In November of 2014, I read a blog post encouraging persons to set aside a bookshelf for all the books read in a calendar year. As the year goes by, you see the shelf filling and are reminded of time well spent. (I wish I could remember who to thank.)

The project was so rewarding in 2015, I continued it in 2016, 2017, and now 2018. I’ve found the process of adding books enjoyable and helpful. Sometimes you forget a really good book.

Helpful Hints

• If you read most of your books electronically, consider setting up a virtual bookshelf on Pinterest.
• Another option is to set up a profile on Goodreads. Be sure to fill in a start and end date for each book you complete. You can even set up a reading challenge for the year.
• This year’s list includes books I read and books I listened to while traveling. There are wonderful, free audio books available through your local library and via streaming if you subscribe to Amazon Prime.
  • This year, I’m using an affordable audiobook subscription service called Playster which provides far more titles than are available through the library.

So my friends here’s my 2018 bookshelf. I hope it encourages you and that you find a treasure or two. Should it be helpful to you, I’m glad to provide more feedback on specific selections. Just leave a comment below. Also, feel free to leave your book recommendations in the comments.

Happy reading. Happy exploring. Happy growing. – Lisa <><

Leadership Development 

• Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger
• Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale by Ian Morgan Cron
• Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer

Novels

• Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
• The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
• A Morbid Taste for Bones (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Book 1) by Ellis Peters
• Heartless by Marissa Meyer
• Hatchet (Brian’s Saga Book 1)by Gary Paulsen
• Into the Free by Julie Cantrell
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
• Somebody Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill
• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet Book 1) by Madeleine L’Engle

Memoirs
It’s especially fun to listen to a person read their own memoir via an audiobook.

• Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott
• Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lamott
• Wildflower by Drew Barrymore
• The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Ask for Help by Amanda Palmer
• Still Foolin’ ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? by Billy Crystal
• The Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes
• The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow
• Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling

Bible Study and Theology

• Earn, Save, Give: Wesley’s Simple Rules for Money by James A. Harnish

Devotionals and Prayers

• Moments With the Savior by Ken Gire
• Pauses for Lent: 40 Words For 40 Days by Trevor Hudson

Healthy Relationships

• Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
• The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves by Curt Thompson MD
• The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict by The Arbinger Institute