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 I’ve continued it every year. 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 audiobooks 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 2019 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 

• Rising Strong by Brené Brown
• Fierce Conversations (Revised and Updated): Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott

Novels

• The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
• The Road to Enchantment by Kaya McLaren
• This Love Story Will Self-Destruct by Leslie Cohen
• The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

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

• Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life by Jen Hatmaker
• Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler
• Soul Survivor: How Thirteen Unlikely Mentors Helped My Faith Survive the Church by Philip Yancey
• The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers: Spiritual Insights from the World’s Most Beloved Neighbor by Amy Hollingsworth
• Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration by Rose Brock (Editor)
• Night by Elie Wiesel, Marion Wiesel (Translator)
• Vintage Saints and Sinners: 25 Christians Who Transformed My Faith by Karen Wright Marsh
• Survivor Cafe: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory by Elizabeth Rosner
• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

Bible Study and Theology

• Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course Participant’s Book by Brian Jackson, Sandy Jackson
• Why?: Making Sense of God’s Will by Adam Hamilton
• Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith by Ann Spangler, Lois Tverberg
• What Christ Thinks of the Church: An Exposition of Revelation 1-3 by John R.W. Stott
• Revelation by Catherine Gulsalus Gonzalez and Justo L. Gonzalez
• Sit, Walk, Stand by Watchman Nee
• Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan, Danae Yankoski
• Letters to the Church by Francis Chan
• The Ladder of the Beatitudes by Jim Forest

Devotionals and Spiritual Practices

• Dialogues with Silence: Prayers and Drawings by Thomas Merton, Jonathan Montaldo (Editor)
• Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence by Ruth Haley Barton
• Hidden Blessings: Midlife Crisis as a Spiritual Opportunity by Jett Psaris