Finished from 2019:
The Temple Letters, by Claude Richards - (finished 1/5) This is one of the books we got that belonged to Grandpa Willis. It's a collection of letters a man wrote to his family about the importance of temple and family history work. It wasn't life-changing or anything, but there were definitely some good quotes that he shared.
2020 Books:
1. The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett - (finished 1/10) This was so fun and magical to read. I guess classics are a classic for a reason, huh? I especially loved the descriptions of nature, her wonder and awe in experiencing it, and how her time outside, connecting with nature, changed her for the better. There is magic outside that we all need in our lives!
2. Covenant Keepers, by Wendy Watson Nelson - (finished 1/25) This almost doesn't even count as a book it was so short. Honestly I was a little annoyed I payed for it when I saw how short it was. But then I sat down to read it and all regret disappeared. There's not necessarily anything totally new or profound in it, but it was exactly what I needed at the time. Specifically, her thoughts on family history work and the challenge she issued. That was a first step for me into consistent family history work!
3. Miracles, by Eric Metaxas - (finished 1/31) I love the author - we really enjoy watching his Socrates in the City lectures. He writes in a fun, engaging way. The first half was his discussion of miracles - his definition, large-scale examples (like all the parameters being met for this earth to be able to sustain life), and their purpose. I very much enjoyed the first half. The second half, which I also enjoyed, was a collection of personal stories of miracles in the lives of people he knows/trusts. There were some stories that really challenged my thinking, because the experience was so foreign to my understanding and view of how God works. What it really taught me is that God works according to
our understanding, so if we expect communication from Him to happen in a certain way, He will likely work within that expectation/understanding.
4. The Truman G. Madsen Story, by Barnard N. Madsen - (finished 2/15) I always enjoy biographies, especially ones about faithful, inspirational people. Truman Madsen really did live a life full of faithful sacrifice and diligence. Reading about his life and choices inspired me to be more devoted and work harder myself.
5. The Rent Collector, by Camron Wright - (finished 2/16) A quick and enjoyable read. The story follows a woman who lives on one of the largest trash heaps in Cambodia, picking through the garbage to find things to sell for a living. The main character is based on a real woman, but her story is largely fictionalized. I felt like the story the author created was meant to look at the power for change that literacy can be in an individual's life, which was very interesting. My only issue was that some elements in the story didn't seem to fit with setting or didn't feel completely authentic. Nothing major though, just enough to make it a 4 star instead of 5 for me.
6. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, by John M. Gottman - (finished 2/22) I really loved this book and his approach. Basically the message was that you have to be friends and truly respect and care for each other, and if you do, you can pretty much work through anything together. He gave many self-questionnaires to evaluate how your marriage is really doing in different areas, as well as practical, simple exercises to improve and to get to know each other better. I felt like it was a very reasonable, relatable book that is applicable to anyone and everyone desiring a happy, healthy marriage. Lots of helpful tips and important things to recognize. I also enjoyed the dispelling of common myths at the beginning.
7. Jayne Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte - (finished 3/4) I read this book in high school and hated it - I couldn't get over the age difference between Jane and Mr. Rochester and it ruined it for me. But I absolutely LOVED it this time! Beautiful writing - the descriptions of scenery, the character depictions and development, the moral character of Jane, the different views of what it means to be a part of a family, and just the story in general. Again, classics are classics for a reason! I really loved reading this one and discussing it with my book group.
8. The Call of the Wild and Free, by Ainsley Arment - (finished 3/11) I feel like this is a must read for anyone considering homeschooling. She's all about trusting your intuition and feelings as a mother and protecting childhood - fostering wonder in their lives, spending time in nature, and telling/reading stories. Her views really resonated with me and I really enjoyed reading it. It made me want to notice the wonder in my own life and be better about stopping to "smell the roses."
9. The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary Book 3, by Bruce R. McConkie - (finished 3/25) Probably the same review I wrote from Books 1 and 2. Takes some time to get through, because it's written in a more academic/scholarly style, but I like the slow look at the records we have of the Savior's life and teachings.
10. Amazing Grace, by Eric Metaxas - (finished 3/29) Again, love the author. He does a great job of making it interesting, engaging, and adding just the right amount of humor. This is the biography of William Wilberforce, who was the leader of ending slavery in England. What a battle! Very insightful and interesting to read - I definitely learned a lot from it.
11. Saints: No Unhallowed Hand - (finished 4/7) Just as good as the first! The narrative style it's written in makes it so approachable and easy to read. I learned so much from this volume, especially about the practice of plural marriage in the church. Honestly, it's something I've largely ignored because it's hard to wrap my head around, but it doesn't bother me as something that happened in the past. Reading more about it really forced me to look deeper at my understanding and view. And just like the first volume, I loved learning from the faith and experiences of the earlier saints.
12. Refuge and Reality: The Blessings of the Temple, by John H. Groberg - (finished 4/20) I love the temple, and clearly Elder Groberg does, too! Written in a very similar style to his other books, this is basically a compilation of stories and experiences he had while serving as the temple president for the Idaho Falls temple and the lessons he learned from them. Some great insights. I think what I loved the most though, was just hearing from someone who really understands the vital necessity as well as the
joy of the temple and all that it offers.
13. The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary Book 4, by Bruce R. McConkie - (finished 4/21) Next book in the series!
14.
Accomplishing the Impossible, by Russell M. Nelson - (finished 4/29) A good read. Your typical gospel themed book giving practical application to our lives. I think what these books really offer is not so much knowledge as it is another avenue for the Spirit to teach you.
15. Moby Dick, by Herman Melville - (finished 5/2) Wow. I can definitely say I would
not have finished this one if I hadn't been reading it for my book group. It took some real effort to push through! Mostly because of the ridiculous amount of detail and (in my opinion useless) information about whales. But also because of the dragging story line and difficult language. There are some real gems in it though. Taking the time to review and discuss it after reading made me appreciate it much more. I'm glad I read it, making it through felt like a major accomplishment, but I don't know that I'd honestly recommend it to others.
16. Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson - (finished 5/12) My first real fun read since February. Gabe, and especially my friend Marissa, have been trying to get me to read Sanderson for so long. This was my first step into his books, and I absolutely loved it. One of the ones that you start and have a hard time ever putting down, but then regret reading it so quickly because you're sad that it's already over when you finish, haha. I loved the characters, and the story was fascinating and intriguing. Made me excited to read more of his books!
17. The Great Divorce, by C. S. Lewis - (finished 5/21) I always love C.S. Lewis. This one is written as a story to visualize heaven and hell. I am always amazed at his insights and abilities to portray spiritual truths. I really enjoyed the read, and gained so much from the insights and ideas.
18. Whole Body Barefoot, by Katy Bowman - (finished 6/5) I picked this up to flip through and find some tips for a friend transitioning to barefoot shoes, and ended up just reading it. It's a quick read, only about 100 pages, informative, but also enjoyable and even funny. I love Katy Bowman's goofy humor that gets thrown in. A great read though - highly recommend it!
19. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne - (finished 6/6) Another book I read for my book group. I read it in high school English and didn't care for it, and while I could appreciate it much more this time, I still didn't love it. I did really enjoy the discussion about it afterward though. We felt like it was much less a story about characters, and more a look at specific character traits and what comes from them - revenge, honesty/acceptance of consequences, and guilt from trying to hide your mistakes.
20. Mormon Scientist: The Life and Faith of Henry Eyring, by Henry J. Eyring - (finished 6/7) This was such a fun biography. There were some seriously funny stories! But I especially loved his outlook and views on religion and science. He had full faith that the two are completely compatible, and believed that anytime they appear to contradict we are either missing the full picture or have an incorrect understanding of what the truth actually is. His views had a huge impact on me, and really were life changing. It was so refreshing to have someone say that things don't have to be either/or and you don't have to have all the answers.
21. The Priesthood Power of Women, by Barbara Morgan Gardner - (finished 6/9) A great book that does a fantastic job of laying out what the priesthood is, how it works, and how it functions differently in the church and home. It did so much to clarify and deepen my understanding - highly recommend.
22. The Worth of a Soul, by Ayse Hitchins and Kristen McKendry - (finished 6/9) Wow, what a story! This is an autobiography/narrative of Ayse's life growing up in Turkey and eventually immigrating to Canada. I read it in like 2 days, because her story was so engaging. She had an intense childhood/growing up and overcame a lot in life. I really enjoyed it.
23. Holy Places: True Stories of Faith and Miracles from Latter-day Temples, by Chad Hawkins - (finished 6/12) This was a super quick read, just a compilation of very short stories about various miracles related to different temples. Inspiring to see the small and simple ways the Lord's hand is in His work.
24. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, by Benjamin Franklin - (finished 6/23) Another one I read with my book group, and like most biographies, I really enjoyed it. It does end before really even touching on the Revolution, so that would be interesting to read a biography that goes into that part of his life. But I really enjoyed hearing about his life, from his perspective. I think my very favorite was his discussion of when he decided to try and be perfect, haha. Really though, the method of self-reflection and evaluation of character and virtues hat he developed and used for the rest of his life was very insightful. I also really enjoyed the groups he started with friends for intellectual development. And I was seriously amazed at how many organizations he started and social changes he affected! He really left a legacy (even before playing his part in the Revolution)!
25. Emma, by Jane Austen - (finished 7/2) Another book that I couldn't stand in high school because of the age difference between love interests, but absolutely loved this time! I just can't get enough Jane Austen. Her character depictions are always spot on. The characters and their relationships are really what make her books so great and fun to read. But it's not just fluffy fun like so much we get today - she creates so much depth and in doing so gives such accurate and poignant reflections on human nature. This one was right up there with Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion for me.
Audio Books:
1. The Heavens are Open, by Wendy Watson Nelson - (finished 3/18)
2. Dreams as Revelation, by Craig K. Manscill, Kenneth L. Alford, and Mary Jane Woodger - (finished 4/30)
3. A Case for the Book of Mormon, by Tad R. Callister - (finished 5/20) This book was fantastic. It was amazing to have so many myths and accusations dispelled and proven false beyond doubt.
4. Letters to a Young Mormon, by Adam S. Miller - (finished 5/21)
5. Seekers Wanted, by Anthony Sweat - (finished 6/17) A great resource for helping you distinguish truth and determine historical accuracy of sources. Highly recommend.
6. That We May Be One, by Tom Christofferson (finished 6/22) This book was amazing, and really made us take another look at how we view and approach homosexuality. So well written, amazing examples, and a profound life story.
7. Seek This Jesus, by Neill Marriott (finished 6/22)
