I like books that make me think.
I’ll admit that I’ve read a lot of fluff in the past. You know, that’s the kind of book you can skim through in an hour or two and by the next day you couldn’t even say what it was about. My daughters call them “bathtub books” because you can pretty much read a whole one during a nice long hot bath. Those are okay for the beach, but since I don’t get to the beach very often, I don’t read too many.
I look for books that will challenge me. Cause me to contemplate. Inspire and motivate me to grow as a person. As a Christian. As a woman. A wife. A mother. A writer. I’ve made a list of a few books I’ve read in the last year that have done exactly that. Some are fiction. Some are non-fiction. Some are by Christian authors. Some are not. Some I’ve read for the second or third time. But I’ve taken away some solid gold nuggets from each one. Nuggets of incredible insight and truth.
1. The Enclave – by Karen Hancock (one of my favorite authors)
2. Seasons – by Tim Gilligan (a very wise man of God)
3. Pathfinder – by Orson Scott Card (love his writing)
4. Crazy Love – by Frances Chan (worth reviewing on a regular basis)
5. Writing 21st Century Fiction – by Donald Maass (for anyone who wants to be a better writer)
6. Greater – by Steven Furtick (so motivating!)
7. Hunger Games – by Suzanne Collins (loved the book, the movie, and the book again)
8. The Holy Spirit is Not For Sale – by Lee Grady (wow!)
9. Garden Spells – by Sarah Addison Allen (light fiction, fun book, lots of wisdom)
10. Fablehaven Series – by Brandon Mull (my 11-year-old granddaughter just finished the 5 book series – she loved them too)
11. Agenda 21 – by Glenn Beck (lots of pondering here)
12. Creative Thinkering – by Michael Michalko (great for kick-starting the creativity)
13. Soul’s Gate – by James Rubart (serious make you think book)
14. This Present Darkness – by Frank Peretti (for the sixth or seventh time)
These books are not in any particular order, neither is this an exhaustive list of the good ones. I’ve read dozens more. Maybe even hundreds. But all of these have impacted me in some way. A good way, I hope.
So there you go. If you’re looking for something good and don’t know what to read, I’ve given you some suggestions.
Now go open a book.
Inside the Writer 