Reading is one of my greatest joys.
As technology has taken over our lives I’ve felt the need to retreat from technology (and television) - reading has helped me to stay away from screens and fill my time with truth, beauty, and goodness.
Reading has helped me become a better home educating parent. It has helped me become a better conversationalist. And, reading has provided an outlet for the grief I have faced the past few years. Losing my mom and then father-in-law in such a short time span threw me for a loop - I don’t think I’m being dramatic when I say reading a good book was my anchor many days.
Most of all, reading has opened so many worlds to me. It’s as if there is an urgency to learn all I can through books.
A capacity, and taste, for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.
~ Abraham Lincoln
2019 was a good book year - probably my best one yet.
It’s important for us to read, moms.
I know it’s hard to find the time, and it’s gotten easier for me to find the time as my children have grown.
I hope my reading can encourage you - and I know I am encouraged when I receive emails from you about what you are reading, too.
This post will give you a list of all of the books I read, as well as my favorites in the nonfiction and fiction categories.
It became obvious to me after thinking about and cataloging my books that I will need to write at least one more post to talk about audiobooks (which I used liberally in 2019) and when I find time to read, along with how I am keeping track of books and my feelings about them.
So… I promise there will be another book post coming soon!
Included in these books are the books we read aloud in 2019 - we’re averaging about one book every 2 months - as hard as I try, reading aloud doesn’t happen as much as I would like, but I consider it a victory that we are continuing to read aloud during the high school years!
Follow along with me on Instagram (@homegrownbookpicks) - I thought it would be fun to start a #bookstagram account to participate in a fun community and keep my readers up to date.
Nonfiction Books Read in 2019
In 2019 I set the goal of reading more nonfiction, as well as using the time in the cracks of my day to listen to audiobooks.
I also wanted to coordinate a lot of my reading with my son’s American History studies in Challenge I - maybe not necessarily the SAME books he was reading, but books that allowed me to learn more about what he was studying. And - I must admit I read a few selections my daughter’s college professors were assigning, too!
All of the books listed here are books I read and finished - if I don’t like I book I will not hesitate to put down a book I don’t enjoy. All of the books, therefore, are books I would recommend. It is hard to choose favorites!
Top 5 Nonfiction Reads:
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration
This one opened my eyes to the migration of African Americans in the 20th century. I think everyone should read this book. I found that it shed so much light on other books I would read, issues in the news, and a lot in general. It is a topic that isn’t discussed much.
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row
Prepare to be angry, sad, ashamed, and more when you read this book. Anthony Ray Hinton is an amazing man, with faith and resilience that is admirable. I learned a lot about the criminal justice system, the prison system - and the grave injustices in the Deep South that continue to this day.
Eye Can Write: A Memoir of a Child’s Silent Soul Emerging
A friend recommended this to me - she read it aloud with her homeschoolers. This memoir is authored by a 12-year-old with Cerebral Palsy. It will shatter stereotypes and move you to tears. I loved it.
Elisabeth Elliot is one of my heroes, so when this book was assigned to my son for his Challenge I coursework, I read along - again. I got even more from this book since it was the second time I had read it. What a powerful story of faith, martyrdom, perseverance, and God’s sovereign promises to us.
When Less Becomes More: Making Space for Slow, Simple, and Good
I think this is the most recently published book on the list. Emily Ley spoke directly to my mom heart with this book. It has affected my social media time, time spent on my phone, and how I am prioritizing the many things I have to do. It was a perfect read right before Thanksgiving because it equipped me for the busy holiday season.
Nonfiction Books Read in 2019
84, Charing Cross Road 1st edition by Hanff, Helene (1970) HardcoverBeauty in the Word: Rethinking the Foundations of EducationInheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and LoveOne Summer: America, 1927The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great MigrationBold and Broken: Becoming the Bridge Between Heaven and EarthUnplannedEducation by Design, Not Default: How Brave Love Creates Fearless LearningBetween Heaven and the Real World: My StoryEvicted: Poverty and Profit in the American CityWhat Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, and LoveGrace Is Greater: God's Plan to Overcome Your Past, Redeem Your Pain, and Rewrite Your StoryIntroverted Mom: Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet JoySymphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of LeningradAdoniram Judson: Bound for Burma (Christian Heroes: Then & Now)SOUND OF GRAVELWeapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher's Journey Through the Dark World of Compulsory SchoolingVictoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an EmpireRelease My Grip: Hope for a Parent's Heart as Kids Leave the Nest and Learn to FlyUndefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football TeamAnxious for Nothing: God's Cure for the Cares of Your Soul (John Macarthur Study)The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, & Treachery (Hardback) - CommonCrescendo: The Story of a Musical Genius Who Forever Changed a Southern TownThe Year of Magical ThinkingHow Happiness Happens: Finding Lasting Joy in a World of Comparison, Disappointment, and Unmet ExpectationsThrough Gates of SplendorThe Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and JusticeThe Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century (Scholastic Focus)An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A MemoirWhen Less Becomes More: Making Space for Slow, Simple, and GoodEye Can Write: A Memoir of a Child's Silent Soul EmergingThe Boy Born Dead: A Story of Friendship, Courage, and Triumph
Fiction Books Read in 2019
Top 5 Fiction Reads:
This was the second book by William Kent Krueger I read this year. I love his lyrical, down to earth, poignant writing. I love that he is a Christian and this is infused throughout his books. Ordinary Grace left me with such a warm, hopeful feeling - and isn’t that what we want a good book to do?
This isn’t the type of book I would have expected to like so much - it was a mystery with a lot of twists and turns. What I appreciated so much about this book was that Sally Hepworth managed to put the reader in each of her character’s shoes so well. I felt that I had a lot in common with several of the characters. She also did a great job of helping us get inside the head of a character - and to see how easily misunderstood people can be when we make assumptions about them.
This middle grades book was written from the perspective of a child with Cerebral Palsy - and what it is like to be treated like you have mental deficits when your only disabilities are purely physical. Again, my sweet friend whose daughter has Cerebral Palsy recommended I read this and it moved me deeply. This would make a fabulous read aloud with your children!
The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding
I love all things historical fiction, and this book is one of the best in that genre I’ve ever read. It is the story of the dressmakers (and in particular a woman who made the intricate lace designs for Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown). It was a blending of two time periods and two lives - that came together in a most beautiful way.
Alice Hoffman was on my list of authors to try this year. I had heard her writing was extraordinary - and that is so true. I shy away from anything WWII (I read so much of that a few years ago) - but this novel was so different than any other WWII book I have ever read. The blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and magic were beautiful - and the writing was poetic. Don’t let the WWII subject matter steer you away from this beautiful book.
The Time Traveler's WifeHarry's Trees: A NovelJefferson's Sons: A Founding Father's Secret ChildrenThe Lake House: A NovelWhere the Crawdads SingMiss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Persephone Classics)Anonymous GirlPrivate Peaceful (After Words)Ghosted: A NovelThe Saturday Night Supper ClubHomeless BirdNext Year in HavanaThe Enchanted April (Penguin Classics)Ginny MoonTell the Wolves I'm Home: A NovelParnassus on WheelsThe Poisonwood Bible: A NovelBrunch at Bittersweet Café (The Saturday Night Supper Club)The Silent PatientFinding Dorothy: A NovelPurple Hibiscus: A NovelMap of the Heart: A NovelOut of My MindNowhere BoyPachinko (National Book Award Finalist)How Not to Die AloneBeyond the Point: A NovelJane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and SensibilityThe Story of Arthur Truluv: A NovelHeartburnThe River: A novelWhere the River EndsEchoThe Gown: A Novel of the Royal WeddingWaiting for Tom HanksThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie SocietyField Notes on LoveThe Atomic Weight of Love: A NovelThe Gunners: A NovelThe Rest of the StoryAsk Again, Yes: A NovelTo Kill a MockingbirdThings You Save in a Fire: A NovelRoomThe MartianThe Sign of the BeaverOnce Upon a River: A NovelLonesome DoveWhy the Sky Is BlueEvvie Drake Starts Over: A NovelLost For Words: This bookshop keeps many secrets [Paperback] [Apr 20, 2017] Stephanie ButlandThe Scarlet LetterCutting for StoneCrescendo: The Story of a Musical Genius Who Forever Changed a Southern TownThis Tender Land: A NovelThe Most Fun We Ever Had: A NovelThe Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: A NovelDominicana: A NovelNight of Miracles: A NovelThe Dutch House: A NovelThe Bookish Life of Nina HillThe Garden of Small BeginningsLove and Other WordsThe World That We Knew: A NovelNothing to See HereThe Nickel Boys: A NovelThe Past Is Never: A NovelAmerican Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice RooseveltFamily Tree: A NovelThe Mother-in-Law: A NovelMidnight at the Blackbird Cafe: A NovelThe Paper Bag Christmas: A NovelThe Mother's Promise: A NovelOrdinary GraceDear Edward: A NovelSuch a Fun Age
![Lost For Words: This bookshop keeps many secrets [Paperback] [Apr 20, 2017] Stephanie Butland](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/519AK8vr8vL.jpg)
Stay tuned for another book post in the coming days… I’ll share about my favorite audiobooks, favorite books for homeschool mom development, and a little about my system of keeping track of the books I read.