Every year I aspire to have my Christmas shopping done by Labor Day. I do get started—a little, but then fall is busy and before I know it is Thanksgiving and my hidden stash looks pathetically inadequate. You might think my default to ordering books to give as gifts is due to this lack of forethought, but truly, there is no better gift than a book. To me, books are not impersonal. I give a lot of thought to the person who will read it and try to choose something that will be enjoyable, inspiring, interesting to them, and feed their souls.
Next month I’ll likely share my reading list from this year. That includes lots of great books, but everything I read is not something I would give to someone else for Christmas. Still, I am going to offer a few that I read this past year that might give you an inspiration for someone on your Christmas list.
Adult Fiction: Jack by Marilynne Robinson. If you met Jack in Gilead, this book will explain a lot. Honestly, her books just get better and better, and from her very first novel, her writing and storytelling are astounding. It was especially poignant in this season of increasing racial tension and misunderstanding.
Adult nonfiction: The Madness of Crowds by Douglas Murray. Again, written by a superb journalistic writer, this book was incredibly, brutally, unpopularly honest, and informative about the incongruity and hypocrisy of the radical left. It was eye-opening especially because Mr. Murray is generally on the side of those he criticizes. I love seeing life from someone else’s viewpoint and to discover that everyone who disagrees with me is not unaware of the disasters their world view is creating. If you have a mature high school senior or college student, this book would be helpful in understanding feminism, racism, transgender and other “alternative” lifestyles that they will undoubtedly confront in the world as we have it today. (Incidentally, it was required reading for a theology class my husband took this past year).
Adult Nonfiction: Deep Work: Focused Success in a World of Distraction by Cal Newport. This book was a game changer for Nicole and me this year. If you have too many responsibilities, work deadlines, or no someone who does, the principles in this book can bring sanity and order—and rest—back.
Adult Christian Living: Finding the Right Hills to Die On by Gavin Ortlund. This short book wades through the issues that divide us in the church and helps the reader to consider when and when not breaking fellowship, switching denominations or churches, is necessary. If you care about unity, this book is a must read.
Adult Christian Living: A Small Book About A Big Problem by Ed Welch. This is a pocket-sized book with a powerful message, 50 daily short devotionals to direct you to understanding anger. I gave it to my Dad who has gone through it twice, and a recent consulting mom said she heard me mention it on a podcast and has given several copies to friends and family. It would be a great book to read with teens as well. If you don’t think you have an anger problem, you may, like me, discover that you do; if someone in your life does have anger problems, it will help you understand them.
Adult/teen Christian Living: Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund. These brothers! I know everyone has read this and recommended this book already, but in case you haven’t read it, or forgot about it since 2020 when it came out, I reread it this year and it was even better than the first time. If you or someone you love struggles with feeling good enough for God, this book will bring joy. Incidentally, I also read the sequel Deeper and it is excellent.
Children’s Fiction: Pay Attention Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt. This is a modern Mary Poppins, only the hero is not a nanny, but a butler. Reading for fourth to eighth grade boys or girls.
Children’s Fiction: First Boy by Gary D. Schmidt. This is a heart-warming tale about an adopted child who is suddenly wanted by some powerful people. It reveals courage of a kind you don’t often find in today’s modern fiction for young adults. Good reading for a happy ending by kids ten and up.
Children’s Classic: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Reread for perhaps the fifteenth time in my life, after at least a 20-year hiatus, it still is in my top ten books of my life. I cannot imagine being 18 years old and never having met Jane.
Young adult/Adult Fiction: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. This is the podcast novel for 2022’s book discussion. I have read it twice before. It is a must read.
Young Adult Historical Fiction: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. This is the first in a trilogy (I read all three) about a slave girl during the Revolutionary War. It tells some hard things in an appropriate manner; informs about a side of the Revolutionary War you don’t read about in the history books. The other two are Forge and Ashes. The heroine is a true heroine and if you know someone who likes getting lost in a series for a few months, this is a good one for junior-senior high readers.
Adult historical Fiction: The Last Book Shop in London by Madeline Martin. This is light reading about a young woman in London during the second world war. It is inspiring and comes to a very satisfactory conclusion, though realistic about the trauma of that tumultuous season, and is a perfect “beach” read. Appropriate for girls 14 up, too.
Adult biography: Robert E. Lee: A Life by Allen C. Guelzo. This was a masterful account of one of America’s heroes. Perfect for the history buff high schooler or adult in your life. Thorough, readable, and moves right along at an enjoyable pace.
Adult Biography: Churchill by Paul Johnson. This is the most concise and interesting biography I have ever read on this British hero. Again, for the history buff or the friend who has a collection of other biographies on Churchill.