New year, new chapter, new prayer

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Happy New Year! A new year, a new chapter, and a new simple prayer for this interesting intersection where we look back and dream ahead with our feet firmly planted in today.

For what has been

thank you

For what can be

thank you

For what will be

thank you

For what is right now

thank you


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    Speaking of new chapters- while I love dreaming of house projects, trips, adventures, and goals for the year, one of my favorite lists is the beloved book list.


    Actually, I don't make too great of a book list at the forefront of the year, but rather let the books come to me. I enjoy looking back at the end of year and remembering all those lovely reads. Good books are like good friends- they find to you when you really need them. I’m grateful that, by the grace of God, some really wonderful books found me right when I needed them this year. 


    I thought my book consumption would go down in 2023 due to having a baby, but alas, I was simply introduced to the wonderful world of audiobooks. At heart, I am still a print and paper girl, but I really enjoyed audiobooks particularly in the first half of the year. I also discovered the joy of hearing a book narrated by the author. I can still hear Andrew Peterson reading The Wingfeather Saga series- particularly his voices for Podo and Oskar N. Retreep. On the flip side, I also stopped listening to a handful to audiobooks, because unfortunately the narrator was just so dull. I’m mostly back to all physical books these days, but there’s a special place in my heart now for audiobooks. 


    My book list doesn’t include kid books, but there were countless, sporadic hours spent listening to Magic Treehouse, Boxcar Children, Ramona Quimby, Clementine, Anna Hibiscus, and Little House on the Prairie with my children. (If you have good kid book recommendations, let me know!)


Here were my favorite books of the year and brief thoughts on them!

  1. All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore- This is her memoir and it was phenomenal. Written with so much grace and wisdom. When a memoir makes you deeply reflect on your own journey and appreciate it all the more, you know you’ve found a good book. I couldn’t put it down. Also- she narrates the audiobook and it’s truly wonderful. 
  2. The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson- Aaron had been saying for a while that I needed to try this series. Fantasy generally isn’t my go-to, but I may be converted now. Books 3 and 4 were my favorite. The ending of number 4… I was crying my eyes out. In the best way possible. When captivating, rich storytelling intersects a truly redemptive narrative, you’ve hit the jackpot. Can’t wait to read with the kids when they are older.
  3. The Wingfeather Tales (short stories within the Wingfeather world by various writers)- The last one “The Places Beyond the Map” by Douglas McKelvey has to be one of the best stories I’ve ever read. It’s the cherry on top of the whole series. Haunting, beautiful, utterly redemptive. I couldn’t pick up another fiction book for weeks because I knew nothing would top it. The only catch is you have to read the other Wingfeather books first. (so go start now!)
  4. Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson- The soul of this book spoke to mine. Honestly, it felt like someone was holding my hand as I started to share my writing here. So encouraging for anyone who loves words, writing, music, or the arts and desires to create.
  5. Tress and the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson- My first Sanderson novel and it didn’t disappoint. Again, another fantasy author Aaron has been telling me to read for years. What’s not to love about an enduring heroine, a whimsical planet, a humorous narrator with a Princess Bride quality, clever plot twists, and deep, loyal love? 
  6. Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson- Loved this one too. Another fantastical love story, but so unique. And his commentary on art, painting, and darkness throughout left me thinking for quite a while. 
  7. The Gift of Being Yourself by David G. Banner- Truly fell into my hands at the right time this fall. It’s all about how knowing God and knowing ourselves are intertwined. I checked it out of the library, but now have bought the physical copy- that’s how much I loved it.
  8. Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry- Finally read my first Wendell Berry book. This was a great one to start with. His books can feel slower, but I love his observations of human nature and the connection between place and people- the membership, as he calls it. 
  9. If I Were You by Lynn Austin- WWII historical fiction. Quite a unique premise, but loved the complex, enduring friendship of the two main characters.
  10. Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren- This was my first book of 2023 and I listened to it on audiobook while nursing and rocking Tessa and it made me cry multiple times. The idea of God being present in every mundane moment is my jam. 
  11. Every Moment Holy (Volume III: Work of the People)- Brilliant poetic prayers for all kinds of moments from frustration with kids, to baking bread, to yard work, to sunrises, to air travel, to election day, to feeling rejection. 

Below are all the books I read in 2023 (thank you Good Reads for helping me keep track and allowing me this lovely, albeit slightly blurry, screenshot).


Tell me, what should I read in 2024? What did you enjoy reading in 2023?!









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