Reading in 2018 (so far)

I’ve been trying to read more this year. I was inspired by this 2018 reading challenge, but not motivated enough to actually commit to any particular “level” of the challenge.

And as I suspected, a good bulk of my reading time was actually during the Christmas holidays! So … that’s long over.

That being said, I have managed to finish quite a few books this year, so I’m stopping by to share my two favourites so far.

First, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, by Isabel Wilkerson.

This one was recommended by my Dad. Admittedly, I don’t read a lot about US history, but this one was worth it. It’s the story of the migration of “African Americans” (skin colour being more important than country of ancestral origin, in this case) from the “South” to other parts of the country, mostly during the last century. The focus is on three people and their families, though the broad strokes of this remarkable migration are all throughout the book.

This book not only gives insight into the complex cultural challenges that the US faces, it also gives a close up view of the life of immigrants. Yes, surprisingly, you will come away with a better understanding of immigrants all around the world by taking a close look at the families in this book.

The second book is The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul.

The Holiness of God is one of those books that is constantly on Christians’ “must-read” or “favourite books ever” lists. I had owned the audio version for a while, but I finally got around to listening to it.

The title always made the book sound dry, but there’s a reason why it’s frequently on those lists of favourites. Although it certainly explores what the Scriptures say about God, it is full of life and colour and stories and examples. Interesting to read, but challenging and humbling at the same time. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and highly recommended.

Also available in Spanish as La Santidad de Dios.