My 6 Favorite Books of 2023

 

"The Reading Room" by Carl Larsson, 1909

This painting, by a Swedish artist who excelled in capturing normal everyday life, just speaks out to the bibliophile in me. The table is covered in books, the walls are covered with them, and a girl is immersed in one too. What a great way to picture a literary life.

My 2023 reading year was great, though if I would rate it in terms of numbers, it would seem otherwise. I read forty-nine books, which is a far lower number than a few years ago when I was reading more than a hundred books a year (my record was 151 in 2020). However, in the past two years, I have focused more on quantity over quality and reading for transformation more than just for information. There's a Latin phrase that's was guiding my reading life in 2023: multim non multi, which means "much, not many". I was flying through books in past years, but I was not taking the time to dive deep into the rich stories and ideas presented. I had become a book glutton, gorging on great reads without really digesting them. That sounded a lot less disgusting in my head than it does written down, but I think you know what I mean.

 All that to say, the books I read in 2023 where ones I  intentionally chose to read slowly. I tried not to be too distracted by new books or ones everyone was referring to, but to return to the ones I have been wanting to read for years. I reviewed them on the blog and on Goodreads, but wanted to share my favorites of the year. These are the books that stayed with me, long after the last page was turned. My full review is in the hyperlink, if you want more info about that book

Memoirs

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers: The Story Which Inspired The Sound of Music by Maria von Trapp : If you love The Sound of Music, I think you'd really enjoy the real story (different, but still as lovely and delightful!) It focuses a lot on the family's life in America after immigrating during WWII. 

Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan : Intense, gripping real story of a Romanian lawyer who defending Christians during Communist-era Romania and barely lived to tell about it. God's protection over her life, and her trust in Him during terrifying circumstances was inspiring.

Classics

An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott : From the author of the beloved Little Women, this sweet story focuses on a country girl who stands out like a sore thumb in the city when she visits  a rich family, yet they are transformed by her simpler ways. 

The Harvester by Gene Stratton-Porter : A herb farmer has a dream about a woman and goes out to find her. When he does, things aren't what he expects and the process of wooing her is much longer than expected, yet he and his dream girl are both transformed by their unconventional courtship. The author was a naturalist and writes about nature is such beautiful ways on top of a great story.

Parenting 

Home Education by Charlotte Mason : If you have any interest in the Charlotte Mason educational philosophy for your kids, this is the first book in a series by Charlotte Mason exploring what education looks like in the early years -- and it's not workbooks or long hours indoors, in her mind. Old English and has a lot of references that were unfamiliar, but I still loved getting to the original words of Mason after reading so many books and listening to many podcasts about her philosophies. 

Heartfelt Discipline: Following God's Path of Life to the Heart of Your Child by Clay Clarkson : His thoughts on what he refers to the three areas of discipline: directive, corrective, and protective, where fascinating and made sense. His (and his wife, Sally Clarkson, who I love to read) ways of raising their four kids was incredibly intentional and I gleaned a ton from this book. He has a few interesting and helpful chapters on why he doesn't feel Christians are told to spank their children using the Proverb "rod" verses, but there is a ton to learn from the book even if you do choose to use physical discipline in your toolbox of discipline tools. 

Here are my favorite from 2022
Here are my favorite from 2021
Here are my favorite from 2020

What were some of you favorite books of 2023?