Awhile back one of my friends told me that on good-reads you can set goals for yourself. This is dangerous for a person who loves to read as much as me :). I keep setting my goals higher and higher. One of these years I wont be able to reach my goal, will the magic still be there? Silly question, theres always magic in reading books…goal hit or not.
My goal for 2021 was 60 books. I rung in the new year with a total of 82 books read for the year. There is always so many more I want to read though!
You may have noticed, I stopped leaving ratings on here. I still leave ratings on my good-reads account, but even then it makes me cringe a little. So much of whether a book resonates with someone is simply based on personal taste and honestly what stage we are in/our life experiences. Some books resonate, some don’t. That doesn’t mean a writer is a bad author. It’s my hope that these reviews can shine a light on if you may enjoy the book or not…not if the author is a good author or not.
Along with sharing my December reads I figured it would be fun to share my top 10 favorite reads for the entire year. Without further ado, here are my reads from December:
The Four Hour School Day By Durenda Wilson
Topic: The story and thoughts of a homeschool veteran. Her take on how to homeschool well.
Who it may interest: Homeschool moms or those interested in homeschooling
Helpfulness: Homeschooling is the road less traveled so I can easily slip into a pit of doubt and fear. I need books like this to pick me back up and remind me so many people successfully homeschool their kids and education doesn’t have to look only one certain way. The author of this book has successfully homeschooled seven kids. It’s so good for me to hear what veteran homeschoolers wisdom.
Ease of reading: Easy
Main takeaway: My kids are given to me, I can become a student of my kids and God gives me the wisdom to know what is best for my family. I don’t need to rely on opinions of others on how to raise my kids when I have Gods wisdom. Often homeschooling can look like steps of faith, but when we are walking hand in hand with Jesus we don’t have to fear. I also stepped away reminded of the importance of discipling my kids. It’s an eternal investment and it matters.
Extra thoughts: I’m not sure I learned a ton of new things in this book (Im an info but so I’ve picked a lot of things up from books and podcasts), but it good for me to read books like this randomly through the year to get myself back on track when I stray from what Gods laid on my heart. If you haven’t read any homeschooling books you will learn from this one. If you have you may not glean a ton other than good reminders and another dose of courage.
Becoming Myself by Stasi Eldredge
Topic: Becoming who God made you.
Who it may interest: Women who struggle to like themselves. Women who want to be who God wants them to be.
Helpfulness: I thought the whole book was beneficial but I especially loved the last half of the book. It went into different topics like fear, worship, friendships, faithfulness, etc. I know I will be referencing the last half a decent amount.
Ease of reading: Easy
Main takeaway: The closer we draw to Jesus the more ourselves we become. Becoming who God made us is a life long journey.
Extra thoughts: I read this book at the perfect time. It really resonated with me and helped me understand a few things in a better way. God created each of us with a plan and we are his workmanship. Leaning into that plan and purpose is freeing. Becoming who he created us to be is unfolding daily as we abide in and trust in Him. This book helped me grow in my understanding in how to become who he made me in a healthy way.
Arms of Deliverance by Tricia Goyer
Topic: World War Two through the eyes of two women reporters, a B-17 navigator, and a woman sent to the Lebensborn home for pregnant German women.
Who it may interest: World War Two historical fiction lovers.
Entertainment: My favorite books are ones that really transport me to the setting and this book really did that. It also kept me entertained, wanting to know what happens next. I loved the characters too.
Ease of reading: Easy.
Main takeaway: God has plans bigger than ours and He is able to work out all the details.
Extra thoughts: I loved the historical things I learned in this book and I loved the way the author wrote it. It’s a good read.
Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin
Topic: A love story. The main male character is in the navy and the female is a pharmacist and together they are trying to figure out if there is a drug ring going on. Due to ptsd sailors were abusing a sedative to help their nerves.
Who it may interest: Those who love romance stories set during World War Two.
Entertainment: It was entertaining, I personally tend to enjoy a different style of entertainment in novels. I tend to like the entertainment to come with historical happenings over romance/mystery. If you like romance/mystery type stories this one will be a good one for you!
Ease of reading: Easy.
Main takeaway: With God we can face the things we are afraid if, he is our anchor, nothing else. The author does very well at tying in sweet lessons through the story.
Extra thoughts: I tend to resonate the most with books that tell stories that may or may not have romance tied in verses the romance to be the foundation of the book. This was a sweet story and the authors a great writer, if you like a good love story this would be a great read!
Remembering You by Tricia Goyer
Topic: A Granddaughter takes her Grandpa to Europe to remember his battle days. In the process she hears her Grandpas story of his part in the war and it changes both her and him.
Who it may interest: Anyone loves learning about world war 2 in a Christian historical fiction context.
Entertainment: There were no huge dramatic moments or huge twists and turns—which is my style of read. It was inspired by a true story which is also a favorite. My entertainment style is less of dramatic page turning grippers and more of real life moments with good lessons.
Ease of reading: Easy.
Main takeaway: We never may be able to forget our past but we can come to peace with it. Sharing our past with those we love can bring healing and understanding.
Becoming Elizabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn
Topic: The ups the downs and all the in-betweens of the early years of Elizabeth Elliot’s life.
Who it may interest: Those who are intrigued by Jim and Elisabeth Elliot’s life or those who love reading stories that show Gods plan unfolding in the lives of His people.
Helpfulness: I am so very intrigued by people’s stories. I not only glean beautiful lessons I also see myself in the lives of others. Seeing how other people handled things gives me a better understanding of both myself and God. I loved seeing the details of the Elliot’s life. It shows how daily mundane things are what makes up big things. I tend to despise mundane but as Elizabeth’s story shows all our stories are built on “mundane”. This story helped me reiterate my thought that the everyday moments are the important moments. I also loved how it shone a light on their inward struggles. Just because they were missionaries and martyrs didn’t mean they were on a different spiritual plain than others. I loved how this book showed the reality of being human instead of only the glory painted by some. I find Jim and Elisabeth’s story especially intriguing, portraying beauty from brokenness and lives that weren’t perfect but incredibly faithful, hearts fully given to the obedience of God. This book portrayed the growth of a heart for God. I found this biography very well done and I didn’t want it to end.
Ease of reading: Easy-Medium. I stopped to ponder/savor to get the full picture of some of the deep or hard thoughts.
Main takeaway: The unfolding of a life isn’t neat and tidy, it’s often messy and that’s why we follow in faith, not logic. The way God works in each life is as unique as the person themselves. One of my favorite thoughts from the book: “…His ways are “inscrutable.” We have to rest, not in the peace of a pretty story, but in the reality of faith in a Person we cannot see.”
Extra thoughts: We can grow with each other, sharing our stories and learning from each other but we shouldn’t compare. The specifics of a life’s story will never be the same so we can’t get hung up there. The beauty is deeper…in the spiritual lessons, that’s where we share similarities and can understand each other better. It’s easy to get focused on specifics and miss the spiritual. I was incredibly fascinated by this biography and the intertwining of Elisabeth’s story with that of others. Even though our stories are years, missions, circumstances and miles apart I can see my story in Elisabeth Elliot’s.
Top 10 Favorite Reads in 2021 (not in any particular order):
Fiction:
- The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers
- From Dust and Ashes by Tricia Goyer
- Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
- Under the Magnolias by T.I. Lowe
- The Nightingale or the Four Winds by Kristin Hannah— Its a hard tie
Non-Fiction:
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
- Spearhead by Adam Makos
- Free of Me by Sharon Hodde Miller
- Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn
- Nice by Sharon Hodde Miller
What were your favorite reads for 2021? I would love to hear about them in the comments! Also if you are on good-reads let me know! I would love to follow you!
