Here it is, at long last! My book list for 2014. Sixty books, most of them before I started working at OSU-OKC. Blog and books were both neglected once I started working forty hours a week. Whine, whine, okay...
Some of the books fit in more than one category, so I tried to put them in the dominant category.
My reading lists from past years are included on my homepage as tabs now, right under my blog banner. If you'd rather click on a link, here you go:
2010
2011
2012
2013
Let me know if you end up reading any of these or if you have suggestions for books you think I would like!
Key
* fun
# favorite
AB audiobook
Christian
# Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God, Noel Piper
One of my favorites from this year. Short biographies of five different women, including Lillias Trotter and Helen Roseveare.
The Small Woman and the Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Gladys Aylward as told to Christine Hunter
An autobiography of Gladys Aylward, missionary to China. She went through some crazy stuff (including sleeping in the snow unknowingly surrounded by wolves).
AB The Cross and the Switch Blade, David Wilkerson with John and Elizabeth Sherrill
The story of a pastor who heeds the call to minister to gang kids in New York City. It makes you want to pack your bags and go help, though you have to realize that a lot of hard things went on that were never mentioned in this book.
AB Captive in Iran: A Remarkable True Story of Hope and Triumph amid the Horror of Tehran's Brutal Evin Prison, Maryam Rastampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh with John Perry
Recommended by Heather; a true story of two young ladies in Iran who refused to give in.
Isobel Kuhn: On the Roof of the World, Janet and Geoff Benge
A biography of my favorite missionary! I learned some new things about Isobel.
Jacob DeShazer: Forgive Your Enemies, Janet and Geoff Benge
A biography of a WWII POW who went back to his captors as a missionary.
Elisabeth Elliot: Joyful Surrender, Janet and Geoff Benge
A good general biography of Elisabeth Elliot, covering her various ministries before Jim and after.
Side note: This missionary series by Janet and Geoff Benge seems to be pretty good.
Autobiographies/Biographies/Memoirs
Notes on a Century: Reflections of a Middle East Historian, Bernard Lewis
Sadly, I can't remember many details about this book, but I remember it being interesting and insightful. :P
* Bill Peet: An Autobiography, Bill Peet
I read part of this autobiography of one of the best Disney storymen (Dumbo, Goofy tales, Jungle Book, etc.) for my Children's Lit class in college. Something reminded me of it, so I read the whole book this time. The illustrations are great!
The Invisible Girls: A Memoir, Sarah Thebarge
This girl is a TMC alumna. Her memoir talks about her strict upbringing, her struggle with aggressive cancer, and her outreach to a refugee family.
An American Bride in Kabul: A Memoir, Phyllis Chesler
Naive lady marries an Afghan man and is taken tovisit live in Kabul. She eventually returns home and spends the rest of her life following Middle Eastern movements and writing about and supporting the feminist movement.
L.M. Montgomery
AB Anne of Green Gables
I got this audiobook for free this summer. I'd started Anne of Windy Poplars before leaving Santa Clarita, but listening to Anne as an audiobook set me off on a Green Gables/L.M. Montgomery binge.
AB Anne of Avonlea
AB Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Poplars
AB Anne's House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside
AB Rainbow Valley
AB Rilla of Ingleside
The Blue Castle
Another L.M. Montgomery book. I think of L.M.M. books as safe romance: love stories intertwined with day-to-day happenings, fluffy professions of love, happy endings, nothing too scandalous.
Elizabeth Enright
* The Saturdays
* The Four-Story Mistake
* Then There Were Five
Spiderweb for Two: A Melendy Maze
I love the Melendys. The stories are fun and the writing is great!
# Doublefields: Memoirs and Stories
This was a very interesting book. Not for everyone.
Gone-Away Lake
Two kids find an old brother and sister pair living near a lake surrounded by abandoned summer homes. They all become friends and have adventures.
Thimble Summer
I don't remember much about this one except that it was a good, old-fashioned kids' book and the protagonist hitchhiked in a chicken truck.
Children's/Young Adult
AB Henry Huggins, Beverly Cleary
Funny. What else is there to say? :P
Treasures from Grandma, Arleta Richardson
I really like the Grandma's Attic series; I think this one was free on our Kindle.
# The Man Who Lost His Head, Claire Huchet Bishop, ill. Robert McCloskey
I read this to Amos; he was not expecting the ending. :)
The Good Master, Kate Seredy
The Singing Tree, Kate Seredy
Hungarian family living through World War I.
AB The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
Amos and I listened to this on the way out from CA, and we did not like it.
AB # * From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
Amos and I listened to this on the way out from CA, and we LOVED it. The narrator was great. :)
A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, E.L. Konigsburg
Fictionalized history highlighting Eleanor of Acquitaine. Well-written and interesting.
Bluffton, Matt Phelan
Graphic novel about Buster Keaton. I love Matt Phelan's illustrations.
City Boy: The Adventures of Herbie Bookbinder, Herman Wouk
Recommended by Dr. Adams, one of my TMC profs and my Children's Literature professor. It was a funny story, but kind of weird, too.
The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, Christopher Healy
Not impressed.
The Pinballs, Betsy Byars
Not impressed. A book about foster kids (it was okay, but the writing was pretty bad).
* Real American Girls Tell Their Own Stories, Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
"But how in the world," argued Madeline Vaughn, "can we ever get married if our father won't let any boy commit an 'attention' to us?"
"We can't!" I admitted. Between drowsiness and resentment all issues became suddenly confused. "But who cares?" I replied valiantly. "I'd rather go off and be a missionary and eat cannibals."
Amos Fortune, Free Man, Elizabeth Yates
A classic and a Newbery Award winner, but I didn't like it that much.
James Herriot
AB * All Creatures Great and Small
AB * All Things Bright and Beautiful
AB * All Things Wise and Wonderful
AB * The Lord God Made Them All
James Herriot's stories of his vet days! Hilarious, especially the stories featuring Tristan.
Et Cetera
Fatherhood, Bill Cosby
Funny book, but when you consider the author...
AB # Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand
Another favorite from this year. Amos and I both read it. Laura Hillenbrand is a talented author, she made Louie's story very interesting, and she is writing a third book! (Her first book was Seabiscuit: An American Legend.) Originally recommended by Josh and Grace.
# The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures, Anne Fadiman
Recommended by Heather. This book reinforced how different cultures can be and the immense amount of work that must go into understanding (and reaching) others.
Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther
The account of the author's son's fight with brain cancer. Terrifying and detailed, but very interesting. I read this while subbing at the Christian school.
AB They Came to Baghdad, Agatha Christie
A thriller about a plot to bring down the Western world!
"Edward was adorable. Edward had glamour. But had Edward got brains?"
Good thing Victoria had.
AB Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Agatha Christie
A madhouse, a vicar's son, a duke's daughter, double-dealers, a dim-witted hero, an opium fiend, etc.
AB Appointment with Death, Agatha Christie
I don't remember this one at all! Ah yes, a mystery set in Israel and Jordan. I don't remember how it ends...a vague memory of a gunshot...but who was it?!
# I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
Two brothers come to England to claim the eldest brother's inheritance, and two sisters, living as tenants in their castle, fall in love with them. I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone.
AB * Crocodile on the Sandbank, Elizabeth Peters
Recommended by Lester. Amelia Peabody, Victorian traveler turned Egyptian archaeologist, is a crazy lady!
# Lila, Marilynne Robinson
The third book in the Gilead trilogy. I like Gilead, but I loved Lila. I have to find this one at a used bookstore to add to my collection. It really shouldn't be stuck here in the et cetera section.
To Timbuktu: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story, Casey Sciesaka and Steven Weinberg
Interesting account written by the girlfriend and illustrated by the boyfriend. Not that great, but I really liked the pictures.
Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil, Deborah Rodriguez with Kristin Ohlson
This book was interesting, telling the stories of several Afghan ladies involved in a beauty school designed to train them in order to start their own salons. Well, it turns out Ms. Rodriguez isn't as great as she says she is (culturally inept and naive; reneging on her promises to help the Afghan ladies when she left the country; etc.), so that was a disappointment.
Rereads
The Anne books
AB Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
AB Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire x 2
AB Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
AB # Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
To Read in 2015
A Timothy Keller book (Prayer, Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering, King's Cross, Every Good Endeavor, Generous Justice, Jesus the King, etc.)
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Daniel James Brown
A few Barbara Tuchman books (The Proud Tower, The Guns of August, Bible and Sword, etc.)
Some of the books fit in more than one category, so I tried to put them in the dominant category.
My reading lists from past years are included on my homepage as tabs now, right under my blog banner. If you'd rather click on a link, here you go:
2010
2011
2012
2013
Let me know if you end up reading any of these or if you have suggestions for books you think I would like!
Key
* fun
# favorite
AB audiobook
Jennica-Ayelet's 2014 Reading List
# Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God, Noel Piper
One of my favorites from this year. Short biographies of five different women, including Lillias Trotter and Helen Roseveare.
The Small Woman and the Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Gladys Aylward as told to Christine Hunter
An autobiography of Gladys Aylward, missionary to China. She went through some crazy stuff (including sleeping in the snow unknowingly surrounded by wolves).
AB The Cross and the Switch Blade, David Wilkerson with John and Elizabeth Sherrill
The story of a pastor who heeds the call to minister to gang kids in New York City. It makes you want to pack your bags and go help, though you have to realize that a lot of hard things went on that were never mentioned in this book.
AB Captive in Iran: A Remarkable True Story of Hope and Triumph amid the Horror of Tehran's Brutal Evin Prison, Maryam Rastampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh with John Perry
Recommended by Heather; a true story of two young ladies in Iran who refused to give in.
Isobel Kuhn: On the Roof of the World, Janet and Geoff Benge
A biography of my favorite missionary! I learned some new things about Isobel.
Jacob DeShazer: Forgive Your Enemies, Janet and Geoff Benge
A biography of a WWII POW who went back to his captors as a missionary.
Elisabeth Elliot: Joyful Surrender, Janet and Geoff Benge
A good general biography of Elisabeth Elliot, covering her various ministries before Jim and after.
Side note: This missionary series by Janet and Geoff Benge seems to be pretty good.
Autobiographies/Biographies/Memoirs
Notes on a Century: Reflections of a Middle East Historian, Bernard Lewis
Sadly, I can't remember many details about this book, but I remember it being interesting and insightful. :P
* Bill Peet: An Autobiography, Bill Peet
I read part of this autobiography of one of the best Disney storymen (Dumbo, Goofy tales, Jungle Book, etc.) for my Children's Lit class in college. Something reminded me of it, so I read the whole book this time. The illustrations are great!
The Invisible Girls: A Memoir, Sarah Thebarge
This girl is a TMC alumna. Her memoir talks about her strict upbringing, her struggle with aggressive cancer, and her outreach to a refugee family.
An American Bride in Kabul: A Memoir, Phyllis Chesler
Naive lady marries an Afghan man and is taken to
L.M. Montgomery
AB Anne of Green Gables
I got this audiobook for free this summer. I'd started Anne of Windy Poplars before leaving Santa Clarita, but listening to Anne as an audiobook set me off on a Green Gables/L.M. Montgomery binge.
AB Anne of Avonlea
AB Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Poplars
AB Anne's House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside
AB Rainbow Valley
AB Rilla of Ingleside
The Blue Castle
Another L.M. Montgomery book. I think of L.M.M. books as safe romance: love stories intertwined with day-to-day happenings, fluffy professions of love, happy endings, nothing too scandalous.
Elizabeth Enright
* The Saturdays
* The Four-Story Mistake
* Then There Were Five
Spiderweb for Two: A Melendy Maze
I love the Melendys. The stories are fun and the writing is great!
# Doublefields: Memoirs and Stories
This was a very interesting book. Not for everyone.
Gone-Away Lake
Two kids find an old brother and sister pair living near a lake surrounded by abandoned summer homes. They all become friends and have adventures.
Thimble Summer
I don't remember much about this one except that it was a good, old-fashioned kids' book and the protagonist hitchhiked in a chicken truck.
Children's/Young Adult
AB Henry Huggins, Beverly Cleary
Funny. What else is there to say? :P
Treasures from Grandma, Arleta Richardson
I really like the Grandma's Attic series; I think this one was free on our Kindle.
# The Man Who Lost His Head, Claire Huchet Bishop, ill. Robert McCloskey
I read this to Amos; he was not expecting the ending. :)
The Good Master, Kate Seredy
The Singing Tree, Kate Seredy
Hungarian family living through World War I.
AB The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
Amos and I listened to this on the way out from CA, and we did not like it.
AB # * From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
Amos and I listened to this on the way out from CA, and we LOVED it. The narrator was great. :)
A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, E.L. Konigsburg
Fictionalized history highlighting Eleanor of Acquitaine. Well-written and interesting.
Bluffton, Matt Phelan
Graphic novel about Buster Keaton. I love Matt Phelan's illustrations.
City Boy: The Adventures of Herbie Bookbinder, Herman Wouk
Recommended by Dr. Adams, one of my TMC profs and my Children's Literature professor. It was a funny story, but kind of weird, too.
The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, Christopher Healy
Not impressed.
The Pinballs, Betsy Byars
Not impressed. A book about foster kids (it was okay, but the writing was pretty bad).
* Real American Girls Tell Their Own Stories, Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
"But how in the world," argued Madeline Vaughn, "can we ever get married if our father won't let any boy commit an 'attention' to us?"
"We can't!" I admitted. Between drowsiness and resentment all issues became suddenly confused. "But who cares?" I replied valiantly. "I'd rather go off and be a missionary and eat cannibals."
Amos Fortune, Free Man, Elizabeth Yates
A classic and a Newbery Award winner, but I didn't like it that much.
James Herriot
AB * All Creatures Great and Small
AB * All Things Bright and Beautiful
AB * All Things Wise and Wonderful
AB * The Lord God Made Them All
James Herriot's stories of his vet days! Hilarious, especially the stories featuring Tristan.
Et Cetera
Fatherhood, Bill Cosby
Funny book, but when you consider the author...
AB # Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand
Another favorite from this year. Amos and I both read it. Laura Hillenbrand is a talented author, she made Louie's story very interesting, and she is writing a third book! (Her first book was Seabiscuit: An American Legend.) Originally recommended by Josh and Grace.
# The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures, Anne Fadiman
Recommended by Heather. This book reinforced how different cultures can be and the immense amount of work that must go into understanding (and reaching) others.
Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther
The account of the author's son's fight with brain cancer. Terrifying and detailed, but very interesting. I read this while subbing at the Christian school.
AB They Came to Baghdad, Agatha Christie
A thriller about a plot to bring down the Western world!
"Edward was adorable. Edward had glamour. But had Edward got brains?"
Good thing Victoria had.
AB Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Agatha Christie
A madhouse, a vicar's son, a duke's daughter, double-dealers, a dim-witted hero, an opium fiend, etc.
AB Appointment with Death, Agatha Christie
I don't remember this one at all! Ah yes, a mystery set in Israel and Jordan. I don't remember how it ends...a vague memory of a gunshot...but who was it?!
# I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
Two brothers come to England to claim the eldest brother's inheritance, and two sisters, living as tenants in their castle, fall in love with them. I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone.
AB * Crocodile on the Sandbank, Elizabeth Peters
Recommended by Lester. Amelia Peabody, Victorian traveler turned Egyptian archaeologist, is a crazy lady!
# Lila, Marilynne Robinson
The third book in the Gilead trilogy. I like Gilead, but I loved Lila. I have to find this one at a used bookstore to add to my collection. It really shouldn't be stuck here in the et cetera section.
To Timbuktu: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story, Casey Sciesaka and Steven Weinberg
Interesting account written by the girlfriend and illustrated by the boyfriend. Not that great, but I really liked the pictures.
Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil, Deborah Rodriguez with Kristin Ohlson
This book was interesting, telling the stories of several Afghan ladies involved in a beauty school designed to train them in order to start their own salons. Well, it turns out Ms. Rodriguez isn't as great as she says she is (culturally inept and naive; reneging on her promises to help the Afghan ladies when she left the country; etc.), so that was a disappointment.
Rereads
The Anne books
AB Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
AB Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire x 2
AB Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
AB # Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
To Read in 2015
A Timothy Keller book (Prayer, Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering, King's Cross, Every Good Endeavor, Generous Justice, Jesus the King, etc.)
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Daniel James Brown
A few Barbara Tuchman books (The Proud Tower, The Guns of August, Bible and Sword, etc.)
1 comment:
I recommend "The Wilderness Family" by Kobie Kruger. :-) She has a gift for describing the natural beauty of the African wilderness and blending it with humor as she describes the challenges and joys of life among the wild animals. http://www.amazon.com/The-Wilderness-Family-Africas-Wildlife/dp/055381334X
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