My 2021 Book List

So in 2020, I went a little stir crazy & read 110 books. 2021 was a little fuller, busier of a year, so reading didn't happen as often as in years past. But I still managed to read 82 books (not counting reading my kids' books over & over again).

I definitely utilized audiobooks again this year as I packed & unpacked boxes, painted walls, cleaned toilets - all the glamorously mundane tasks that populate my days. I tried to get outside of my comfort zone, reading outside my usual genres. I might have read more nonfiction this year than ever before. I also caught up on some old YA series that were popular years ago.

I continue to use Goodreads, but if you use a different app to track your reading, let me know!

Nonfiction

I read 34 nonfiction books this year. Not quite half of my total, but a lot more than I used to read!

Christian

Same story as last year - I have so many books in this category that I want to read! I managed to work through a few of those, but I think this pile will never quite end.

1. It's Not Supposed to be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst
2. Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst
3. Forgiving What You Can't Forget by Lysa TerKeurst
4. The Well-Watered Woman by Gretchen Saffles
5. Share Your Stuff, I'll Go First by Laura Tremaine
6. That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs
7. Prayer by Tim Keller
8. The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi
9. The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden by Kevin DeYoung
10. Hope in Times of Fear by Tim Keller
11. Everybody Always by Bob Goff

That Sounds Fun: The Joys of Being an Amateur, the Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby By Annie F. Downs / Revell Difficulties, stress, and worry can sap our lives of enjoyment. How can we experience the pleasure and abundance God wants for us? In this lighthearted invitation to a fun-filled life, Downs helps you discover those things that gladden your heart and delight your soul and encourages you to chase and embrace them!

Memoir/Biography

I didn't read quite as many of these as I normally do. But again, this is a great category to step into someone else's shoes for a little bit. Lots of interesting stories for sure! I included the 2 we read with our older 2 kids (by Shirley Raye Redmond).

1. The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy by Jean Kennedy Smith
2. Courageous World Changers by Shirley Raye Redmond
3. Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders by Shirley Raye Redmond
4. Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land
5. Thanks for the Money: How to Use my Life Story to Become the Best Joel McHale You Can Be by Joel McHale
6. I Am Restored by Lecrae
7. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

Parenting

Lots of these this year. I do have a two-year-old, so I must've felt like I needed them a little more! Ha!

1. The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman & Ross Campbell
2. The Power of Showing Up by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
3. The Yes Brain by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
4. Siblings Without Rivalry by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
5. Make Your Kid a Money Genius by Beth Kobliner
6. Thrivers by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
7. No-Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
8. Calm the H*ck Down: How to Let Go and Lighten Up About Parenting by Melanie Dale
9. The 4-Hour School Day by Durrenda Wilson
10. Love-Centered Parenting by Crystal Paine

Others

I went on a Malcom Gladwell run & I surprised myself by enjoying reading about things that I usually have no interest in! Also, snuck a little decluttering pep talk in towards the end of the year.

1. David and Goliath by Malcom Gladwell
2. Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell
3. Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
4. Blink by Malcom Gladwell
5. The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
6. What the Dog Saw by Malcom Gladwell
7. Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White

Fiction

I always tend to favor fiction, but I'm also kind of picky these days. I've also had to be OK with not finishing a book if it just isn't appealing to me.

Classics

I didn't get as many of these in as last year, but I always have a running list of these that I feel like I need to catch up on!

1. 1984 by George Orwell
2. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
3. If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

Juvenile/Young Adult

My oldest & I finished Harry Potter this year, so now we have all these nerdy inside jokes that no one else in our family gets. Some (but definitely not all) of these were read as read-alouds at lunchtime with my kids. I also managed to get through 3 of the popular YA series from the past 10-15 years - better late than never?

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
2. The Four-Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright
3. Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant
4. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
6. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
7. Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
8. Then There Were Five by Elizabeth Enright
9. The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
11. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
12. The Littlest Bigfoot by Jennifer Weiner
13. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
14. Legendary by Stephanie Garber
15. Finale by Stephanie Garber
16. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
17. The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland
18. Divergent by Veronica Roth
19. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
20. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
21. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
22. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
23. Winter by Marissa Meyer
24. Cress by Marissa Meyer
25. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
26. A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks
27. Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martins
28. Spiderweb for Two: A Melendy Maze by Elizabeth Enright
29. Don't Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd
30. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Little House on the Prairie, 9 Vols., slipcased By Laura Ingalls Wilder / HarperCollins Now readers young and old can enjoy the classic adventures of Laura and her family as they survive and thrive on the American frontier! The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story. These slipcased softcovers feature Garth Williams's beloved original illustrations. Treasured reading for collectors and kids of all ages--especially 8- to 12-year-olds!

Contemporary

This is a tricky category because I definitely can't recommend all of these books to you. I don't know your personal struggles or convictions. So please don't think that because it's here, I'm endorsing it.

1. The Last Love Song by Minnie Drake
2. The Off Limits Rule by Sarah Adams
3. It's Just Business by Summer Dowell (this one is a clean romance if that's what you're looking for)
4. The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
5. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
6. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
7. The First Husband by Laura Dave

Christian

I shared last year how I always struggle with this category because of the lower level of quality I was exposed to way back when. But I have been pleasantly surprised as I've given this category more chances. Do I still read one page & say "forget it"? Yep! I have read some really terrible first pages in this category! But I've also found some good ones.

Also, I enjoyed reading some books that were set in the times right after Christ. Some were long, but I really appreciated seeing how the early Christians might've been living.

1. A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
2. An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers
3. As Sure as the Dawn by Francine Rivers
4. Tidewater Bride by Laura Frantz
5. A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz
6. Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar
7. Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar

There you go! Another year of books in the books! (See what I did there?)

Thanks for following along with me!

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