How precious are Your thoughts to me, O LORD ... how vast is the sum of them!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

The Year in Books

Last year, I did an “awards ceremony” for the fifteen books that impacted me most in the year … they didn’t win awards per se, but they did win recognition and commendation. Like last year, this year’s list represents many genresand also, because it’s limited to fifteen, is unable to include all the books that impacted me. I read 51, which beats last year’s score by quite a bit, but that also makes the decisions harder! These are more or less in order, but a bunch of them ranked very close together, so don’t pay too much attention to the numbers. (If I were to do this list again without referring to the order here, I would probably discover that I had rearranged them.)

Without further ado …
# 15
The Perilous Gard
Elizabeth Marie Pope
This YA novel brought me back to the type of books I enjoyed most when I was younger: historical fiction with a dash of fantasy and wonder. About Tudor England, mysterious cults, and the beautiful landscape, it’s no wonder this was captivating enough for me to exclaim, “I’d love to write a book like this someday!”

#14
The Kings and Queens of England
Jane Murray
This fun history book untangled the English monarchs enough for me to have them memorized at one point. It’s proved helpful several times just in the few months since I’ve read it!

#13
DahveedYahweh’s Chosen
Terri Fivash
This was an adventurous, hard-hitting novel about David as a boy and young man, the first of seven in a series. Fivash has an excellent understanding of ancient Hebrew history. Since I’ve been studying David this whole year, I know how fantastic his story is … so I look forward to the rest of the series!

#12
Friendship and Folly
Meredith Allady
Although I’m not finished yet, I plan to be before the New Year, and I already know this book belongs here. I’ve been wanting to read a modern author that hearkens back to Jane Austen, and while there are some differences (which are delightful), I think I’ve found her!

#11
Rose in Bloom
Louisa May Alcott
I love Louisa May Alcott, and I was very glad to revisit her story of the Eight Cousins. This book was filled with what I love best about her writinggentle moralizing, character-driven plots, family relationships, and comforting evocation of 19th-century America.

#10
Emily Climbs and Emily’s Quest
L. M. Montgomery
Montgomery is a very satisfying writer, and I loved being able to finish the Emily stories that I started two years ago. Emily is a writer with a whole lot of depth, and these books were beautiful.

#9
The Pickwick Papers
Charles Dickens
and
Consuela
Sarah Scheele
These two have to be linked together, because after I read Dickens’s funny serial novel, I was privileged to edit Scheele’s funny retelling and laugh at all the inside jokes. Pickwick will always be special to me as the book I brought with me to England (and did not have much time to read).

#8
Thaw: Winter’s Child, Winter Queen, and Prince of Demargen
E. Kaiser Writes
This hasn’t been released yet, but it’s another book I had the privilege of editing, and I enjoyed every part of it. It’s a retelling of Frozen and The Snow Queen, so it has light fantasy but a historical feel. The characters are richly endearing and constantly tugged at my heartstrings.

#7
Mansfield Park
Jane Austen
I seldom reread a book, but Jane Austen has been the consistent exception. This classic’s 200th anniversary was in May, and I had a lovely time studying it and savoring Austen’s words again. The story with all its moral richness sank into me even more upon a second reading.

#6
Mary Barton
Elizabeth Gaskell
I read this Victorian novel in anticipation of visiting Manchester myself during my tour to England. Like all Gaskell’s works, the characters were extremely well drawn, every social issue was fairly dealt with, and Christianity was shown to be the light that it is.

#5
Remembering the Alamo
Alicia A. Willis
As a Texan, the story of the Alamo grips me. This was a very good telling of that story from a different perspective than I’ve heard before, and my emotions at reading it are still fresh in my mind … that’s how I know it belonged here, near the top of the list.

#4
Kisses from Katie
Katie Davis, with Beth Clark
This memoir of a contemporary young woman who began a ministry in Uganda taking care of orphan girls was a very thought-provoking, inspiring read. I appreciated the look at modern Africa, and was encouraged to do what God has called us all to do: live with more love (among other things)!

#3
The War of the Worlds
H. G. Wells
I myself am very, very (need I put another very?) surprised to see this so high on the list. But perhaps because it was such a different book is why it stuck with me and made me realize it had to be here. It was mildly disturbing, but fascinating, and made me think of the Apocalypse. I didn’t see the resolution coming, which doubled its impact.

#2
Twenty Years at Hull-House
Jane Addams
This memoir about the humanitarian Jane Addams and her laudable projects was powerful for its history, smooth prose, and thought-provocation. Although it’s 100 years old, it made me want to do something and be in some ways more like Jane Addams.

#1
Majestic Is Your Name
Theresa of Avila; edited by David Hazard
This devotional really got to the heart of spirituality, and it was something I really needed after feeling dry earlier this year. I see now that it was the first step in drawing close to God again after feeling disconnected.

As far as years go, 2014 was an excellent one. The high point was England and all the time I got to spend with my very dear, but distant, friend Laura. There were several disappointments, but none that I can’t see the reason for … instead, they opened up other things! I thank God for this year!



What was your favorite book(s) of 2014? Your favorite part of the year?

7 comments:

  1. Two of the books you mentioned were on my favorites list as well :) Alicia's "Remembering the Alamo" and "Kisses from Katie".
    I also really, really enjoyed Alicia's book, "From the Dark to the Dawn

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    1. Cool! Weren't they excellent? If I had gotten to read "From the Dark to the Dawn" this year, I have no doubt that would have been on my list as well ... but it will probably show up next year. : )
      Thanks for commenting!

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  2. Admittedly, I had not read much last year. Nevertheless, out of the few books I did read, I would say that "The Giver" quartet stood out the most. I would say the style is similar to that of "City of Ember," but the themes run deeper, as Lois Lowry digs into questions about what makes life worth living, what gives life meaning.

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    1. I read "The Giver" several years ago (the first one only), and if I had been doing lists back then, that probably would have made it. : ) It was very impactful. I wouldn't call it a favorite, but it was thought-provoking, as evidenced by the questions Lowry explored!
      Thanks for dropping by! It's great to hear what other people are reading.

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  3. Pickwick is special to me too! But I don't just mean as a reader....I have actually written a novel about Pickwick's origins and history, which will be published in May by Random House (in the UK) and in June by Farrar, Straus & Giroux (in the USA). It's called Death and Mr Pickwick, and you can find out more at www.deathandmrpickwick.com In my opinion, Pickwick is not only a great book - it has the greatest backstory of any work of fiction I have encountered! But also, I was very, very interested to hear about Consuela. I am going to have to take a look at that book. I have set up a facebook page for Death and Mr Pickwick (at www.facebook.com/deathandmrpickwick ) where I post all sorts of Pickwickiana, and if Consuela echoes Pickwick, it's the sort of thing I would like to mention on the page. Indeed, I would like to make contact with Sarah Scheele, as I suspect she and I would have a lot in common!

    Best wishes

    Stephen Jarvis

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    1. Thank you for your comment, Stephen. It was very interesting to read about your novel! What a fascinating topic ... I had no idea the backstory of Pickwick was so convoluted.
      Hopefully you have been able to find Sarah Scheele on her social sites? I think she has mentioned that Pickwick is one of her favorite books. :)
      Thank you again for dropping in!

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  4. Pickwick is special to me too! But I don't just mean as a reader....I have actually written a novel about Pickwick's origins and history, which will be published in May by Random House (in the UK) and in June by Farrar, Straus & Giroux (in the USA). It's called Death and Mr Pickwick, and you can find out more at www.deathandmrpickwick.com In my opinion, Pickwick is not only a great book - it has the greatest backstory of any work of fiction I have encountered! But also, I was very, very interested to hear about Consuela. I am going to have to take a look at that book. I have set up a facebook page for Death and Mr Pickwick (at www.facebook.com/deathandmrpickwick ) where I post all sorts of Pickwickiana, and if Consuela echoes Pickwick, it's the sort of thing I would like to mention on the page. Indeed, I would like to make contact with Sarah Scheele, as I suspect she and I would have a lot in common!

    Best wishes

    Stephen Jarvis

    ReplyDelete