Top Ten Tuesday – Books I'm Thankful For

I know I’m slightly early, but happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! The girls at The Broke and the Bookish have nominated a Thanksgiving theme for Top Ten Tuesday this week, and even though Australia doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I’m totally on board with giving thanks for books! Trying to pick which specific books to be thankful for, however, is a little tricky. I mean, out of all the books I’ve ever read, which ones do I put on my list? 😳
Well, I’m going to start with the obvious, and see where I go from there.

The Bible

Without it, we could never have a personal relationship with our Lord and Saviour, nor could we understand the depths of His love for us.

Strong’s Concordance

When you can’t read the Bible in its original languages, a Strong’s Concordance is your next best friend. I’m not only thankful for this book for its usefulness, but for the mind-boggling amount of work that went into bringing it into existence. My goodness, can you imagine the work involved in cataloging every word in the Bible and then linking it to the Hebrew or Greek word it translates?
 

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

What an incredible debt we English speakers owe to this man! How much poorer would our language and our culture be without these works?

 

Books That Bring the Bible to Life

Being so far removed from the culture and times of Biblical events can mean that there are layers of meaning and experience that we simply don’t get when we read the Biblical accounts. I LOVE reading stories that bring these events to life through fiction and allow us to become immersed in the story. The research that goes into well-written Biblical fiction is immense, but it can be such a rewarding experience for the reader!

Books That Allow Me to Walk in Another Person’s Shoes

 
I know. Every book is a chance to walk in another person’s shoes, but there are some characters who really challenge you to examine your own attitudes and think about how you would respond in a similar situation. And sometimes that leaves you . . . changed. In a good way.

Books That Make Me Laugh

I think we all love to laugh, don’t we? I certainly do. Nothing more needs to be said, really!

Books That Make Me Cry

As much as I love to laugh, sometimes crying can be just as beneficial. We live in a world where pain and injustice is a fact of life, no matter how much we may try to make it otherwise, but we are also creatures capable of incredible love and resilience. I’m thankful for books that remind me of both.

Books with Characters of Courage

I love books with characters who have the courage to do what is right, even at great personal cost. They both challenge and inspire.

Books That Carry Me To Faraway Places (Real and Imagined)

Oh, the places you’ll go! I love exploring other worlds and new places through fiction!

Books That Get My Adrenaline Pumping

What can I say? I’m an armchair adrenaline junkie! And I place the blame (and thanks) for that firmly at the feet of Ronie Kendig. Once I discovered her books, there was no going back!

What books are you thankful for, reader friends?