Books That Shook Me
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” ~ Stephen King
This year I have been swimming in that magic! I‘ve been jolted by fiction in a way I didn’t see coming. Without further ado, these are…
the books that rendered me speechless…
Novels
Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and The Women. Straight up, The Nightingale may just be my all-time favorite book—ever. It’s that powerful, that moving, that dangerous, and genuinely heroic, featuring two sisters fighting for their lives and the lives of others in very different ways in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. I caught myself holding my breath for them multiple times. And I almost missed out because these two books have so much buzz, I honestly figured they were probably over-hyped and I’d be disappointed. Well, I was wrong. They deserve all the hype—and then some. And then some more after that.
Flynn Berry’s two-part series, Northern Spy and Trust Her, were thrilling, dangerous sagas of two Irish sisters who fight for the Ireland they believe in, sometimes fighting for each other and sometimes against, but always having one another’s back.
Mary Kubica—anything by Mary Kubica. She writes nail-biting urban thrillers. My all-time favorite is Local Woman Missing, which I read last year along with The Good Girl, The Other Mrs., and Just the Nicest Couple. Add to the list this year: Pretty Baby.
Spiritual
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I’ve wanted to read this book for years. Then I wondered what took me so long. It’s a matter-of-fact, thoughtful, deconstruction of the Christian faith, originally recorded as radio shows by C. S. Lewis. His exploration into why Christians believe what they believe is thought-provoking and faith affirming.
Try Softer by Aundi Kolber. I was really challenged and affirmed by Kolber’s message to resist the hustle and grind and the old adage to “try harder,” and rather seek to be more observant, more mindful, and softer in our approach of ourselves and others. A gentle, yet wise and insightful, read.
Other Phenomenal Reads
If the books above shook me, the ones below rocked my boat for sure.
The Paper Palace, a novel by Miranda Cowley Heather. A deeply stirring novel of childhood secrets and the question of whether they should come to light or remain buried. I couldn’t put it down, and I enjoyed the nostalgia of childhood mixed with the reality of real-life consequences.
The Year of Less, a non-fiction account of Cait Flander’s endeavor to reduce her spending and purge the unnecessary stuff in her life. The author’s story inspired me to examine these things in my own life, shine an awareness on the psychology of spending, and make some changes I already wanted to make but just hadn’t done yet.
Behind the Seams, a short audiobook by Dolly Parton. It’s Dolly. Say no more.
The Seven-Year Slip, a rom-com book by Ashley Poston. I’m not a huge reader of romance, but I easily slipped into this light-hearted story about a quirky little apartment—and I liked it!
She Reads Truth. I fell in love with my She Reads Truth Bible last year and have enjoyed a number of their 5- and 6-week long Bible Studies this year. It’s really helped me re-establish a consistent, meaningful daily quiet time more than anything else I’ve tried in the last 2-3 years.
I hope you found some titles here that you either can’t live without or can wrap up for a loved one and give away. Happy reading!
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