2018: My Favorite Books of the Year

Last year, I tried out Tim Challies’ Reading Challenge. (This was my list of favorite books from that reading challenge in 2017.) I enjoyed broadening my horizon by reading books in categories I probably otherwise wouldn’t have attempted. This year, I simply made my own booklist. I knew I wanted to focus on spiritual enrichment and biographies, so I made two columns. Additional books just ended up in tiny subcategories at the bottom.

Like last year, there are a couple books I wasn’t able to get in time to read for this year. Or I simply forgot to check them out of the library. However, I still read more challenging books than I would have read had I not begun with a plan. Some I loved and have been added to my shelf of favorite books; some I finished with a sigh of relief. (I won’t be telling you about the latter.)

If you’re struggling to read deeper material than the magazine at the dentist’s office, making a list will probably help you as it has helped me. You’ll have a piece of paper to keep you accountable. (My list is always easily accessible, and I actually look at it every couple of weeks. Mostly because I love checking things off lists. Any kind of lists.)

So, moving on: these are my favorite books from my list this year. Each of these books enriched my life in some way, and I’m excited to share them with you.

My Favorite Books of 2018

Affiliate links included for your convenience.

Biography:

A Passion for the Impossible, by Miriam Rockness

A friend recommended that I read something about Lilias Trotter’s life, so I bought this book. Lilias has to be one of the most intriguing women of whom I’ve ever read. An artist, missionary, and dreamer, she traded a comfortable life in England for a world of unknowns in Algeria. This well-researched book uses her journals and sketches to bring Lilias back to life.

Granny Brand, by Dorothy Clarke Wilson

This biography of Evelyn Harris Brand is written in the flowery, descriptive style of 50 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a portrait of a woman who may have gotten started late (she left for the mission field after a pampered life at home when she was in her early 30s) but who finished strong. She never dropped the baton handed to her when she was a young woman to “reach the five mountain ranges” in northern India. Instead, even as a fragile old woman, she was crossing mountains to share the gospel.

Note: While it always bothers me that missionaries spent so much time apart from their own children in the “old days,” one can read about a person and admire her without pretending she is a saint. Evelyn Brand is a wonderful example of courage and resilience for Christ’s sake. 

Unfortunately, although you can still find copies of Granny Brand, you may not be able to find a new copy. I bought a used one on Amazon.

Autobiography:

Letters and Sketches from the New Hebrides, Maggie Paton

Maggie’s letters from the Pacific Islands, where she and her famous almost-eaten-by-cannibals husband were missionaries, are sprightly and forthright. They don’t attempt to paint missionary life with a false glow; neither do they spend much time in the dumps. I wish I could have met the personality behind these letters! You can find these letters free online if you want to read them on your computer.

In My Father’s House, Corrie ten Boom

In a way, this book is autobiography. While it’s about all the ten Booms, it’s most of all a tribute to Corrie’s father. I read The Hiding Place (a must-read!) years ago, and In My Father’s House was a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at how God was preparing the ten Boom family for their WWII roles even generations beforehand.

Family Life (Parenting/Marriage):

When Sinners Say I Do, by Dave Harvey

A quick, easy read and one that’s a worthwhile reminder of the need for forgiveness and grace in marriage.

Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp

I really appreciated the focus on a child’s heart rather than just external behavior in this Christian parenting book.

Honorable Mention: Missional Motherhood, by Gloria Furman. While the first part of the book is a straightforward review of the Old Testament, the last few chapters are very helpful to mothers in particular who desire to see God’s kingdom come.

Prayer:

Praying Backwards, by Bryan Chapell

While I read a couple books in this category, it was Praying Backwards that I found the most helpful. Chapell doesn’t have anything revolutionary to share here–he isn’t a mystic or so-called prophet. He’s simply a great writer and faithful pastor who urges his readers to seek Christ’s glory in their prayers (“in Jesus’s name”). Chapell always tells engaging stories that help make his point–and when the story is about him, it’s usually a humbling confession rather than a brag. Praying Backwards is definitely worth your time if you, like me, need constant reminders to pray and encouragement that you don’t have to be a Super Extra Special Saint to be heard by your Father.

Other Christian Topics

Let the Nations Be Glad!, by John Piper

I read several books by John Piper this year, including Future Grace and God is the Gospel. However, Let the Nations Be Glad was not only (I thought) the best-written of those I read, it was also personally convicting AND encouraging. Whether your heart is drawn toward missions or toward living a faithful life right where you are, you could use the hope and Scriptural truth presented in this book.

Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow

This year, Calm My Anxious Heart is my pick of books specifically written for women. (It’s now one of my favorite books of all I own.) My husband’s aunt recommended it to me last year, and I read it at the beginning of the year. What a beautiful encouragement to hope and not fear, no matter your circumstances! I constantly need the reminder to look at Christ rather than be anxious over circumstances surrounding my family members or friends. This book should go on every Christian woman’s bookshelf for reference.

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by Jeremiah Burroughs

I’ve been trying to read more books written by Puritan pastors, and this year I finally read this book that has languished on my I-wish-I’d-read-this-book list for nearly ten years. A sample quote: “If you would get a contented life, do not grasp too much of the world, do not take in more of the business of the world than God calls you to.” The Rare Jewel is full of beautiful lines about contentment in every lot.

Holiness By Grace, by Bryan Chapell

Yes, another book by Chapell. I thought this book did a beautiful job of walking that line between legalism and antinomianism. Any holiness we think we can attain must be by God’s grace alone.

Knowing God, by J.I. Packer

A classic book on what we can know about God and how we can know God. (I’m late to the game reading this book, since it has already sold well over a million copies!) The first half describes God’s characteristics, called attributes, and it’s the best description I’ve read since A.W. Pink’s Attributes of God. The second half is a glorious retelling of the gospel and what it means in our lives, culminating in a summation of Romans that will make every Christian’s heart soar with joy. A sample quote from the last chapter:

“…one day we shall see that nothing–literally nothing–which could have increased our eternal happiness has been denied us, and that nothing–literally nothing–that could have reduced that happiness has been left with us. What higher assurance do we want than that?” –J.I. Packer, Knowing God, p. 270.

Packer writes well and he has solid biblical grounding. This will be a book I read again and again throughout my life. Definitely on my “favorite books of all time” shelf.

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, by Mark Dever

A super quick and helpful read, this book is a straightforward call to evangelism in everyday life.

Fiction

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

I finally read this classic American book. It deals with some hard themes in a very gracious manner, seen through the eyes of a precocious child.

The Atonement Child, by Francine Rivers

This was my second time to read The Atonement Child, but I had forgotten most of the story. It’s a beautiful story of God’s redemptive power in some very challenging situations (such as pregnancy caused by rape).

Honorable Mention: The Kite Runner. Definitely not for children, but this book gives a hard-facts-of-life view of the Afghanistan of a few years ago.

Gardening

Weedless Gardening, by Lee Reich

While I didn’t take to heart everything this book says about not disturbing the soil, I did greatly increase mulching and had VERY few weeds in my garden this past summer.

How about you?

What were your favorite reads this year? What’s on your list for next year? Let me know in the comments so I can be working on my booklist for 2019. I already have Rosaria Butterfield’s The Gospel Comes with a House Key on my shelf for the coming year. I can’t wait to learn more about what true Christian hospitality should look like.