Hello Friday! And thank goodness – we made it to Christmas. I was looking over my book log this year and was thinking about which ones I loved the most. I do like to re-read books, although I haven’t had a chance in a few years to do so. I thought about which books I loved, which ones I recommended, which ones I can think back on the plot or the lessons offered….and these are the ones that made the Five.
I also had a conversation with someone this fall. They said, “There’s just no time to read.” And it was stated in a way in which I was supposed to reply, “I know, I have that same problem too. I can’t ever find the time.”
But I didn’t. Instead I said, “I actually disagree. I love reading and try to make it a priority in my day. It’s a hobby and a stress relief for me. And it’s a way for me to keep learning.”
Obviously that wasn’t the anticipated answer.
But, we’ve got a whole page around here devoted to BOOKS 🙂
So, in no particular order…here are my favorite 5 from 2021.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (recommend this on audio!)
I love all Kate Quinn. Some people might get tired of World War 2, but when the story is well written, I just soak it up. I also recommend The Alice Network and The Huntress. If you love one of Kate’s books, you’ll probably like them all.
The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell (highly recommend this one on audiobook too!)
This may be a recommendation for people that either like Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers, Blink…)or like airplanes. I would like to think that anyone who likes a good story would like this one as well. It’s a quick 4 hour audiobook. It’s a good history lesson on precision bombing…and may be a good one for a mama and a son to listen too!
The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Laura Schlessinger
This is hands down the best book I read on marriage this year. It’s old school advice but in my opinion, it’s rock solid and timeless advice. I’ll save you the read if you like and give you the takeaways. If you’re married, Laura recommends treating your husband with respect, having regular sex and cooking him hot meals. If you do those things, he’ll give you the moon or anything else you want! Her advice isn’t common. And even though I’ve been married 8 years, a lot of it was new for me. I think that says a lot about our society. This one should be an easy find on ebay or as a used book.
Babies are not Pizzas by Rebecca Dekker
Bravo Rebecca. She wrote a beautiful book about informed consent, the culture around prenatal care and birth and pointing women to the evidence. I’ve got a post on Monday about the specifics on her book but it’s one of my standard recommendations now for first time mamas.
Parenting Scripts by Amber Lia and Wendy Speake
This book got an entire post at the beginning of the new year. The hubs and I have spent a lot of time fine tuning our parenting skills this year and this book was one of those sparks. If you feel like what you’re saying isn’t working anymore, then this is the book for you.
If you’re interested in the rest of the list, I try to read about 40 books a year. Here are the others that I managed to read as well!
For those that followed my reading challenge, my goal was to read through the books on my shelf that I hadn’t read yet. It was about 50% successful. I’m going to continue that challenge through the next year…
Help. Thanks. Wow. by Anne Lamott
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Sacred Holidays by Becky Kiser
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt
Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin
The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron
What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
Off the Clock by Laura Vanderkam
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Masie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Ghost Fleet by P.W. Singer and August Cole
The Pioneers by David McCullough
one.two.three. by Laurie Frankel
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
Things My Son Needs to Know About the World by Fredrik Backman
Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Introverted Mom by Jamie Martin
The Guide by Peter Heller
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Hurried Child by David Elkind
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
What were your favorite books in 2021? Did anyone fall in love with some of the same ones I did? What books do you recommend??
And a flashback to Christmas at the happiest place on earth!
Hugs, Merry Christmas, and may God bless you all!
Jamie
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