At this point in my life, I'm calling myself a professional reader.
If there were reading awards, I'd go for it
and probably lose, but still...
I can smell a well written sentence yards away
and scored 15/15 on the "if you know these vocabulary words, you might be a genius in words, but you're a dummy for wasting a lot of time on social media" quiz on
YouTube, sooo...
Here I am, telling you what books you should 100% read. Out of approximately 50 books, here are the ones I rated the highest. You'll note I leaned toward non-fiction and biographies this year.
Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II by Darlene Deibler Rose
Darlene marries her husband and they go immediately to the island of New Guinea as missionaries. There they are captured and kept in a prisoner of war camp for four years during WWII. She never sees her husband again, as he dies shortly after his capture. Amazing story of her - and others' - resilience. The stories of how she remains faithful to God throughout danger, threats, terrible conditions and lack of food are truly inspirational. Highly recommended. Rating: 9 out of 10.
Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition by Buddy Levy. One of those books you can't stop thinking about, Labyrinth of Ice tells the tale of the Greely Expedition to try to reach the North Pole. While they did accomplish reaching the farthest north anyone ever had to that point, the majority of the book covers the aftermath, when they left their fort and traveled south to reach the supply ship, except the ship never arrived. Two years - two years - later, they... well, I don't want to spoil it for you. It's a great adventure story of Arctic Exploration. There's a time when these men were camping on and surviving on an ice floe, floating down the bay as another floe chased after them, threatening to break apart their little piece of icy salvation. It was intense. I stayed up way too late reading this one.
The author, Buddy Levy, did a terrific job of putting facts together, but also developing the main characters in a way that made you feel you knew them and their personalities. This story does include some graphic coverage of illness/frostbite and death - and the sweetest dogs ever!, but wow... definitely a favorite exploration book I've read. (Winner of multiple travel/adventure book awards!) As a side note: I love a good discussion on the idea or philosophy of exploration and leaving your family for upwards of three years for the purpose of finding new unexplored points. This book gave a good view of both the wife's support and love for her husband and his motivation in wanting to go on this journey.
Rating: 9 out of 10. SO good. I keep yappin' about it.
I've already reviewed the following, but I'll repost those reviews because they ended up being top 2024 reads:
1776 by David McCullough
Oh, this book was great. It covers (you guessed it!) the year 1776 and focuses in on George Washington. I learned more about Washington and, even though I have read other books and summaries that cover this geographic area and the war, I found myself interested in what was happening and the logistics of the how and why. It always surprises me how people's mistakes and miscalculations and lucky guesses are often what lead to the biggest turning points in history. Fascinating. Recommend.
Rating: 9 out of 10. Pulitzer Prize Winner
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard
THIS one right here was my Book Of the Winter. SO good. I mean, in what other book would I have felt genuine empathy for President Garfield, who would take walks by himself in Washington DC, and having hit a dark moment in his life wrote in a letter that at this time, more than any other, he needed his friends to draw nearer to him, not to pull away. I knew little about this president - although we did visit his home in Ohio once and his library is amazing and I coveted it- but learned so much about the time, the assassination, the quack doctors who tried to help him, and his eventual death (due in large part to these doctors' care of him). Another really well-written book, which managed to make Garfield a human you feel empathy for, and a genuine sadness at the tragedy that befell him. Between Garfield and Washington, I learned more about leadership and about being human and the power of friendship.
Rating: 10 out of 10. Near perfection. I keep recommending this one. Interestingly, Robert Todd Lincoln is a character in this book AND the above mentioned Labyrinth of Ice.
Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
This book.
It followed me around the house, in the car, front porch, laid open, spine cracked, underlined. It's a new friend.
Now, to be fair, I am a sucker for small town, coming-of-age, atmospheric writing. For part of my youth, we lived in a small town - we're talking five party phone system (where five households shared the same line and could listen in!), and my best friend lived on a farm and we thought playing in the mud was the best idea, and I ran across a field of wildflowers and would pretend fall like I was in the opening credits of Little House on the Prairie on my way to go visit my pastor dad at his church - so partly it's just that I relate in a way that makes me feel sentimental and that I could be friends with the kids in the book.
And partly it is because of the excellent writing. The view of life through 12 year old Cory's eyes is beautifully told, even the way he describes his bike (which he named Rocket) having a mind of its own was so imaginary, heartfelt and true to what you can see a kid thinking. The tension built around the mystery, the sadness and confusion you felt as he watched his dad struggle with seeing death and losing his job, and the humor of the kids' interactions and the description of the small town characters was spot on. And, yes, in one part, it brought me to tears. Which is rare for me when reading. (I have a stubborn part of me that refuses to be emotionally manipulated...I'll feel my own emotions, thank you.)
“No doubt about it, summer was on the wane. The mornings seemed a shade cooler. The nights were hungry, and ate more daylight.”
Rating: Five stars - Read it to see what a well-written book should be. Take your time with it. PG-13 for language. Similar books: Cold, Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns, Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger, and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
The only lighter one I really liked this year was:
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston: I love a good suspense/thriller/mystery for a winter reading, and this one doesn't disappoint. Don't look for deep character development, just enjoy a good, twisty plot. Evie isn't even her name, but she is married to Ryan and directed by Mr Smith to infiltrate Ryan's life. Evie has to stay "one step ahead of her past" to figure out the puzzle she is meant to solve.
Rating: 8 out of 10. Fun, light, escapist reading. Will be a good beach read for you this summer. PG-13
Notable: Other books I enjoyed were Winters in the World: A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year by Eleanor Parker- Winters in the World is a beautifully observed journey through the cycle of the year in Anglo-Saxon England, exploring the festivals, customs, and traditions linked to the different seasons.
So interesting, especially if you're into medieval times, history of words, etc.
-Outlive and Good Energy - both books on health. Both very informative.
I know the other popular book of the year was The Women by Kristin Hannah and while it was good, it became too much for me personally (the twists kept coming and while I learned from it, it turned a bit much.). However, I would recommend it if you've been wanting to read it. I can see why people loved it - I just didn't. However, I DID love her book, The Nightingale and would recommend that one for sure.
Those are the top ones for 2024! Oh, how I loved them.
Let me know what book you'd recommend and what you're planning on reading in 2025!
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