Happy New Year! Once again it’s time for my
list of most impacting reads of the year. I always enjoy making this
list and sharing the books that have made a deep impression on me. In
both subtle and apparent ways, books influence our thinking and
change our lives, and that’s why it’s so satisfying to look back
on them.
#15
Far
from the Madding Crowd
by Thomas Hardy
I actually gave this book only 3.5 stars, but
let me explain: Hardy is a powerful writer, but his stories tend to
be depressing. And when one reads powerful but depressing stories,
one is conflicted about one’s feelings for them. Far from the
Madding Crowd was published in 1874 and is one of Hardy’s most
popular works. Bathsheba Everdene is a fascinating heroine who
inherits a farm and runs it herself, against all typical customs in
Victorian England. In the course of the novel, three men fall in love
with her, the most decent one being steady, loyal Gabriel Oak. One
never can tell how a Hardy novel will conclude since he’s not
committed to happy endings, so I was apprehensive. I can definitely
say that this book’s ending is one of the most unforgettable I’ve
ever read, and it helped land Far from the Madding Crowd on
this list. Read my full review HERE.
#14
Journey
to the Center of the Earth
by Jules Verne
This had been on my to-read list for years
because the 1959 film with James Mason and Pat Boone was one of mine
and my brother’s favorites growing up. When my friend Sarah and I
read it as part of our monthly classic buddy reads, I enjoyed it a
lot! Admittedly, I like the movie more, but it’s hard to compare
them because the stories are quite different. In its own right,
however, Jules Verne’s pioneering science fiction novel, published
in 1864, is an imaginative, page-turning adventure. German professor
Otto Liedenbrock, his nephew Axel (also the narrator), and their
guide Hans make a great team as they penetrate an Icelandic volcano
in search of the earth’s core. Read my full review HERE.
#13
The
Enchanted April
by Elizabeth von Arnim
This lovely little book from 1922 is an
atmospheric delight. Four British women desperate for a change in
their tedious lives rent a castle in Italy for the month of April.
Wonderful things begin to happen, but is it enough to transform their
lives beyond their Italian respite? I enjoyed getting to know each of
the ladies and watching their thoughts as revelations unfold while
the castle works its magic on them. Read my full review HERE.
#12
Island
Magic
by Elizabeth Goudge
I’m
almost positive any Elizabeth Goudge novel that I read is going to
end up on a list of reading highlights. Island Magic
was Goudge’s first novel, published in 1934. It features her
beautiful, descriptive writing and a heart-warming story of a family
on one of the Channel Islands (between England and France) going
through hard times. When they take in a stranger, will he help them
pull together or fall further apart? Two of the many things I love
about Goudge’s novels are that every character is important and
equally well-developed, and every detail of life, even small things,
has rich meaning. Island Magic
is no exception. Read my full review HERE.
#11
The
Treasure of the City of Ladies
by Christine de Pizan
This
book was a complete surprise to me. I didn’t know it existed until
I saw it in a used bookstore (yay for brick-and-mortar bookstores!).
I’m interested in pretty much anything that women in the far past
have written, and being published in 1405, Treasure
is probably the oldest complete book I’ve read by a female author.
Christine de Pizan earned a living with her books of advice for
women. It was inspiring to see how she emphasized love and devotion
for God and tangible kindness to the poor. Even though this book is
primarily a valuable snapshot of history, I gleaned a few timeless
life lessons from it. Read my full review HERE.
#10
Kidnapped
by Robert Louis Stevenson
I
really like Stevenson’s writing, and Kidnapped
is my favorite novel of his. This was a reread (one of several this
year; I’m doing better at rereading favorites!), but I’d
forgotten so much of it that it was almost like experiencing it for
the first time. Sarah and I enjoyed it a lot! Published in 1886, this
is a story set during the 1750s, when Scotland (at least parts of it)
was fighting for independence from England. I love the interplay
between David Balfour and Alan Breck Stewart, and how they become
best friends despite being total opposites in personality and
political allegiance. I love the journey across Scotland. And I love
how this isn’t just an adventure novel but explores difficult
questions of right and wrong. Stevenson at his best!
#9
Walden
by Henry David Thoreau
I’m
not entirely sure how to classify Walden.
A book of philosophical essays, perhaps? But philosophical essays
inspired by the author’s year of roughing it in the Massachusetts
woods, in close communion with nature. He built his house, raised and
gathered his food, and tried to live the simple life and leave behind
the hectic world of 1854. Thoreau encouraged his readers to ponder
what’s truly important in our short lifetimes and to live with
intent. I also came away with an enhanced appreciation for God’s
creation and how spending time in the natural world can be
transforming. See my full review HERE.
#8
Agnes
Grey
by
Anne Brontë
Two
years ago, Brontë’s second novel, The
Tenant of Wildfell Hall,
was on my top 15 list, and this year, her first novel is as well. How
sad that she wrote only two. Although Agnes
Grey (published
1847) is short (way shorter than your average Victorian novel), it
packs an emotional punch. It’s a pretty simple storyline about a
new governess, Agnes Grey, who starts out on her path with bright
hopes, but instead has to fight the slow crushing of her spirits that
her employment produces. Anne Brontë was a governess herself, so she
was able to depict a realistic and haunting portrait of the lonely
life of a governess. Yet this novel was not depressing because Agnes
places her faith and hope in God. See my full review HERE.
#7
Least
of All Saints
by Grace Irwin
Another reread on my list, and one I read with
Sarah, this book, published in 1955, is one of my top favorite
novels. It begins with a unique premise: What if an atheist becomes a
minister of the most prestigious church in Toronto? I love how this
book examines the nature of belief and unbelief and how knowing the
facts of the Bible and the Christian life is no substitute for
actually loving and knowing God. Irwin is a skilled author and weaves
an engaging, powerful story with a variety of well-drawn characters,
most important of whom is scholarly yet quietly charismatic Andrew
Connington. Although set in the 1920s, the issues that Least of
All Saints deals with are relevant for any decade. See my full review HERE.
#6
Mansfield
Park
by Jane Austen
Like Goudge, if I read a Jane Austen during the
year, it’s going on this list. Mansfield Park (published
1814) may be Austen’s deepest emotional and psychological work.
Sarah and I enjoyed it immensely. Fanny Price has been raised by her
wealthy aunt, uncle, and cousins from the age of 11, and now she is
18. She possesses unrequited love for her cousin Edmund Bertram, but
when the vivacious Crawford siblings come to the neighborhood,
everything becomes even more complicated and troubling. This was my
third time to read Mansfield Park, and with each reading, I
uncover more depth and view characters and situations slightly
differently. Jane Austen is such a satisfying author!
#5
Middlemarch
by George Eliot
Middlemarch,
published 1871-72, is the longest book I read this year. Wow, there
are about two or three novels within this work! Deep
characterization, philosophical ponderings, and detailed depictions
of 1830s England make this a heavy-hitter. Dorothea Brooke is the
star of the book, however. She’s an intelligent young woman who
longs to devote her life to a meaningful, world-changing cause. She
marries Mr. Casaubon, a minister and scholar, so she can help him
with his life’s work, which she believes to be groundbreaking. But
her marriage doesn’t turn out the way she expected. There is so
much more to this novel that a synopsis would take up a page, so I’ll
end by saying it was powerful and moving and a work that I’ll
definitely be rereading. See my full review HERE.
#4
Peace
Like a River
by Leif Enger
Admittedly, many of my most favorite authors
are long gone from this earth. But I’m always happy to find a
contemporary author whose writing I can savor. That’s Leif Enger.
He’s written only three novels so far, and I’ve now read two.
Peace Like a River is his first. It’s a coming-of-age novel
about a boy, Reuben Land, whose older brother is wanted for murder.
Reuben and his dad and sister try to follow him after he flees. As I
said, Enger’s writing is beautiful, even poetic. You can experience
the setting of this novel, rural Minnesota and North Dakota in
the 1960s. Every character is memorable. Jeremiah Land, Reuben’s
dad, is one of my favorite fathers in literature. This novel drew my
tears and laughter, and it explores the question of how God moves in
our lives. See my full review HERE.
#3
Jane
Eyre
by Charlotte Brontë
Published
in 1847 around the same time as Anne Brontë’s
Agnes Grey,
this is one of my all-time favorite novels, and I was thrilled to
reread it this year. The story is narrated by Jane Eyre herself. I
love Jane—she’s quiet and thoughtful and possesses a deep well of
principle and conviction that she will not abandon. She’s whimsical
yet practical. She’s a loner and learns to stand on her own, but
her desire for love and family is something we can all relate to. Her
Christian character growth is inspiring. Charlotte Brontë’s
vivid writing brings Jane Eyre’s world on the moors of northern
England to life. Other
incredible characters populate this novel—most important of whom is
the conflicted Edward Rochester, Jane’s love interest. The air of
mystery around him and his house, where Jane is a governess, adds
even more brilliance to this deep work. But most impacting of all is
the way we get to know Jane herself as she reveals every bit of her
heart. It was unparalleled back then for literary protagonists, and
it’s rare even today.
#2
Confessions
by Saint
Augustine of Hippo
This
is the oldest book I’ve read this year (aside from the Bible),
published in 397 CE. It took Sarah and me some time to finish, but
it’s best read slowly and savored, almost like a devotional. In
essence, Confessions
is
Augustine’s autobiography. He was a North African Christian,
nominal before he had a spiritual encounter with God that turned his
life around. What makes it so beautiful as an autobiography is that
Augustine wrote as if he were talking to God, pouring out praise and
love for his Lord. It’s also a poignant theological work; many of
the passages are reflections on God’s love, the nature of God and
of man, how we can have a relationship with Him, and the errors of
certain heresies. It’s powerful and influential even today. See my full review HERE.
#1
Calm
My Anxious Heart
by Linda
Dillow
I read most
of this book on Yom Kippur, a day I set aside to fast, pray, and
focus on what God is teaching me. This book provided a profound and
refreshing perspective on worry, anxiety, fear, and discontentment,
presented exactly the way I needed to hear it. It helped me deal with
the roots of what causes me to worry. I haven’t stopped worrying by
any means, and unfortunately I will worry in the future because I’m
human, but now I have an arsenal of encouraging examples and
practical advice that have already helped me to worry less. I long
for the day when my faith is so strong that anxiety is impossible,
and Calm My Anxious
Heart has proved to be
a significantly helpful step!
What impacting books did you read in 2019?
Erika Mathews is an author and editor who lives in the farm country of Minnesota with her husband and children. She’s a homeschool graduate with a Bachelor’s in Communications, a Master’s in Biblical Ministries, and a passion for sharing Jesus Christ and His truth. She wrote Resting Life out of meditations and prayers during her three years at Bible School. When she’s not working with books, she enjoys reading, outdoor activities, piano and violin, organizing, and using the Oxford comma. You can connect with Erika at restinglife.com.
