2024 was a great year of reading, both for me and the girls. I think I probably read at least double what's on this list, but not everything I read was worthy of my time, nor would I recommend it to you. Some were interesting memoirs that just got a little too graphic, or books that stretched out a bit too long for my taste. Some were even considered praise-worthy, yet I just couldn't get into them! It's always hard to narrow down books that you'd actually recommend to people. All that to say, here are our top picks for the year with reviews of our very favorites!
April's Picks:
1. Living with Hope by Michael Panther.
This book tells the incredible story of Michael Panther, from South Sudan. He was a young boy who got sick in his remote village, and was miraculously cared for by visiting mission doctors. It tells the story of God's faithfulness in his life and his journey to mobility. I just couldn't put it down! A friend of mine gave me the book because her parents played a role in his journey to the United States and now share in the work and ministry the Lord has given him through his disability. It's just incredible! Here's the link to his website and a Youtube video in which he shares his testimony of God's mercy and redemption. It impacted me greatly. It starts with Michael's journey of intense suffering, and ends with the joy of knowing Jesus and sharing his love and HOPE with so many. Best read of the year!
2. Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss.
Stepping Heavenward is a fiction book written in the year 1869. It chronicles the life of a young girl through journal-style entries, starting at the age of 16 and continuing up through her life as a mother. The main theme woven throughout is God's faithfulness to care for his children and worshiping through suffering. Also, surrendering your life to him no matter your circumstances.
I was gifted this book for Christmas the year my youngest daughter was born. She's now 7. It sat on my bookshelf for years and I had no interest (or time) to pick it up. It wasn't until I had surgery to have half of my thyroid removed in March of 2024 that I remembered it and had the time (and desire) to read it. And what a gift from God this book was to me during a trying season. I honestly don't think it would have meant as much to me if I'd read it as a young mom with little to no suffering under my belt. For the last two years or so I've been dealing with some chronic health-issues that are still unresolved. And in the last 5 years, I've lost 4 close family members. This book was the picture I needed to point me to Christ and his tender mercies to his children. Instead of viewing my suffering as something I had to endure, I was challenged to view it as an opportunity to grow and be made more like my Savior.
While it was a fiction book technically, the author--Elizabeth Prentiss--experienced many of the situations depicted in the novel. I was deeply moved by her life and her suffering. It was amazing to me how much of what she talked about resonated with me over a century and a half later. What a gift this book was during this season of my life. I am grateful to have read it!
3. My Friend, Anne Frank by Hannah Pick-Goslar with Dina Kraft.
Wow. This book was so well done. I enjoyed this true account of one of Anne Franks childhood friends as she retells what it was like during the Holocaust. Hannah's family fled Nazi Germany to live in Amsterdam in 1933, and she recounts her childhood memories of friends in the neighborhood, school days and birthday parties as well as the progressive changes that happened along the way--ending with families (like the Franks) suddenly disappearing in 1942 as Germany continued to occupy Amsterdam. Though a heavy and dark period of history, it was retold with exquisite detail and care from someone who lived it and survived. What a testimony of strength and dignity. I was greatly impacted by the way in which this incredibly hard, yet very important story was presented.
4. Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon by Ray Rhodes.
This biography of Susanna Spurgeon was yet another glimpse of a woman who dedicated her life to God despite her physical ailments. This spoke to me in the midst of suffering as well. My friend (and pastor's wife) brought it over along with some homemade soup the day after my surgery. The book ministered to me by means of encouragement and conviction. It's so tempting to feel sorry for yourself when you're at your lowest, but by reading these words I was able to rise a bit above my feelings and ask the Lord to bolster my faith and help me see his purposes--even in convalescence.
5. Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers.
*Favorite fiction of the year. I absolutely LOVE these books! Her Mother's Hope is the first part of this saga, while Her Daughter's Dream is the second installment. This was my second time reading this fabulous fiction saga by Francine Rivers, and it does not disappoint. It chronicles the lives of four generations and mother/daughter relationships. From the 1900s to the 1990s and beyond. Marta, Hildie (part 1), Carolyn and May Flower Dawn (part 2) are all such rich and intricate characters. It was easy to get caught up in the story. I found that I could relate her flawed characters to many of the women in my family as well. And it makes you wonder how much culture and society plays a part in the generational divide. Definitely recommend!
6. Her Daughter's Dream by Francine Rivers.
7. Growing in Holiness by R.C. Sproul.
8. Becoming Free Indeed by Jinger Vuolo.
9. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
*Favorite audio book of the year! A classic that I'm quite sure I wouldn't have been able to get through in print. But I listened while I re-painted my laundry room a lovely pool blue and mostly enjoyed the story.
10. The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson.
11. Never Give Up by Tom Brokaw.
12. Everyone's a Theologian by R.C. Sproul.
*We read this with our Young Adult Sunday School class and finally finished it in 2024. A succinct book of systematic theology on a level the lay reader can understand. As R.C. Sproul puts it, "...Any time we think about a teaching of the Bible and strive to understand it, we are engaging in theology. Therefore, it is important that we put the Bible’s varied teachings together in a systematic fashion using proper, time-tested methods of interpretation so as to arrive at a theology that is consistent and founded on truth."
13. When We Had Wings by Susan Meissner & others.
14. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.
*The most interesting modern day biography/memoir I read was that of now Vice President, J.D. Vance. I read it before he was even chosen to run as VP, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Fascinating and very relatable. It's hard not to have respect for someone who worked their way up and out of the crushing cycle of poverty and achieved upward mobility.
15. Home by Julie Andrews -- a memoir of her early years.
16. The Daughter of Auschwitz by Tova Friedman with Malcolm Brabant.
17. Gifted Hands by Ben Carson.
18. The Women, Homefront, Magic Hour and Summer Island by Kristin Hannah.
*I've been on a Kristin Hannah kick the last couple of years ever since I read the Nightingale which was excellent. None of hers have really disappointed thus far except that the themes are a bit intense and her earlier books use quite a bit of discretionary language. Also, she often spends a looooong time in the midst of the conflict and takes a while to get to the resolution, and then you don't get to enjoy it for very long. It's almost as though she likes hanging out in the hard and not letting the reader enjoy the happy ending so to speak... it's just her style. The year before I read The Great Alone and The Four Winds. Great character development.
19. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher.
20. The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman.
*My three favorite READ ALOUDs with the girls for the year were The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White, Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and The Wild Robot by Peter Brown.
Lily's Picks (gr. 4/5):
1. A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen.
2. My Secret War by Mary Pope Osborne.
3. The Vanderbeekers Ever After by Karina Yan Glaser.
4. The Vanderbeekers and the Secret Garden by Karina Yan Glaser.
5. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
Emma's Picks (gr. 2/3):
1. Babysitter's Club #2, Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls by Ann M. Martin
2. Fave Series: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew by Caroline Keen.
Cary's Picks (gr. K/1)
1. Fave Series: Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo
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