Ok, friends – here it is! The list of my favorite books from 2021. As usual, I’m asking you to comment with the one you’d like to read – and you’ll be entered in a giveaway to receive that book. The giveaway will be open until Sunday, December 12, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. CST so get your entries in! (Links are affiliate)
Here are my favorite books from 2021 (in no particular order):
- Troubled Blood: (Cormoron Strike series book 5) I love these Cormoron Strike books. If you’ve never read them, I highly recommend starting at the beginning with the first one so you can get to know the cast of characters. Just know that there is a lot of language and some gruesome details, as these books follow the life of a disgruntled private detective.
- The Radium Girls: I read this book on the recommendation of Brienne and it was fascinating and horrifying all at the same time. It’s a true story of young women working in factories in the United States, their exposure to radium, the cover-up from large companies, and their horrific deaths. I had never heard of these stories before but I’m so glad I read this book. Some parts were hard to read, but these were real live people not much older than my oldest daughter is now. I’m glad their stories are being told.
- The Jerusalem Assassin: This book is a recent one in a series by Joel Rosenberg. FYI – I pretty much love everything he writes so if you find another book by him that you’d like to read, please feel free to comment below with the name of it. Again, since this book is one in a series, I recommend starting with the first book. I don’t know how Rosenberg does it, but he takes current events and then writes fascinating fiction about it. The amazing thing is, though, that most of what he writes could actually happen.
- The Guest List: I had never read anything by Lucy Foley before but I saw this book on a favorites list and decided to pick it up. The story begins with a wedding by two prominent people on a tiny island off the coast of Ireland. Mysterious happenings occur as the past is resurrected. Beware – there are a couple of racy scenes in this book so don’t let your teen read it.
- Share Your Stuff, I’ll Go First: This is probably my favorite book of the year. It was so good that I even started my own book club with this being the first month’s pick! I’ve followed Laura Tremaine for years as she’s hosted several different podcasts. I love her relatability ,even though she lives in LA and has billed herself as the “Hollywood Housewife.” She tells lots of her own stories in this book and then encourages you to answer several major questions. These questions would be great journal prompts or dinner topics with friends. Grab your copy today!
- Musical Chairs: This book has lots of musical references so it may not be for everybody. But what I loved about it was that it was a great story of a very interesting family and showed how friends can intersect throughout our lives.
- The Overdue Life of Amy Byler: This book was so much fun! I could totally relate to the overwhelm of the main character, Amy, who left her kids with her ex-husband so she could have a much-needed getaway. She finds herself, discovering who she is and what she loves, after years of caring for her children alone. I think a lot of moms can relate to the constant serving and never taking time to dig deep into what we love. The ending was beautiful and sweet and wrapped up the book perfectly, in my opinion.
- In Five Years: Ok, maybe this would be my FAVORITE BOOK of the year. For weeks after I read it, I couldn’t stop talking about it. The story starts with a young woman waking in an unknown apartment with an unknown man and five years have passed. She is obviously confused about her surroundings. The story then goes back in time to five years previous and continues as she tries to figure out how she ends up in that strange apartment with a strange man. Mainly, though, this book tells the beautiful story of friendship. And the ending will surprise you.
- The Dutch House: I read this book on my kindle but I’ve been told that Tom Hanks reads it if you listen to it on audio.This is a story of a broken family, a brother and sister who manage to stay together throughout the chaos, and in the end, a story of forgiveness. I loved it.
- 11/22/63: Alright. I know this book is like 900 pages or something. Plus it’s Stephen King. So some of you may be thinking – 2 strikes against it already. But it was sooooo good, I promise! Jake Epping is a high school teacher who finds a secret door into the past and he’s tasked with going back and preventing the assassination of President Kennedy. Hang on, because things get crazy! I loved it, I have friends who loved it. Even my mom loved it!
- Who is Maud Dixon?: What is it with me and mysteries this year? In this book, Maud Dixon is an author of one very successful book. Because of her success, she lives in anonymity and needs an assistant who can keep her identify a secret. Enter Florence, a down-on-her-luck publishing assistant, who finds herself on an unexpected adventure.
- The Paris Library: I love anything set in the WWII era so this book fit the bill for me. It’s the story of a young girl, Odile, working at the American Library in Paris as war is breaking out all around her. It follows her family as her brother enlists in the French army, friendships with people from around the world, and prejudices held by herself and those around her. This was a great read if you love that time period of history.
- Walking with God: This beautiful book written by John Eldredge is a collection of his stories from a year of his life as he learned to walk more deeply with God. Throughout the book, he shows us how to live our lives in a way that we can feel God’s presence on a daily basis. I loved this book and will most likely read it every year, something I never do. It’s just that good.
- The Wingfeather Saga book 1: Alright, this is a book series geared toward the tweens in your life (I’d say 9-12 year-olds) but I’m here to tell you, it’s packed with adventure and action and I think lots of people will love these stories. I’ve currently read the first two because my 11-year old wanted me to read them, and now I’m hooked. The Wingfeather Saga follows the Wingfeather family, long lost royalty from a city/country that no longer exists. Grab this set for the reader in your family – they’ll love it.
- Firefly Lane: This was a recent book club pick of mine and we all thought it was a great one! The story begins with two girls who meet at the age of fourteen and then follows their friendship over the course of their lives, through jealousies and relationships and heartbreaks. Things we can all relate to. It was a beautiful depiction of friendship and love.
- A Surrendered Yes: I love this devotion by Rebekah Lyons. Many of the short readings are taken from her book Rhythms of Renewal, and I found them to be both inspiring and practical, easy to apply to my own busy life. I think you’ll find them to be the same for your life too.
- When God Proves Faithful: I can’t have a favorite books list without adding my own book. Ha! If you haven’t gotten your copy of my adoption memoir, grab one now! It follows our family as we struggle with infertility, adoption losses, domestic and international adoption, and autism. And God’s faithfulness to us through it all. I know you’ll be able to relate to our struggles as you read. And I pray you can see God’s faithful hand on your family too.
Out of the 50 books I read this year, these are my top 17.
Which ones would you like to read?
- Comment here on the blog or on Facebook to let me know.
- Your comment will get you an entry to win the book of your choice.
- Remember – the giveaway closes on December 12, 2021, at 2:00 pm CST so don’t wait too long to enter!
The Dutch House sounds intriguing. I’m sure I would love it.