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1. Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become like Him, Do as He Did by John Mark Comer
This author comes recommended by Dr. Burkhart and John Eldredge, so I went into it pretty confident it would be good. It did not disappoint - inviting, poignant, convicting, and theologically solid!
Quote: “Information alone does not produce transformation. Because knowing something is not the same as doing something, which is still not the same as becoming the kind of person who does something naturally as a byproduct of a transformed inner nature.” ~John Mark Comer
2. Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, a novel by Clare Pooley
A group of strangers riding the same morning train who gradually form rich, multi-generational friendships and support each other through various challenges (like aging, grief, discrimination, divorce, starting over, bullying, toxic relationships, and unrequited love) - absolutely loved it!
Quote: “You're not past it! You're not insignificant... If you give up, they win! They want us to be small, so we have to stand tall. They want us to be invisible, so we have to be seen. They want us to be silent, so we have to be heard. They want us to surrender, so we have to fight.” ~Emma and Bea
3. Hello Stranger, a novel by Katherine Center
A story about the aftermath of grief in a family and about first impressions not always being correct. It also highlights the value of being honest when you're hurting or needing help.
Quote: “But I guess that’s the great thing about life—it gives you chance after chance to rethink it all. Who you want to be. How you want to live. What really matters... Light matters just as much as darkness. Play matters as much as work, kindness matters as much as cruelty, and hope matters as much as despair. More so, even. Because tragedy is a given, but joy is a choice.”
4. A Fine Sight to See: Leading Because You Were Made for It by Sophie Hudson
My hilarious podcast friend - yay! Written for Christian women, this one is empowering, entertaining, and grounded in Biblical truth.
Quote: “Sometimes our tendency as women is to fix our eyes on our mistakes, our regrets, and our shame with laser-like precision. And doing that keeps us from moving forward in the ways the Lord has made us to see the world around us, love the people around us, and use our voices for good!” ~"Soph" =)
5. The Authenticity Project, a novel by Clare Pooley
Easily my favorite read in 2024 - loved all the fascinating twists and colorful characters! A story about a journal that gets passed around where people write the truths they don't usually say out loud... and several characters who meet and form relationships because of what they chose to share there. There's an older single woman named Monica who is artistic and loves creating community but fears really being seen, who appears put together and organizes her bookshelves by color, and who writes about her deep desire to become a mom and the inner conflict she feels about wanting that while also feeling pulled to do something bigger with her life. So obviously, I was hooked early on, and I loved this whole story about the way we view and define ourselves, the image we present when the truth is actually more likable, the weaknesses we dwell on versus the strengths others may see in us, the power of being open to something new, and the beauty of unexpected friendships and growth!!
Quotes: “Perhaps the compulsion to fill every inch of space was because it made him feel less alone, or because every single object was imbued with memories of happier times, and the objects had proven more reliable than the people... 'All these things, all these memories, they’re just suffocating you, keeping you stuck in the past. You have new friends now, and home is wherever they are. You could buy a new flat and start afresh. Imagine that,’ she said, staring at him intently.”
"How extraordinary that she had been envying Monica’s life, when all the time all Monica wanted was what she took most for granted."
"The truth often isn't pretty. It's not aspirational. It doesn't fit neatly into a little square on Instagram... Surely it would be better to live a messy, flawed, sometimes not very pretty life that was real and honest, than to constantly try to live up to a life of perfection that was actually a sham?"
“Monica, I read something on Instagram the other day. It said, Mother is a verb, not a noun. I think it means there are many ways to mother without actually being one. Look at you and your café. You nurture loads of people every day.”
6. The Rom-Commers, a novel by Katherine Center
A man and woman who are both quietly grieving different things team up to write a romantic comedy and gradually fall in love. The dramatic twists felt a bit predictable and overblown to me, but overall, it was a good story, and I always appreciate her Author's Note at the end.
Quote: “I had a theory that we gravitate toward the stories we need in life. Whatever we are looking for- adventure, excitement, emotion, connection-we turn to stories that help us find it. Whatever questions we’re struggling with- sometimes ones so deep, we don’t even really know we’re asking them- we look for answers in stories.” ~Katherine Center
It's very rare for me to read more fiction than nonfiction, but I needed something more relational and story-focused in this season, and I'm so glad to have found Clare Pooley this year... love her books!! (To each their own... Clare and Katherine both write good, hopeful stories... however, Katherine's plots revolve around romance and her female characters can be obnoxiously naive, while Claire's plots about unlikely friendships weaving together have been far more interesting and complex, and her characters feel deeper, richer, and more nuanced and believable to me!)
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