10 Of My Favorite Reads In 2012

I love to read. You will never find me without at least one book in hand or in my way-too-heavy bag.  I spent the first half of this year finishing grad school - drowning in textbooks and research.  By the time graduation came around, I was mentally fried.  And then there's all the reading I do for the classes I teach.  So what kind of books does a nerdy girl read when she's desperate for a mental break?  

The following list highlights the books I would read again and would love for the world to read.  They are in the order in which I read them this year.
 
1.  The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
I actually read this at the end of 2011, but I loved the collection of short stories so much that in 2012 I read two of Doyle's novels about everybody's favorite detective on Baker Street: A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four.

2.  The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells
The time traveler transports himself to the year 802,701 and meets the Eloi people and the horrible Morlocks.  Who doesn't love a dose of 19th century science fiction? 

3.  The Circle Maker: Praying Circles around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, by Mark Batterson
So many times while reading this book, the words struck me so deeply that I had to put the book down to pray.  This book inspires you to believe God for the impossible and to pray more.  It is the perfect read for someone who is in a "prayer rut."

4.  After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, by N.T. Wright 
N.T. Wright, a theologian often referred to as a modern-day C.S. Lewis, beautifully explores what it means to live a life of character. This book challenges you to reevaluate how you live your everyday life.

5.  Understanding Language: A Guide For Beginning Students of Greek & Latin, 
by Donald Fairbairn
Even though the focus of this book is the Greek and Latin languages, the first chapter - "Learning A Foreign Language: The Bad News and the Good News" - should be a must-read for anyone who wants to learn a foreign language.  I love that Fairbairn delves into the "why" of how things are in the languages.

6.  Silence, by Shusaku Endo
This is a historical novel of a Portuguese priest in 17th century Japan at the height of Christian persecution in Japan.  The story is intense and thought-provoking as it explores a plethora of questions and issues concerning God, missions, and faith.

7.  Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
Austen's writing is so beautiful.  I love being transported to a time of letter writing, home libraries, social balls, beautiful houses, walks in the park, and the pianoforte.  It is a time of simpler worries, yet the conflicts are deep.  This book is both intellectually stimulating and relaxing.

8.  The Live Dead Journal: 30 Days of Prayer for Unreached Peoples, 30 Days of Challenge, Edited by Dick Brogden

I read this devotional when I was suffering intense pain the month before I was diagnosed with lupus.  It was a time when it would have been so easy to focus on myself and lose hope.  This book spurred me to live for God completely, to see outside of myself, and it prepared me for the day the doctor would call with the diagnosis.  This book changed my life.

9.  What To Listen For In Mozart, by Robert Harris
Written with the non-musician in mind, this book is very accessible.  In simple language, Harris explains components of music and form while exploring how the events of Mozart's life are reflected in his music.  He also provides questions to ask and things to look for while you're listening to the music of Mozart and Classical music in general.

10.  Bonhoeffer, by Eric Metaxas
This biography has everything: theology, spies, conspiracy, Nazis, a love story, even some poetry.  Metaxas takes a deep look into history and an amazing life, and at the same time causes you take a hard look into your own life and rethink so many things.  In the last chapter, I had to fight tears.

Foreword

Welcome to my new adventure!  Last May, I graduated with a Master of Music degree in piano performance, full of plans and dreams for my future: a summer full of performing, a position secured for me to teach music at the school where I did my undergrad, and long term plans to start a church in Japan.  In early August, my dreams never felt more alive as I participated at an international piano festival in DC and played at the Kennedy Center.  (It was one of the smaller stages, but hey, playing at the Kennedy Center is still playing at the Kennedy Center no matter which stage it is.)  My life seemed perfectly on track...until everything changed.

After I came home from the festival, debilitating pain began to take over my body.  I couldn't move my fingers.  I could hardly walk.  I became dependent on my husband for even the simplest tasks, like squeezing a tube of toothpaste.  In October (two days after my 31st birthday) I received a call from the doctor informing me that I have systemic lupus.  The journey leading to that moment and the journey following has been difficult.

My life isn't easy.  Actually, it's very hard.  Too often, if something is hard, we equate that with being bad.  But hard does not always mean bad.  Sometimes hard is just hard.  The reality is my life is hard, but that doesn't mean it's bad.  Even with lupus, my life is good.

This is not a blog about lupus.  This is more.  This is a glimpse into my adventure: the high and the low points, the exciting and the less than exciting moments, the times of grand revelations and of deep unanswered questions.  This is the start of something new.  Let's explore together!