It was a great year for reading! I’ve already made it through 44 books this year, which is double last year’s reach of 22 books. I’m pretty proud! By the time I finish this year, I’ll hit 47. It’s by far a personal record. If I had a gold star, I’d give it to myself. 😉

And just so we’re clear, by reading I mean listening. I get through almost all of my books via Audible.com. It’s fantastic, especially if you have a long commute like I do. Highly recommend. It takes a little getting used to, especially if you are not typically an auditory learner. So, yes, there is plenty of tuning out and rewinding in the beginning. But now that I’m used to it, I love it. It makes car time so much better.

An interesting trend for me this year was fiction. I don’t generally read much fiction. Because I really don’t like to read, I typically read nonfiction in order to learn. It’s more of a means to an end because I like learning. But this year, I sort of got hooked on fiction books. And I already have several more planned to begin 2014, namely the Divergent series since the movie looks good.

Without further adieu, here’s what got my attention this year:

• Pursuing Justice by Ken Wytsma
• Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
• In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
• Veganist by Kathy Freston
• Homeland: Phantom Pain by Glenn Gers
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
• Where Am I Wearing? by Kelsey Timmerman
• More or Less by Jeff Shinabarger
• The Time Keeper by Mitch Album
• The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker
• Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxes
• The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Forner
• Modern Slavery: Bolinda Beginner’s Guide by Kevin Bales, Zoe Trodd, Alex Kent Williamson
• Quitter by Jon Acuff
• The Land Between by Jeff Manion
• The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Arthur Conan Doyle
• Listening is an Act of Love by Dave Isay
• Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterroism Agent by Fred Burton
• Ruby Red series by Kerstin Geir
• Mission in a Bottle by Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff and Sungyoon Choi
• Your Health, Your Choice by Ted Morter
• An Apple a Day by Ted Morter
• The In-Between by Jeff Goins
• Storyline by Donald Miller
• Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Book Store by Robin Sloan
• Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• The Gregor series by Suzanne Collins
• The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
• This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
• Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
• Changes That Heal by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
• The Good News About Injustice by Gary Haugen

I’m currently listening to The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein since the second movie comes out next week. And then, I have two Advent books I’m trying to get through before the end of the year: Advent Conspiracy by Rick McKinley, Chris Seay and Greg Holder and God is in the Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I think these three will be an excellent way to finish out the year.

Did you read any good books this year?

What should I put on my list for next year?

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