Me and My Books

I am an avid reader. Not a day goes by when I don’t pick up a magazine, the newspaper, or a book to read. I only wish I had more time to read! My taste in books has slowly changed over the past several years. I used to read predominantly fiction series books. I started off reading Nancy Drew mysteries when I was about 9 years old, and then I read other series like “Bloodhounds Inc.,” the “Left Behind for Kids” series (yes, all 40-plus books!), the adult “Left Behind” series, and “At Home in Mitford.”

These were all good books, mind you, but I have recently realized the merit of reading non-fiction books. I have come to the conclusion that my time is limited, and I feel there is an urgency to study real issues and not always “escape” into the world of pretend characters. I still read fiction on occasion—and I will usually read them very fast once I get into the story—but I would say that I only read fiction 1/3 of the time and non-fiction about 2/3 of the time.

So I thought I would show you my book stack (that is really much bigger mentally.) It sits in the corner of my bedroom and I am anxious to perhaps reach the bottom one day:

My book stack.

I just finished reading “Joyfully At Home” by Jasmine Baucham and plan on writing a book review soon. Currently, I am reading “In His Steps” by Charles Sheldon and “Emotional Purity” by Heather Arnel Paulson. The other books in my stack are “Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends” by Sarah Mally (I am re-reading this), “10 Truths About Socialism,” “Lysbeth” by H. Rider Haggard, “The Naked Communist” by W. Cleon Skousen, “Hinds’ Feet on High Places” by Hannah Hurnard, “Why Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet?” by Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori, “The Family” by J.R. Miller, “The Hobbit” by J.R. Tolkien, “The Scarlet Slipper Mystery” by Carolyn Keene (a Nancy Drew mystery), “Health for Godly Generations” by Degroot, and “The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds & Horse Care” by Judith Draper.

It should be noted that the "Scarlet Slipper", “The Hobbit”, and “The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds & Horse Care” have sat in my stack for a year or two. I know, I know, I should read those sooner than later, but my priorities and interests haven’t quite pushed those books to the top yet. J

This is my theology stack.

I read these books during my devotion time in the mornings. I am reading “A Young Woman’s Call to Prayer” by Elizabeth George right now, and the other books are “So What’s The Difference” by Fritz Ridenour, “Have We Really Come A Long Way” by Ruth Senter, and “A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart” by Elizabeth George. Again, this stack is much larger mentally. I basically want to read all of the books we have on theology, but that is another blog post in and of itself.

And this is my personal book shelf.

As you can tell by looking closely at the titles in the above picture, I have quite the eclectic mix of books! I have books on Biblical womanhood, the emergent church, martyrs, photography, running, gardening, preserving, novels based in early American history, classics like “Black Beauty,” “Anne of Green Gables,” “Little Women,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and the “Christy” series, encyclopedias on animals, and other delightful treasures. So if any of you would like to visit my “mini library” I have plenty of topics to choose from! J I hope to add books on government, health, the church, the family, Reformed theology, and missions to that mix soon.

What are some of the books in your reading stack? Or books you just finished reading that you would recommend and why? I’d love to hear some feedback! I’m always looking for good books to read!