2013: Books I'll be Listening To

I've shared the books I'll be reading for pleasure this year. 

A friend talked me into my first audio book a couple of years ago. Since that time, it's rare that I don't have a book on CD in my car. I've learned to be discerning in what books I listen to rather than read. I've also learned that the reader is just as important as the material itself. (Personally, I think Edward Herrmann should be the designated narrator for every audio book told from a male perspective.)

I've chosen to listen to these books in 2013:

~Sense and Sensibility because I can never have enough Jane, and the story of the Dashwood sisters is undeniably beautiful.

~The Story of Edgar Sawtelle because it's been on my list for a couple of years.

~Wuthering Heights because, believe it or not, I've never read it.

~I, Coriander because I think it will be enchanting.

~A Mad Desire to Dance because Night was hauntingly beautiful.

~Bleak House because I've got one Dickens on my fiction list and wanted to give him a little more attention.

~Anna Karenina because I've never read Tolstoy.

Or Hemingway...which is why I added The Sun Also Rises to the list.

~Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage because I think it will be amazing.

~The Hiding Place because I've read excerpts from it over the years, and really want to hear the whole story.

~The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes because it's been many years since I've read Sherlock.

~And Then There Were None because I love Agatha Christie.

~Defending Jacob because it sounds intriguing.

Next time, the books I'll be studying this year.

Growing in My Pleasure Reading

My prayer is that the Year of Growing will encompass all areas of my life. Two of my goals are to grow in my appreciation of beauty and in my willingness to do hard things. I hope my lengthy reading list will help me in accomplishing both. I've chosen most of these works because I think they will be beautiful, they will inspire me to do hard things, or they are beyond my normal reading fare (which makes the actual reading a hard thing).  I want my reading this year to stretch me, teach me about life, and captivate me so that I won't be tempted by lesser amusements.

In no particular order, here are the books I've chosen to read for pleasure in 2013.


~Ethan Frome because I've never read anything by Edith Wharton

~The Scarlet Pimpernel because I can't quite think of tackling Les Misérables and I'm hoping this will inspire me to try.

~The Pickwick Papers because a college professor gave it to me and it's well past time I read it!

~The Kitchen House because I've heard excellent things about this one.

~A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael because I want to know more about her story.

~Home because I loved Gilead and its characters.

~Agnes Grey because I've never read anything by Anne Bronte either.

~Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption because I've really wanted to read this one for a while now and haven't gotten to it yet.

~The Nine Day Queen of England: Lady Jane Grey because her story fascinates me.

~Desperate Sons: Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, and the Secret Bands of Radicals Who Led the Colonies to War because I love learning more about the American Revolution.

~A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy because Queen Victoria intrigues me.

~Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times because I want to read the book before I watch the miniseries.

~Ellen Foster because I keep hearing about this one.

~Cry, the Beloved Country because I've been meaning to for a while now.

~Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life because even though I don't always agree with her, I think Barbara Kingsolver writes beautifully. And this topic really interests me.

Next up, the books I'll be listening to this year.

2013: The Year of Growing

I've typed numerous versions of an opening sentence for this post - none quite right. I suppose the best way to begin is to do just that. And so I start typing, on the cusp of a new year. I wonder what it will bring. After 2012 - a year filled with joy and grief unspeakable - I'm hesitant to even venture a guess. I have a shadow of an idea floating in the recesses of my mind, a slight thought of what I want the coming months to look like. I close my eyes, breathe deep and put them in the hand of the One who holds time in His hands, praying for grace to accept the shape in which He chooses to mold them. The reluctance with which I do so brings conviction, and the knowledge of what I need most in 2013 - growth.

Growth in my understanding of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Growth in my relationships.
Growth in my appreciation of the beauty in this life.
Growth in my willingness to do hard things.

And so I have deemed 2013 the Year of Growing. Where it will take me, only God knows.