Books I Read in 2018 (Fiction & Scripture)

Hi, friends. Between working on blog posts, reading others’ blog posts, reading scripture, reading books, and everything else (working out, watching movies with my film-obsessed boyfriend, life), I don’t have as much time in the day as I wish I did!

As I squeezing reading time in the nooks and crannies of life, I do manage to make some progress on my to-be-read shelf.

Novels I Read This Year:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
The Awakening by Katie Chopin
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (currently reading)
Roxana by Daniel Defoe
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’engle
Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Beloved by Toni Morrison
1984 by George Orwell
Maus by Art Spiegelman
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

What I Read in the Bible:

The New Testament (almost done with my first re-read, currently in the Book of James)
The Pentateuch a.k.a. the first five books of the Bible (working on reading the legacy of the Israelites straight through, currently in the Book of Joshua)
Some miscellaneous parts of the Old Testament (Esther, Ecclesiastes, etc.)

Clearly, I’m a bit of a classics snob, but what do you expect from someone whose college major was English? 🙂

Thanks for reading! Are you a fan of any of these books or authors? Let me know in the comments.

26 responses to “Books I Read in 2018 (Fiction & Scripture)”

Invisibly Me

December 28, 2018 at 1:09 pm

Lots of classics in there! I quite like Coelho, though I need to read more. Have you seen he’s got a new book, Hippie? 🙂
Caz xx

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1. Lily Pierce
  
  January 1, 2019 at 5:24 pm
  
  Admittedly, I’ve only read one book by him, but I should look in to his other work! 🙂
  
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justsaltwriter

December 28, 2018 at 3:05 pm

Love classics as well. I loved how much scripture reference was in the dialogue in to kill a mockingbird, also enjoyed the follow up which was released a few years ago- not as much as her first book though. The screw tape letters was a great read, really makes you think. Someday I want to read 1984, and several others on your list!!

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1. Lily Pierce
  
  January 1, 2019 at 5:28 pm
  
  The Screwtape Letters and To Kill a Mockingbird are some of my all time favorites! I should read the latter again so I can take more note of the scripture references. You should read 1984 for sure! You will realize how many cultural sayings and references point back to that novel!
  
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  1. justsaltwriter
    
    January 1, 2019 at 5:41 pm
    
    So cool how God works. Your comment is now the third time in a few weeks that book (1984) has been ‘on my radar’. Planning to get a copy soon–as my winter vacation is right around the corner. Happy New Year Lily!
    
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Blueinkwriter

December 29, 2018 at 8:26 am

I loved the entire Hunger Games trilogy. It was so unique and different. And I love a heroine (girl power!).

Little Women – I’ve love this one forever and read it several times. Favorite film version is the one with Katherine Hepburn! If you haven’t seen it, you must.

I want to read 1984… I always say I’m going to, but then…life happens. Brave New World was a book club selection last year for us. Exhausting and terrifying read. But it was a lively discussion and maybe one of our best intellectual conversations.

To Kill a Mockingbird is perhaps my favorite book of all time. I refused to read Go Set a Watchman when it was released, and I’m convinced it was never meant to be. Makes me sad that this first draft was ever released. As a writer, and as a lover of the original classic.

Great list, Lily! I love to see what other people are reading. It gives me ideas and inspiration. Happy New Year, my friend!

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1. Lily Pierce
  
  January 1, 2019 at 5:38 pm
  
  I’m totally devouring The Hunger Games series! It’s so good! Hopefully I won’t have a “book hangover” afterwards since it has been consuming me for a few weeks.
  
  I will tell the film-obsessed bf to look out for that film version. I have been dying to see the story adapted for the screen!
  
  You should read 1984 for sure! You never realize how many cultural sayings reference that book until you read it. Brave New World was kinda tough for me, too. I felt physically ill during the first chapter and had to set the book down for a while. I enjoyed the intricacy of Huxley’s imaginary dystopia, though.
  
  It’s one of my favorites as well. I’ve heard such horrible things about Go Set a Watchman that I have no interest in it.
  
  Thank you, Allison! Happy New Year to you, your hubby, and your daughter! ♥
  
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Steven Colborne

December 29, 2018 at 12:03 pm

Oh my goodness, Lily, you have read so much this year! I’m a relatively slow reader and so didn’t get through nearly as many books. You must have learned so much this year. Hope you enjoy more great books in 2019! Blessings!

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1. Lily Pierce
  
  January 1, 2019 at 5:41 pm
  
  I’m also a slow reader, so I’m lucky to read as many as 2-3 a month, haha. And some long classics actually took over a month! Happy New Year, Steven!
  
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Leigh

December 30, 2018 at 7:32 am

I would like to read more classics in 2019. I actually didn’t do a lot of reading this year. I tend to go through these periods where I don’t read a lot and then all of a sudden I pick up a book and suddenly I can’t get enough! I’m going to make reading more my goal for 2019!

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1. Lily Pierce
  
  January 1, 2019 at 5:43 pm
  
  I get that! There have been times where I kinda pushed myself when I wasn’t in the reading mood, and I don’t enjoy the books as much when I do that. I hope you will pick up a good book soon that gets you back in the reading swing. 🙂
  
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T. F. Thompson

December 30, 2018 at 6:34 pm

My dear friend, Lily: I have read many of your articles and subscribe to your entries. Old guys like me can say shit to you that others cant. Lily, my good friend. You are the greatest of God’s word. You are a friend to me and to others and to the world. Listen to me, your friend, Tom. You are good and smart and are loyal to our Lord. 1. You are NOT disabled. You are free, and beautiful and have your whole world ahead of you. And while I am no one to tell you this: god has endowed you with HIS wisdom.You are smart enough to love his people and for all the things you do, I love you for it

I wish the best for you, my dear girl. And while we are worlds’ apart. we are the same as the brother in Christ. My lovely friend. I think the world of you because of what you do for our Lord. I love the love in you.
I will see you on the other side. My sweet lady: God is in you. Forever. I am your friend. Tom

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1. Lily Pierce
  
  January 1, 2019 at 5:54 pm
  
  Thank you so much for your kind and uplifting words, Tom! I am lucky to have friends like you to encourage me. You are a truth-teller with a big heart–the type of person the world needs more of. Happy New Year, brother. Looking forward to reading your posts in 2019.
  
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Salvageable

December 31, 2018 at 11:46 am

That’s a great assortment. Your bookshelf is much like mine. Wuthering Heights is one of my all-time favorite books. J.

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1. Lily Pierce
  
  January 1, 2019 at 5:45 pm
  
  That book is so eerie and strange, which only adds to my opinion that it’s awesome. Thanks for dropping by, J!
  
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Alison

December 31, 2018 at 3:48 pm

I recently read The Metamorphosis by Kafka. I didn’t know it inspired the movie, The Fly, until just before I read it. David Copperfield is a favorite. I love Dickens. 🙂 💜

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1. Lily Pierce
  
  January 1, 2019 at 5:47 pm
  
  I didn’t know that either before reading your comment! I’ll have to look into that now, hehe. I also love some Dickens. I know it’ll take a while, but I plan to read A Tale of Two Cities at some point this year. 🙂
  
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Bri with the thoughts

January 7, 2019 at 12:54 pm

My favorite Two Kill A Mockingbird. A lot of great books on your list and your pretty awesome for juggling reading between books and the Bible. I read scriptures daily but sometimes I do not feel as if that’s enough. How would you prefer me to actually go about reading the entire Bible?

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1. Lily Pierce
  
  January 8, 2019 at 1:02 pm
  
  That’s one of my favorites, too! It’s tough to juggle it all, and I’m lucky to get through two books in a month, haha.
  
  There are all different reading plans out there if you google it. I go about it in a very simple way–I started with Genesis to read straight through the Old Testament, and I started reading at Matthew to read straight through the New Testament. So every day, I try to go a little further in the OT and the NT. The New Testament is much shorter and easier to digest than the Old, so in the same time that I have only read the first few books of the Old, I have almost read the New twice, haha.
  
  No matter what, it is good to set a goal, such as “Every day, I will try to read one chapter from the OT and one from the NT.” 🙂
  
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  1. Bri with the thoughts
    
    January 10, 2019 at 7:26 am
    
    Thank you Lily. While you read it twice I’m just trying to get through it haha! Keep being awesome! ✨
    
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booksbythecup

January 10, 2019 at 12:30 pm

I love the classics and you’ve read some great ones this year. To Kill a Mockingbird is an all time favorite and I hope to read the graphic novel version soon.

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1. Lily Pierce
  
  January 10, 2019 at 1:38 pm
  
  Same here! I didn’t know there was a graphic novel version. I’ll have to look into that.
  
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  1. booksbythecup
    
    January 10, 2019 at 1:46 pm
    
    P.s. I nominated you for a blogger award here –
    
    https://booksbythecup.wordpress.com/2019/01/10/sunshine-blogger-award-nominee/
    
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  2. Lily Pierce
    
    January 10, 2019 at 1:52 pm
    
    Thank you!!
    
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The Eclectic Contrarian

January 17, 2019 at 8:22 pm

1984 is almost current events.

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Chrystal Hunt

February 16, 2019 at 11:52 am

I’ve been trying to be more open minded about reading fiction, this is an awesome list that I’m gonna have to screenshot. Thanks again for recommending The Screwtape Letters, haven’t began reading it yet, but it’s on the list. Thank you for sharing, feeling inspired!

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