Books I Read In January

So do you have any New Year's resolutions that you've already not met? I really wanted to read 10 books a month in 2026 for a total of 120 this year. Of course, I shouldn't be too down since we're only four weeks in, but I came a little short of my goal.

I know I don't have to justify myself, but I do have three more books that I started in January, I just haven't finished them yet. That means February might be a pretty good month for reading!

The books that I read in January were all amazing, for sure. Here's what went from my TBR pile to my R pile...

An Amish Proposal for Christmas by Vannetta Chapman. This was my New Year's Day afternoon book, a quick read as close to Christmas as I could get. It's the first of her Indiana Amish Market series, which I didn't know until I got into it and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I realized that the Amish book my dachshund puppy ate in December was also part of the series, and it was great, too. Now I'll have to see if I can find the rest at the book sale next fall.

I'm down to my last half-dozen Grace Livingston Hill books that I have at this moment. Happiness Hill (1932), Matched Pearls (1933), and The Best Man (1914) were wonderful. The Best Man was by far my favorite - the undercover agent ends up walking into a wedding and accidentally becomes the groom. It was full of espionage, intrigue, and a fun path to love and real marriage. The salvation stories were phenomenal, and I can't wait to keep reading through the rest of her books on my stack this month.

Manage Your Day-To-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus & Sharpen Your Creative Mind from 99U by Behance. A collection of insights from a well-known "making ideas happen" group, there are so many good ideas in here that are both practical and completely doable. The one that's meant the most to me so far is doing the creative things that are going to further your business and your most important projects before doing the mundane. My brain works best in the morning anyway, so having permission to put off sorting through emails and sweeping floors has been life-altering.

Brokenness: The Heart God Revives by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. This is the one that's done the most for my heart in January. After reading the first couple of pages, the story of sweeping personal revival at a college leadership conference, I realized that my heart hasn't been surrendered at all recently. I've been selfish, withdrawn, and prideful. This book walks the reader step by step through the perils of a heart that's not broken God's way, the Scriptures that show how to fall on your face and do business with Him, and how to walk forward into the days to come with a sacrificial desire to live for Christ alone, not self. It's a powerful testimony and a convicting book.

What was on your book pile in January?

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