I read for both pleasure and for learning and growing. The stack of books I want to read seems to grow. I do read more than one book at a time. I have a goal of reading all the books I acquire in 2019 in 2019. Hopefully, that means I will have less books on my shelves that I have not read.

Updated with notes after I finished reading the books.

So what am I reading currently or planning to read:

The Unconquerable by Helen MacInnes – This is fiction set in Poland at the beginning of WW2. This was first published in 1944. A friend recommended it and the library had it. It has been a slow read partly because I left it at home when we were on holiday. I recently read another WW2 book set in Poland and needed a bit of time to get the stories straight.

I finished this book in August. As I mentioned it was slow at the beginning but the last 100 pages or so I wanted to read. I wanted to find out what happened. I think it was interesting to read as it was written in 1944. I would look for other books by Helen MacInnes.

Before You Open your Bible by Matt Smethurst – Nine Heart Postures for Approaching God’s Word. This is a short book, just 79 pages. It is easy to read and gives you some things to consider as you open your Bible and read. This helps you to prepare your heart to read God’s Word.

I finished this book. I would encourage you to get it and read it. It will give you a perspective of how to approach the Bible. I wrote the nine reminders on a card and taped it inside my Bible.

Plugged In by Daniel Strange – Connecting your faith with what you watch, read and play. There are two reasons I am reading this book. One I want to be able to better understand the culture and how to connect faith with it in ways that will point people to Jesus. My second reason for reading it now. This is the book for book group in October. I read ahead so I have time to process and have discussion questions ready.

I started this book. I want to learn a bit more about how to understand culture and engage with it.

Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin – How to Study the Bible with Both our Hearts and Our Minds. This is a re-read for me. It was a book that I gave to some of the small group leaders encouraging them to read it during our summer break. I decided it has been over a year since I read it so it would be good to read it again. I have been reminded of things and challenged to keep studying the Word. The one thing is to remember that the Bible is about God and not me. So as I am reading and teaching the focus should be what can we learn about God.

I finished this book. I was a good reminder of these principles. I wrote a summary page to share with my small group and the other leaders.

Enjoying God by Tim Chester – Experience the Power and Love of God in everyday life. This is also a re-read for me. This book is what book group is reading in September. As I read it again, I am looking forward to new things that I will see. I am using a different colour highlighter this time. I have already been pondering which member of the Trinity do I have the strongest sense of a lived, experienced relationship?

This was another reread. This time through I used a green highlighter. So now I have yellow and green. I recently read another book by Tim Chester, You can Pray, and there were bits that I was thinking of that book as I read this one. This is a great book to help you know who God is. This also went with the two chapters I am reading in Bavinck, see below.

Destiny by David Gibson – Learning to live by preparing to die. This was recommended by a friend.  It was in my stack to read but got moved up after When Breath Becomes Air. I wanted to ground myself in the Word. The byline intrigued me, learning to live by preparing to die.

This is still on my stack.

God’s Design for Women in An Age of Gender Confusion by Sharon James – This is a book assigned to read for a Women’s Ministry Course that I am taking this coming year. This is a bit academic. I found it interesting to read a bit about the feminist movement both the history and key players. So many lived sad lives which reiterates the fact that God’s design for women is the best way.

I have started this but this is a book that we will be reading through the year.

Our Reasonable Faith by Herman Bavinck – Again this is an assigned book to read. Thankfully I have notes to go with the reading. It is deep and makes me think. I admit some of it I still don’t understand.

I read the assigned chapters, The Being of God and The Divine Trinity. I had study notes for the reading which helped. I am looking forward to the lecture and discussing these chapters.

State of Lies by Siri Mitchell – I read this on the Kindle. It is a suspense book. A full review will be coming at the end of the month.

My review of the book is here.

That is my current reading goals. Most of these books make me think, pause, and ponder so I might not get all of them read. My goal is to get a good start on these books.

I am pleased that I finished the books that I did.

What are you reading this summer?