Books I’ve Read So Far This Year

I haven’t been keeping a very good list this year!! But I really want to keep track of what I’m reading. So, here is what I’ve read so far in 2015 with a small note about whether I liked the book or not. I’m also afraid that this has been a crazy year and I will have forgotten a book I’ve read, so hopefully this list will help jog my memory. 🙂

See previous years of reading here: 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

1. The Good Earth – I wasn’t sure about this book, sometimes classics are either over my head or I don’t have time in this crazy life to really dig in and focus on the book. But this story was SO GOOD. It was worth it!
2. A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon – Ok, so I wasn’t really a fan of this book. I was hoping it would be a humorous memoir like Sparkly Green Earrings or The Antelope in the Living Room, but these stories seemed so random, I couldn’t get into this one.
3. The Swan House  – loved this story, sad and hard time in our country’s history, but a sweet book nonetheless.
4. The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You – a book for all moms! We need time for ourselves and for our calling and to learn how to TAKE CARE of ourselves. Read more of my thoughts here.
5. All the Light We Cannot See – Oh my. Maybe my favorite book of 2015 so far. SO good. Also quite a hard story, but the historical part of this book made it so fascinating, knowing that this story was based on some true parts of this portion of our world history. Wow. The story and the characters are beautiful and will draw you in!
6. What Alice Forgot – this was a quick and fun read. Warning: language and some other stuff I’m probably forgetting. But the story is just great and I couldn’t put it down.
7. The Husband’s Secret – this book is by the same author of What Alice Forgot, so I picked it up (on kindle) after reading the first one. This story was good and I really enjoyed the story, but a lot MORE language and lot MORE inappropriate stuff happening. I probably would not recommend it for that reason, unless you can read a story and overlook all that.
8. Praying Over God’s Promises: The Lost Art of Taking Him at His Word – a hugely encouraging book, especially if you need reminding of the PROMISES of God and how to cling to them by praying them! Loved this book! Read my post about this book here.
9. The 15 Success Traits of Pro Bloggers: A Proven Roadmap to Becoming a Full-Time Blogger – This was a great and helpful read if you are wanting to improve your blog!
10. If You Find This Letter: My Journey to Find Purpose Through Hundreds of Letters to Strangers – oh I loved this one! I wrote a whole post on it. So encouraging and inspiring!
11. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet – this was another DIFFICULT yet beautiful story! I loved this book and did not want it to end! But beware, I cried multiple times in this one!
12. Dragon’s Gate  – I read this one for my girls reading list this year, I wanted to read ahead of them and develop some comprehension questions for them. It was also good and very eye opening! I had no idea of the history that went along with the building of the transcontinental railroad! If you’re studying this period in history (around same time of Civil War) I highly recommend it.
13. Radical Hospitality: Benedict’s Way of Love: Benedict’s Way of Love, 2nd Edition – this will also rank as one of my favorite reads of 2015. I loved it so much I started a book club for discussion for October 2015. Find more details about the book club here.
14. The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future – this was a VERY fascinating and also scary/eery read. The author tells us that the DETAILS of history are ACCURATE, but the characters and how it happened are fiction. If you are curious about prophecy and end times and the direction of America, I would recommend this book. Be prepared for your jaw to drop a few hundred times as you read it. I will also say that I do not usually like books like this. I don’t have a huge need to study end times, it leads to fear for me personally. But, this book is so fascinating and I believe a lot of it to be true!
15. Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World – another fabulous book by Emily P. Freeman. I wrote a whole post on this book also, click here to read it. This book reminds us that we don’t have to be doing the biggest and greatest things for God. This book reminds me that we are small and that is good.
16. Counting by 7s – This book says for ages 10 and up. LOL! I guess I’m just an immature reader but I LOVED this book. (I also loved Hunger Games which are considered YA so there ya go.) This book is about a 12 year old girl who faces some pretty difficult and life changing things in her young life. There is nothing questionable in this book as far as inappropriate conduct or language, but I’m not sure if my girls (13 & 12) could handle the “hard stuff.” This story will capture your heart, you will cry, you will laugh and you will be reminded that there really are new beginnings in life!