January 2020 Reading List

Non-fiction, fiction and memoir

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

Nabeel Qureshi

I have to admit that I started this one before Christmas, but only got about half way through.

Not only was this book written as a memoir; it was chalk-full of Muslim and Christian apologetics.

I had to read it in bite sized pieces. Fortunately, the chapters weren’t long, so I could tackle one or two a day.

I learned a great deal about Islam, the value of apologetics, and about my own faith — Christianity — as I read.

If you enjoy learning about cultures, religions, or apologetics, this book is for you.

The Enneagram of Parenting

Elizabeth Wagele

This enneagram book was unlike what I expected. Although it is written for parents, I would argue that it is more geared toward tweens and teens.

The basic information of the enneagram was presented succinctly, and was aided by the addition of many diagrams.

The one take-away I received as a parent is that while kids may act a certain number on the enneagram, that is not necessarily the number they will end up as in adulthood.

It’s a great resource for busy parents who don’t have a whole lot of time to read, or as a tool to help your teen gain greater self-awareness.

The Complete Enneagram

By Beatrice Chestnut, PhD

Be prepared for a deep dive in this one. This reads like a textbook.

Although Chestnut gives an overview in the first several chapters, she approaches the subject with the expectation that you already have an idea of what the enneagram is.

She briefly covers each of the nine numbers before digging deeply into each of them in a separate chapter.

In each chapter, she focuses on explaining the three sub-categories for the number: self-preservation, social, and one to one (also referred to as sexual).

Expect to memorize a set of vocabulary to get through this tome, and be prepared to feel somewhat confused in regards to your previous understanding of what the enneagram is.

Unless you’re pretty smart. Then it will probably be clear.

I’ll be revisiting this book.

The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini

This was my only fiction read of the month. And it Rocked. My. World. In the best way possible. Reading this book was part pleasure, part research (for my WIP).

It excelled in both.

It tells the beautiful turned tragic friendship of two boys living in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Although one boy is the uneducated son of a poor servant, and the other is the son of a wealthy playboy, their friendship bond is unbreakable.

And then without notice, their friendship and the country they love begin to unravel.

This the author’s voice pulled me in from the book’s first page.

Its writing so well crafted that a part of me wanted to take notes the whole way through — but I couldn’t put it down long enough to pick up a pen and paper.

It’s one of those books that probably everyone should read, except probably not everyone would love it as much as I did.

Thanks for checking out my January reads. If you want to learn more about my writing or my memoir, please visit Caran Jantzen Writes.