A goal and some help
One of my goals for the new year is to read (at least) a book per month. I love to read, so this won’t be too hard for me. What I’m having a problem with though is figuring out which books to read.
I wrote down several categories of books I want to read. And so I need your help!
Do you have suggestions of great books in these categories?
1. A good fiction read (I don’t like sci-fi or fantasy. So don’t tell me Twilight or anything like that 
)
2. Nutritional Health and Healing and/or Cooking
3. School/Education – We’re thinking lots about our options as our kids approach school age (‘For the Children’s Sake’ by Macauley is on my list, but I’d love some other suggestions).
4. Missionary Biography and/or Biography
5. Gardening – I just checked out ‘Second Nature’ by Michael Pollan, but I’d love another suggestion. ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle’ was so good, it will be a hard one to beat!
6. Mothering – specifically one on raising daughters and sons ( I still haven’t read ‘The Ministry of Motherhood’ by Clarkson, so that is on my list)
7. Marriage/Wife
8. Prayer – I think I want to read “A Praying Life” by Paul Miller
9. Any other Favorites!
And for your enjoyment…
Love these babies!
So, what should I read?
Parenting: Don’t Make Me Count to Three- i think you read that one though, The Mission of Motherhood- one of my favorites- tell me when you read this one and I would love to read it alongside you.
Fiction- Redeeming Love is my all time favorite
Health- Food: Nourishing Traditions, I’ve only read parts – not an easy read b/c you have to apply it
I also want to read The Maker’s Diet.
Wife: Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney. Next week my bible study will begin reading When Sinners Say “I do”- discovering the power of the gospel in marriage… i let you know how it is
Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges
I have read When Sinners Say I do and Feminine Appeal and I like Feminine Appeal – both are good reads but FA was really good. Also I am currently reading Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas. I don’t know that it is “school/education” but it is a wonderful general parenting book with a little different perspective than most. And my all time favorite missionary biography is Evidence Not Seen by Darline Debler Rose. If you have not read it already you should give it some serious consideration.
Hey Lindsey!
I have the same reading goal! I love to read but unless I make a point to do it I usually end up reading blogs
and watching HGTV.
A couple of fiction books I’d recommend are….
The Help by Kathryn Stockett — i LOVE this book!
The Secret Angel
Secret Keepers both by Mindy Friddle — she’s from Greenville, SC
I’ve heard great things about A Praying Life… Will is about to start reading it in his small group.
Happy Reading!
hey lindsey! here are my recs:
fiction: the help (amazing, couldn’t put it down)
cooking: moosewood restaurant cooks at home (great way to get cooking lots of vegetables)
bio: faithful women and their extraordinary God, noel piper
gardening: was going to say “animal, veg miracle”, but you’ve read it! been thinking about getting “the vegetable gardener’s bible” after a failed veg garden last summer.
marriage: on my list to read is “the mystery of marriage” b/c its the only marriage book that fran sciacca recommends. which means i need to read it!
reading “the prodigal god” right now. def. recommend it.
others on my list that have been recommended to me:
the ministry of mercy-tim keller
counterfeit gods-tim keller
Great idea, love reading comments too!
Fiction: Guernesy Literature and potato peel society. Historical fiction and one of my fav.!! Loved it!
Cooking: Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates
Bio: Elisabeth Prentiss
Gardening: The sustainable Garden. I followed all their directions for planning and preparing a garden last summer and it was a fun challenge.
Marriage: Feminine Appeal
Parenting: Instructing a Child’s heart by Tripp
Have you read Stepping Heavenward? Another one of my favorites, or Severe Mercy. I also really liked the Help. I just finished Winter Garden and it was interesting (I like historical fiction)
Alicia
Ps. Lindsey let us know you favorites in all the categories, and what ones you read!
THanks for all the suggestions. I’ll do a post soon on what I decide to read and some other favorites.
Recent reads that may loosely fall into categories you might possibly enjoy:
A Lost Lady – Willa Cather
Quicksand and Passing – Nella Larsen
Anything Anne Tyler has ever written, especially Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Searching for Caleb, and An Amateur Marriage
Anything Toni Morrison has ever written, especially Beloved, Song of Solomon, a mercy, Bluest Eye
Serena – Ron Rash
Cold Mountain or Thirteen Moons – Charles Frazier
Let me know when you get through this list! None will necessarily make you a better person (like most of the suggestions above – all of which look excellent), but all will make you a better reader!
thanks bud – part of why I am doing it is to become a better reader – ha, even just to stay a reader! Considering most of what I read this days sounds like “Skit skat skoodle doot flip flop flee…” You know the rest!
I own all of these and you could look up a short summary of them and see if they sound interesting…or you could just ask me. Either way, I have copies.
hey. I am doing the same: haven’t been on her in a while..sweet pics of kids. Here are some different ones that weren t mentioned
Family/parenting: Family Drivien Faith/ Gospel power parenting/Everyday talk/
School: For the Childrens sake…I think that’s the name. /When children love to learn
I am re reading Family Driven Faith bc i never finished it , re reading True Woman and starting Mission to motherhood…Let me know if you read one of these and we can chat about it
I am enjoying an oldie, but goodie, Bringing up Boys. I have some Moosewood if you would want to borrow. Cutting for Stone is supposed to be good too.