This is one of my favorite things to keep up with.
I have loved reading for so long and I like to look back and see what books resonated with me and have this as a tool to share with people when they ask for book recommendations.
So, without further ado, reads for 2021!
"The Warden and the Wolf King (The Wingfeather Saga Book 4)" Andrew Peterson -- When the pandemic first began, Andrew Peterson, started doing a read aloud via YouTube live or Facebook live for this book series. It was incredibly special during such an uncertain time in our lives and I was so, so excited when he decided to go ahead and read aloud the remaining books. He started with the first book in March and with a few breaks, he finished the 4th and final book in January. I was thankful for the opportunity to follow along and it was a fun way to reread and experience one of my all-time favorite book series. The author describes these books as "a redemptive fantasy" and that's it. It's so good because of the underlying (and at times, apparent) story line of the characters. He weaves in Biblical truth all throughout the story and man, this final book brings it all together. It's full of redemption, truth, adventure, forgiveness, and newness. It's incredibly moving and I hope that you will read it! I'll share this small excerpt from the book and leave you with that: "He vividly sensed Leeli's sweet, gentle breathing and the music that wreathed her dear heart; he saw Kalmar's roundedness and ached to embrace the boy in the wolf; he even saw his own troubled, selfish soul--the scarred flesh and weary eyes and conflicted emotions-and he loved the Janner he saw through the Maker's eyes. He knew himself and he was known. He saw, and was still. A great love enveloped him, and he thought of his father's bearlike embrace , only now he knew those arms were but a shadow of the bright love that beat the world's heart and held him now, as it always had, with an inescapable, indescribable tenderness. Be still. The voice repeated the words again and again, like a beating heart, until Janner was at last able to obey and to rest, rest, rest. There in the light of the Fane of Fire, Janner Wingfeather encountered--absorbed--an abiding peace that he would never forget all the days of his life. He was still. And he was loved. "
"The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9)" Lemony Snicket -- When I started this series last year, I decided that I would review it as a whole once I read them all. I'm now 4 books away and as I stated with book #8, these later books have gotten better than the first 7. They are super quick and easy reads and I am definitely wondering how in the world they are going to tie this story together!
"Girl With No Job" Claudia Oshry -- I love following Claudia on Instagram because she's so, so funny. When I saw that she wrote a book, I knew I had to read it to learn about her childhood, rise to fame, and how she handles all that she does. It was a quick and easy read although, there was a good bit of profane language in there so, it's definitely more geared towards adults. But, if you follow her, that's no surprise! Still, it was funny, heartfelt, and she even spent some time diving deep into certain subjects and I was pleasantly surprised by how insightful she was on those topics. It's worth the read if you know who she is.
"Strangely Bright: Can You Love God and Enjoy this World?" Joe Rigney -- I really liked this book. It was practical and the author made some great points. Basically, as he said himself throughout the book, he is writing about "enjoying God in everything and everything in God". There are so many things I want to share from this book but, this excerpt sums it up best: "The living God made the world so that we could know Him. He reveals himself to us in creation and in scripture, in His world and in His word. Everything in creation declares His glory. Made things make His invisible attributes visible. All God's gifts are invitations--they display who He is and invite us to know Him and delight in Him. They are the beams; He is the sun. They are the streams; He is the fountain. So our calling is simple: to enjoy God in everything and everything in God, knowing that He is greater and more satisfying than any and all of His gifts. Jesus is better. At a practical level, this means we anchor ourselves in His word and orient ourselves in worship and then carry the divine presence with us into our daily lives. As made things that make things, we too ought to display the glory of God and invite people to know Him and enjoy Him. We do this by gratefully receiving all that He richly provides and joyfully sacrificing and sharing all that we have received. Whatever good and perfect gifts are coming down to you now from the Father of lights, begin with them. Receive them with gratitude. Savor them with gladness. Study them with delight. Share them with others. And refuse to stop with the gifts. Follow them back to the giver. See them as declarations of His glory. Know them as images of divine things. And then turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth with grow strangely bright, in the light of his glory and grace."
"The Rural Diaries" Hilarie Burton Morgan -- This book has the prettiest shelf appeal that you've ever seen. The jacket and the inside of the book is so, so pretty. I was impressed and quite happy when I got it because I ordered from a local (to her) bookstore so I could receive a signed copy (this is no surprise to anyone that know's me and my love for One Tree Hill). I honestly didn't know what to expect with this book because I haven't followed along with her since her One Tree Hill days so I was pleasantly surprised when I was immediately engulfed with her words and finished this book in a day (granted, we were snow/iced in but, it was that good). It was neat following along how she and her family ended up living a true farm life after living the Hollywood lifestyle. I will say and give a warning for future readers that there are some tough subjects discussed in there such as miscarriage and her experience with inappropriate behavior being given to her in the workplace. So far though, this is my favorite read of 2021.
"Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross" Nancy Guthrie and Various Authors -- I read the Advent version of this book leading up to Christmas this past year and when I saw there was one for Easter, I ordered it immediately. It's compilation of various sermons and essays from 25 different authors, preachers, speakers on the topic of Christ, Easter, and all that surrounds His death and resurrection. It was such a neat concept and I really, really enjoyed it. I liked having a variation of authors to read from and I found myself underlining & dog earring so many of the pages! None of the excerpts were too long, which made it easy to keep up with each day. I highly recommend it and will most definitely be reading it again in the coming years.
"The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10)" Lemony Snicket
"The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events #11)" Lemony Snicket
"The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events #12)" Lemony Snicket
"The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13)" Lemony Snicket -- The much awaited ending to the Series of Unfortunate Events! Overall, I liked the series. I found myself really getting in to the story around book #8 (not to say the first seven weren't good--they were setting the foundation for the story). You do have to read them all to get the full feel for the story and it is quite an interesting ending! All that being said, I feel like they were a little dark at times for younger children. And then, they were a bit wacky at times which I think would also make it hard for a younger kiddo to follow along. As an adult, I was able to follow but, felt like they were too juvenile. LOL! So, there's my confusing review for you. I'm glad to have read them but, likely wouldn't read again.
"And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer" A Novella by Fredrik Backman --This is one of those books that you can read in one sitting, maybe even just within an hour. I told Jason after I finished it that Fredrik Backman is becoming one of my all-time favorite authors. The way he writes brings you right in and the stories he tells are incredibly impactful. This specific novella follows a Grandpa that is (I'm assuming) navigating Alzheimers or dementia and it shows the relationship between him and his grandson, his son, and his wife. It was very, very sweet and the author had a note at the beginning stating that this was his way of working through this situation. So I am inferring it's about his own life. I found it moving and very special.
"The Woman in the Window" A. J. Finn -- Whoa. This book had me on my toes the whole time. It's a thriller/mystery and I love those. Child Psychologist, Anna Fox, never leaves her home and the book walks you through why and how she copes and gets herself into situations. I couldn't put it down and definitely recommend it if you like thrillers. A friend loaned it to me so it's not pictured above but, click the title and you can order it from Amazon.
"Respectable Sins" Jerry Bridges -- This was a very, very convicting book. I took away a lot of great things and also had many things brought to mind that I need to work on. He covers topics like: discontentment, pride, selfishness, lack of self-control, anger, envy, and the list goes on. I think this one is worth the read if you haven't read it before and it might be something that I read every few years. I wanted to share a few excerpts from the book that I found especially useful/convicting:
"Not only does the gospel prepare me to face my sin, it also frees me up to do so. Facing our sin causes us to feel guilty. Of course we feel guilty because we are guilty. And if I believe, consciously or unconsciously, that God still counts my guilt against me, my instinctive sense of self-protection forbids me to acknowledge my sin and guilt, or, at least, I seek to minimize it. But, we cannot begin to deal with a particular manifestation of sin, such as anger or self-pity, until we first openly acknowledge its presence and activity in our lives. So I need the assurance that my sin is forgiven before I can begin to acknowledge it, let alone begin to deal with it."
“Whatever your circumstances, and however difficult they may be, the truth is that they are ordained by God for you as part of His overall plan for your life. God does nothing, or allows nothing, without a purpose. And His purposes, however mysterious and inscrutable they may be to us, are always for His glory and our ultimate good. You can ask God to let you use your difficult circumstances to glorify Him.”
“The importance of a firm belief in the sovereignty, wisdom and goodness of God in all the circumstances of our lives—whether those circumstances are short term or long term, our ability to respond to them in a God-honoring and God-pleasing manner depends on our ability and willingness to bring these truths to bear on them.”
“May all of us, with the help of The Holy Spirit, move from any negative attitudes of discontentment to a positive attitude of being stewards of the difficult and disappointing circumstances God has given us so that we may somehow glorify Him in all of life.”
"We must realized that any given situation that tempts us to anger can drive us either to sinful anger or to Christ and His sanctifying power."
"Bone Appetit" Sarah Booth Delaney Book #10 Carolyn Haines -- This series has been loaned to me by a friend and they are such fun books. They are set in the south in delta and follow Sarah Booth Delaney on her adventures. Some she intentionally walks in to and others that seem to find her when she leasts expects it. I don't even know how many books are in the series but, I am working my way through them. This one was as good as the last one I read a few years ago. There was a surprising twist at the end!
"Guac is Extra but So Am I" The Reluctant Adult's Handbook Sarah Solomon -- I thought this would be a cute, fun little read and I honestly didn't enjoy it. Other than a few helpful tips here and there, I don't think I would suggest this to any person entering into adulthood. There were also some things that I found myself fully disagreeing with. Oh, the illustrations in there were nice but again, not worth it in my opinion. Maybe it's a sign that I'm not a reluctant adult--HA!
"19th Christmas" James Patterson -- My trusty Women's Murder Club Series. This is one of my favorite on-going series and if we've ever had a conversation about books then you know it's one of my top suggestions if you like the thriller/mystery genre. These books are quick reads and there's always a twist you didn't see coming.
"The Characters of Christmas" Daniel Darling -- Each year I read a Christmas book whether it's about the actual Christmas story or something that is festive. This one caught my eye this year and it was a good read. Each chapter covers a person that was present in the story of Jesus and His birth. Mary, Joseph, the Angels, Wise Men, Shepherds, Herod, and more. It was informative and I liked the way he shared so much information about each person. It was a good read and just what I was looking for to help prepare my mind and my heart for the Christmas season.
"The Christmas Pig" J.K. Rowling -- If you have known me for more than five minutes then you know my love for all things Harry Potter so when I saw that J.K. Rowling had now written a Christmas book, I knew I had to read it. I had no idea what to expect and I feel like I should start by saying I wouldn't consider this a young children's book and that if you do plan to read it with your kids, you should know that it starts with Jack's parents getting divorced and has a couple of pages going through what that was like for him. But, that sets the foundation as to why he loves DP, his stuffed animal, so much and gives way to the adventure that takes place the rest of the book. Honestly though, that is the reality for some children and I think it is good there is a book that they can truly relate to. Overall, this is definitely a book I will read again and I really enjoyed the whole story. It's very unique and unlike anything I've ever read before. It made me happy to still have my childhood blankies and I know that if I ever did lose them, they would end up on "the island of the beloved"
So there you have it! I feel like 2021 had some good reads and I am looking forward to more in 2022.
