Sonidos Serranos

Sonidos Serranos: Sounds of the Sierras...
Reflecting some of my family's interests: God's wonderful creation (especially mountains and hills!), music, and language...

Psalm 121:1-2 (NASB)

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

08 December 2015

My Reading Challenge for 2016

For several years now I’ve looked longingly at reports that friends post on books they’re currently reading or recently finished reading. And I’ve wondered: How do they manage to read so much – and especially on such a variety of topics?!

I, too, love to read; however, I currently find myself challenged in several specific ways. But I keep thinking about needing to read more – like I used to do! So I recently had this (liberating!) thought: Why not create a Reading List for 2016 (for myself) that takes my specific challenges (and current interests) into account?!

Not too long ago, I learned (from a friend who presents workshops on developing better reading skills) that what I’d considered a weakness – i.e. starting several books at once – is actually considered a strength! So I plan to turn one of my main challenges (that of actually finishing books I start reading!) into a tool to help me achieve my reading goals for this next year...

Two days ago I sat down and started compiling a list; I ended up with 13 books (two of them in both English and Spanish) plus parts of two book sets that I plan to read (or finish reading!) during 2016. The list is comprised of four categories that address my current challenges and interests.

These book titles also highlight four main emphases for me right now: spiritual challenge; family relationships; general education; and Uruguay, specifically our cultural, historical, and political contexts, in an effort to develop even greater cross-cultural understanding, while also developing greater appreciation for the phenomenon of TCKs (third-culture kids).

Most of my list is available in Kindle format.

Books to Read:

No Hope but God: Featuring The Christian Checklist
(“Claude L. Fly’s own story of his 8-month ordeal as a political prisoner”)




Books to Finish Reading!

I invested in the audio book, too, and have been listening (and re-listening!) as I follow along with the print version (studying and questioning!) on the public bus to and from church on (most) Sunday afternoons (i.e. those trips when JM and I aren’t “catching up” while the kids listen to Patch the Pirate via earbuds). J


A Grief Observed (C.S. Lewis)

Eternity in their Hearts (Don Richardson)


He’s undoubtedly one of our most famous (albeit controversial) actors on the world stage. (In June, I wrote an extended post on why we love him!)



Books to RE-Read:

Peace Child (Don Richardson)


I’ve loved these ever since I first read (and re-read) them in third grade! (I read them that second time in chronological order!) Although I caught snatches here and there as JM read them all with E (and DJ) this year, I’ve been moved more powerfully than ever as I’ve started re-reading them as an adult. (I’d also like to start reading these in Spanish.)


Books to Read with The Little People:

(Joanne Brubaker, illustrator)

My Book House (Olive Beaupre Miller, editor)
I dearly loved this 12-volume set as a child and young teen! And while I do not plan to read the entire set during this next year, I do hope to read the age-appropriate volumes for E and DJ.


I’ll undoubtedly be reading many more books with The Little People...

And I hope to post book reviews as I go along. And I’ll undoubtedly add to this list, but penning these goals gives me a realistic (attainable) plan, especially for finishing books that I’ve already started. And I hope that this post can be encouraging to other (would-be) readers, specifically in 2016!

2 comments:

Carrie said...

I got Alive at a thrift shop recently. Tell me when you're going to read it, and maybe I'll join you. ;o)

Deborah said...

Great! I will! (Thanks, dear friend!)

Alive is probably the one book, other than the Bible itself, that (in high school and university) most increased (and informed) my burden for Uruguay...