I used to read ALL the time.   I learned to read early and read a lot through elementary and high school.  During my college years there was lots of reading although that was more for assignments than pleasure.  But I picked it back up after that and still read a lot until I started a business.  Which is a little ironic because my first business was selling books!  When I started Duct Tape and Denim I was also working a day job (still am) and had almost completely given up reading!  But last Christmas (2012) the Music Man gave me an iPad Mini and I’ve read more in 2013 than I have in a while.  (Which still isn’t much compared to most readers but it’s a start.  And since I have a drive every day I also tried audio books.  Which is a challenge for me because I’m visual and not auditory — but I’m working on it!  Jordann asked me to be the first to share in our new “What We’re …” series, so here goes:

What I Read in 2013

1.  The Bible – I make it a point to read this first everyday before I read anything else.  I am currently using the Professor Horner’s Bible Reading Plan.  I still read my “real”, hardback Bible but I also use the Olive Tree app on my iPhone and iPad.

2. In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham – This was my first experience with the Kindle app.  I use the app on my iPad Mini.  I tried it on my phone but the text was just too tiny.  Honestly, I started with this book because it was one of the free Kindle books at the time but I have always enjoyed stories of missionaries around the world.  This was the true story of a missionary family that was captured in the Philippines.

3.   A Simple Way to Pray by Martin Luther – This is a short little book that our pastor recommended to help us focus our prayers.  Written in 1535 but translated into modern English this book bases prayers on Scriptures.  Read on my Kindle app.  (And only $1.89!)

4.  Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks – This was my first experience with an iBook after getting my iPad Mini.  I read this on our 2013 trip to Canada.  Yes, it’s like the junk food of the book world but I like a little junk food when I’m on vacation.  It was a quick read and interesting.  I couldn’t put it down and read it all on one flight!

5.  Helper by Design by Elyse Fitzpatrick – The Music Man and I started doing premarital counseling together in 2013 and this is one of the books we assign for the ladies to read.  So I thought I should read it too.  Submission is a controversial topic but Elyse handles it in a clear and biblical way.  I read this on my iBook app.  I think I prefer iBooks to Kindle books but I haven’t made my final decision on that yet.

6.  Trusting God by Jerry Bridges – One of my favorite Christian, nonfiction authors and my first audiobook purchase of the year.  I had so many people recommend this to me.  They all said it helped them through some difficult times in their lives.  And I wasn’t disappointed.  Focuses on God’s sovereignty.

7.  Radical by David Platt – Another highly recommended book that lived up to it’s recommendations.  I ended up listening to this and #6 twice.

8.  Worldliness by C. J. Mahaney –  I really enjoyed reading Mahaney’s Humility a few years ago so I thought I’d try another of his books.  This is actually a collection of 5 subjects each written by a different author.  I liked the Humility book better but this one was good, too.  I especially liked the idea of a media fast!

9.  Safely Home by Randy Alcorn – The second fiction book of the year but fiction with a message.  The story of an American man and Chinese man who met after years of separation and find how differently their lives turned out from what they expected in college.  (This one made me cry!)

10.  Don’t Waste Your Cancer by John Piper – I bought this one because it was by one of my favorite authors, I work for an oncologist and see lots of people with cancer, and have had several people in my family with cancer.  It was also cheap and really short.  I listened to it in one day’s worth of driving!  Piper wrote this the day before his own cancer surgery.  Very encouraging for anyone facing cancer or any other illness.

11.  Desiring God by John Piper –  This was the longest audiobook that I listened to in 2013 and I have to admit that it was a challenge for me.  I’m still working on absorbing what I hear without seeing the text but this was a LONG one!  I was pleassantly surprised to find that this book was mostly about JOY.  I really wish I had found this the year before when that was my “one little word”.  Piper explains in this book how pursuing joy glorifies God.

12.  Humility by C. J. Maheney – I think this is a book that every Christian should read.  It seems like for most of us this is one of our biggest problems (me included).  I read it in book form first a few years ago and listened to it again last year.  I expect it will be one that I go back to again.

Hope you got some good ideas from my list.  If you’ve read something you think we’d enjoy, please share it with us!