At the beginning of this year, instead of a new years resolution, I set myself the ambitious challenge of reading 50 books in 2016. I felt that at the end of the year, I wanted to have achieved something and, since I love reading, cramming a load of books into my eyes and brain seemed like a good choice!!

As a companion to that (so something I really should have started at the beginning of the year), a few people have suggested I blog about the books I’ve read and whether I’d recommend them. I too am often curious as to what to read next so if I can help friends to choose their next book, that would be great!

Some of them are novels, some are Christian books, some are nonfiction.

As I’ve already read 20, we need a few catch-up posts! Rather than do all 20 at once, I’m going to do them in blocks of 5. Then from here on out, I’ll do a blog post per book.Or I may carry on in blocks of 5… Who knows. So here’s your first lot:

• The Heart of Church and Mission by Bryan Knell- This is a bit of an odd one to begin with as I had to read it for work…. BUT…. I found it a really useful and insightful look into how the Church today engages with mission and mission agencies. I didn’t agree with everything Bryan said (making it even more interesting) but I enjoyed the different ways he said the Church should be engaging with mission and how mission agencies should be engaging with the Church. It was a particularly useful and enlightening book to read in the role I had at Latin Link, which involved engaging with churches who were sending members of their congregation to Latin America. Still, I’d recommend it to anyone, especially those in church leadership. It’s super short and, if anything, will make you think about your views on Church and mission.

• After You by Jojo Moyes- The sequel to the wonderful Me Before You. This book was
  brilliant, very touching and an insightful look into what living with grief looks like. I gobbled it up. Lou Clark is such a lovable, believable character and you really feel for her pain and
  loss, especially if you read the previous book. In ways, you feel like you mourn with her… Nevertheless, there are still funny bits and warm romantic parts. I really enjoyed it, but not as much as Me Before You as it lacks the relationship between Lou and Will, which, in my opinion, was the best part of that book.  Still would recommend it, but read Me Before You first.

• A Guide to the Beasts of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson- A novel, not an actual guide… Another sequel, but this one just as good as the first one (A Guide to the Birds of East Africa). Just one of those books where nothing much happens but you grow to love the characters and their relationships.The imagery and characters really capture the essence of Africa and transport you there. A lovely, light read that’s a lot of fun. You don’t necessarily have to have read the first one, though it may help you better understand the characters.

• Life Is… by Judah Smith- Another sequel (to Jesus Is…)! I think you’ll either love or hate the way Judah Smith writes. I enjoy it, though I can see why some wouldn’t. It’s very American but full of stories and helpful imagery… The fact I can’t remember much of it shows it didn’t have a very big impact on me but an easy to read Christian book which can help with devotions etc.

• The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro- I was surprised at how much I didn’t like this book… I LOVED Never Let Me Go but this book was a bit too fantasy for me. I’m not a fan of books like Lord of the Rings, but if you are then you might enjoy this! It’s a long read and is very well written but I guess I just didn’t “get” it. I think it may be allegorical but I’m not sure what the message was… It would get 3 stars from me, but just because I don’t tend to go for those kinds of books. If you’re into fantasy books, you may love it!

So there’s your first lot! If you have any questions, ask away! I have all of them apart from Church and Mission, if you would like to borrow them 🙂 I’m a firm believer in sharing books and using our local library.

xxx