Finish those books.

In my experience there are two categories of unfinished books: those which were intentionally laid aside and those which were neglected because something shiny walked by.  As the year draws to a close, I want to intentionally return to those in the latter category.

Don't get me wrong, I like shiny books: swift plots, cultural relevance, novelty.  But in pursuing those books (often in the race against expiration dates on Libby), what I set aside are those slower, more thoughtful reads that I want to be engaging with. Gilead was on my shelf for many a month before I opened it, and what I met was beautiful and thought-provoking.  I slowly worked through it and Home, and perhaps because of its muted power, Lila is still on my shelf unopened.  Similarly, I set aside David Kline's Great Possessions: An Amish Farmer's Journal, despite its engaging essays that explore a level of knowledge of the natural world I don't personally possess, nor do I often encounter in others.

At the risk of jinxing my efforts, here are a list of some titles that I would like to--if not finish--return to here at the end of the year:

• Great Possessions by David Kline
• Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (reread)
• The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
• The Lifegiving Parent: Giving Your Child a Life Worth Living for Christ by Clay and Sally Clarkson
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• The Insect Play by Josef Capek
• Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
• How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen by Joanna Faber, Adele Faber, and Julie King
• Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba
• Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins

What books are you reading this December?  Are you seeking out seasonal titles or rushing to finish some more books to round out your year-end tally?