{30} Books I Consider My Favorites

by Mandi on March 30, 2012

source : Mandi Ehman

I am counting down the days to my 30th birthday, and I couldn’t be more excited! Truly! As I was brainstorming ways to celebrate here on the blog, I couldn’t help but think that 30 lists of {30} items would be just about perfect for my type-A, list-making self. Join me for the next month as I share the things I’ve learned in the past 30 years and my hopes for the future! See all 30 Days of {30} posts here.

I’ve been a reader since my elementary school days. It was a habit I dropped in the early years of motherhood, but I’m happily back to reading several books a week, something I hope continues throughout the next decade! The list below includes books I read when I was in junior high and high school as well as some I’ve read more recently.

I’m not including the Bible on the list, because I’ve never considered it just a book, and although there were times when I was making this list that I wanted to list the individual books in a series one by one to help me reach 30, I’ve grouped them together as one “book” each instead!

30-days-of-30

Yesterday I shared 30 of my favorite children’s books. Although I read — and enjoy — a lot of books myself, but it’s a small minority that I would put on my “favorite” list. In no particular order — and crossing a broad range of genres — here are the 30 books I would consider my favorites:

1. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

2. The Screwtape Letters: With Screwtape Proposes a Toast by C.S. Lewis

3. Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life by Emily P. Freeman

4. 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

5. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv

6. The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education by Leigh A. Bortins

7. Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider

8. Yellow Crocus: A Novel by Laila Ibrahim

9. China Cry: The Nora Lam Story by Nora Lam

10. Run, Baby, Run by Nicky Cruz

11. Steady Days: A Journey Toward Intentional, Professional Motherhood by Jamie C. Martin

12. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

13. Women of the West Series by Janette Oke

14. The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections by Amanda Blake Soule

15. I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature by Jennifer Ward

16. Bad Girls of the Bible and What We Can Learn from Them by Liz Curtis Higgs

17. One Child by Torey L. Hayden

18. When Godly People Do Ungodly Things: Arming Yourself in the Age of Seduction by Beth Moore

19. Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie J. Davis

20. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp

21. The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer

22. Fit to be Tied by Bill & Lynne Hybels

23. Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin

24. Becoming a Spirit-Led Mom: Finding God’s Help When You Need It Most by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock

25. Redemption Series by Karen Kingsbury

26. The Chamber by John Grisham

27. Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life by Joanna Weaver

28. The New Dare to Discipline by James C. Dobson

29. My Utmost for His Highest, Updated Edition by Oswald Chambers

30. Eden Thrillers Series by Sharon Linnea

What books are on your favorites list?

	Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

http://www.quirkybookworm.com Jessica @ Quirky Bookworm

Hm, your list has a lot more nonfiction than mine would!

My 2 favorite authors are probably Georgette Heyer and Bill Bryson. I have a hard time narrowing it down farther than that.
- http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way
  
  The funny part is I read way more fiction than nonfiction…but I guess I’m pickier about adding fiction to my “favorites” list!
  - http://www.joyfullythriving.com Kristen
    
    I understand that. I love fiction, too! Thanks for giving me more ideas for my ever growing to-read list!
http://joyceandnorm.wordpress.com Joyce and Norm

I’ll have to add some of these to my list. Thanks for inspiring me to start reading again. I think I’ve read more books in the past 3 months than I have for the past 3 years! =p
- http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way
  
  Awww, that’s great — I’m excited for you!
Plfranck

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Ashlee Geesaman

I am so grateful for the introduction of The Well-Trained Mind!! I have a 3 year old and a 4 month old that I intend to homeschool but haven’t had a method that really resonated with me yet. I’ve already read a huge chunk of that book and felt THIS is it! A million thanks!
- http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way
  
  Oh, yay, Ashlee — that’s how I felt as well the first time I read it. My recommendation would be to read it every few years because I just read it for the second time and realized I got even more out of it once we were actually homeschooling!
Melissa

I love “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.” I read with while pregnant with our daughter, and had the idea to name her Bethany from reading it. (Two powerful, GODly women, creating a home away from home for Jesus in Bethany.)
- http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way
  
  Oh, wow, what a cool back story for her name!
Katperr11

My son read number of stars for 5th grade summer reading and when I was reading the description I thought wow this actually sounds interesting. I haven’t read it yet but I think I might.
- http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way
  
  I just read that one recently, and it immediately went on the list because it was so good!
http://www.catiecomesclean.blogspot.com/ Catie

I love, love, love your book lists. I also love that you liked The Hunger Games. Me too.
- http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way
  
  Thanks, Catie – I was thinking about you the other day because I hadn’t seen you comment in a while! Good to see you!
Stephanie

I turned 30 this year too! I feel positive about my 30s. This decade is sure to be the best yet.

Love your idea for this list. It would be hard for me to narrow down my favorite books to 30, but “A Severe Mercy” by Sheldon Vanauken and “Too Small To Ignore” by Wess Stafford would probably make the cut.

Also – Tsh’s book is waiting for me on-hold at the library! Can’t wait to read it.
- http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way
  
  Thanks, Stephanie – I love discovering new books through other people’s list as well! Checking those out now!
http://impressyourkids.com ohamanda {impress your kids}

I need to read a lot of these! Yikes! I have many of them on my to-read list anyway, but glad you compiled this! Ina May’s books scared the heck out of me when I was pregnant with Asa. But it’s still on my bookshelf–I’ll pass it off to someone else ready for natural childbirth one day!
- http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life…Your Way
  
  Ha, that’s too funny!
- Chocodonut
  
  My husband is named Asa, as well as our oldest son. Not a name I see often. ;-)

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Jennifer is passionate about children and education. She homeschooled her two sons for five years, established and directed a Christian school in Maryland for 20 years, and currently teaches in a public school in a Chicago suburb. She loves investing in relationships and delights in moments that she spends with her family.

Kristina is a mom of 2 and a former Special Ed teacher for children with communication disabilities. She blogs at Toddler Approved as she looks for ways to make life a little more fun and creative with her kids while embedding learning into everything that she does.

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