Each quarter, I will be letting you know the status of my goals for the year, and highlighting the books that I enjoyed the most. I must admit of all my goal categories for this year, my reading goal is the one that I am most on top of, and most interested in finishing.
My reading goal was to finish 100 books this year. I broke that down to include 30 Newbery’s and 14 influential books. In the first three months of the year, I have finished 31 books. 6 Newbery’s, 2 influential ( a bit behind here), a few bestsellers from the library, and the rest fiction, mostly Christian.
If you have never used Goodreads, I highly recommend it for keeping track of the books you read. You can also create shelves for books you own, a list of books you want to read, and join the challenge for the year.
Best Books
Challenging
- An Unhurried Life by Alan Fadling. This was on my influential list. I found myself in the odd position of reading the book and wondering how long it was going to take – all while reading about being unhurried! Obviously, I still have a lot to learn about living life unhurried. I rush to work, I rush around at home, always push, push, push. The book was not anti-busy (Jesus’ life was very busy) but rather a call to live a deep life. The following are some quotes I really liked:
The gift of Sabbath day – a day measured not by productivity, but by relationship & worship – helps us remember & trust that life is given not earned. … Whenever we find ourselves in a season of waiting, of dryness or pruning, and therefore feeling weak and weary, we can learn to be patient as God sensitizes us to the reality of his ever-present grace in the darkness.
p. 141
…many Christians…have not learned, nor often been expected, to stretch out their roots to seek refreshment and nourishment for themselves.
p. 151
Jesus is the One who got us started on the journey of faith, and he is the One who will bring us to full maturity. Mature faith focuses its gaze more and more on Jesus himself, allowing him to fill the horizon of one’s perspectives, expectations, and assumptions.
p. 155
Heartbreaking
- Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao is a fictional tale of two girls, Poornima and Savitha, their friendship and the heartrending journey they go through to find each other again. This book deals with slavery and sex trafficking, and the often powerless lives of the women. But it is also a book of hope and possibilities. I tend to be a person who wants to read ahead to see if everything turns out alright, but this is not a book that allows for that, because things are in flux until the very end.
- Hiroshima by John Hersey. This book was from my influential reading list. It was horrifying but also well worth reading about the survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima.
Here is a listing of a few other books I enjoyed this quarter
- Hope Harbor series by Irene Hannon
- The Friend by Teresa Driscoll
- The Winter Sister by Megan Collins
- The Hollow Kingdom series by Clare B. Dunkle
Other Goals
As for my other goals, I did finish going through Pimsleur’s Spanish I and have started Spanish II. Finances are on track mostly due to getting a tax refund, and my diet and exercise have been non-existent. So, for today I will celebrate the reading and hope for better on the other goals next quarter! How is your year shaping up?