13 Books I Plan to Read in 2013

Last week I shared 12 Chapter Books I plan to read to my young brood this year. Now I’ve finally finished the list of books I’ll read for myself.

I was going to go with a nice even 12 books, one each month, with hopefully, room to squeeze in others as I find time. Then I finished a book in the first 4 days of the year, so I added one more book to my list.

I also decided to keep costs down by only adding books to my list that are available through my local and state wide library programs. Be sure to check out all the other Books I Want to Read, just so you know there are lots more!

All book descriptions are from Amazon.

The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving by Randy Alcorn

“After years of writing and teaching on the theme ‘God owns everything,’ in 1990 Randy Alcorn was sued by an abortion clinic (for peaceful, nonviolent intervention for the unborn). Suddenly he had to resign as a pastor and was restricted to making minimum wage. Legally unable to own anything, Randy gave all his book royalties to missions work and need-meeting ministries. He and his family have experienced the reality of The Treasure Principle—that God really does own everything, takes care of us, and graciously puts assets into our hands that we might have the joy and privilege of investing in what will last for eternity.”

Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie Davis

“When you think of what one young woman can accomplish by simply being open to God’s call no matter the cost, you begin to ask questions like, Am I really open to God’s will for my life? Through Katie’s life, we’re reminded how God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things for Him. We simply need to be willing to be used.” (Rich Stearns, President of World Vision US, Author of The Hole in Our Gospel )

Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lya TerKeurst

“God gave us emotions to experience life, not destroy it! Lysa TerKeurst admits that she, like most women, has had experiences where others bump into her happy and she comes emotionally unglued. We stuff, we explode, or we react somewhere in between. What do we do with these raw emotions? Is it really possible to make emotions work for us instead of against us? Yes, and in her usual inspiring and practical way, Lysa will show you how.”

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff

“Bob Goff is a one-man tsunami of grace, a hurricane of love.  He doesn’t just talk about change, he really is change, as Love Does chronicles in such a vivid way. Yet, Love Does doesn’t leave you feeling like you want to celebrate its author, it awakens a sense deep within that you, too, have an outrageous role to play in God’s unfolding story or rescue and repair.” –Louie Giglio, Passion Conferences/Passion City Church

 

Sacred Marriage: What If God deigned Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than To Make Us Happy by Gary Thomas

“Everything about your marriage–everything–is filled with prophetic potential, with the capacity for discovering and revealing Christ’s character. The respect you accord your partner; the forgiveness you humbly seek and graciously extend; the ecstasy, awe, and sheer fun of lovemaking; the history you and your spouse build with one another–in these and other facets of your marriage, Sacred Marriage uncovers the mystery of God’s overarching purpose. This book may very well alter profoundly the contours of your marriage. It will most certainly change you.”

The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People by John Ortberg

“You Can Live a Deeper, More Spiritual Life Right Where You Are. An expanded edition with a new chapter on prayer and discussion questions The heart of Christianity is transformation—a relationship with God that impacts not just our ‘spiritual lives,’ but every aspect of living. John Ortberg calls readers back to the dynamic heartbeat of Christianity—God’s power to bring change and growth—and reveals both the how and why of transformation.”

Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God by Voddie Baucham, Jr.

“Family Driven Faith equips Christian parents with the tools they need to raise children biblically in a post-Christian, antifamily society. Voddie Baucham, who with his wife has overcome a multigenerational legacy of broken and dysfunctional homes, shows that God has not left us alone in raising godly children.

This bold book is an urgent call to parents—and the church—to return to biblical discipleship in and through the home. This paperback edition includes a new preface and a study guide to facilitate interaction in small-group settings and to help parents put principles into practice.”

Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just Isn’t Good Enough by Justin & Trisha Davis

“How safe is your marriage? The answer may surprise you. The biggest threat to any marriage isn’t infidelity or miscommunication. The greatest enemy is ordinary. Ordinary marriages lose hope. Ordinary marriages lack vision. Ordinary marriages give in to compromise. Ordinary is the belief that this is as good as it will ever get. And when we begin to settle for ordinary, it’s easy to move from ‘I do’ to ‘I’m done.’

Justin and Trisha Davis know just how dangerous ordinary can be. In this beautifully written book, Justin and Trisha take us inside the slow fade that occurred in their own marriage—each telling the story from their own perspective. Together, they reveal the mistakes they made, the work they avoided, the thoughts and feelings that led to an affair and near divorce, and finally, the heart-change that had to occur in both of them before they could experience the hope, healing, and restoration of a truly extraordinary marriage.”

How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons from America’s Favorite Medical Examiner by Jan Garavaglia, M.D.

“Thousands of people make an early exit each year and arrive on medical examiner Jan Garavaglia’s table. What is particularly sad about this is that many of these deaths could easily have been prevented. Although Dr. Garavaglia, or Dr. G, as she’s known to many, could not tell these individuals how to avoid their fates, we can benefit from her experience and profound insight into the choices we make each day.

In How Not to Die, Dr. G acts as a medical detective to identify the often-unintentional ways we harm our bodies, then shows us how to use that information to live better and smarter. She provides startling tips on how to make wise choices so that we don’t have to see her, or someone like her, for a good, long time.”

Cleaning House: A Mom’s Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement by Kay Wills Wyma

“Do your kids expect clean folded clothes to magically appear in their drawers? Do they roll their eyes when you suggest they clean the bathroom? By racing in to make their lives easy, have you unintentionally reinforced your children’s belief that the world revolves around them?

Dismayed at the attitude of entitlement that had crept into her home, Kay Wyma got some attitude of her own. Cleaning House is her account of a year-long campaign to introduce her five kids to basic life skills and the ways meaningful work can increase earned self-confidence and concern for others.”

The Shaping of a Christian Family: How My Parents Nurtured My Faith by Elisabeth Elliot

“Elisabeth Elliot is one of the most loved and respected communicators of present-day Christianity. In this repackaged edition of The Shaping of a Christian Family, Elliot tells the story of her childhood to share valuable insights on raising godly children. She talks candidly on parental expectations, emphasizes daily Bible reading and prayer, and shows the benefits of practicing such scriptural principles as trust, discipline, courtesy, and teaching by example.

Complete with eight pages of treasured Elliot family photos, The Shaping of a Christian Family is a wonderful book of ideas and inspiration for new parents, experienced parents, and all who have come to trust Elliot’s wisdom.”

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam

“There are 168 hours in a week. This is your guide to getting the most out of them.

It’s an unquestioned truth of modern life: we are starved for time…There has to be a better way…and Laura Vanderkam has found one. After interviewing dozens of successful, happy people, she realized that they allocate their time differently than most of us. Instead of letting the daily grind crowd out the important stuff, they start by making sure there’s time for the important stuff. When plans go wrong and they run out of time, only their lesser priorities suffer.”

Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne

“Today’s busier, faster society is waging an undeclared war on childhood. With too much stuff, too many choices, and too little time, children can become anxious, have trouble with friends and school, or even be diagnosed with behavioral problems. Now internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Payne helps parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom that all kids need for their attention to deepen and their individuality to flourish. Simplicity Parenting offers inspiration, ideas, and a blueprint for change. A manifesto for protecting the grace of childhood, Simplicity Parenting is an eloquent guide to bringing new rhythms to bear on the lifelong art of raising children.”

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Have you read any of these? Do you have any other suggestions? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Be sure to check out my Books I Want to Read Pinterest Board. I’d love your comments on the books I’ve listed there, too.

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