The Final Books of 2019 (and some potential books for 2020)

And December is drawing to a close, which means that my 2019 Reading Challenge is practically over. Here are the final books I've read for 2019. Read about the first forty books I read this year HERE and HERE.

Here's my rating system:

5+ Stars - Incredibly encouraging & edifying; absolutely loved it!

5 Stars - Fantastic and edifying read!

4 Stars - A great read!

3 Stars - An okay book overall.

2 Stars - Left much to be desired.

1 Stars - Don't waste your time reading it.

Each title is a link to the book. 

Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn't Make Sense, by Paul Tripp -- 5+ Stars

This book is insightful, both practically and spiritually. Tripp writes from a unique perspective, for not only has he been able to minister to many people going through suffering, he has recently experienced some significant suffering himself. Because of the suffering God has brought him through, Tripp is able to identify with many of the emotions that one experiences during or after suffering. This position allows him to write with expertise, as well as compassion and empathy towards those wondering why God has allowed suffering into their lives.

In the first half of Suffering, Tripp walks the reader through several lies that we believe when we're going through great suffering. As I read through these lies, it was as if Tripp was describing me and all the emotions that played out after our miscarriage. 

The second half of Suffering then outlines specific aspects of God's character that comes alongside us in our suffering.

If you have gone through, or are currently going through, a form of suffering, your heart will find comfort from the Gospel-centered truths that Suffering presents.

Assured: Discover Grace, Let Go of Guilt, and Rest in Your Salvation, by Greg Gilbert -- 5+ Stars

To one degree or another, every believer has had to deal with his assurance of salvation. In this super-easy read, Gilbert walks his readers through four sources of assurance for our salvation: The Gospel, God's promises, The Holy Spirit, and Our Works and the Fruit of the Spirit. It is important to note, however, that these are not all on the same level. In other words, Christ's work on the cross carries more weight and assurance than our feelings concerning our works and evidence of the fruit of the Spirit. Gilbert categorizes the Gospel and God's promises as driving source of assurance; the Holy Spirit as a supernatural source of assurance; and our works as confirming source of assurance. I found these categorizations to be super helpful (as well as Gilbert's illustration of the gas pedal vs. the speedometer)! At the end of the book, Gilbert then addresses some specific considerations to keep in mind.

Assured will drive you back to Scripture and help you rehearse the truths of the salvation God has given. 

None Like Him, by Jen Wilkin -- 5+ Stars

This was actually a re-read for me. Our ladies' Sunday School class recently worked through this book and it was a blessing to once again be reminded of how we are not like God and how that is a good thing! None Like Him is a unique look at ten attributes of God that are unique to Him alone. Wilkin's follow-up book, In His Image, covers ten more attributes of God and how we are called to emulate them in our own lives. Both of these books are fantastic books and I would highly recommend them!

Created to Care: God's Truth for Anxious Moms, by Sara Wallace -- 4.5 Stars

This book is primarily aimed at moms with young children and the many ways that we struggle with anxiety over caring for our children. Wallace discusses subjects such as exhaustion, mom guilt, priorities, peer pressure, discipline, and preparing our kids for the world. I particularly appreciated the chapters on discipline and preparing our kids for the world. Through personal examples and Biblical advice, Wallace gives anxious moms a Biblical perspective on how to handle these different areas that tend to so easily overwhelm us. 

Overall, this was a good book and had a lot of solid, Biblical help for anxious moms. However, it took me a few chapters to get into it.

Unfinished books from 2019:

(These are unfinished only because I ran out of time; I would like to finish them someday. Because I haven't finished them, I am simply giving a very brief description of the book.)

A Company of Heroes: Portaits of the Gospel's Global Advance, by Tim Keesee

Written by the executive director of Dispatches from the Front, A Company of Heroes shares modern-day accounts of those who have dedicated their lives to spreading the Gospel. 

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by Jeremiah Burroughs 

A puritan book, this book takes the subject of contentment to level that we do not frequently read about today. 

Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God, by Bruce A. Ware

This is essentially a theology book written for children. Each chapter is only a few pages long and discusses an aspect of a basic Bible doctrine.

Favorite Books from 2019 

Here's a list of all the 5+ Star books I read this year:  

The Bruised Reed, by Richard Sibbes 

I Am a Church Member, by Thom S. Rainer 

What is a Church Member, by Tabiti Anyabwile 

On Reading Well, by Karen Swallow Prior

Rhythms of Grace, by Mike Cosper 

God's Glory Alone, by David Vandrunen 

(You can read a brief review for each of the above books HERE.)

Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church, by John Onwuchekwa 

The Greater Journey,, by David McCullough 

In His Image, by Jen Wilkin 

The Last Jew of Rotterdam, by Ernest Cassutto 

Mere Calvinism, by Jim Scott Orrick 

The Supremacy of God in Preaching, by John Piper

(You can read a brief review for each of the above books HERE.)

Suffering, by Paul Tripp

Assured, by Greg Gilbert 

None Like Him, by Jen Wilkin

(The above books are the final books that I just mentioned earlier in this post.)

Now what?

In 2020, I am planning to do the 2020 Challies Reading Challenge. However, instead of aiming for the Committed level like I did this year, I am only planning to do the Light and Avid levels. Why? Because my first goal in 2020 is to do Knowable Word's 90-Day Bible Reading Challenge from January 1 to March 31. It is definitely going to be a stretch to finish the entire Bible in 90 days, but I am looking forward to it!

There are several books that I would like to fit into my 2020 Reading Challenge:

Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, by Mark Vroegop

The Promise is His Presence: Why God is Always Enough,by Glenna Marshall

The Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan

The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, a graphic novel on Bonhoeffer

I Live Again: A Memoir of Ileana, Princess of Romania and Archduchess of Austria. 

This series on Building Healthy Churches from 9Marks. (I've already read the one on prayer and it was fantastic!)

And there you have it: some finished books, some unfinished books, some of my top favorites for 2019, and some new books for 2020. 

What about you?  What has been at the top of your favorite books for 2019? What books would you like to read in 2020? I would love to hear of more good book recommendations!

Photo by Syd Wachs on Unsplash