2022 Book Challenge Completed

1/11/23

    Well, about two minutes before midnight on December 31, 2022, I finished my reading goal for the year!  I was ahead of schedule most of the year until I had a baby in October.  In the past, I've read a bunch with a baby, especially on the Kindle since I can hold the "book" and turn the "pages" with one hand. Alas, I couldn't find the Kindle, and we had a stressful couple of months with our baby not gaining weight adequately and having therapies and a procedure to correct his tongue tie.  I found myself getting further and further behind and kicked myself for not setting a more reasonable goal.  There were two aspects of my reading goal for 2022 -- number of books read and a priority list to read, and I was behind on both.

    With a bunch of graphic novels and audiobooks, I finished my number goal.  And since I was close on my priority-to-read list, I pushed it to finish that, too.  I will admit that I didn't listen or read as carefully as I probably should have on some of them.  That was the downfall with trying to just get through on some books.  The good part is that I read a lot of great books that I might not have read if I was just waiting until "someday" to read them.  Having a deadline really helped although feeling "forced" sometimes sapped the joy out of it.

    My favorites were probably the biographies/memoirs I read. It's quickly becoming my favorite genre.  The C.S. Lewis books were probably the hardest to get through. I want to like his books, and I do appreciate what he's done, but they're just not my favorite.  Not even the Narnia books. I had planned on listening to the whole Chronicles of Narnia on our long 2-week road trip out west...until my 4 year old complained anytime I turned it on.   

Here's my Goodreads Year in Books. I love seeing all the covers of books I read!

I've included below my original post with my priority books to read. Each book title is a link to my GoodReads review (which range from a couple sentences on my thoughts to loads of quotes that I want to remember).

1/1/22

    For 2022, my goal is 200 books including the 60 or so from this list (which started as 20).  200 books is considerably fewer than what I finished in 2021, but these books will be challenging for me to finish.  Most are longer than my 162 page average from 2021.  I chose them for multiple reasons.  Many are ones sitting on my shelf that I need a little extra motivation to start and finish.  Some I found by sorting my to-read list on Goodreads by average rating.  Fighting Words, for example, has 6,553 ratings and an average of 4.7!  Looks like a book I need to finally read!  I'm hoping that this list will give me a little more focus so that when I'm deciding on a book to read, I won't be swept away by the latest book list but focus on these that I'd really like to finish.

2/1/22 update: By the end of January, I had read 49 books (again, many of them are with my kids and are quick reads, but they're all at least chapter books). I realized that I was on track to be able to read 365 books this year, so I adjusted my goal. I also finished my first 5 books of my list of 60 to read. I plan on spreading them out to 5 a month.

Adult Fiction

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - 3/27/22

Middle Grade Fiction

• Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - 7/12/22
• Efren Divided (audio) by Ernesto Cisneros - 9/3/22 
• The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise (audio) by Dan Gemeinhart - 5/26/22
• A Single Shard (audio) by Linda Sue Park

Classics

• Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery - 7/2/22
• Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - 10/21/22

Biography/Memoir

• God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew
• Born Again (part audio) by Charles Colson - 10/19/22
• Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (audio) by Nabeel Qureshi - 1/6/22
• Just Mercy (audio) by Bryan Stevenson - 10/7/22
• Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (audio) by Laura Hillenbrand - 3/15/22
• Educated by Tara Westover - 7/17/22
• The God I Love (audio) by Joni Eareckson Tada - 1/22/22

Christian Living

• Forgotten God (audio) by Francis Chan - 2/27/22
• Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero - 3/31/22
• Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge - 4/30/22
• Prayer in the Night (audio) by Tish Harrison Warren - 10/27/22
• The Reason for God by Timothy Keller - 12/31/22
• Friend of Science, Friend of Faith by Gregg Davidson - 12/30/22

Race

• Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King, Junior - 1/20/22
• Holier than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry - 8/27/22
• The Cross and the Lynching Tree (audio) - by James H. Cone - 4/9/22
• The Color of Compromise (audio) by Jemar Tisby - 10/18/22
• His Testimonies, My Heritage (audio) compiled by Kristie Anyabwile - 2/27/22 
• Reading While Black (audio) by Esau McCaulley - 7/2/22

Classic Christian

• Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis - 7/31/22
• Perelandra (audio) by C.S. Lewis - 10/29/22
• That Hideous Strength (audio) by C.S. Lewis - 11/18/22
• The Fisherman's Lady by George MacDonald - 8/27/22
• The Marquis' Secret by George MacDonald - 9/7/22
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - 12/31/22
• Four Loves (audio) by C.S. Lewis - 1/9/22

Marriage

• Loving Him Well (audio) by Gary Thomas - 8/22/22
• Love and Respect (audio) by Emerson Eggerichs - 12/3/22

Parenting

• Mother and Son: The Respect Effect (audio) by Emerson Eggerichs - 8/8/22
• Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James and David Thomas - 11/30/22
• Risen Motherhood - by Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler - 11/3/22   
  
• MamaBear Apologetics (audio) edited by Hillary Morgan Ferrer - 12/28/22
• How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind (audio) by Dana K. White - 5/21/22
• A Life Shared - by Ellen Martin - 2/28/22

Homeschooling

• Awaking Wonder (audio) by Sally Clarkson - 4/28/22
• The Brave Learner (audio) by Julie Bogart - 5/14/22
• Homeschool Bravely (audio) by Jamie Erickson - 7/20/22
• Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola - 5/31/22
• Know and Tell: The Art of Narration by Karen Glass - 3/15/22
• Balanced and Barefoot (audio) by Angela Hanscom - 3/21/22

To Read with the Boys

• On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (audio) by Andrew Peterson - 9/21/22
• A Place to Hang the Moon (audio) - by Kate Albus - 11/20/22
• Narnia series (1-7)
• The Magician's Nephew (audio) by C.S. Lewis - 6/12/22
• The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (audio) by C.S. Lewis - 6/29/22
• The Horse and his Boy by C.S. Lewis - 7/30/22
• Prince Caspian (part audio) by C.S. Lewis - 8/20/22
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (audio) by C.S. Lewis - 11/15/22
• The Silver Chair (audio) by C.S. Lewis - 11/30/22
• The Last Battle (audio) by C.S. Lewis - 12/23/22
• The Princess and the Goblin (audio) by George MacDonald - 2/20/22
• 3 biographies from the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series
• Jim Elliot: One Great Purpose by Janet and Geoff Benge - 1/11/22
• Eric Liddell: Something Better than Gold by Janet and Geoff Benge - 2/22/22
• Nate Saint: On a Wing and a Prayer by Janet and Geoff Benge - 9/16/22
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien - 5/25/22
• How Great is Our God by Louie Giglio - 12/31/22