2018 Books I’m Thankful I Read

Here are the 2018 books I’m thankful I read.

This is a list for those of you hunting Christmas book gifts.

I’ve reviewed them on my Goodreads page here and written about them on my monthly newsletter here.

Maybe some will appeal to the readers on your Christmas list?

A Light so Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle by Sarah Arthur

A lovely book.

Part biography, but more a look and discussion of L’Engle’s work and how it integrated with her faith.

Arthur’s splendid descriptions and insight reminded me, yet again, of why I fell in love with the L’Engle canon so very long ago.

I’ve written about my own experiences with Madeleine L’Engle’s work here, here, and here.

This one of the 2018 books would be an excellent choice for a Christian who loves L’Engle’s writing or who is a writer.

This book is my favorite–so far.

Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler

Bowler’s memoir was significant for so many reasons.

A professor of divinity at Duke University, Bowler wrote her dissertation on the “prosperity gospel.”

35 years-old when she came down with cancer, this story is still being lived out.

She confronts the tragedy of her life with emotions of disappointment and humor.

I was laughing one minute and crying the next.

Most important for me, a well-meaning pray-er, was to read the appendices where Bowler provides two important lists.

One was what NOT to say to a person in crisis, the other what TO say and do.

It’s probably the most personally helpful among the 2018 books I read.

The Restoration Chronicles by Lynn Austin

Austin wrote a three-part series about the Israelites returning to rebuild Jerusalem following their Babylonian captivity.

The books were written several years ago, but I just found them in 2018.

I wrote an entire blog post about my enthusiasm for the series–which I used as fictional background for a study I taught on the book of Nehemiah.

Fiction for a Bible study leader provides context for the text.

While I always keep in mind it is an author’s imagination, I find it helpful to consider Biblical passages from a different angle.

I like to contemplate the whys of behavior and Austin provided me with interesting insight.

Maybe Nehemiah really was the security head in the Babylonian palace?

The three books are Return to Me, Keepers of the Covenant, and On This Foundation.

All highly recommended.

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels by Kenneth E. Bailey

Oh, my, the gospels don’t look the same after reading this book!

Bailey, a Bible professor who lived in the Middle East for many years, brings a unique perspective on the Biblical stories I’ve studied for years.

I was shocked by several of his interpretations.

His explanations for well-known parables helped me see them in entirely new lights.

I’ll never look at the Good Samaritan the same way again.

I recommended this book to a friend currently teaching through Matthew, and he loves it.

If you’re interested in Bible study and cultural interpretations, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is an excellent place to start.

While it’s among the 2018 books for me, it was published in 2008.

Did I read any fun 2018 books?

Of course.

Here are a few:

Sarah Sundin’s The Sea Before Us. 

Part 1 of a three-part trilogy telling the D-Day landing stories of a trio of brothers.

I love Sarah’s writing and books; this was the best one she’s written.

Laura Franz’ The Lacemaker

I read everything Laura writes. She’s a fiction specialist in colonial America.

I particularly enjoy her stories when they touch on my personal genealogy!

Which this one does.

Katherine Reay’s The Austen Escape

Reay writes contemporary versions of Jane Austen stories.

Some are better than others, but I love picking out the literary allusions and the stories generally are fun.

Other 2018 books I particularly enjoyed in no order or category

Always be Ready by Hugh Ross

Hour Unspent by Roseanna White

Breaking Cover: My Secret Life in the CIA by Michele Rigby Assad

The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus by Janet McHenry

Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen by Rachel Dodge

And who could forget my favorite book this year? A Poppy in Remembrance!

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