2015 Book List
Ok, I have to start with this disclaimer : There are a whole lot of parenting books on this list! Obviously, this season of my life is different than anything I’ve ever experienced, so Will and I are ready to soak in any and every parenting book that has been recommended to us. (Parents out there – please leave more suggestions in the comments if you have a highly recommended book!)
Even while I am so ready and hungry to learn about parenting, I want to stick with my philosophy of maintaining a somewhat balanced reading list. Although the majority of books we read will be centered on the new tiny person in our lives, I’m excited to also incorporate books for life in all of the following categories, as I do every year :
Spirituality
Finances
Career
Marriage + Family
Social
Personal + Intellectual Development
Health
Rest/Enjoyment
I’ll be honest : sometimes I don’t want to read another book on finances, or marriage, or career – especially if I feel things are going well in those areas of my life. But I always include them on my list. Why? Because I believe it’s important to keep growing in all areas of your life – even the ones you don’t really want to learn about.
For example, Will and I have a really strong marriage. It’s NOT perfect – we have our moments of misunderstandings and frustrations. But overall, we communicate well and are very happy together. We read several books when we were engaged to prepare for marriage, and now I feel like I don’t really need to learn any more or read any more, because we are good to go. But how many couples think they are fine? That nothing bad could happen? That they have a good handle on things? And yet still, 50% of marriages end in divorce. I believe that a well rounded reading list is like preventative medicine : it keeps you from getting “sick” before you realize you already are. How many marriages could have been saved if couples were diligent to read and apply what they learned? It’s a life maintenance philosophy, and I believe much heartache and discouragement can be avoided if we commit to reading and learning about each area of life! (Hence the reason why Will and I are completing a marriage study together before Baby Ray comes along!)
So, with that said, I’m certainly looking forward to my list for this year! My goal is to read 12 of these 17 books listed, which translates to 1 per month. (Since there’s a baby that will take up much of my time, I figured it would be a wise move for 2015.) I may not finish all of them, but I did include extras in the list, just in case I found myself reading like a crazy woman on maternity leave. So here it is… my book list for 2015!
Nancy Ray Reads : 2015 Book List
Spirituality
– Make it Happen
– The Best Yes
Finances
– The Soul of Money
Career
– Boundaries for Leaders
Marriage + Family
– The Story of Marriage (Book + DVD study)
– Love, Sex, and Happily Ever After
– Childbirth without Fear
– Power of a praying parent
– The Happiest Baby on the Block
– On Becoming Baby Wise
– The Birth Partner
Social (Book Clubs and Small Group readings)
– The Blessed Life
Personal + Intellectual Development
– 1776
– Time Traps
Health
– How to raise a healthy child in spite of your doctor
Rest + Enjoyment
– The Glass Castle
– The Harry Potter Series
Nancy’s 2013 Book List
Nancy’s 2014 Book List
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