In this -the eleventh- annual edition of my significant reading list, I present my normal, eclectic approach to gathering learning and joy from the thoughts of others. Two pieces of advice come to mind as a look at this list and consider my reading.
- Be careful of your friends... over half of these books that I am recommending were recommended to me by friends, typically quite close ones. If you don't like what someone reads, don't get too close to them! They'll try to get you to love what they love. I say that a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I suppose it is actually quite true.
- Be careful about foreign bookshops... a surprising feature of a well-stocked bookshop in a foreign land is that its English language section is likely to be loaded with high quality reading material, much of which you might not have noticed in a bookstore stocked with old favorites. Only one of the books on this list (Prisoners of Geography) actually came from such a shop, but this evening I also just finished a different book (The Sultan of Byzantium) which I came across at said bookstore and was given for Christmas. Thus, a foreign bookshop - with its books that are mostly more difficult to read due to being in a less familiar language - can be just as dangerous a place as an American bookshop filled with more flotsam and jetsam.
Biography and Autobiography
Love Stories
by Belle Brain (edited by David Hosaflook) - a collection of stories of
many who served God and loved His name. It is about how their Lord
provided for them with and without spouses. It makes excellent reading around Valentine's Day or an anniversary.
Raymund Lull by Samuel Zwemer - Lull was a significant figure in a variety of ways, and Zwemer shows much of that variety in this relatively brief treatment of his life.
Exiled: The Story of John Lathrop by Helene Holt - Originally, I wanted to read this due to my interest in family history. John Lathrop was one of my ancestors, but the book (a novelized biography) was much more interesting than expected. The struggles of the 'English Reformation', the fight for freedom of conscience and expression, the difficulties of worshiping in ways that were unaccepted, and the willingness to suffer for ones principles or beliefs - these are all displayed clearly in this biography. While much of it takes place in England before Lathrop's exile and emigration to the American colony that became Massachusetts, it is quite instructive as well about the pressures which shaped early American beliefs about democracy as seen in a particular set of lives.
The Triumph of an Indian Widow by Mary Lucia Bierce Fuller - This short book was written by my great-grandmother's cousin about Pandita Ramabai, whom the author had known well. Thus, I also came across it through my interest in family history. It was a worthwhile sketch of the remarkable life of a reformer in India.
The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester - Telling a part of the story of The Oxford English Dictionary, this narrative is captivating. It includes murder, an attempt at the impossible, and a certain romanticism in parts that make it quite compelling.
Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson (post 1 & post 2) - A philosophy of living by an artist, autobiographical ponderings that are thoroughly relatable. (This one muddles the boundary between autobiography and nonfiction; it was an excellent, counter-point to Keller's Every Good Endeavor, which I finished shortly before reading it.
Nonfiction
Pedagogy of Freedom by Paulo Freire (post)
- A book to love and, as I mentioned in my post on it, one that
immediately joined my favorites about education and learning and
'teaching.'
Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall (post) - How geography shapes events, especially long-term and on a large skill is a fascinating study. Read my post for more of my thoughts.
Putting Off Anger by John Coblentz - This book, which I read along with others in Turkish was immensely practical and far more wide-ranging than the title makes it sounds. It seems to me like very practical book for engaging and 'putting off' more than just anger although it deals most directly with that topic.
The Bible Made Impossible (Christian Smith) - I read parts of this book with a friend who was interested in it. I wouldn't particularly recommend it although the author makes some legitimate critiques of biblicism. On the one hand, it seems to me that the biblicism being critiqued is one that has been subjected to very little thought or teaching. On the other hand, some of the ways Smith suggested thinking about the Bible seemed valuable and well considered even without agreeing with his whole argument or all his views. This one falls into the category of "it's important to read people whom you're not sure you'll agree with and actually try to listen to them whether you end up agreeing with them or not in the end."
Fiction
Oroonoko by Aphra Behn - A novel from the late 1600s, about Suriname, by "the first Englishwoman known to earn her living by writing" (source)!
This was a tale that reminded me more of classical tales than of modern
ones. The story discusses heroism and slavery and nobility. It's a
fascinating glimpse into how art can be made to speak to an issue: it is
not explicitly anti-slavery, yet it shows the cruelties and twisted
thinking which spawned chattel slavery. On the other hand, there are
still places in the book where Behn seems to endorse the prejudices of
her day. As with so much of life, it seems to be a mixture of truth and
error. It is a sobering reminder that even when we are clear-minded, we
are often still muddled in other areas. At the personal level, it was
interesting to learn more about the history of the words and culture
that I grew up in.
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga - A beautiful story of immigration, TCKs, learning culture, and courage. It's listed as being for ages 8-12, and my 10-year old enjoyed it. But, so did I! It's 'an easy read' that can be hard to read. The author expressed (revealed?) the inner lives of a cultural nomad in really striking ways. It's also peppered with a series of insights about American culture as it is perceived by those just meeting it.
Gilead
by Marilynne Robinson - This book was a surprise and joy; it was
stirring and deep. Mostly, I'd say it resonated with reality. The
characters felt true - this inner life of a country preacher in a small
town... I haven't gotten up the courage to go on to the next stories in
the series, and, yes, I think it feels like it can take a certain
courage to look into the mirror of well-expressed inner worlds.
The Adventures of Sally by P. G. Wodehouse - (post) - Wodehouse is always good for a smile and for insight into human nature; the fact that this one encounters the 'Spanish flu' of a century ago adds an interesting dynamic to it.
Wolf Brother by Jim Kjelgaard - A young adult novel by an author I've always loved though I hadn't heard of this particular story. It tells of the last days of the free-roving Apache bands presenting many of the perspectives and realities of the time.
When Ravens Fall & The Innkeeper's Wife by Savannah Jezowski - These shorter stories drew me in to unexpected depths. They're worth their price.
The Spoken Mage series by Melanie Cellier - As foreshadowed in last year's list, I ended up in this series in 2021. It's quite enjoyable.
By the Pricking of My Thumbs
by Agatha Christie - This is one of the Tommy & Tuppence series.
They have always been some of my favorite of her characters, and this
was a lovely read. I hadn't read it before, and it didn't disappoint. I
didn't get the inkling of whom the murderer was till slightly before it
was revealed, as normal. (Plus, I read other Christie works when I remember how much I enjoyed her writing: The Labors of Hercules is the only book of hers that I know of that's in the 'short story' format. It was quite enjoyable.)
A re-read worth mentioning: The Hobbit & LOTR by JRR Tolkien - My latest re-reading of these was in tandem with with my oldest daughter! It is a joy long-anticipated to begin sharing my favorite old book-companions with one of my children.
Recommendations from years past: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
