Books of 2020: Part 3
21. Copygirl by Anna Mitchael and Michelle Sassa
This is the part where I get to be really cool and say I know one of the authors of this book. I read Copygirl while I was on my family vacation and it was so fun. Even though I don’t work in a cut-throat ad company in New York (praise), I could relate with the palm-to-face, agonizing frustration that can come from being a copywriter. This story had me laughing more than once and there were a few surprises that made it even more enjoyable to read.
A favorite quote: “Not every problem can be solved. Some are okay simply to avoid. Go around them, go under them, whatever it takes to reach your higher goal. Sometimes you have to fail your way to success.”
22. God Walk: Moving at the Speed of Your Soul by Mark Buchanan
Mark is back! This one is different than any of the other books I’ve read by him, but equally as poignant and powerful. This book is basically a love letter to walking and how we can know God, others, and the world more intimately and be used as an instrument for God’s glory when we walk. “Go on more walks” was one of my goals for 2020 and it happened (thank you, shelter-in-place order), and I’m going to aim for even more in 2021.
A favorite quote: “Maybe that’s how any of us gets free from our pettiness. Free from our thin skins. Free from our need to be admired by others. Free from our craving to be better than others. Maybe the only way any of us gives up a piece of ourselves, even our swords, is by a long way walking with the one who gave Himself up, even His own life, just to make us His treasure and to make us like He is. To make us a loyal priesthood. Maybe no one truly becomes themselves—wholly, freely, unreservedly, not needing to be someone else—until we walk long enough with Jesus that we become as He is.”
Another one! “[The exodus] is the central event in Israel’s history and the model for Jesus’ redemption of humanity. It demonstrates the mighty power of God to save, no matter how hopeless our situation, how total and brutal the trouble we’re in. It displays God’s heart for the oppressed. It shows His rule over history. It shows that there is no human system that God cannot dismantle for the sake of the least of these. It’s good news for the woebegone and woe-begotten, bad news for all who have a hand in that.”
23. The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be by Joanna Gaines
I didn’t think Jo could create a more adorable kids’ book than We Are the Gardeners…and then this book came out. When I read this for the first time at work, I teared up at my desk. This book is timely but also timeless—a message that the world needs to hear. I love it so much, I gave it to my best friend’s four-month-old daughter. Really there is no higher compliment, is what I’m saying.
A favorite quote: “We’ve done our very best, now it’s time to fly. See how beautiful it can be when our differences share the same sky?”
24. The Land of Stories: An Author’s Odyssey by Chris Colfer
Yes, I’m still reading this series, and no, this wasn’t the last one. (Five books down, one to go!) The premise of this particular book is a fun one, because instead of traveling through familiar fairytales, this time the Bailey twins venture through Conner’s own original short stories. Just like in the rest of the books, this one is funny, heartfelt, but also dark in some places. The stakes are high, people! Exciting!
A favorite quote (for context, this is Conner talking to his sister, Alex): “Just before we went into the fairy-tale world to fight the Enchantress, I showed you my stories for the first time. You liked them, you said they were special, and you gave me the confidence to keep writing. It was your approval that inspired me—you were my champion.”
25. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Okay listen…if you know me, you know that for whatever reason, I love Peter Pan. Well, I really love the 2003 movie adaptation with Jeremy Sumpter (every third grader’s heart throb) and Jason Isaacs. I vividly remember watching it in theaters and being entranced. I grew up watching the 1953 Disney animated movie and Hook with Robin Williams (“Ru-fi-oooooo!”). Recently I’ve been wanting to read the actual book, so I got a sweetly illustrated copy from my favorite bookstore (hey, Fabled). Half of the fun is just enjoying Barrie’s writing style—he’s funny and sarcastic, but also heartfelt. I thought it was interesting how bits of the book aren’t in any movie adaptation I’ve seen, like the scene where Peter is stranded on a rock and a Never Bird saves him (it’s of my favorites—hence the quote below).
No matter the adaptation, I’ve always left the Peter Pan story with a little bit of sadness, and I didn’t understand why until I read the book. It’s not satisfying for me because there’s no redemption for Peter. He’s obnoxious, right? He’s arrogant, thinks he can do no wrong, always takes the glory, and rarely thinks of anyone but himself. You see his potential to actually care for other people in the times he rescues Wendy or when he mourns Tink’s (temporary) death. But what’s so sad is that he can never become that person you want him to be because he literally can’t—because he chooses not to grow up.
All that to say, the only reason I’ve come up with of why I’m so attached to this story—apart from just the fun and thrill of sword fighting and flying—is because of the tension Peter and Wendy represent that lives inside all of us. There’s value in childlike wonder, imagination, taking risks, facing danger, and chasing adventure. But there’s also value in growing up, expanding your perspective, making sacrifices, valuing others above yourself, becoming the person you were meant to be. Anyway…hope you enjoyed that little dive into my psyche!
A favorite quote: “Peter was not quite like other boys; but he was afraid at last. A tremor ran through him, like a shudder passing over the sea; but on the sea one shudder follows another till there are hundreds of them, and Peter felt just the one. Next moment he was standing erect on the rock again, with that smile on his face and a drum beating within him. It was saying, ‘To die will be an awfully big adventure.’”
26. That Sounds Fun: The Joys of Being an Amateur, the Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby by Annie F. Downs
It feels fitting that the first audio book I’ve ever listened to all the way through is one of Annie’s. Her voice sounds like the voice of a friend to me, so listening to her be hilarious but also choke up at more vulnerable stories made it all the more enjoyable. I flew through this, so once my pre-ordered copy comes in, I want to take my time rereading it. But just like all of Annie’s other books, you can expect heartfelt stories, deep thinking, a thirst for life, and a lot of love. And a lot of FUN, obviously.
A favorite quote: I’ll plug this in when I get my hands on a hard copy!
27. What If It’s True? By Charles Martin
Oy. This one was a doozy—in the best way. I’ve never read anything by Charles Martin but I’m officially a fan. This book was, like, 85% Scripture, so if you’re in need of a major Bible firehose, this is a good one to read. Charles has been a fiction writer for decades, so he uses that skill to craft really beautiful prose about Jesus (all stemming from Scripture, but with a writer’s imagination thrown in) and to share lessons from His teachings. Basically the whole book is answering the title question, “What If It’s True?”, the “it” being: Jesus is the Son of God who came to Earth as fully God and fully man, lived a perfect life, died for our sins to redeem humankind, rose from the dead, and is coming again one day—and that’s the short version. If your heart is feeling extra fragile these days, I might recommend reading this in small chunks. Charles asks tough questions and doesn’t hold back, so some of it might be emotionally taxing to read. I will say, one chapter is almost entirely a dialogue between Charles and Jesus, and it’s pretty stunning.
A favorite quote (there are SO many, but this is the zinger that I’ve thought about on a regular basis): “Your idols are what you turn to when you want to be made to feel the way you want to feel.”
28. The Blessing of Humility by Jerry Bridges
My small group and I read through this book and its truths have been so helpful for me this year. Jerry walks through the Beatitudes, a passage I want to dive deeper into in 2021. Practical, straightforward, and Scripture-filled, this book is a great read if humility is something you seek in your own life.
A favorite quote (long, but a great summary): “We need to deal with the sinful passions of our own hearts before we can deal with conflict of any kind with others. So where do we start? One way would be to go back over each of the character traits of the previous Beatitudes and prayerfully and carefully ask ourselves how we compare with each of the traits. Am I poor in spirit? Do I mourn over my sin? Am I truly meek before God and with respect to other people? Do I truly hunger and thirst for righteousness, not only in my conduct but also in my heart? Am I merciful toward others who sin against me because I am aware of how merciful God has been to me? Do I seek a singleness of heart toward God based on the fact that I am no longer my own, but rather am Christ’s possession? And if I am truly His possession, then does it really matter how I am treated? Because that is His business.”
29. Advent: Jesus Christ is Born by She Reads Truth
Another She Reads Truth study! If you’ve never done one of their Advent studies, I highly recommend trying one, really during any time of year. The focus of this year’s study was built on the line from Go Tell it On the Mountain that says, “Jesus Christ is born.” Every day you walked through passages that pointed to a reason Jesus was born, and I absolutely loved it. Jesus’ humanity stuck with me in a different way this Christmas, and this study was a big part of that.
A favorite passage: “But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone—crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death. For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, ti was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” -Hebrews 2:9-10
And: “…He willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.” -Isaiah 53:12
30. My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
Almost every morning of 2020 started with me in my recliner, a bowl of oatmeal, a cup of coffee, and Oswald (or Ozzy, as I like to call him). My mom gave me and my sister copies of My Utmost when I was in the eighth grade, and I’ve returned to it again and again over the years. This was probably my second or third time going through it start to finish, and I was constantly finding new truths and and insights I had never noticed before. The only thing I love more than Ozzy’s sass and sarcasm is his deep love and need for God and His Word. If you like having a day-by-day devotional to pair with your normal Bible study, I can’t recommend this one enough.
A favorite quote: “Every time you get into personal contact with Jesus, His words are real. ‘My peace I give unto you,’ it is a peace all over from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet, an irrepressible confidence. ‘Your life is hid with Christ in God,’ and the imperturbable peace of Jesus Christ is imparted to you.”
Bonus: Law-B and the Magnolia Tree by Nell Boling
It’s not every day that you can say a friend wrote a children’s book! Lawson and I met through a mutual friend this year, and I love this sweet, powerful story. It’s a tale of joy, courage, and overcoming your fears—the best kind! You can learn more about Lawson and her book here.
A favorite quote: I think you just need to buy this one :)
That’s it for my 2020 books, friends! If you have recommendations for me for 2021, let me know. New goal is 35 books, so let’s see if I can do it. To end, here are New Year’s Eve words from my pal, Ozzy:
“Leave the Irreparable Past in [Christ’s] hands, and step out into the Irresistible Future with Him.”
