
The Reason for God
The Practice of the Presence of God
Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus
Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus
Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus
Church History in Plain Language
The Jewish Jesus

Introverts in the Church
Missionary Mom
Memory Making Mom
Gift from the Sea
Friendish
It’s All Under Control
Everyday Love
2 Chairs

My number one pick(s) would probably have to be Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus and Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus. I LOVED them and found my self talking about them all the time. They also have helped me as I read the Bible.

I also quite enjoyed Keller’s The Reason for God and The Practice of the Presence of God. If is a super short and good book by Amy Carmichael based off of 1 Corinthians 13. So, my number one picks remain but after that I recommend any of those first 9 books.

In the last segment, Introverts in the Church I was just eh about. And 2 Chairs I didn’t love. Friendish is a thought provoking look at just what Christian friendship should look like. Everyday Love is a Bible study I enjoyed. The others were all quick reads I enjoyed but didn’t love enough to make the top segment.

Other Non Fiction

White Fragility
Rising Strong
Essentialism
Smart Money Smart Kids
Everyday Millionaire

White Fragility is worth reading. It will make you think and hopefully see things from a perspective beyond what you currently know. Rising Strong is one of Brene Brown’s books and I recommend reading her work. You won’t agree with everything, but again they make you think and have a lot of good stuff in them.

The other 3 books were all fine, but nothing life changing.

Children’s Novels

Bethlehem Books:
God King
The Lost Baron
The Borrowed House
Red Falcons of Tremoine
Becky Landers
Downright Dencey
Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal

The Penderwicks
The Pernderwicks On Gardam Street
The Penderwicks in Spring
The Penderwicks at Point Mouette
The Penderwicks at Last

The Black Stallion
The Black Stallion Returns
Son of the Black Stallion

Grandfather’s Dance
Mask of the Wolf Boy
White Horse
Misty of Chincoteague

10 of these books my 8 year old and I both read separately. Black Stallion and Misty I haven’t read since I was a kid and they are so good! White Horse is the first Elizabeth Goudge book I have read, and the only one our library has. I always see Sarah Clarkson recommend her books and wanted to try them.

Children’s Books Read to the Kids

Sarah Plain and Tall*
Skylark*
Caleb’s Story*
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader*
The Trumpet of the Swan*
The Wheel on the School*
Snow Treasure*
The Sword in the Stone*
The Secret Garden*
James and the Giant Peach*
Because of Winn-Dixie*
Where the Red Fern Grows*
The Cricket in Times Square*
More All of a Kind Family*
Tuesdays at the Castle*
Holes*

A lot of these were books I read growing up and it was fun reading them with the kids. The Sarah Plain and Tall series is so good. They are also quick reads. Snow Treasure, All of a Kind Family, Dawn Treader, and The Wheel on the School I all enjoyed as a kid and again this past year.

Heads up, you might want to consider reading The Secret Garden aloud to your kids so you can edit out some racist dialogue towards the beginning of the book or at least discuss it with your children.

My 6 six year said that his favorites that we read aloud or listened to the audio book of this year were: