Our Family’s 2010 Favorite Reads

One thing I like about my family is that we all like to read. As our daughter gets older, it is fun sharing the same books and seeing her perspective on the book. We have similar tastes but each has their own ideas of what they like best. Living overseas we don’t have access to librarys so before moving we invested in a kindle. Let me just say we love our kindle so much that we bought our daughter one for Christmas so I could finally use mine. God has blessed us with free books from Amazon and gift cards from friends and family to support our book habit. For this, we are very thankful. We thought we would look back on the books we read this year and share some of them we liked.

MY PICKS
I decided to do 10 books/series but not necessarily in any order.
1. The book of Isaiah by Isaiah. I went through a bible study on Isaiah last spring and love all the wonderful promises God has given his people. Now I am in another study that is going through the last part of Isaiah inductively and I am finding that I still have much more to learn. My favorite part is how I can pray so many of the passages for the country in which I now live.

2. Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman. This book is a biography of the life of Mary Beth Chapman and her marriage to Steven Curtis Chapman. She shares honestly how God has been with her during many hard times and in the process has changed her. I like the realness of the book and how as a family the Chapmans chose to see even when they are still hurting from the tragic death of one of their daughters. Both my DH and I had tears in our eyes as we read this book.

3. The Lamb Among the Stars series by Chris Walley. This sci fi series has three books. What if the world was living in a redeemed era and new planets were being seeded? What would happen if evil crept back into this world? These are just a few questions that are asked as the characters who knew no evil now have to fight the greatest evil of all. The first book I was able to get free on Amazon. Both my DH and I enjoyed reading this and discussing the different issues.

4. Miss Match Series by Erynn Mangum. Once again the first of the three books was free so I decided to give it a try. The books would be classified as Chick lit and were good stress relief books for me this fall. Just let me say that these are best to read with a piece of chocolate and some coffee.

5. What Happens When a Woman Trusts God by Sheila Walsh. I got this book hoping to be a part of a Bible Study group at my school. The bible study didn’t work out for me to go to but the book was just what I needed for my first semester teaching at an international school. Each chapter had a different bible character and a lesson to learn from that character. Weaved into the book is Sheila’s story and the things God is teaching her.

6. Rooms by James L. Rubart. Another freebie from Amazon that sat on my kindle for a long time but ended up being a great read. Three of our family read it and it made for some good discussion. A man inherits a house and now his life will never be the same.

7. Saving Sailor by Renee Riva. Even though this was another of my freebies, I enjoyed the story of one Italian, Catholic girl’s summer. A great read when you need a break from lots of drama and you need a good laugh. My daughter even enjoyed it.

8. Heroes of Quantico Series by Irene Hannon. If you liked Dee Henderson’s books, you would like this series. The first of the three was free so I thought it was worth a try and ended up buying the other two. The books are fast paced with a little romance. They are a great read in the evening instead of watching TV. My DH enjoyed this series also.

9. Healing for a Broken World by Steve Monsmar. Even though I found this book free, I am glad I downloaded it. Do you ever wonder where we should stand on current issues as a Christian? This book starts off with some biblical principles and then uses these principles to look at current issues. The author does a good job of presenting the material and helping you think about what you believe and why. It would be a great book to read with a group and discuss.

10. Last Light by Terri Blackstock. Once again this book was free but ended up being a favorite read of both my daughter and I. What would happen if something took out all things electronic plus generators, cars, etc? Would you survive? What would your family do? This novel answers these questions for one family. The series does have more books after this one but the book ends well so that you don’t feel like you have to buy the next one in the series.

MY DH Picks: Other books he liked besides the ones I mentioned he read above.
1. 10 Mistakes a Leader Makes by ?. My DH was asked to read this book by our area manager and to make out a list of the 10 mistakes followers make. He said it was a good exercise for him and helped him to look at his role as a follower and a leader.
2. Navy Justice Series by Don Brown. Mr. Brown, a former Jag Lawyer uses his knowledge and current events to write a suspenseful novel. We were able to get the first one free which helped get us started. They were fun reads. We liked how the main character’s faith led him to make hard choices even when it looked like it would ruin his career.
3. Patrick Bowers Files by Steven James. Once again I got the first of the three free for my DH to read. He really enjoyed the books. Patrick, a FBI forensic expert, is grieving the loss of his wife and trying to raise a teenage stepdaughter. He is also really good at catching serial killers using a method you will just have to read about. I read these books too. I liked the interaction between Patrick and his stepdaughter but the details of the murders were too gruesome for me.

W’s List
W reads a ton so here are a few of her favorites for the year.
1. Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson. My DH is reading this series with W. It is about some kids who can fly and have special powers from what they have told me about the books.
2. Always Watching by Brandilyn Collins and Amber Collins. I found this book and the next one after it free for W. She really enjoyed the three book series. I enjoyed that it was a book written for Christian teens.
3. Motorcycles, Sushi and Amp: One strange book by Nancy Rue. Since I had read this author before, I felt comfortable getting W this free book. She liked it so well that she bought the two books that come after this one.

Big D’s List
Big D finds an author he likes and will read every book that author has one or two times. He also likes reading his favorite parts to anyone who will listen. As he gets older, his selections are getting a little longer.
1. Eragon Series by Christopher Paolini.
2. Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch. Just the title to the books and chapters let you know that it will be a book a boy will like.

Please feel free to share your favorite picks of 2010 with us in the comments. We always welcome good book suggestions.