My 2013 and 2014 Reading Lists
source: Mandi Ehman
2013 was a good reading year for me. I’d hoped to hit 100 books read, and while I didn’t quite make it thanks to 6 weeks of severe morning sickness and several months of working doubletime to prepare for my maternity leave, I’m still pretty excited by what I read.
Looking back over this list, though, one thing I’m determined to change in 2014 is to only read the books I really enjoy. I read a few freebies simply because they were available, but I didn’t really enjoy them, and now I feel a bit like I wasted that time.
As always, my goal is also to read more nonfiction in 2014 as well. I really enjoy nonfiction, but it doesn’t provide the same escape that fiction does, so while my nonfiction wishlist is almost always longer than the fiction list, I move through them much more slowly. I started off 2013 reading two nonfiction books a month, and I think I’d like to get back to that level for 2014.
As for the lists below, I hate trying to categorize books because there are so many that could fit under multiple categories. Is Harry Potter children’s fiction or fantasy? Do I call Kindred historical fiction or science fiction? So instead of stressing myself out trying to come up with the “perfect” categories, I’ve just broken them down into Nonfiction and Fiction and listed them in the order I read them (or at least the order I entered them into GoodReads!).
At the bottom, I also made a reading list for 2014. I’ve actually started a lot of these books — before I decided that bouncing between 5+ books at a time just wasn’t my style — and a lot of them I’ve purchased when they’ve been on sale. There are a ton more in my Amazon wishlist, but some of those have been there for years, so I decided to just stick to the ones I am actually planning to read in the near future. Also, looking at last year’s reading list, I do a terrible job of planning out what I’ll read ahead of time!
And finally, as part of the all new Life Your Way (big announcement with details coming soon!), I’m doing away with both weekly and monthly reading lists. Instead, I’ll just be telling you about the books I read when they’re interesting enough to justify a post. Be sure to friend me on GoodReads for the books that don’t make the cut as well!
Psst…if you’ve posted a 2013 recap or a reading list for 2014, I’d love to read it — so I can fill up my wishlist even more, of course! Be sure to leave the link in the comments.
Books Read in 2013 {Nonfiction}
A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff
The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin
Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller
5 Days to a Clutter-Free House: Quick, Easy Ways to Clear Up Your Space by Sandra Felton
Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie J. Davis
People Before Profit: The Inspiring Story of the Founder of Bob’s Red Mill by Ken Koopman
It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways by Melissa Hartwig
You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You by Holley Gerth
Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan
The Book of Business Awesome: How Engaging Your Customers and Employees Can Make Your Business Thrive by Scott Stratten
How to Blog for Profit without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup
Books Read in 2013 {Fiction}
The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
Congo Dawn by Jeanette Windle
The Moses Quilt by Kathi Macias
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Rebekah by Jill Eileen Smith
Where Wildflowers Bloom by Ann Shorey
When the Heart Heals by Ann Shorey
Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn
Closed Hearts by Susan Kaye Quinn
Free Souls by Susan Kaye Quinn
Moonlight Masquerade by Ruth Axtell
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Love in a Broken Vessel by Mesu Andrews
Fever by Lauren DeStefano
Sever by Lauren DeStefano
Trauma Plan by Candace Calvert
Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon
Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
When Love Calls by Lorna Seilstad
Grave Consequences by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Outpost by Ann Aguirre
Defiance by C.J. Redwine
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Rise by Anna Carey
Son by Lois Lowry
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas
The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Reading List for 2014
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
THE QUESTION: Teaching Your Child the Essentials of Classical Education by Leigh A. Bortins
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy, Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk
Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger
Hands Free Mama: A Guide to Putting Down the Phone, Burning the To-Do List, and Letting Go of Perfection to Grasp What Really Matters! by Rachel Macy Stafford
The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas by Ann Voskamp
Million Little Ways, A: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes by Shauna Niequist
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
What was the best book you read in 2013?
Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.
My 2013 and 2014 Reading Lists
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