Every year in December, I take some time to look back at all the books I’ve read in the past year.
If you know me, you know I always set out with a book list, and then undoubtedly change my mind as I discover books on Instagram, podcasts, and blogs, and as books come recommended by friends.
This year, I read 22 books (not counting the ones I started and didn’t finish).
I love taking time in December to look back at all the books I’ve read during the year.
As in years past, I set out with a book list, and then I changed my mind as I discovered books in the library (pre-COVID!) and books came recommended by friends. Also, as the world shifted and changed this year, I looked for books to reflect that.
This year, I read 27 books (not counting the ones I started and didn’t finish).
Looking for book recommendations for 2021? Today, I’m sharing the seven best books I read in 2020, along with a brief description of what I liked about each one:
Friends, my heart is heavy with the events of this past week: the violence, the riots, the hatred, the bigotry. It's hard to know what to say.
I'm afraid that hate is growing stronger + that we are growing numb to it.
But now is not the time to stay silent, to keep our thoughts and feelings to ourselves. To effect change, we need to start conversations, wrestle with ugly truths, and do the hard work of learning to be better.
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I like to start each year with a book list—a collection of books that I’d like to read (knowing that I usually discover other books throughout the year that I’ll add in).
I used to be a strict one-book-at-a-time reader, but last year, I found that I enjoyed reading two at a time—a nonfiction/business/health book for mornings or pockets of free time during the day and a novel/memoir for reading at night.
I always try to choose books from a few different categories:
Business
Health & Lifestyle
Spiritual
Relationships
Fiction
Personal/Intellectual
Nonfiction/Memoir
This helps me be intentional about the books I choose to read and ensure some diversity (so I don’t end up reading only one type of book!).
Without further ado, here is my book list for 2020:
One of my favorite things to do in December is to look back at all the books I read during the year.
I set out with a book list, like I do every year, and then changed my mind as I came across books in the library and in church basement sales, books that came recommended by friends.
I used to set a goal to read 10 books in a year, then I worked my way up to 12. Last year, I read 16 books and this year, I read 31! Now, for those of you who read 50+ books a year, this may not be very impressive, but I hope it’s encouraging for those of you who want to read more that you can teach yourself how to be a better reader, little by little.
Today, I want to share the six best books I read in 2019, along with a brief description of what I liked about each one:
Summer is the perfect time for a new book (or three).
I love having a book with me when I fly or hop in the car for a long road trip, but also the everyday times like sitting by the pool or lake on a hot summer day or curled up in the sunroom on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I make a book list at the beginning of every year (here’s what I plan to read in 2019, in case you’re curious, like me).
This list will often change a little as I go through the year and pick up books here and there - from the used bookshop on the corner or the annual church rummage sale - or come across a newly-released book that I really want to read; but, I like to begin the year with a list of books (two per month, or so) already picked out so I have some direction.
Looking for a few books to add to your summer reading list? Here are a few of my favorites (+ a couple I’m planning to read myself!):
I’ve been thinking a lot about seasons lately - how they shift and change, pulling us into something new, yet familiar, inviting us to change right along with it.
There’s something so reassuring about picturing your life this way: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
This past season (since my Winter update) has been full of new things: new places, new friends, new challenges, new house projects, new habits.
This is life lately:
There’s something about winter that causes us to slow down, to reflect. I suppose you could say the same thing about any season: it’s really a matter of being intentional with your time and attention and being present.
I’m making it a practice to sit and write out some of my thoughts during each season this year - a practice I hope will help me cultivate a sense of peace and gratitude, recognize and acknowledge things I’m learning, and be more present.
We’re all works in progress, right? This is me, sharing where I am and what I’m learning along the way.
So, let’s pretend it’s the weather and say this reflection was inspired by quiet snow days and clean, winter-white landscapes, okay? This is life lately:
