Each year I set a reading goal of 24 books. I'm glad to say that I reached the goal. But it was a bit of a struggle.
It was hard to get reading time in with the coronavirus being all consuming. Time I usually had to get cozy in my recliner with book in hand (or in some cases an ebook) was taken up by recording online services, contacting members over the phone to find out about their wellbeing, reading the daily reports from the Arizona Department of Health Services and just generally trying to hold our church together while weathering all the ramifications of the pandemic.
I read three books in December to reach my goal, which is a bit amazing since December is one of my busiest time of the year. Lately I've had a hard time sleeping so I used that time to get in a bit of reading.
Here are the titles of several books I highly recommend:
"Loving Isaac" by Heather Kaufman is the story about an abused mother and her autistic son. Kaufman presents the many challenges of raising an autistic child. The story is captivating from the very first page. Isaac's mother receives compassion from her sister and others. The book illustrates how people in the church, although well meaning, can often add stress to the parent of an autistic child with suggestions that are hurtful and show ignorance. The story took a number of turns I did not expect which caused me to wonder, "What's next." In the end, "Loving Isaac," is a wonderful story of redemption motivated by God's love. The book is published by Concordia Publishing House.
"Make Your Bed," by Admiral William McRaven was adapted from a speech given to graduates of University of Texas. McRaven writes of the lessons he learned while in training to be a Navy seal. McRaven wrote the book for people going through tough or challenging times, which made it the perfect read for this year. A member from church recommended this book and I'm glad she did. It's a short read but you might find some ideas you can carry with you the rest of your life.
"Lou Gehrig - The Lost Memoir" by Alan Goff was a pleasant and unexpected surprise. My dear, sweet wife bought this book for my birthday, It was sweet of her to do so but I thought I knew the Gehrig story very well. Turns out I didn't. The first half of the book is a series of articles Gehrig wrote during the baseball season. I was struck by his tone and attitude, being about 180 degrees from today's self-absorbed modern athletes. Gehrig was humble, playing down his own achievements while making every other ballplayer he wrote about sound like a superstar. The second half was more biography and was very well researched. I wouldn't have bought it myself but I'm glad Sherri did. One of the best books I read in 2020.
I finally took the time to explore the "books" app on my phone and was surprised at the number of free books available. I found several fictional "first in a series" books to read. It's so easy when you have a few minutes of free time to grab your phone and get into a book. I'm sure many of you are reading this and thinking, "Duh!" I'm looking forward to reading more ebooks on my phone in the new year.
How about you? Do you enjoy reading? I found that getting into a good book was a great way of leaving behind the pandemic if only for a little while. Try it! I hope you find some good books to read in 2021.
