Reading Goals 2015

It's 2015, and I'm so excited to tell you about my reading goals for this coming year. I've been thinking about many of these goals for months, and I can't wait to finally get started on them.

1. Read a past Newbery honor and a past Newbery winner
In years past, I've made the goal to read some current middle-grade titles that are potential candidates from the upcoming Newbery award. While I still hope I have time to read some of the new titles 2015 will bring, I want to make a special effort this year to read a couple of the books that have won in the past. I can already tell that the hardest thing about this goal will be deciding which books deserve priority. There are so many awesome winners I haven't read yet! 

2. Read two classics by female authors
I want to explore some older literature this year. For added fun, one of the books needs to be by a female author I've never read before (such as Edith Wharton, Virginia Woolf, or Anne Brontë). The other book needs to be by a female author I have read before (such as L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, or Jane Austen).

3. Read a book I put on my to-read list in 2010
Goodreads saves the date of when you add a book to your to-read list. Last year, I focused on those woefully neglected books that I added in 2009. This year, I want to choose a book from the ones I added in 2010. If my records are correct, that means I have fifty books to choose from, and there are some good ones in this group: everything from I Capture the Castle to The Robe to The Potentially Sane Mother's Guide to Raising Young Children. Or maybe I'll finally have a chance to read The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, a book my mom has been telling me to read, probably since March 13, 2010 (the date I added it).

4. Read a children's classic
If you haven't noticed already, all of my goals are trending towards books of the past. I think it's because I know that my book club and friends and favorite blogs will keep me informed with what are the must-read books of today, but I don't want to focus on them so much that I neglect the really great books of the past. For this goal, I'm hoping to read Heidi or Little Lord Fauntleroy or The Jungle Book. What is your favorite children's classic?

5. Read a book on writing
It should come as no surprise that I love writing. This blog and my daily journal are both testaments to that. But I would really love to have some motivation to improve that writing. Last year, I heard about two writing books, both of which sound interesting: On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction and The Sound of Paper. I'm not set on either of them particularly, but I'll probably decide soon so that I can begin working my way slowly through whichever one I choose.

6. Read a short stories collection
I'm going out on a limb here. While I've read short stories before, my exposure is very limited--so limited in fact that I haven't even the faintest idea of what I want to read to fulfill this goal. I just know that I want to branch out and try a new genre. So obviously, I could really use your input and suggestions.

7. Read something of a religious nature
I read and study the scriptures every day, but I also love to read religious commentary as a supplement and a way to guide my study. I don't have anything specific yet for this goal, although Mere Christianity came immediately to mind.

8. Read two more installments in series I've already started
This goal is stolen from last year, but I wanted to do it again because it was so fun to have a reason to revisit favorite characters I'd left for too long. You know I'm not great about sticking with a series through completion, but this at least gives me some motivation to continue on with it.

9. Read a food memoir
Because I love them. And there are still so many that I haven't read but want to. My Life in France, here I come.

10. Finish a series
In 2013, I tackled The Chronicles of Narnia. Last year, I went with Little House on the Prairie. This year, I want to finish the Emily trilogy by L.M. Montgomery. It's less ambitious than the corresponding goals in past years (since I only have to read two as opposed to five books), but I've wanted to finish this trilogy for, oh, just the last 15 years. So yeah, it seems like unless I give it it's own goal, other books will continue to take its place. And that just isn't fair.

If you have any ideas for great books I should read to complete any of these goals, please tell me! Also, I would love to hear about what goals (reading or otherwise) you've made for 2015.

Books of 2014, Second Half

After only reading 26 books during the first half of the year, I was afraid I wouldn't make my goal of reading 60 books this year. But July - December were good to me (I think summer break and a nursing baby helped), and I read a total of 38 books during the second half.

Here's a brief recap (titles are linked to the full reviews):

1. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman, 9/10
Since finishing this, I have learned what a divisive book it is. I happened to love it. It's just the kind of moral dilemma I love (and yes, despite what you haters say, and despite what Isabel should have done, it is a dilemma). 

2. All About Sam by Lois Lowry, readaloud, 5/10
Despite many fond memories of this book as a child, it didn't hold up for me as an adult (my kids loved it though).

3. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, AUDIO, 10/10
LOVE. If pressed, this might be my favorite book in the series. But there are several close seconds.

4. A Mouse Called Wolf by Dick King-Smith, readaloud, 7/10
After the boys and I read Babe, we were happy to discover many more books by Dick King-Smith. This darling story was one of them.

5. Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins, readaloud, 8/10
Not your rehashed toy book--not by a long shot.

6. Mostly Monty by Johanna Hurwitz, readaloud, 5/10
I have to admit, I was mostly bored by this book (but my kids weren't).

7. Dangerous by Shannon Hale, 6/10
Whoa, aliens and space and sci-fi? Not my usual book fare at all. But I'll try anything if Shannon Hale writes it.

8. These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder, AUDIO, 10/10
Lovely, just lovely. I could read Laura and Almanzo's courtship over and over again. 

9. The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder, AUDIO, 3/10
This book was never meant to be the final book in the series, and I resent the person who made the decision to tack it onto the end.

10. West of the Moon by Margi Preus, 8/10
A lovely melding of genres and featuring one of my favorite folk tales.

11. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards, readaloud, 9/10
A fanciful tale with such vivid descriptions, it does very well without pictures.

12. Dancing on Broken Glass by Ka Hancock, 9/10
I suppose you could say this book is full of too many issues, but I found it heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

13. Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, 8/10
I especially appreciated the way this book helped me to view anger in a more constructive light.

14. Notes From a Blue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider, 10/10
I enjoyed every aspect of this book (except for the title).

15. Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick,AUDIO, 8/10
Really eye-opening and shocking--I still can't believe this level of brainwashing happened during my lifetime.

16. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, readaloud, 8/10
The intrigue of four kids living alone in a boxcar did not wane in the 20 years since I read this book for the first time. 

17. Toy Dance Party by Emily Jenkins, readaloud, 8/10
This book confirmed it: we are devoted fans of StingRay, Lumphy, and Plastic.

18. Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary, readaloud, 10/10
Four months later, Max is still making up his own tales of catching a 30 lb. chinook. This was one of our favorite readalouds of the year.

19. Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith, AUDIO, 8/10
I liked this book much better than the first one in the series (and I didn't hate that one).

20. The Art of Flying by Judy Hoffman, 6/10
A fun autumn read.

21. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, readaloud, 10/10
You'd be hard pressed to find another book my kids and I enjoyed more than this one.

22. The Trouble With Magic by Ruth Chew, readaloud, 4/10
It wasn't meant to be creepy, but Harrison Peabody creeped me out nonetheless.

23. Strong Mothers, Strong Sons by Meg Meeker, 8/10
Takeaway message: Love is unconditional. Duh.

24. The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson, readaloud, 2/10
I begged my kids multiple times to let me stop reading this book. I hated it that much.

25. Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart, 8/10
Suspense, danger, and an elegant (but foreboding) house = the perfect October read. Why have I not read anything by Mary Stewart before?

26. The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton M. Christensen, 7/10
Loved all the personal stories that went along with this.

27. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, AUDIO, 9/10
All-around fantastic.

28. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt, AUDIO, 8/10
Gave this book a second chance. It was worth it.

29. The Trouble With Chickens by Doreen Cronin, readaloud, 5/10
I read it to my boys, and the change in viewpoint halfway through confused us all.

30. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman, readaloud, 8/10
Wacky and bizarre--and we loved it.

31. The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma, 8/10
About a father who read to his daughter until the day she left for college. How could I not love it?

32. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, 10/10
I'm not sure if I'm just a sucker for verse novels or if this one was truly exceptional, but I loved it.

33. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright, readaloud, 6/10
My kids were not fans of the coal gas or fire episodes, but other than that, we liked this book.

34. Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith, 8/10
Written in 1963 about a marriage in the 1920's, I was surprised how much it reminded me of my own early days of marriage in 2005.

35. Fire in the Bones by S. Michael Wilcox, 6/10
It deepened my appreciation of the Bible, no question, but it was a tediously long read.

36. Greenglass House by Kate Milford, 8/10
A cast of unusual characters all on a quest to discover the secrets of Greenglass House. A perfect winter read.

37. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, AUDIO, 7/10
The food descriptions were tantalizing, but I felt like Molly and I had almost nothing in common.

38. A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond, readaloud, 6/10
I think I would have liked this book a lot more if I could have nailed the Peruvian and British accents. As it was, I think I just confused my children.

Hoping 2015 is full of just as many good books! Have you read any of these?

Reading Goals: Check, Check, and Check

It was by the skin of my teeth, but I did it. On Christmas Day, I finished the last book I needed to complete all my reading goals.

It was a fun year of reading, and once again, I'm really happy I set some goals at the beginning of the year to help guide my reading.

Here's how it all went down (book titles linked to full reviews):

1. Read something that I put on my to-read list in 2009
I have dozens of books on my to-read list that have been there for so long, I basically just scroll past them when I'm trying to decide what to read next. I made this goal in an effort to stop the scrolling and newly consider some of those titles again. I thought I would for sure read more than one book from my 2009 list, but I didn't. It turns out it's hard to give priority to books I've easily overlooked for the last five years. The book I read to complete this goal was In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (April 2014).

2. Read something that I've checked out once from the library and had to take back before I could read it
Back in January, I mentioned two books that I currently had checked out that would qualify for this goal (since I'd checked out both of them once before): 168 Hours and The Great Unexpected. But . . . I returned both of them to the library without reading them. So there's the evidence right there: I have a bad habit of checking out too many books and returning many of them without reading them.

The book I ended up checking out again and actually reading this time was A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty (June 2014).

3. Reread a book from my childhood
I figured as long as I was rereading a book I had enjoyed as a child, I might as well read it to my own children. I picked The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright (even though I actually have much more vivid memories of the second book in the series, The Four-Story Mistake). We read it in November 2014, but if you've read my review of it, you'll know that even though we enjoyed it, it didn't quite create the warm, nostalgic feelings I was going for.

4. Finish a series I already started
This was one of my favorite goals last year (when I finished The Chronicles of Narnia), and I'm so glad I made it again this year. I decided to finish The Little House on the Prairie series, and reading those books was an indescribable treat. Given my lukewarm feelings toward Little House in the Big Woods (which I read several years ago), it's kind of amazing how much I now love the series as a whole. But love it I do. If I was pressed to choose a favorite, I think I'd have to go with Little Town on the Prairie, but it would be a really difficult choice.

For more of my thoughts on each book:

February 2014: By the Shores of Silver Lake
February 2014: The Long Winter
July 2014: Little Town on the Prairie
July 2014: These Happy Golden Years
August 2014: The First Four Years

I'm pretty sure Farmer Boy is on the docket for 2015. I just can't wait any longer to read it to my boys.

5. Read another installment in a series I already started
This goal was different from the one above because it gave me a chance to continue on in a series I was enjoying without having the pressure of finishing the whole thing off. Plus, there are some series that do really well with a little dip here and there without taking the whole thing in one gigantic gulp. So I decided to read Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith, the second book in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. While I liked the first book in the series, I really liked this second one (September 2014). I'm excited to take another little dip into Botswana and read the third installment in the near future.

6. Read something by Dickens
At the end of 2013, I knew I wanted to make reading another Dickens novel a priority in 2014, so I made it its own goal. I held off completing it until October 2014 (because Dickens just goes so well with October), but then I read Oliver Twist. And I was not disappointed. Except by the very last paragraph.

7. Read something less well-known by an author I love
I deliberated a long time about this one. I narrowed it down to three favorite authors: Daphne du Maurier, Sharon Creech, and Betty Smith. I finally went with Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith because that's just what I happened to be in the mood for when I had time to complete this goal. It was a great choice. I don't know that it topped A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Francie Nolan is hard to beat), but it definitely didn't disappoint.

8. Listen to something I've already read or vice versa
I completed this goal during the first half of the year when I read a hard copy of Navigating Early (May 2014) after listening to the audio version in 2013.

But then . . . wait for it . . . I decided to do the reverse experiment and listen to a book I had previously read (I know, overachiever right here). I listened to The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (November 2014). While I hadn't loved it in paper form, the audio changed my mind. (Having a different experience with another format definitely left me wondering how many other books I would have enjoyed more (or less) if I'd read them another way. I guess I'll never know.)

9. Read four Newbery contenders
I read four and enjoyed them all. I'd be happy to see any of them get some Newbery love, although I think Brown Girl Dreaming was my favorite (and it's the only one I now own, if that's any indication).

June 2014: A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
August 2014: West of the Moon by Margi Preus
November 2014: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
December 2014: Greenglass House by Kate Milford

10. Read a biography
The big surprise of 2014 was that out of all ten goals, this one was the hardest to complete. Harder than the goals with multiple books. Harder than Dickens. I chose to read Fire in the Bones (December 2014), a biography of William Tyndale by S. Michael Wilcox, which didn't seem like an overly ambitious biography, but for some reason it took me forever to get through. Out of all the check marks, I'm most proud of this one.

And that's it--18 books to complete 10 goals. Stay tuned because next week I will share my reading goals for 2015. Try to contain your excitement.

What was your favorite book of 2014? Most challenging? Most inspiring? Please share in the comments!

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

You might remember that I put this book on my October reading list.

And then I took it off.

And put it on my December reading list instead.

Within the first few pages, I discovered that the story took place during winter break, immediately before Christmas, and that the inn was covered in a blanket of snow. Definitely December fare.

As it turned out, the last 130 pages actually happen on Christmas Eve, and I just happened to read a big chunk of those 130 pages on Christmas Eve. I didn't purposely plan it that way, but my weird obsession with reading the right book at the right time was very satisfied.

When Mike asked me what this book was about, I said, "Oh, it's a mystery. Middle-grade. Takes place during the holidays." And then after such a gripping description, I wondered why he didn't seem all that interested in hearing more about it.

Hmmm, maybe it's because I didn't tell him that Greenglass House is an inn that usually boards smugglers (most of them smuggle really harmless things like house plants or ballpoint pens--the notorious Deacon and Morvengarde hold the market on just about everything, and so if anyone wants to buy anything at a decent price, it has to come from the smugglers).

Maybe it's because I didn't tell him that Milo and his family own the inn, but it used to be the home of Doc Holystone (one of the more famous smugglers). When the story begins, Milo is just finishing up the last of his homework so he can enjoy the entire stretch of winter break worry free. The holidays are a slow time at Greenglass House, so he and his parents are looking forward to some quiet family time.

But then (and maybe this would have helped pique Mike's interest), the bell rings, indicating that a guest is at the base of the mountain and waiting to ride the Whilforber Whirlwind (a single rail car that is one of the only ways to get to Greenglass House--unless you like to climb hundreds of stairs) up to Greenglass House. Milo is more than a little disgruntled about the imposition on his holiday, but things only get worse when the bell rings again . . . and again . . . and before he knows it, the inn is full of a strange mix of guests who all seem surprised and displeased to find more guests than just themselves there.

It soon becomes apparent that all of the guests have an unexplainable interest in the house, and so Milo and his friend, Meddy, invent a role-playing game to try to uncover the host of mysteries that exist in Greenglass House--things Milo would have never dreamed were a part of the home he had lived in his whole life.

If that wouldn't have been enough to spark Mike's curiosity, then I hope it at least sparked yours because really, this a middle-grade novel worth reading. It's been getting some Newbery attention, and I'm really thrilled about that. The writing is fantastic, and it's a complex story with a myriad of little pieces that all (rather amazingly) fit together in the end.

Towards the end, there's a pretty big reveal that I wasn't expecting at all. At first I didn't know how I felt about it, but it had been led up to really well (there were so many clues I should have seen but didn't), and it actually fit the mood and plot of the story really well. So in the end, I liked it, and now I won't say anything more about it because I would hate to spoil the discovery for anyone else.

Another thing I didn't know if I was going to like was the role-playing angle of the story. When Milo and Meddy start discussing it and inventing their characters, it seemed like it was about to go in a direction that was a little too dangerously close to Dungeons & Dragons (something I know just enough of to know I don't want to know anymore).

But besides all of the mystery, there's another side of the story. Milo is adopted from China, and he's at an age where he's incredibly curious about his heritage. Because of the type of adoption, it's not really possible for him to learn anything about his birth family, but he can't help thinking and wondering about them sometimes. This sometimes brings on feelings of guilt because he really loves his mom and dad, and so he worries he's somehow being disloyal to them if he thinks about the family he'll never know. Even though it doesn't start out that way, the role-playing actually helps Milo explore some of his feelings and figure out who he is. As part of the game, he becomes Negret, the blackjack; Meddy becomes Sirin, the scholiast. Through the role-playing, they have moments like this one:

"Milo knew, of course, that no antique bric-a-brac in Greenglass House was even remotely likely to be connected to his own ancestry, even if it did have Chinese writing on it. Negret, on the other hand--Negret knew no such thing. Negret, he thought with a little thrill, could perhaps know the exact opposite.

Through the game, Milo not only explores his feelings about being adopted, he begins to confront some of his fears and insecurities. Negret isn't shaken by unexpected circumstances. Negret is stealthy and observant. And pretty soon, Milo is all of those things too.

However, I also loved a point in the story when Milo realizes that, as Negret, "he could call upon the exploit that would allow him to tell a perfect lie, but Milo discovered he didn't want to try the Fabulist out on his parents." It was nice to see him recognize his potential but also realize that, morally, there are just some things not worth doing and a trust worth building and maintaining.

I've spent a lot of time in this review talking about Milo and his self-discovery, but the mystery is probably the bigger story (or at least takes up more time to tell), and it wouldn't be possible without a cast of truly fantastic characters who each have their own history and agenda. There's Mr. Vinge and Georgie and Dr. Gowervine and Mrs. Hereward and Clem and Owen. There are Milo's parents and Mrs. Caraway and Meddy. There's Fenster and Brandon and Doc Holystone. Each one made a contribution, without which the story would have been lacking a certain degree of suspense and intrigue.

And then of course the house--I don't know what it was about the descriptions but I felt like I was literally walking through Greenglass Inn. Even now, as I'm writing it, I can see the green glass knob that led into the Emporium. I can see the poinsettia at the end of the hallway and the stained glass windows on each landing. I can feel the cold wind on the fire escape and hear the creak of the stairs. It was all so vivid and memorable--to the point that if I was all of a sudden dropped down on the front door, I think I'd know my way around it pretty well.

This really was a perfect way to spend the holiday break. It's a book you can cozy up with and get lost in, and I'm excited to share it with my kids in a few years.

Content note: there's a very little bit of mild language that you might want to be aware of if you're going to let a young child read it.

Merry Christmas

After weeks of really no snow to speak of, we woke up to this:

That's Christmas magic. Right there.

KidPages: Two Newly Found Christmas Favorites

Besides our book-a-day Christmas countdown, we've checked out some seasonal books from the library (and, miracle of miracles, some of the books I reserved actually came in before Christmas!).

Here are two new (if you consider books published in 1993 and 1996 "new") favorites:

1. Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present by John Burningham

Mr. Gumpy's Outing is a favorite around here, but I had no idea about this Christmas book by John Burningham until earlier this month. I'm so glad I heard about it because we liked it so much it will probably join our collection sometime in the future.

When the story begins, Santa is just returning home after a long night of delivering presents to boys and girls around the world. He tucks the reindeer into bed (one of them is feeling a little under the weather) and is just climbing in bed himself when he notices a lump in his bag. On examination, he discovers he failed to deliver a present--to one Harvey Slumfenburger (and if that's not a fun name to say, I don't know what is). Harvey Slumfenburger lives at the top of the Roly Poly Mountain. His parents are very poor . . . so poor, in fact, that the only present he ever receives on Christmas Day is from Santa Claus. And Santa forgot to deliver it!

Santa knows that even though his reindeer are already in bed and even though he himself is exhausted, he can't let Christmas Day come for Harvey Slumfenburger without a Christmas present waiting for him. And so, he sets out, and, with the help of a few kindhearted people, manages to make it just in time.

The story is told through engaging repetition, and, as Santa meets with one disaster after another, that repetition conveys a sense of urgency to the reader: Please let Santa get to Harvey Slumfenburger's house on time! Please don't let him wake up on Christmas morning and not find a present! Hurry Santa, hurry!

I wish this was the way Santa Claus was portrayed in every book: as someone who is kind, selfless, and willing to do whatever it takes to make it a merry Christmas for all children. If that was the case, I think my lukewarm feelings toward him would disappear.

2. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojchechowski, illus. P.J. Lynch

I've been hearing about this book for years. And I even had it checked out at one point but decided against reading it to my kids because it looked too long for them at the time.

But this year I checked it out again, and a couple of days ago we read it. It definitely wasn't too long anymore. In fact, my kids listened with rapt attention the entire time.

From the cover, you might assume that it's going to be about a kind and gentle carpenter who lovingly nurtures a little boy. But that's the Christmas miracle. Because when it begins, Jonathan Toomey is anything but kind, gentle, loving, and nurturing. In fact, most people in the village refer to him as Mr. Gloomey instead of Mr. Toomey because he is so gruff and grumpy.

But what the village doesn't know is that there's a reason for Jonathan Toomey's gruffness (as there almost always is). Several years before, Jonathan's wife and little baby son became ill and died. What is perceived as grouchiness is actually a mask to cover up the pain he is still feeling.

Enter the widow McDowell and her young son, Tommy. The widow commissions Jonathan to carve a nativity set to replace a lost family heirloom. Every few days, she and Tommy stop by to check on the progress. Eventually Tommy works up the courage to give Jonathan a few suggestions about the pieces he's carving ("my sheep looked happy," "my cow looked proud") and even asks if Jonathan will teach him how to carve.

As they spend more time together, Jonathan's walls begin to come down and his heart begins to soften. He allows himself to love (and be loved) again. As he carves the final two pieces (Mary and the Baby Jesus), he draws inspiration from the perfect place.

This is a sentimentally sweet story. If that's not your thing, you're not going to like it. But I happened to love it (and yes, I choked up at the end). The illustrations are gorgeous (I think my favorite page is the same one that's used for the cover) and tell the story almost as well as the words. Jonathan's transformation is gradual and believable.

My kids loved it too. There's no Santa Claus or reindeer or snow-packed action, but I think even they recognized that this is what Christmas is really about: love, giving, and the power of a Little Baby to heal our hearts and change our lives.

Tell me: what are the Christmas books you've discovered this year?

Fire in the Bones by S. Michael Wilcox

Four years ago, Elder D. Todd Christofferson (a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) opened his General Conference address with these words:

"On October 6, in the year 1536, a pitiful figure was led from a dungeon in Vilvorde Castle near Brussels, Belgium. For nearly a year and a half, the man had suffered isolation in a dark, damp cell. Now outside the castle wall, the prisoner was fastened to a post. He had time to utter aloud his final prayer, 'Lord! open the king of England’s eyes,' and then he was strangled."

My interest was piqued. The man he was speaking of was William Tyndale, and much of the information he went on to share was compiled from the biography, Fire in the Bones by S. Michael Wilcox. That evening, I put it on my to-read list, and the good thing about Goodreads is that it doesn't let you forget about the books you put on there . . . even if it takes four years for you to pick them up.

At the beginning of this year, I decided that I really wanted to make an effort to read this book, so I made one of my goals, "read a biography." As far as biographies go, this one is on the short side (only 235 pages), so I figured it would be a relatively easy goal to check off.

. . . And then, after almost an entire year and multiple renewals, I finally finished it. It turned out to be slower going than I originally thought, but I'll talk about that in a minute.

First, let me tell you a little about William Tyndale. He lived during the 16th century, and while you might not recognize his name, you almost certainly would recognize some of his words, including some that are especially appropriate at this time of year: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

In 1520, the Bible was confined almost entirely to Latin, which made it purposely inaccessible to the common people. A few incomplete translations had been rendered, but Tyndale decided to take on the entire New Testament with the goal that "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the scripture than thou [the pope and clergy] dost."

With the help of several brave friends, Tyndale translated the New Testament and large portions of the Old Testament, published his translations, and got them into the hands of men and women who were starving for the word of God. He lived in exile and eventually was found and executed.

Before reading this book, I didn't give much thought to the differences in various translations of the scriptures. Of course I knew there were differences, and I know many people who compare various translations to gain added insight into the scriptures, but since we mainly use the King James translation of the Bible, I didn't think much about where some of the phrases we know and love, such as "still small voice," "I stand at the door and knock," and "let there be light," came from.

All three of the above quotes happened to be translated as such by Tyndale, and I really thought it was fascinating to learn about how his translations influenced the English language in general, as well as the language of the scriptures. I was especially interested to learn about the word "atonement." Although Tyndale didn't create the word, he was the first person to use it in reference to "Christ's redeeming act." It happens to be one of the words most loved in my faith because it attempts to encompass all that Christ did for us when He took our sins upon Himself. And while it's rather audacious to assume that a single word could convey the magnitude of such an event, the word "atonement" tries to do just that, and I'm so grateful we have it.

While I loved learning about this quiet, but incredibly valiant, man (and it increased my appreciation of the scriptures by probably a hundredfold), I won't pretend there weren't sections that were a bit tedious to get through. S. Michael Wilcox tells much of the story through eyewitness accounts and relies especially heavily on John Foxe (a contemporary of Tyndale). My Old English reading skills are not very proficient (although a quick search on wikipedia tells me it's not even Old English that was being spoken in 1526, but "Early Modern English"), and I had to read multiple paragraphs multiple times to try to figure out what they were talking about. (And when you are doing a lot of rereading, even a short book can seem to drag on and on.)

But then there were parts of the book that whipped right along. For example, when I was reading about Tyndale's betrayal by Henry Phillips (a man straight out of a Dickens' novel if ever there was one), I didn't have to make myself read it at all. I wanted to find out what was going to happen next (even though I was already aware of Tyndale's fate).

This particular biography of William Tyndale is probably different from most of the other ones out there (not having read any others, I'm taking a wild guess here) because it's written by an LDS author. So S. Michael Wilcox makes a lot of connections between the Bible and the Book of Mormon and also makes the logical point that without William Tyndale, the boy Joseph Smith would not have been sitting in his living room reading the Bible. He would not have read the verse in James that reads: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God," which prompted him to go to a secluded grove of trees. He would not have had a vision that changed the course of his life and led to the restoration of the Gospel.

While I really liked the added insight this perspective gave to my own beliefs (the chapter that talked about Nephi's vision where he saw the early colonists traveling across the ocean with a book that was "of great worth" to them was especially poignant for me), it might not be for everyone. But then again, it might. If you are not Mormon and end up reading it, I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

As I read about Tyndale's struggles and many sacrifices, I couldn't help but think about what his reaction would be if he knew about the easy access most individuals now have to a Bible. There's a copy of it in the nightstand of every hotel room. You can buy it for 50 cents at the local Goodwill. You can read it for free on the internet.

Tyndale said: "I would wish even all women to read the gospel and the epistles of St. Paul . . . I wish that the husbandman may sing parts of them at his plow, that the weaver may warble them at his shuttle, that the traveller may with their narratives beguile the weariness of the way." It seems his wish has been fulfilled, but there's a part of me that wonders if having it at our fingertips has devalued it. Has the pendulum swung to the opposite side? When no one could read it, everyone wanted to. Now everyone can, but no one wants to. 

Reading about Tyndale's death and the deaths of so many others (seriously, the authorities did not bat an eye about executing anyone, guilty or not) to put this book into the hands of common people deepened my appreciation of it so much. I can't even tell you. I am so grateful that I can hold it in my hands and read it each afternoon or evening. There have been times in my life when I didn't give it the value it deserved, but I hope I never treat it so lightly again.