This is my last post on books for awhile. I didn’t want to make a super long post by including a look back at 2010, what I’ll be reading in January, and a list of challenges for 2011. Instead, I split it up into three posts and this is the final one.
While I’ve enjoyed the majority of my reading this year, I wanted to make a change for 2011. I don’t want to read books simply because they have colors in the title or because they fall into a specific fiction genre. Instead, I want to read books that will encourage my relationship with God, strengthen my marriage, and teach me something about the world that we live in and the people I interact with. With that in mind, I found several challenges that match my goals for 2011.
Operation Deeper Faith – This challenge is going to be my biggest focus in 2011. Personally, I feel that without spending time reading the Bible, all other reading is pointless. The first part of the challenge involves studying one book of the Bible and reading it in numerous translations. I own 3 translations and have access to many more (Bible Gateway is a great resource). I’m going to commit to reading one book of the Bible in six different translations.
The second part of the challenge involves reading theology books. I am committing to reading at least 10 theological books, or one each month. I’m very excited about spending some time reading books about the Bible and seeing what other people have learned in their studies. Coincidentally, this part of the challenge lends itself well to the following challenge.
Off the Shelf – The goal is to read books I already own but haven’t read. I’m going to attempt the Trying challenge level, reading 15 books from my bookshelves. If I complete January’s to-read list, that will be three books complete already.
Foodie’s Reading Challenge – From the website: “Together we’ll explore the world of good food writing. That may take the form of a cookbook or a biography or even a novel centered around food.” Sounds like fun! I’m aiming for the Epicurean level, attempting to read 7 to 9 books. I have several cookbooks in mind and I love reading travel/food memoirs.
When picking out books to read each month, I want to read one book from each of several different categories:
Christian Living – to will help me develop as a Christian
Theology – to learn more about God
Homemaking – to develop specific skills as a homemaker
Marriage – to encourage me to be a better wife
Memoir/Autobiography/Biography – to learn from other people’s experiences
Health/Cookbooks – to learn to be a better cook
These categories will overlap at times. However, I want to utilize my reading time to learn something, to become a better person, and ultimately to be equipped to serve others better. 2011 will be a great year!
