As far back as I can remember, I’ve loved to read. Boxcar Children and Nancy Drew were some of my earliest favorites. As I grew and life started to get more busy, I found myself falling out of the habit of reading. I’d go months without reading anything. Then, I’d pick up a book and get lost in the story, making me remember how much I really love to read.While I’ll always enjoy a good fiction novel, I tend to read things a bit closer to my heart these days. Topics such as faith, marriage, motherhood, homemaking, healthy living and homeschooling seem to be the books I find myself reaching for. These books teach me new things and encourage me to be the best wife, mother and Christian I can be. I enjoy the wisdom I glean and challenges I receive, even though often it’s very humbling and convicting.In 2019, I made the resolution to read one book each month. Before that, my reading was very sporadic. I’d go months without reading, and then devour a whole series in a week. I wanted to strive to be more consistent. I not only achieved my goal, but I exceeded by reading total of 16! For 2020, I set the goal of 25 books. I’m currently in the middle of books #20 and #21. Maybe next year, I’ll shoot to read 50!The question I get asked most is “how do you find time to read that many books?!” You’d be amazed how you can find time for things that are a priority to you. Some nights I give up watching tv to read. I have a newborn, so I often spend my nursing sessions reading. One of my favorite times to get in a chapter or two is when I’m blow-drying my hair. I read from the kindle app on my phone, so I lean my phone against my bathroom mirror. Talk about multi-tasking! Most of the books I read are between 10-15 chapters long. If I commit to one chapter each day (which might take 10 or 20 minutes of my time), I can easily read two books each month.I have read some amazing books this year! This slideshow shows all the ones I’ve read as of mid-July 2020. Below you’ll find my top 5 that I’ve read so far this year.

*When God Doesn’t Fix It by Laura StoryWhat do you do when God sends a storm in your life that doesn’t go away? You may not constantly face the thunder and lightening, but the raindrops continue to steadily fall. Laura’s personal testimony is so powerful!! We serve an amazing God who is faithful and enough in the sunshine and in the storms.*The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzieThis book has changed the way we do life in our home. Obviously from reading this post you know that I love reading, but Sarah’s book takes it to a whole new level. She brings out so many wonderful benefits of creating a read-aloud lifestyle in your home-no matter what age your children are!*Home Management: Plain and Simple by Kim BrennemanHomemaking is my favorite topic right now. While we’re traveling on deputation, I have no need for meal plans, a laundry schedule, daily routines, and home organization. But the past few months have had us sequestered at home, and I’ve so enjoyed creating a “normal” for our family. From life’s mundane tasks to scheduling outings to feeding your family healthy and delicious meals, this book covers it all! I think every wife and mama needs a copy of this!!*Gospel-Centered Mom by Brooke McGlothlinMotherhood is a beautiful gift, but it does not come without challenges. Brooke tells of her weaknesses and fears in raising her boys, but also of her deep conviction that Christ is her anchor and source of wisdom. This book helps moms gain a heavenly focus and perspective while reminding us that the best way for us to be the mom our kids really need is for us to make much of Christ. This book was a breath of fresh air as I let the chaos of the day slip away and shift my thoughts to the eternal rewards of raising children for God’s glory.*Praying the Bible by Donald WhitneyDo you struggle with prayer? I begin with good intentions, but thoughts, tiredness, etc quickly pull me away from a time of fellowship between me and my Lord. It seems such a simple idea–praying the Scriptures. But as I read this book, I realized how this could revolutionize my prayer life! Praying the Bible not only helps you keep a heavenly perspective on your requests and praise, but also gives a guide that keeps the conversation interesting and flowing between you and God.The list above is in no specific order. I had such a hard time choosing my top 5. Every book I’ve read this year has been fantastic! Some more so than others, but each one I would recommend. I hope this will encourage you to set a reading goal! There are so many wonderfully rich books out there waiting to be read!“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss