What books to read (free printable)- a 52 week challenge
What books to read (free printable)- a 52 week challenge
In 2013 I set a lofty goal to read 52 books in one year. Making time for reading just didn’t seem to be happening without intent, so why not aim big?
It is engaging to read a wide variety of styles, so each week I stuck to 4 flexible parameters:
- I perused the new releases at the library, challenging myself to pick up things I wouldn’t normally read
- There were no restrictions on what age bracket it was geared toward. This wound up being a perk, as much of the juvenile fiction was even sharper than adult
- Enjoy a few relevant to life stages, but most, be surprised
- If it wasn’t enjoyable, there was complete freedom to move on to the next in line
Toward the end it literally felt like the 26th mile of a marathon, so much did my brain say “I can’t…do…it…”
However, as I went on it was such a rewarding experience. A completed booklist, whew!
What books should I read?
1) The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
2) Courting Cate by Leslie Gould
3) A Walk On The Beach by Joan Ander
4) Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott (for writers…my fave)
5) Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
6) The Exile Of Sarah Stevenson by Darci Hannah (historical fiction)
7) Inspired You by Marion Parsons (Miss Mustard Seed)
8) And She Was by Alison Gaylin
9) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (fiction, maybe best book ever!)
10) A Home In The Woods: Pioneer Life In Indiana by Howard Johnson
11) All This Talk Of Love by Christopher Castellani
12) Mopey Dick: Deep thoughts From A Shallow Mind by Dick Wolfsie
13) Coal Black Horse by Robert Olmstead
14) The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
15) Band of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke
16) Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
17) The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman (One of the top three in well-written fiction)
18) Instructions For American Servicemen In Iraq During WWII by US Army
19) Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
20) Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres
21) Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist (thought provoking)
22) Help Thanks Wow by Anne Lamott
23) The Little Bride by Anna Solomon
24) Ordinary Days by Dorcas Smucker (essays so delightful, I put off finishing for 5 years)
25) A Far Piece To Canaan by Sam Halpern (fantastic fiction)
26) The House At Belle Fontaine by Lily Tuck
27) I’ll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes & Loretta Nyhan (Last of top three, great fiction)
28) Anything by Jennie Allen
29) The High School Handbook by Mary Schofield
30) Afloat by Erin Healy
31) The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
32) Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson (all homeschool moms need this)
33) The Edge Of The Earth by Christina Schwarz
34) FibroWHYalgia by Susan Ingebretson (most informative book on this topic in 15 years)
35) Seaside by Terri Blackstock
36) The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
37) Wabi-Sabi: Art Workshop by Serena Barton
38) The Sweetest Hallelujah by Elaine Hussey
39) The Clothes On Their Back by Linda Grant
40) Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph
41) How To Blog For Profit Without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup (details for bloggers)
42) A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman
43) Left by Tamar Ossowski
44) Sabbath by Wayne Muller
45) Start by Jon Acuff
46) Katrina by Sally Salminen ( my first historical fiction love from over 40 years ago) Make sure to find the English version
47) Why The Nativity by David Jeremiah
48) Purse-Drive Christmas by Anita Renfroe (she is so funny)
49) The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren (really funny fiction, esp. for empty nester moms)
50) The Farm Chicks Christmas by Serena Thompson
51) Go Ahead: Ask Anything by Jim Lyon (Our pastor answered the top questions facing people if they could ask a pastor anything. Wow)
52) Life Artist by Ali Edwards
RED titles I particularly enjoyed
Whew! Any of these familiar to you? What is your favorite style to read?
P.S. click here to print off a PDF copy to take along with you to the bookstore or library
Are you on Goodreads? Me too! A few more favorites…
Disclosure: I only recommend products I do/would use myself. This post contains affiliate links that at NO additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission to help support this blog
