I just LOVE a good top ten list, and although I am a little late in the year posting this, I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss any of my very favorites from last year! If you don’t care to look through the entire book list, then you’ll at least want access to THIS list because it’s THE BEST of the best. We all have different tastes, but you’ll definitely find that most of these books are worth adding to your library! They aren’t in any particular order. I just loved them all!
- Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full by Gloria Furman. (Parenting) A fantastic reminder about keeping eternity in view as we go about our daily tasks. It’s one you’ll want to savor, because each paragraph is just packed to the core with thought-provoking statements that are worth pondering and writing down. This book is for you if you are “weary in welldoing” and need the reminder that God’s grace and strength are there for the taking! *non-KJV *Free on Hoopla.
- Parenting With Mercy by Michelle Brock. (Parenting, but not just for parents.) One of the most convicting books for me in 2021. It’s less about parenting and more about imitating Christ. And it is chock-full of wisdom! The author looks at how our Heavenly Father handles his children and then applies that to how we should deal with our own children. It’s a very convicting and challenging book and one that brought me to my knees many times! I think this would be a great read in general, even if you’re not a parent. This book is for you if you’re looking to be more compassionate in your relationship with others (or more specifically in your relationship with your children). *Non-KJV
- Eve In Exile by Rebekah Merkle. (Christian Growth/Femininity) This is possibly one of the most life-changing books I have ever read. The first part includes a brief history of feminism (which I had never studied before), and the last portion takes a look at Scripture and spells out exactly what we as women are designed for. It is so, so good. I have a few favorite chapters that I will go back and listen to from time to time. Stop believing the lies saying that keeping the home is so boring and unfulfilling! No! God created us for this!!! If you need a renewed vision of womanhood, then this is for you! *Non-KJV
- The Giver by Lois Lowry. (Fiction/Fantasy) As a dystopian novel, this is not my typical genre, but it is now one of my favorite fiction books. The community is led to believe (and the reader at first), that they are living in a beautiful, normal, utopian community; but they are being fed lies under the guise of “protection.” The author is just amazing as she weaves the story so that you don’t realize what is going on until you’re halfway through the book! It’s just so good, I wish I had more room to tell you all about it! This first book kind of leaves you hanging, but there are THREE MORE books in the series that I also recommend if you want to get the full story. Please see my Teen/Adult book list for parent notes about the other books. *This book is considered a young adult book, but I’d recommend a pre-reading to see if it’s right for your child. A good number of mature issues must be understood to really understand the gravity of the wrong actions in the book (how a family is formed, puberty, etc.). This is for you if you enjoy an “outside of the box” and thought-provoking read. (I have a in-depth review of it in my Instagram highlights if you want to know more.) *MOVIE ADAPTATION: It’s excellent! (Eye roll at the teen romance, which is not in the book, but other than that, it’s great!) Find on Amazon Prime!
- The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenburg. (Historical Fiction) Every once in a while, you will come across a book that just sticks with you, and this is one of those books. Taking place during the atrocities of WWII, this is the journey of one Jewish boy not only as he matures from boyhood to manhood, but also as he learns, grows and changes into someone the reader will long to be. You will be on the edge of your seat for most of the book. You will laugh, you will cry, you will change, and you will be inspired. It’s a powerful and very moving book. This book is for you if you enjoy a gripping World War II story. *There are a few tough torture scenes in Auschwitz, but the author does a good job of passing over them quickly. Also, a war book with no language for the win! A great book for teens!
- Cherish by Gary Thomas. (Marriage) Easily one of my top favorite books on marriage! We promise to cherish our spouse in our wedding vows, but what does that even mean? How is that different than just plain old love? The author explores these topics, plus problems we may be blinded to, what we can do to make our spouses feel so cherished, and how to have the best possible marriage that we can! You’ll love this if you want to learn to truly CHERISH your spouse. Also, the author has been interviewed several times on different podcasts. My favorites are done by the Focus on the Family Podcast and the Keeping it Young Podcast. *Free on Hoopla.
- Murder, Motherhood, and Miraculous Grace by Debra Moerke. (Memoir) This quickly became one of my favorite reads of the year. It’s one of those where you close the book, and just say, “WOW!” It’s a very clear look into the fostering system…the good, the bad and the ugly. The story is harrowing and hard, but beautiful all at the same time. A story ultimately of forgiveness and just like the title says…miraculous grace. This book is for you if you’re looking for a “but God” story. Also for you if you are interested in the foster care system. *Part of the Audible Plus collection so don’t waste a credit! And free on Hoopla.
- The Barefoot Lawyer by Chen Guangcheng. (Memoir) It’s hard to believe that while I was safely sitting in my college classes, this was going on in China. Read this when you need a reminder for why we stand up for FREEDOM in America. You’ll want to read this book if you love reading about escape under Communism. *Two instances of cussing. *Not a Christian author. *Free on Hoopla.
- The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi. (Self-development) This book probably wins for the MOST PRACTICAL book I read in 2021. It was also a very favorite. Kendra’s ideas are pure, well… genius! Her chapter on “the magic question” was a huge game changer for me. Like the subtitle says, you will learn to “embrace what matters, ditch what doesn’t and get stuff done.” If you are looking for some inspiration to put some simple habits into practice RIGHT NOW, then this is for you. *The author’s podcast (The Lazy Genius Podcast) is a big winner! You’ll definitely want to check that out.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear. (Self-development) This is probably my very favorite book on developing habits. It is so practical, and there are so many easy concepts that you can implement into your life RIGHT NOW! My favorites include the two-minute habit and habit stacking. He has some AWESOME quotes in his book as well. “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” This book is for you if you are looking for inspiration to make progress in certain areas of your life.
Bonus!
Ok. I lied. I couldn’t come up with ONLY ten books, so here are a few more that I absolutely LOVED!
- The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch. (Parenting/Self-development) I love that this book is focused on practical changes to make in your home to lessen the NEED of technology and screens. It was a really great book full of useful ideas, and one I plan to revisit. You’ll love this book if you are looking for simple ways to limit the use of technology in your home. *Free on Hoopla.
- Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher. (Christian Growth/Self-development) I’m not exactly sure how to describe this book other than saying, “You must read this book!” It is so eye opening and so needed. The part I remember most in this book is where the author talks about a family who resisted Communism by READING to their children! Their kids would be in the school system all day, the mother would be working all day, and when everyone got home, she would read to them for three hours undoing all of the propaganda they had learned and teaching them about true heroism and how to stand up for truth! That story comes out of my favorite chapter, “Families are Resistance Cells.” This is definitely one I’ll be revisiting. This is for you if you need some inspiration to stand up for TRUTH in a totalitarian-leaning society. Focus on the Family recently did an interview with this author too! Listen here!
- Mama Bear Apologetics by Hilary Morgan Ferrer. (Parenting/Self-development) There are so many “isms” that have become prevalent in our society, and sometimes I just feel like putting my head in the sand and ignoring them all, BUT we MUST know for ourselves AND teach our children to discern TRUTH from error. This book did an excellent job explaining several different cultural lies and how we can challenge them. This is definitely one I need to read again and again. It’s a very meaty book. Some paragraphs I found myself reading a few times to fully grasp the explanation. But it is such an excellent read for EVERYONE, even if you’re not a mom! You’ll want to read this if you are looking for a simple manual for challenging our current culture. *Free on Hoopla.
- The Battle Within by J. Robin Wood. (Christian Growth) THE BEST book I have read on dealing with specific sins a woman struggles with. It is very convicting. I tried to read a little bit every day during my daily quiet time, and it took me forever to get through just because there was so much to think about and work through. It is technically a book about motherhood, but it would still be applicable to all women. This is for you if you find yourself battling the flesh. (Basically, it’s for everyone!) *KJV
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