{"id":90,"date":"2022-03-08T22:47:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-08T22:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faithfulandflourishing.org\/staging\/9315\/2022\/03\/08\/top-ten-books-i-read-in-2021\/"},"modified":"2024-01-11T03:43:14","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T03:43:14","slug":"top-ten-books-i-read-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/faithfulandflourishing.org\/staging\/9315\/blog\/top-ten-books-i-read-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Ten Books I read in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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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\u2019t miss any of my very favorites from last year! If you don\u2019t care to look through the entire book list<\/a>, then you\u2019ll at least want access to THIS list because it\u2019s THE BEST of the best. We all have different tastes, but you\u2019ll definitely find that most of these books are worth adding to your library! They aren\u2019t in any particular order. I just loved them all!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Treasuring Christ When Your Hands are Full<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Gloria Furman. (Parenting) A fantastic reminder about keeping eternity in view as we go about our daily tasks. It\u2019s one you\u2019ll 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 \u201cweary in welldoing\u201d and need the reminder that God\u2019s grace and strength are there for the taking! *non-KJV *Free on Hoopla. \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Parenting With Mercy<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Michelle Brock. (Parenting, but not just for parents.) One of the most convicting books for me in 2021. It\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019re not a parent. This book is for you if you\u2019re looking to be more compassionate in your relationship with others (or more specifically in your relationship with your children). *Non-KJV  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Eve In Exile<\/em><\/strong><\/a> 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  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. The Giver<\/em><\/strong><\/a> 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 \u201cprotection.\u201d The author is just amazing as she weaves the story so that you don\u2019t realize what is going on until you\u2019re halfway through the book! It\u2019s 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<\/a> for parent notes about the other books. *This book is considered a young adult book, but I\u2019d recommend a pre-reading to see if it\u2019s 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 \u201coutside of the box\u201d 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\u2019s excellent! (Eye roll at the teen romance, which is not in the book, but other than that, it\u2019s great!) Find on Amazon Prime<\/a>!  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. The Auschwitz Escape<\/em><\/strong><\/a> 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\u2019s 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!  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Cherish<\/em><\/strong><\/a> 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\u2019ll 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<\/a> and the Keeping it Young<\/a> Podcast. *Free on Hoopla.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Murder, Motherhood, and Miraculous Grace<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Debra Moerke. (Memoir) This quickly became one of my favorite reads of the year. It\u2019s one of those where you close the book, and just say, \u201cWOW!\u201d It\u2019s a very clear look into the fostering system\u2026the 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\u2026miraculous grace. This book is for you if you\u2019re looking for a \u201cbut God\u201d story. Also for you if you are interested in the foster care system. *Part of the Audible Plus collection so don\u2019t waste a credit! And free on Hoopla.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. The Barefoot Lawyer<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Chen Guangcheng. (Memoir) It\u2019s 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\u2019ll want to read this book if you love reading about escape under Communism. *Two instances of cussing. *Not a Christian author. *Free on Hoopla.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. The Lazy Genius Way<\/em><\/strong><\/a> 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\u2019s ideas are pure, well\u2026 genius! Her chapter on \u201cthe magic question\u201d was a huge game changer for me. Like the subtitle says, you will learn to \u201cembrace what matters, ditch what doesn\u2019t and get stuff done.\u201d If you are looking for some inspiration to put some simple habits into practice RIGHT NOW, then this is for you. *The author\u2019s podcast (The Lazy Genius Podcast<\/a>) is a big winner! You\u2019ll definitely want to check that out.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Atomic Habits<\/em><\/strong><\/a> 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. \u201cYou do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.\u201d This book is for you if you are looking for inspiration to make progress in certain areas of your life.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Bonus!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Ok. I lied. I couldn\u2019t come up with ONLY ten books, so here are a few more that I absolutely LOVED!<\/p>\n\n\n\n