Reading is my great motivation, especially when it comes to travel. Books and authors get me to think about things I would like to see and what I would like to do in new and exotic places. It reminds me of what one of my favorite scientists said.
-Michael Faraday
I feel like I’m involved in the entire universe when I pick up something to read. But, reading a book or a blog is not enough for me, it is only the first step. St. Augustine was right when he said “the world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
By Searching by Isobel Kuhn
This book was an answer to my own searching questions and prayers a few years back. It brought me into a world of characters and events that made me feel like there was something to this life and I could find it. It also brought a lot of other, probably better, books to my attention. I still like to re-read it from time to time because it feels like I’m visiting with an old friend.
Mountain Rain by Eileen Fraser Crossman
I read this book nearly fifteen years ago but never got anything out of it except an exciting missionary story. Little did I know that it would become such a catalyst to me. It pairs well with By Searching since both books are filled with some of the same cast. That connection alone makes it special. But, this book is more than a wonderful connection with missionaries and authors, it is a deep study of life, faith, and learning to sacrifice as Scripture commands. It brings out all the humanness of such a decision, but also, it shows the possibility of successfully doing so and the repercussions of such a decision.
Good to Great in God’s Eyes by Chip Ingram
This book is easy to read but tough to follow. Its message is profound and deep but laid out so simply. While it’s very convicting, it’s still very encouraging. I like that it can be done as a devotional that two or more people can use together to discuss the issues it brings up.
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
As a kid, I couldn’t believe anyone could actually have the last name “ten Boom”. I thought my friend was making it up until she showed me the book. Obviously, I didn’t know a lot of Dutch people. Anyway, I loved the book as a kid even though it was required reading at school, and usually, the book selection was poor. And I really enjoyed re-reading it recently. I probably should have re-read it long before I did.
It’s humbling and inspiring to read about someone who lived through a concentration camp and all the issues of WWII and come out of it with her perspective. Corrie was deeply hurt, she lost a lot of people and things, and she struggled with forgiveness, but somehow, she maintained that her purpose was to love broken people.
Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Diebler Rose
This is the first book I remember reading, well technically, I didn’t read it. My teacher read it to the entire Rabaul Bible Baptist Academy when I was seven or eight. But, I always remembered it; after all, it was set in New Guinea and I was living in New Guinea at the time, even if it wasn’t the same area. I felt connected to the story if for no other reason than that. Well, maybe also the bananas and malaria she mentions.
And how could a kid forget a story about eating rice with worms in it?
The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
This is one of the most quotable books I know. The content of this book is so profound and with Lewis’ insights, you feel like wisdom and intellect are building up in your person. It is so good because it deals with all aspects of relationships, and after reading it, I recognized that relationships are one of my greatest struggles. I will probably re-read it again soon.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Unlike my other favorites, this is not a book with a spiritual impact. But this book did something else for me, something very important in fact. It showed me that fiction could be good and fun and didn’t have to be about silly romances. It made me want to pick up a pen and start writing. I probably enjoyed it more the first time around, but if I ever read any work of fiction it is because this book freed me to do so.
Also, RLS is one of the many reasons I went to Edinburgh, Scotland. I traced his steps there and had so much fun doing so. This is why reading and travel go hand-in-hand for me.
Exploring Genesis by John Phillips
This is kind of an odd choice since it is a commentary, but the way he pulled out bits of information in a text I’ve been reading since childhood made my head spin. It was so fabulous and exhilarating to read about God’s interaction with Hagar and to realize how he actually views women.
Create Your Own Journey
I only have a Top Eight list. I like a lot of other books, but these are the ones that have most impacted my life.
What are your top reads?
Are there any books that have inspired you to travel?
Which ones do you think could round out my list to make a Top Ten?
