Friday Five – Books I Want to Read

Each Friday, I’ll be writing a short post sharing five (and only five!) ideas with you. Today is one of my favorite topics – books! (This post contains affiliate links, which help pay for this site and its content.)

Here are five I want to read this year:

1. Water from My Heart by Charles Martin. I just finished another of Martin’s books, When Crickets Cry, and I LOVED it. I don’t know how I haven’t read him before! I discovered When Crickets Cry when Kindle had ebooks on sale over Christmas break. I paid just a couple of bucks for it, and I could not stop reading it. I stayed up past midnight and almost woke my husband up with my sobs. I won’t ruin it in case you want to read it, but good grief. SO. GOOD. Water from My Heart has a half-star higher rating on Amazon than When Crickets Cry, so I can’t wait to read it!
2. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. This might seem like an odd choice for me, but I love reading stories of people who been successful in their field, and I can’t think of a better example than the creator of Nike! This book has a 5 star rating. Andre Agassi said about it, “I’ve worn the gear, with pride, but I didn’t realize the remarkable saga of innovation and survival and triumph that stood behind every swoosh.” I think this is true for all of us!
3. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk. This topic interests me greatly because I’ve experienced an emotional trauma, and I’ve had to fight my way to healing and restoration. What I know is from my own experience, but I’d love to hear an expert’s take on the effects of trauma.
4. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. This is fiction, and it takes place during WWII. I have had an obsession with WWII historical fiction since I taught 7th grade and focused on Holocaust literature. I am always blown away by the stories based on truth from the time, and this book is inspired by a true story.
5. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Last year, I learned more than I ever had about what it means (and takes) to live for Christ’s kingdom instead of yourself, and I have thought so much lately about how few sacrifices Christians in America must make for our faith. I don’t wish hardship or persecution on any of us, but I wonder if our faith is weak because it is easy. This book speaks to the necessity of personal sacrifice, and I believe it will challenge me in my walk. It might be difficult to hear, but I think it’s necessary for me.

Let me know if you’ve read any of these or have other suggestions!