I managed to hit my goal again this year. I set that goal at 52 books… one per week. I am still reading up until midnight on the 31st so I still have two books in progress and finished an audiobook yesterday so I am currently at 53 and shooting for 55…. my age! LOL This list of favorites is from the 53 I have read so far. It is a list of the cream of the crop. It will be nonfiction heavy this year because that is what drew my attention the most in 2021. Here we go…. in no particular order.

• Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl – The first part of the book is about Frankl’s experiences in Nazi Germany in a concentration camp. He talks a lot about the psychology of survival and used what he learned to shape his career after he was released. It was utterly fascinating!
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith – This is the story of a young girl coming of age in the 1910s in Brooklyn, NY. I had never read this book before even though it is considered a classic. It was a beautiful historical fiction novel of a family and their struggles pre-WW1 in New York. It was very insightful about inner city life and very revealing about class, culture, and how America looked during one of the largest periods of immigration in our nation. I would reread this book in a heartbeat, it was that good!
• A Christian Manifesto by Francis Schaeffer – Schaeffer has written a magnificent book that has withstood the test of time. This is a very eye opening and, yet, an encouraging book for today’s Christian. It gives much insight into the idea of humanism (from the original Humanist Manifesto of 1933) vs. biblical perspective on the world. Schaeffer addresses how we were shaped by those humanist ideas. He encourages us as Christians, to seek out God’s word and wisdom going forward to turn the tide for our own children. This book is full of truth and practical application. Schaeffer’s writings are just as relevant today as they were when he wrote them 40 years ago.
• Your Mind Matters by John R. W. Stott – Stott concisely but thoroughly uses Biblical truth to show us that it is very important that we believe truth. What we think and believe really matters. What we put into our eyes, ears, and minds impacts and shapes us. We must be intentional about what we do with our minds. This book is under 100 pages but packed full of biblical truth and encouragement.
• Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon – I have loved this entire series but this book was especially endearing. Father Tim is now in his retirement years trying to live a retired life. The beloved cast of characters in the series refuse to let him. It is a lovely story of faith, family, friends, and community. I always love visiting Mitford. I will be heading to a wedding in Mitford in 2022 (in the pages of her next book) and, hopefully, finishing up the series by year’s end.
• A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin – Tiny little book that packs a wallop! Clear and Concise instruction for the Christian in any era. This is another one of those books that has just as much relevancy today as it did when John Calvin wrote it. My copy is now on loan to my daughter. Every Christian should read this book!
• Journaling Psalter (The book of Psalms – ESV) – This is a beautiful copy of the Psalms with loads of journaling space between each chapter. It is from Crossway Publishing and well worth picking up for your daily reading time.
• Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund – This is a beautiful book on the nature of Christ. It is very biblically sound. I have to admit, in the modern world of Christian publishing, I often approach a new book with great skepticism. This book quickly won me over. Orlund gives a true picture of Christ unlike any that I have read outside of scripture itself. That is not to say a book has not been written that is just as beautiful. It falls completely in line with the truth of Christ in the Bible. I believe the best result of this book is that we fall more in love with Jesus and that can only be good. It is a slow paced book that warrants slow digestion. I highly recommend this for your personal devotional reading. It will bless you.
• Live Not by Lies by Rod Dreher – This book is a crucial analysis of Solzhenitsyn’s original Gulag Archipelago. Dreher did a lot of research for this book. He, in his forthright fashion, takes us on a journey of juxtaposition. He looks back to the time of the Russian Revolution to give us some background. Then he brings us forward to modern day America. His analysis reveals some things we should pay attention to that line up with signs of warning that socialist/communist nations ignored. This book is very important. After I read this one I snagged an audio copy of his book, The Benedict Option. It was not as impactful for me but still a very thoughtful book, maybe because my children are older. I have really loved Dreher’s work for a long time… starting with his book, Crunchy Cons. I don’t always agree with everything he says but still find him insightful in many things.
• The Wisdom Pyramid by Brett McCracken – I loved this book’s premise so I bought it for my husband and then I read it. We both loved it! It is a great book on the wisdom of what we feed our spirit each day. He talks about all the things that benefit us and how limiting social media should be part of that process. He uses the “food pyramid” format to show us the most important things we should put in each day. We should start with scripture. The thing we should use sparingly is social media and internet entertainment. There are other things that fall between those things and he spends each chapter expounding on the importance of each level. This was a very helpful book!
• Blogging for God’s Glory in a Clickbait World by Benjamin Vrbicek and John Beeson – If you are a Christian blogger who wants to blog for God’s glory and His Kingdom this is a must read. I learned a lot from these guys!
• Faultlines by Voddie T. Baucham, Jr. – I will say first and foremost that the media and some reviewers on the internet got this book so wrong. They either did not read it or they completely missed the point. It is not about slamming a non-christian world. It is not even really intended for non-christians at all. It is a warning to Christians to be on the right side of the issues of race, gender, critical theory, and woke-ism. It is a warning FOR THE CHURCH! The CHURCH should read this book and heed it’s warnings. It is a very biblically sound text full of love and encouragement from the heart of a precious pastor. He shares his own experiences growing up and how God saved him. His testimony is so moving. Don’t get Voddie wrong here… read it for yourself and stop listening to the world’s impressions. God is using this man’s words to wake Christians up. Just read your Bibles and then read this book in a spirit of discernment and truth.

I read a lot of books on living the Christian life in a world full of turmoil this year. It seemed really important for me to do so. I suspect that theme will carry over into 2022 for me. I am reading less and less from modern day fiction and nonfiction because I have felt they were leading to unbiblical thinking and untruth. We must, as Solzhenitsyn says in his Gulag Archipelago, choose to “live not by lies.” We must seek out the truth and live by that at every turn. I will boldly say here that the Bible is the only reliable truth there is in this world. If you want truth you must go there. With that in mind I do have an honorable mention from the end of year books that I highly recommend. Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot is one of the most relevant books of our time.

She wrote this book to her daughter who was getting married to a man called to pastoring. It is full of biblical truth about the roles women play in life and in marriage. It is a beautiful book and a must read for young Christian women (single, widowed, married, divorced, etc). Older women can certainly glean things from this beautiful book, too. I know I did! Seek to know truth above all else and refuse to speak or write something you do not believe. I believe more and more that we must be very discerning with our reading and listening. I am making that commitment again this next year and in the years to come. Until next time….

May your reading be intentional!

~Leann