January 2017
- Openness Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union With Christ - Rosaria Champagne Butterfield (NF) This is such a wonderful book. She has helped me to think well about the power of the gospel and to glorify God as I do. I highly recommend this and her first book, as well
- We Have Lost the President - Paul Matthews (F) This was a quirky little book I borrowed for free on my Kindle. It was ok, but not terribly memorable and I don't feel the need to read further in the series.
- Chosen by God - R.C. Sproul (NF) This was a reread, but so very good. It's important to read good, theological books, and this is definitely that. Recommended.
- No Little Women: Equipping All Women in the Household of God - Aimee Byrd (NF) I liked this book, especially the chapters on being discerning with what we read and listen to. I think it is a necessary addition to the discussions that led to her writing of it. Recommended.
- A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley, Book 1) - Elizabeth George (F). I've read this one before quite a while ago, but I see she has written several more since I last read the series, and I wanted to reread. I like this series, but I believe I should probably caution it does get a bit rough with language and such - it is a secular detective/murder mystery type of series.
February 2017
- Payment in Blood (Inspector Lynley, Book 2) - Elizabeth George (F). See comment on Book 1 from the series.
- World Religions and Cults: Counterfeits of Christianity - Bodie Hodge and Roger Patterson (NF) This is very much written from a conservative, Bible-believing Christian worldview, and I found it quite helpful. It is the first volume in the series, and I intend to try to read the next volumes at some point, too.
- Well-Schooled in Murder (Inspector Lynley, Book 3) - Elizabeth George (F)
- What is the Trinity? (Crucial Questions Series) - R. C. Sproul (NF) These little booklets are a very helpful series for understanding doctrines of the Faith.
- A Suitable Vengeance (Inspector Lynley, Book 4) - Elizabeth George (F)
March 2017
- Eric Liddell: Pure Gold - David McCasland (NF). I like to read biographies, and this one was such a great example of a life well-lived. It was encouraging to read of Eric Liddell's deep love for Jesus and his care and compassion for people.
- In Fairleigh Field: A Novel of World War II - Rhys Bowen (F).
April 2017
- For the Sake of Elena (Inspector Lynley, Book 5) - Elizabeth George (F)
- Loving Me: The Hidden Agenda of Self-Esteem - Rick Thomas (NF) This was very short, but I found it quite helpful, full of biblical wisdom in retraining our thinking away from the worldly wisdom of the self-esteem bent of our culture. We do not need to think more about ourselves, but less - we need to be thinking more about GOD. Highly recommend.
May 2017
- Missing Joseph (Inspector Lynley, Book 6) - Elizabeth George (F).
- The Healing Gods: Complementary and Alternative Medicine In Christian America - Candy Gunther Brown (NF).
June 2017
- The Religious Beliefs of America's Founders: Reason, Revelation, and Revolution - Gregg L. Frazer (NF)
- Playing for the Ashes (Inspector Lynley, Book 7) - Elizabeth George (F).
- Honest Evangelism: How to talk about Jesus even when it's tough - Rico Tice (NF) Excellent book and I pray I will take it to heart and cross the "pain line" and learn to be bold in a way I have not been before.
July 2017
- What is Faith? (Crucial Questions Series) - R.C. Sproul (NF)
- In the Presence of the Enemy (Inspector Lynley, Book 8) - Elizabeth George (F)
August 2017
- Deception on His Mind (Inspector Lynley, Book 9) - Elizabeth George (F)
- Reset for Parents - Todd Friel (NF). I loved this book. I wish I could have read it before our children were born, but I'm thankful that by God's grace, much of what Todd discusses we sort of fell into doing some of the time, but I do wish we had been more intentional through the years. I think this would be an excellent book to give as a gift to young or expecting parents. Quite practical and biblically based.
- The Prestige - Christopher Priest (F). I very much enjoyed this one. I may want to look into other books this author has written.
September 2017
- The Naturalist - Andrew Mayne (F).
In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner (Inspector Lynley, Book 10)- Elizabeth George (F). I didn't end up finishing this, and I am not planning on continuing the series. Though I had read this before and had made it further in the series and was just rereading so I could look at newer books in the series that I have not read, I've decided not to continue with it. I just got to the point where the description of the depravity of some of the characters in the cases the detectives were investigating was something I no longer want to spend my time reading about and filling my mind with. It just got to be too much for me. Moving on.
October 2017
- The Twelfth Imam (The Twelfth Imam Series, Book 1) - Joel C. Rosenburg (F).
November 2017
- Eve in Exile and the Restoration of Femininity - Rebekah Merkle (NF).
- The Tehran Initiative (The Twelfth Imam Series, Book 2) - Joel C. Rosenburg (F).
December 2017
- The Damascus Countdown (The Twelfth Imam Series, Book3) - Joel C. Rosenburg (F).
- Internet Inferno: A Contemporary Warning and Reminder Regarding this Ancient Truth - "The Tongue is a Fire, the Very World of Iniquity, and is Set on Fire by Hell" James 3:6 - Michael John Beasely (NF).
- The Circle - Dave Eggers (F). This one was disturbing and a good commentary on how dangerously dependent we as a society are becoming on social media. It's made me want to share much less and spend much less time interacting on social media, something I've thought a lot about in recent years. It does seem we are destroying things that we don't really want to lose and developing scary new ways of interacting that are not good for us in this new era of living online. Caution: language and some subject matter.
- The Holiness of God (NF) - R.C. Sproul. Very highly recommend.
- How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds - Alan Jacobs (NF).
