Top 10 Books of 2014

Okay, I finally made my top ten book decisions. This year was harder for me than normal. Even though my count was much lower than last year I feel happy to have read as much I did despite nausea so severe that I couldn't read and having an baby boy.  Also, I felt that the books I read this year really impactful.

Total number of books: 70
Total number of pages: 18,489

Here are my top ten of 2014 in no particular order.

Christ Object Lessons by Ellen White

Whenever I read Ellen White I feel challenged in my walk with God and encouraged. That is an awesome combination.

A Broken Kind of Beautiful by Katie Ganshert

Katie Ganshert is my favorite fiction author.  She combines amazing storytelling with themes that go beyond just a "fun" read. Her books last with you because she not only writes deep stories but you can tell she lives them out.

Meant to be Mine by Becky Wade

Becky Wade is the best Christian romance author you can find.  I use her as my measuring stick against other romance books.  Also, this book focuses on God in a way I didn't expect in a romance book.

Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish

It's hard to explain why I loved this book. But I did.  Maybe because it was written differnently or because the story was different. But I loved it.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Another book that I chose as a top ten, not only for the storyline, but for how it was written.  I like books that are different, and this one was.  It was a WWII novel but in a unique way.

Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe by Sharon Jaynes

Amazing and practical, this book was something I read through once but will definitely re-read.

The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp

This book, for the first time, made me really focus on Jesus at Christmas. It made Christmas mean something more.  Amazing.

Set-apart Motherhood by Leslie Ludy

This changed the way I view being a mother. I loved, loved, loved this book. And I was challenged.  I recommend this to every mother.

Mere Christianity by C.S.Lewis

I finally read it. He is way smarter than I am and I loved seeing how ideas I had heard about from others had probably come from reading his books.

Lean on Me by Anne Marie Miller

This and Set-apart Motherhood are probably the best books I read this year.  This book just struck a chord with me that I find hard to identify- except to say that I fear and long for community and this book is all about community.  I need to re-read it.

Honorable Mentions:

Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay
Looking back on reading this I feel like it was just a good read. Katherine Reay is an author I will keep coming back to.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I hated this book. Hated it. And then I loved it.  It makes me think about it long after I have closed the book and it also makes me think differently.

The Pursuit of Tamsen LittleJohn by Lori Benton
I love reading Lori Benton. Her books are thick and yet I never feel like I am eager for the story to end.

Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
Little known history and the love/sacrifice of/for family.

Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar
One of the best Biblical fiction books on Rahab I have read. Didn't minc words and yet moved beyond just the fall of Jericho.

Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund
I have come to really enjoy Jody Hedlund as an author. Her historical fiction almost always reveals to me parts of history I had never known about before.

This Quiet Sky by Joanne Bischof
This is a novella, but would have made the top ten if it was a full length novel.  Her writing is superb.