My Top Reads from 2011

It’s January. We all make some form of resolutions every New Year’s Eve that we hope to keep. For some of us, that resolution is to read more often. And if any of you are as unbelievably picky as I am when it comes to books, sometimes that resolution is incredibly hard.

These are a few of the books I was able to read this past year, and hopefully it will help you pick out some books you would like to read.

My Top Ten

10. Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis.

This was my most recent read. I was working at a mall for the holiday season, and I would normally spend my breaks at Barnes and Noble. Soon, I was known as the C.S. Lewis Girl when I would grab my Starbucks.

Out of the Silent Planet is the first installment in C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy. It’s main character, Ransom, is a philologist who is kidnapped by a mad scientist and taken to the planet Perelandra. Your normal sci-fi beginning, but the story, as it unfolds, unfolds in a beautiful and thought provoking way. I have yet to read the rest of the trilogy but I fell in love with the unconventional narrative and ideas that go much deeper to your heart.

I suggest this if you already a fan of Lewis. Bonus points if you are a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and Lord of the Rings. The language the natives speak on Malacandra is similar to elvish and Ransom seems to be based off of Tolkien himself.

9. A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis.

Yes, another Lewis book. And there will be one more on this list. I read this earlier in the summer when I was going through a hard time, an almost figurative death of something dear to me. It is a heart-wrenching read. A man in such raw form, expressing his grief over his wife, I felt honored that he was able to do this.

I suggest that you pick up this book and read it to familiarize yourself with it so when a tragedy does happen, you can read this and know that you are not alone.

8. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

If you have been reading my blog for a while, I had written a post about this novel over the summer. I couldn’t put it down. It is about a boy, Clay who finds a bag full of cassettes. He starts listening to them, realizing that it is Hannah Baker, explaining to thirteen people the thirteen reasons why she had committed suicide. It sounds incredibly morbid, but it is ultimately a story about actions and consequences and being aware of others.

"I guess that's the point of it all. No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes we have no clue. Yet we push on just the same." 

–Hannah Baker

You can read more on my previous post here.

You would probably like this book if you have read The Perks of being a Wallflower (which is a book I finally just read. I liked it, but it’s definitely PG13.)

7&6. Love Wins by Rob Bell and Erasing Hell by Francis Chan

Two books I already have a post on as well. I only suggest you read Love Wins so you can read Francis Chan’s response to it in Erasing Hell.

As a Christian, I think you should really figure out what you believe. I feel like Love Wins does approach subjects that Christians tend to avoid and the reasons non-Christians bring up when they explain why they don’t believe in God or Jesus. Though, I don’t approve the conclusions the Bell is leading you to believe (he never quite comes out and say it).

If you want to explore more on this subject, I suggest a lot of prayer and these books: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, The Dawkins Delusion by Alister McGrath, and god is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens.

5,4 & 3. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

If you haven’t heard of Hunger Games, then you must be living under a rock. I first heard of this book last spring from my friend, who is a middle school English teacher. I picked it up and was instantly hooked. I managed to get my sister and my entire small group hooked on the series as well.

The story is set in the ‘near future’ where America no longer exists, but is now called Panem which has been separated into 13 districts ruled by the Capitol. After District 13 tries to revolt, it was annihilated. The Capitol decides as punishment to hold the Hunger Games, where each district picks one boy and one girl between the ages 12 – 17 for televised gladiator games. Each child has to fight to the death, with only one winner.

And that’s only the beginning. The way the story unfolds is brilliant and unexpected with incredibly dynamic characters. You will be crying.

If you liked Harry Potter, you probably already have read this. I just fell in love with the idea that one girl can spark a fire in a nation of people. CAN’T WAIT for the movie in March. MIDNIGHT SHOWING. DRESSING UP. HECK YES.

2. ‘Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

I had never heard of this book till a little over a year ago when a few of my friends were reading it. I ended up buying it over the summer for my 10 hr flight to Brazil, but I realized this is definitely not a ‘easy read’. I think I had read it three or four times this year.

It is the retelling of the Cupid and Psych myth through the perspective of Psyche’s sister, Orual. But that’s just the surface. The story is essentially Orual’s case against the gods, if the gods exist at all. There are so many levels to this book that the first time I read it, my mind was blown by just the sheer depth. I unintentionally wrote a letter/essay while I was staying a few days at a beach house on the jersey shore (the week of Hurricane Irene) which I will be editing as a post in the near future. 

This might be my favorite work of C.S. Lewis, and possibly his most personal, at least it was to me. I suggest it if you enjoy Greek mythology, ancient history and classic literature. 

" 'Child, to say the very thing you really mean, the whole of it, nothing more or less or other than what you really mean; that's the whole art and joy of words' ...I saw well why the gods do not speak to us openly, or let us answer. Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble that we mean? How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?" 

-Orual remembering her mentor, Fox
Book II, Till We Have Faces

1. The Bible

This was the first year where I actually read the Bible almost every day, cover to cover. I read the New Testament twice and most of the Old Testament except for the minor prophets. (If anyone knows of a good book that explains/gives historical context for the minor prophets, that would be great.) Being able to do that gave me real context to the book that we base our faith and modern western civilization on. The two things I walked away with were, (1) the New Testament has way more references to the Old Testament than I ever realized and (2) you should always read the genealogies, you never what two-verse story you might miss.

My Other Suggestions (the honorable mentions)

If you like young adult fantasy…

The Books of Pellinor by Allison Croggon: If you like Lord of the Ring you would love the four part series about a girl and her lyre on an epic journey against evil incarnate in a Middle Earth like landscape.

Reckless by Cornelia Funke: I was a huge fan of her Inkheart series, but Reckless series is completely different. It is based of german fairy tales and a modern take on the Grim Brothers.

The Warrior Heir by Williams Chima: A good, fun easy read. Its about a 16 yr old boy who discovers he is both a wizard and a warrior, and two ancient warring wizard groups are fighting to have him on their side.

If you like historical fiction…

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova: You are taken on academic adventure across early 20^th century Eastern Europe over three generations of mysterious murders and disappearances with all evidence pointing to Dracula. Warning: if you don’t like history or a lot of textbook-like information, this book is probably not for you.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: Set during the depression. After the recent death of his parents, vet-student Jacob runs away the day of his final exams when he realizes he can’t pay his college tuition. The train he jumps on happens to be a circus train. A rather interesting love story between Jacob, Rosie the elephant and Marlena, a performer, wife of the circus ringmaster, that takes an interesting turn. I didn’t see the movie so I have no opinions about the film.