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Another year of reading lies ahead! How exciting, right?
This year, I'm wanting to focus on books I already own, especially after receiving some new books for my birthday & Christmas. I'm deciding to aim for 5 books per month, with an annual goal of 60 books.
For some reason, I ended up doubling my monthly goal's worth of books. And none of them were books given to me for Christmas or already on my shelf before that. Whoops!
Here are the books that are starting out my 2025 book journey...
I read this book through NetGalley. The premise of this book is to look back at the early Church & pay attention to the way that believers would address each other. The author theorizes that one of the ways that this brand new church made up of a wide variety of peoples was able to achieve such radical unity was through the way the members addressed each other. They called each other names such as brother or sister, beloved, fellow laborer. Each of these names reflects a different aspect of their new belief in Jesus & emphasized their unity over their many differences. Hubbard believes that if we call each other by such names, we would also be taking a big step toward Gospel unity & community. I appreciated his approach & the way he reflected on & honored our fellow believers in those early days of the Church. The book was enlightening in regards to Church history & encouraging in how those early brothers & sisters lived out the truths of the Gospel in practical, everyday faithfulness.
I can't remember where I saw this book recommended, but I'm glad it was! I am grossly under-educated on the history & culture of a vast majority of the countries & people who call this vast & varied continent home. The author is Nigerian & begins by speaking of his own childhood in the bustling city of Lagos. When his family emigrated to England, his schoolmates couldn't believe that he had lived his early years in a city more populous than London. As he became more acquainted with how the West views the African continent, he realized how that erroneous messaging has been purposeful throughout much of modern history. Mr. Faloyin chooses some stories that he thinks are the most important for people to begin their African history education. This short book is by no means an exhaustive text, but that isn't the point. We learn about some of the many evils of colonialism--redrawing borders that divided ethnic groups, stripping natural resources, removing culturally significant artifacts from the people they are culturally significant to, & the obvious one, the slave trade. The author walks us through the struggles some countries have had of gaining their independence from European powers only to lose it to megalomaniac dictators. Again, the book is far too brief to be able to treat any of these with as much detail as they deserve, but it does give a glimpse at the diverse history. We learn about the problematic portrayals of the continent in Hollywood, the glossing over of facets of African culture by historians & museum curators. In a more lighthearted turn, the author also educates the reader about the joffa wars & the cult-like dedication to one's football team. The author certainly helped me see the importance of learning more about this area of often overlooked history! Don't be surprised if you see some African history spines on my reviews this year...
How long have we been working our way through this series?! We've been taking breaks for other lunchtime read-alouds, but we're almost to the end of these Little House books. The kids still enjoy this, and we get a kick from how different life was for the Ingalls. Mary is away at a school for the Blind, so she's not involved too much in the story. The town bands together to do weekly programs to entertain each other. They do a spelling bee, but one week is a performance that I ended up skipping in favor of a conversations with my kids. Pa & some of the other men from town perform in blackface. We had a brief chat about how that was common even just a few decades ago, but that doesn't make it acceptable. I know lots of people have been nixing this series as an appropriate read because of the racism that pops up. I'm more of the opinion that it's still worth reading & having those conversations naturally as you read.
I read the title & instantly requested this book from NetGalley. Family patterns are some of the most difficult things to identify & then deal with in a healthy way. Peterson walks the reader through common myths that people will tell you when you've come from a difficult past. She candidly shares parts of her story but always points to the Gospel with each chapter, highlighting how Jesus dealt with the hurting people He encountered while here on earth. Whether you have walked through dark days in your past or you are a member of the Body of Christ who is seeking to be better informed about trauma, this is a helpful book. (A small inaccuracy that bugged me was when the author referred to having a large needle in her arm for an IV. In reality, the needle is only used to place the catheter that is used to deliver the IV fluid into the vein. The needle is NOT in your arm for the duration of having an IV. Not sure how that got past the editors, but it irks me that it did. It's a small thing, but it was early in the book & caused me to read the book with a different viewpoint than I normally would have.)
This book comes highly recommended by so many people I respect. I am joining in their recommendation of this book as transformational in how we view fearing God. Reeves takes on this controversial, often misunderstood topic with grace & logic. If you're like me, you might feel that this subject is overwhelming, but you might also (like me) feel like you should understand it better than you do. If you're also worried that this book would be too academic, it's not. The author carefully & humbly explores the fear of the Lord in a way that is accessible to any believer. I would encourage you to give this book a read. Take your time. It's a good one!
OK, this book was a bit of a fun one after the depth of some of the previous ones. Stanley Tucci journals his was through a year of working, traveling, & EATING. Don't listen to this book if you're trying to cut out carbs because it involves a lot of bread & pasta. He records little anecdotes about his coworkers on the movies or other projects, his family, his famous friends. He talks about fame, death, aging, parenting, loss. It's interesting to hear from someone who has achieved a pretty high level of success. I've heard that his other book Taste is more interesting, so I might give that a try later this year when I need another light read.
My oldest & I just finished this novel as a read-aloud after starting it all the way back in August (slow & steady--that's the Charlotte Mason way). At first, we both just assumed it was a book about rabbits, but I read a little about the reasoning behind its inclusion in our homeschool curriculum. I quickly saw the value of reading this book. It isn't just about a group of rabbits who bravely leave their warren based on a vision one of them has about the impending doom of their home. It's about leadership & government. As the rabbits venture out into an unfriendly world, they encounter other rabbits in different living situations, other animals, barriers (both natural & manmade) that seem to be insurmountable. When they overcome, it is largely due to the leadership of Hazel, the central figure. While he is imperfect, his wisdom & courage are the keys to making their unlikely story heartwarming & interesting. Fiver, Bigwig, Bluebell, Silver, Holly, Pipkin, & more add layers of character development to the lapin community of Watership Down. So, if you are looking for a bit more of a unique read, this is definitely a good one.
Amber is a respected leader in the homeschool community, deservedly so. She is passionate about encouraging all families to expand their views of what makes an education complete. She is always ready with a book recommendation, especially one that features well-developed Black main characters written by Black authors. She is gracious & patient in sharing her knowledge with others. She is also strong in her faith & filters all of this through the lens of Biblical truth. This book brings all of these things together. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to bring more diverse books into their home library. You don't have to be a homeschool mom (like Amber) to do this. You can just be a parent that recognizes the importance of providing a better education for your child than you received. She walks you through the reasoning behind what she does & then she lists dozens of books that she has personally vetted for kids of all ages.
While I've read other things by Rebecca, I hadn't read this book that she is most known for. If you are into apologetics or simply want to be able to understand some of the biggest objections people have to Christianity, this is a great place to start. I have recently been reading more of these types of books, & they can be very taxing. But they are also incredibly helpful in being able to "give an answer" when someone asks a tough question. This spring, my church will be hosting a ladies event where Rebecca will be speaking & I am excited to learn more about how we can meet these questions with grace & truth.
I squeezed one more book in after I initially published this post. Every time I read something by Lewis, I realize that I really should be reading more Lewis! This novel is said to be one he was particularly proud of. It is a retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth, but it is written from the perspective of Psyche's older sister. It is a thoughtful look at humanity's relationship with deity. Definitely a must-read for Lewis fans!
I'm publishing this a little early this month because I don't see getting any more in. I think I did enough for the month!
What books are you starting the year with?
Cheering you on!
Don't miss some of my recent posts!
Why Should You Read the Bible?
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