Linda Jo Martin

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My Progress on the 2022 Christian Reading Challenge – #vtReadingChallenge

December 31, 2021 By Linda Jo Martin 11 Comments

I’ve decided to do the 2022 Christian Reading Challenge which I found on Tim Challies’ blog. He’s a pastor in Toronto, Canada. I find this to be a great alternative to the secular challenge I’ve done in past years. This Christian Reading Challenge includes both Christian and secular reading opportunities, so it is perfect for me.

The Golden Cross, by Linda Jo Martin
Go to this link if you want to read the original posting by Tim Challies with all the rules (or ideas about how to break the rules to fit with your preferences in life):
The Christian Reading Challenge

Thank you, Pastor Tim Challies, for this challenge!

There are four levels in this challenge: (1) light reader, (2) avid reader, (3) committed reader and (4) obsessed reader. I will start at the beginning but intend to go to the end. At least, I’ll give it a try. There are 104 prompts in this challenge so to complete the challenge I’ll have to read an average of two books per week during 2022. That sounds like a lot for me, but I read over one hundred books in 2021 so maybe I can do it again.

The list on this page is a living document for my own use while I’m doing this challenge. I will add to it and change things until the end of the year.

For a complete numbered list of the prompts that you can use on your own blog, see the bottom of the page.

My reading list codes:
☆ – I own the book and am ready to read.
★ – I’m reading it.
✓ – I finished reading it. Yay!

Note: The prompts are from the challenge list. The book choices are mine. If you decide to do this challenge you will choose your own books.

So far I’ve finished 104/104.

I finished this challenge on December 19, 2022. Happy me!

The Light Reader

I’ve planned out the fist section prior to starting and I’m particularly happy about this selection of books because I already own them all and won’t have to go out and buy any of them.
✓ 1. A book published in 2021 or 2022 – The Children’s Blizzard, by Melanie Benjamin – My review – ★★★★★
✓ 2. A memoir or autobiography – Beautiful Country, by Qian Julie Wang – my review – ★★★★
✓ 3. A novel – A Redbird Christmas, by Fannie Flagg – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 4. A book by a woman – The Quilter’s Apprentice, by Jennifer Chiaverini – my review – ★★★★
✓ 5. A book by a man – A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 6. A book published prior to 2000 – Mountain Born, by Elizabeth Yates – 1944 Newbery Honor Book – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 7. A book with the word “gospel” in the title or subtitle – By Canoe and Dog Train: The Adventures of Sharing the Gospel with Canadian Indians, by Egerton Ryerson Young – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 8. A book with an image of a person on the cover – Fever 1793, by Laurie Halse Anderson – Pennsylvania – my review ★★★★
✓ 9. A book about a current social issue – Hobos, Hustlers, and Backsliders: Homeless in San Francisco, by Teresa Gowan – my review – ★★★★
✓ 10. A book for children or teens – Miss Hickory, by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey – 1947 Newbery Medal Winner – my review – ★★★
✓ 11. A book about suffering – Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 12. A book about Christian living – Adventures in Prayer: How to Reach for God’s Helping Hand, by Catherine Marshall – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 13. A book of your choice – The Secret Keeper, by Kate Morton – my review – ★★★★★


The Avid Reader

More possibilities. I reserve the right to change books if I find something else that fits a prompt. these are just suggestions to myself.
✓ 14. A book written by a Puritan – The Sovereignty and Goodness of God: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, by Mary Rowlandson – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 15. A book recommended by a family member – Driving Miss Norma: An Inspirational Story About What Really Matters at the End of Life, by Tim Bauerschmidt – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 16. A book about a current issue – The Fence My Father Built, by Linda S. Clare – my review – ★★★★★ (The current issue is preservation of Native American cultural sites and artifacts.)
✓ 17. A novel that won a prize – The Last Cuentista, by Donna Barba Higuera – my review – ★★★★★ – 2022 winner of the Newbery Medal.
✓ 18. A book with more than one author – The Year We Disappeared, by Cylin Busby and John Busby – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 19. A book with at least 400 pages – The Lady’s Mine, by Francine Rivers – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 20. A book by an author who was alive in the 1800s – A Daily Rate, by Grace Livingston Hill – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 21. A book that has a name in the title – The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, by Rodman Philbrick – my review – ★★★★
✓ 22. A book on a bestseller list – Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, by Dane C. Ortlund – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 23. A book about a book of the Bible – The Book of Romans: Bible-Study Journal, by Darlene Schacht – my review – ★★★
✓ 24. A book about theology – Theology Simplified: The 8 Foundational Truths of Your Glorious Redemption, by Bob Yandian – my review – ★★★★
✓ 25. A book about Christian living – Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted, by Gretchen Ronnevik – my review – cc★★
✓ 26. A book of your choice – Finding Lady Enderly by Joanna Davidson Politano – my review – ★★★


The Committed Reader

✓ 27. A book from a theological viewpoint you disagree with – A Quaker Book of Wisdom, by Robert Lawrence Smith – my review – ★★★★
✓ 28. A book by someone you think you could be friends with – Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 29. A book that won an award – The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart – My review – ★★★★
✓ 30. A book about relationships – Somebody Someday: A Journey of Homelessness, Faith, and Friendship, by Joye Holmes – my review – ★★★
✓ 31. A book by Jane Austen or one of her contemporaries – Evelina, by Frances Burney – my review – ★★★★
✓ 32. A book of poetry – Stanyan Street and Other Sorrows, by Rod McKuen – my review – ★★★
✓ 33. A book based on a true story – Heart of a Samurai, by Margi Preus, 2011 Newbery Honor Book – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 34. A book with a photograph on the cover – American Familia: A Memoir of Perseverance, by David A. Morales – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 35. A softcover book – The Shirley Letters: From the California Mines 1851-1852, by Dame Shirley aka. Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 36. A book with 100 pages or less – Rejection: Healing for a Wounded Heart, by June Hunt – my review – ★★★★
✓ 37. A book with a two-word title – Good Grief, by Granger E. Westberg – my review – ★★★★
✓ 38. A devotional book – The Bumps Are What You Climb On, by Warren Wiersbe – ★★★★
✓ 39. A novel set in a country that is not your own – The Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See – my review – ★★
✓ 40. A book about art or music – Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, by Madeleine L’Engle – my review – ★★★★
✓ 41. A book of Christian fiction – Where the Road Bends, by Rachel Fordham – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 42. A book about something fun – Art Before Breakfast: A Zillion Ways to be More Creative No Matter How Busy You Are, by Danny Gregory – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 43. A book by a female Christian author – Under the Tulip Tree, by Michelle Shocklee – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 44. A book whose title comes from a Bible verse – Fire By Night, by Lynn Austin – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 45. A book by a living author 70 or older – The High Sierra: A Love Story, by Kim Stanley Robinson – my review -★★★★★
✓ 46. A self-improvement book – Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic, by Lisa Congdon – my review – ★★★★
✓ 47. A book set during a war – All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque – my review – ★★★
✓ 48. A book you own but have never read – Sadie, by Courtney Summers – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 49. A book about euthanasia or abortion – Me Before You by JoJo Moyes – my review – ★★★★
✓ 50. A book about theology – The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 51. A book about something interesting – The Sea Glass Sisters, by Lisa Wingate – my review – ★★★★★ – Interesting: riding out a hurricane.
✓ 52. A book of your choice – Thunder On the Right, by Mary Stewart – my review – ★★★★★


The Obsessed Reader

✓ 53. A book about something that fascinates you – Last Family Standing, by Jennifer AlLee – my review – ★★★★
✓ 54. A book about a historic figure or event – American Lightning:: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century, by Howard Blum – my review – ★★★★
✓ 55. A book about public speaking – An Essential Guide to Public Speaking: Serving Your Audience with Faith, Skill, and Virtue, by Quentin J. Schultze – my review – ★★★★
✓ 56. A book about animals OR geography – All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 57. A book about sports OR art – Breath for the Bones: Art, Imagination and Spirit: A Reflection on Creativity and Faith, by Luci Shaw – ★
✓ 58. A book about marriage OR friendship – Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 59. A book about parenting OR retirement – Hear No Evil, by Mary L. Hamilton – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 60. A book about adoption/foster care OR singleness – Dorie: The Girl Nobody Loved, by Doris Van Stone – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 61. A dystopian novel OR a book of comics – A Time to Die, by Nadine Brandes – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 62. A detective novel OR a war novel – Candle in the Darkness, by Lynn Austin – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 63. A book about theology OR psychology – Under the Magnolias, by T.I. Lowe- My review. – ★★★★★
✓ 64. A book about a Christian perspective on Islam – Face to Face With Jesus, by Samaa Habib – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 65. A you don’t want to read but think you should – The Shelf Life of Ashes, by Hollis Giammatteo – my review – ★★★★
✓ 66. A book about business OR generosity – One Simple Act, by Debbie Macomber – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 67. A book about science OR worldview – Confrontations: A Scientist’s Search for Alien Contact, by Jacques Vallee – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 68. A book about sin OR revival – A Light to My Path, by Lynn Austin – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 69. A book about the natural world – Shadows on the Klamath: A Woman in the Woods, by Louise Wagenknecht – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 70. A book about the local church – Letter to the American Church, by Eric Metaxas – my review – ★★★★
✓ 71. A book that challenges your thinking on a topic – Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation, by Erika Krouse – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 72. A book by a male conference speaker – Holy Transformation, by Chip Ingram – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 73. A book by a woman conference speaker – A Distant Shore, by Karen Kingsbury – my review – ★★★★
✓ 74. A book about history – The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West, by David McCullough – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 75. A book by your favorite author – Long Way Home, by Lynn Austin – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 76. A book you have read before – The Moon-Spinners, by Mary Stewart – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 77. A book about love – The Ivy Tree, by Mary Stewart – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 78. A Christian novel – Concrete Evidence, by DiAnn Mills – my review – ★★★★
✓ 79. A book about theology – Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, by Francis Chan – my review – ★★★★
✓ 80. A book about Christian living – The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, by Sara Brunsvold – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 81. A book of your choice – Come Down Somewhere, by Jennifer L. Wright – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 82. An author’s debut book – Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 83. A book about a leader – Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, by Eric Metaxas – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 84. A book about the Bible – How to Study Your Bible: Discover the Life-Changing Approach to God’s Word, by Kay Arthur, David Arthur, and Pete De Lacy – my review – ★★★
✓ 85. A book about a region, country, or city – California: An American History, by John Mack Faragher – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 86. A book set in a country not your own – Wildfire At Midnight, by Mary Stewart – my review – ★★★★★ – Set in Scotland
✓ 87. A book you think your mom or dad would enjoy – My Brother Michael, by Mary Stewart (Mom would like it.) – my review – ★★★★
✓ 88. A book by or about a missionary – Through Gates of Splendor, by Elisabeth Elliot – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 89. A book written by an European author – Britt-Marie Was Here, by Fredrik Backman – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 90. A book about a non-controversial subject – Art Matters, by Neil Gaiman – my review – ★★★
✓ 91. A book about words or language – Things We Didn’t Say, by Amy Lynn Green – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 92. A book more than 100 years old – San Francisco During the Eventful Days of April 1906, by James Burgess Stetson – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 93. A book your pastor recommends – Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness, by Gene Edwards – my review – ★★★
✓ 94. A book written by an author you’ve never read before – The Bookseller’s Promise, by Beth Wiseman – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 95. A book about something virtuous – Perseverance is a virtue, so . . . Keep Going, by Austin Kleon – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 96. A book that you borrow from someone or somewhere – The Prayer Box, by Lisa Wingate – my review – ★★★★★ – borrowed from Overdrive
✓ 97. A book about spiritual disciplines – The Hour That Changes the World: A Practical Plan for Personal Prayer, by Dick Eastman – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 98. A book you have always wanted to read – Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, by Kate Douglas Wiggins – my review – ★★★★
✓ 99. A book about sports or an athlete – The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 100. A book with a great cover – A Castaway in Cornwall, by Julie Klassen – my review – ★★★
✓ 101. A biography, memoir, or autobiography – Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases, by Paul Holes – my review – ★★★★
✓ 102. A book about theology – The Screwtape Letters, by CS Lewis – my review – ★★★★
✓ 103. A book about Christian living – From Recliner to Revival, by Beverly Albrecht – my review – ★★★★★
✓ 104. A book of your choice – The Circus at the End of the Sea, by Lori R. Snyder – my review – ★★

 
The entire numbered list for the 2022 Christian Reading Challenge, in case you need it for your blog:

Similar Posts:

  • 2020 Reading Plan
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  • Linda Book Lady’s November 2022 Reading Report & Diary
  • Linda Book Lady’s September 2022 Reading Report & Diary
  • Linda Book Lady’s August 2022 Reading Report & Diary



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