Friends, Romans, countrymen!!
Welcome to 2020.
I cannot believe it is time for another 5-star-books post! 2019 went so fast.
I read 26 books this year, which is a little shabby compared to the 44 I read in 2018, but not bad considering my year. I blame the decline partly on college, and partly on Moby-Dick which I have been reading for an age and a half of the world outside and still haven’t finished.
All that aside, here’s the books that got 5 stars from me from this year:
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
This was a re-read, and somehow even better than I had remembered. (I didn’t think that was possible!) The characters are so raw and deep, and the world-building is truly gorgeous.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
I cannot recommend this enough! A logical and down-to-earth book about the basics of Christianity. It is so deep, and yet also written so simply it’s easy to read and remember. If you want more of my thoughts, see the essay I wrote for school.
Falling Free by Shannan Martin
Okay, so listen: I don’t do much nonfiction (you may have noticed). This is mostly because I don’t particularly enjoy it. However, I have an issue with nonfiction books about God, because something about that way of thinking makes me feel like He is far away and that scares me. (I could be overthinking it, but here we are.) (I am definitely overthinking it. 🙂 ) Falling Free is the first nonfiction book I read–other than the Bible, which I hope is obvious–that made me feel closer to God, which is why I gave this re-read 5 stars, even though I don’t agree with 100% of what the author says. Shannan Martin has a beautiful story about experiencing God’s love and being God’s love as a wife and mother. She is so down-to-earth and compassionate, and her writing is beautiful.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
This might be the find of the year for me. I picked it up on a recommendation, without knowing very much about it, and then it was so lovely. Fun and hilarious and touching and incredibly creative. There is some witchcraft/spells-casting (by the good guys), which is not my favorite when it comes to magic, but it was so sweet that I gave it 5 stars anyway. I will never forget this cast of characters for as long as I live. Also, Sophie is a more outspoken version of me, which was somehow really affirming to see!
The Black Star of Kingston by S.D. Smith
Get your Middle Grade labels out of my face, this story is inspiring! Action-packed and thrilling and scary, but still so sweet. I love this novella so much.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Yes, I read it twice last year. It was that good!
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Try saying that five times fast! Ivan Denisovich is a prisoner in a Soviet work camp. Its an intense story, but really touching and also beautiful in its own way. The novel actually covers a single day of his life in camp, which is a super creative idea for a storyline! Disclaimer here: there is a lot of language. And by “a lot,” I mean a lot. However, I thought it was worth it for the book, and would definitely recommend it to anyone old enough to handle it.
The Green Ember by S.D. Smith
Such an awesome book. Action, adventure, sibling relationships, freaking character development. 5 stars always.
Ember Falls by S.D. Smith
Because one does not simply re-read Book 1 without re-reading the whole series! And because I had to get ready for. . .
Ember Rising by S.D. Smith
Okay, full disclosure: I didn’t have this one written down as read in 2019. But I am positive I read it in 2019, so. . . here it is. I was worried that S.D. Smith wouldn’t be able to keep the magic alive into a third book, but he did. And I already pre-ordered Ember’s End.
The Girl Who Could See by Kara Swanson
Another one that might be the “find of the year” for me. 🙂 This novella is about a girl with an “imaginary” friend from another dimension! It was on my to-read list for a while, and I finally read it because I knew the author would be at Realm Makers. It was not what I expected, but oh so good. The Girl Who Could See is a very intense read that’s also incredibly beautiful. I’m scared to say much more, because I don’t want to give anything away. (Side note, I did meet Kara at RM, and she is such a lovely person!)
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Christmas tradition for me! Underneath all the absurdity and creepy stuff, this book has so much depth. If you’ve never read it, please give it a try–it’s short!
Happy New Year, friends. All the best from me.