Books I Read in January 2024

Books I Read in January 2024

Each month I would love to start sharing what I read with you. I know that sometimes not everyone reads the blog, but this website and blog has been around since 2008! I’ve written about a lot of things and each week I love sharing tips and tools for helping you find peace and contentment – right where you are. Most of my writing is focused on Bible reading, but this year I want to do something different. 

Although I love reading the Bible (and currently am reading the Bible in 90 days), I read other books too! I read a combination of fiction and nonfiction. I read poetry and even occasionally I’ll read a Stephen King novel! (Shocking, I know!)

As a way to help me keep track of what I read each month I’ll be making this list and linking to those books on Amazon. I am also excited to utilize Goodreads. Find me here and follow me to get a more up to date list of what I’m currently reading and have read.

For the blog post I will share what books I finished to keep things simple. I’ll also provide an honest review of those books and if it is less than three stars, I won’t link it! I’ve read plenty of books I wouldn’t recommend so I want to keep track of those books as well. Some of these books I might have started last month and finished this month. 

Books I Read January 2024

The Stand by Stephen King

⭐⭐

From the back of the book:

A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99 percent of the world’s population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge—Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious “Dark Man,” who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them—and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.

My review:

* Stephen King is more than a horror writer. Many years ago I read his book on writing and loved how he talked about the craft of writing. Although I liked a lot of Stephen King, I didn’t like this one. It was a long book but also the ending was somewhat predictable. This is one of his early books and I can tell his later books are better written.

*There is language in this one so I do not recommend it. It is not worth your time. 🙂

Surprised by Jesus by Dane Ortlund 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the back of the book:

When God-in-the-flesh showed up twenty centuries ago in Palestine, the religious PhDs rejected him and the prostitutes and social outcasts flocked to him. Why? Because the open welcome of divine grace that Jesus offers, open to anyone who would simply leave their moral resume at home, is not predictable. It is not safe. It is subversive…

My review:

One of the top books I’ve read in a long time. This book was amazingly insightful. You can tell Pastor Ortlund has a pastoral heart and speaks from experience. The truth and wisdom that he writes about blew my mind! I always thought I knew the Gospels. I’ve heard them preached many times and studied several of the Gospels in my own personal Bible study time. Ortlund comes and reveals things in all four Gospels that I never saw before. I think this book would be a great book to read all on your own, but it was even more meaningful as I read through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John while reading the book. 

The Many Assassinations of Semir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri

(The audio book is recommended.)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the back of the book:

This is the tale of an exciting journey along the Silk Road with a young Monk and his newfound guardian, Samir, a larger than life character and the so-called “Seller of Dreams”. The man is a scammer; his biggest skill being the ability to talk his way into getting what he wants. While that talking did save Monkey’s life, it has left a lot of people furious with Samir— furious enough to hire assassins. Monkey decides to try and save Samir from the attempts on his life—as a way to pay off his debt! If he can save Samir six times, he’ll be a free man…but will they all survive that long?

My review:

I cried at the end of this book. The line that stuck with me: “To everyone we love, we give a knife.” This book is about love. Who we love, why we love them, and the many ways we love each other. This book will make you laugh, cry, and more. I highly recommend you get it audible. Having the author read it to you feels so special and you hear all of the inflection and names pronounced correctly! My kids loved listening to this book in the car. It is clean and kid-friendly. I had to pause and explain some of the idioms, but over all my kids, ages 8-15, loved it.