After last year’s book-reading growth spurt, I didn’t know if I would match the momentum this year. The past twelve months have held a lot of grief and loss for our family and I wasn’t sure I would or could keep up the pace.

But, I think reading became such a companion for me last year, and was a continued friend and support that I could turn to to rest, learn, grieve, escape and grow.

My journey with books this year was interesting.

I read more books on grief than I wanted–which was helpful and painful at the same time.
I lost a lot of my personal library in our house flood–and then watched books and bookstore gift cards show up at my doorstep, in my mailbox, and on my desk at work over the following weeks as friends and family slowly replaced my library. I am always so humbled and grateful when I look at my shelves, each book is a reminder of God’s blessings in the midst of sorrow.
I dove into both The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter series this year–they were so, so special and made up 2/3 of my top six reads for this year.
I joined a book club, which I was happily able to cross off my bucket list.

Here is my 2021 book list, with stars next to my six favorites:

Grieving with Hope – Samuel J. Hodges IV, Kathy Leonaard
A Grief Observed – C.S. Lewis⭐️
In Five Years – Rebecca Serle
The Midnight Library – Matt Haig
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy – Mark Vroegop⭐️
Fear Not!: Death and the Afterlife from a Christian Perspective – Ligon Duncan
Just Mercy – Bryan Stevenson
The Magician’s Nephew – C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis⭐️
Talking as Fast as I Can – Lauren Graham
The Horse and His Boy – C.S. Lewis
Prince Caspian – C.S. Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – C.S. Lewis
The Silver Chair – C.S. Lewis
The Last Battle – C.S. Lewis⭐️
Suffering – Paul David Tripp
The Yellow Bird Sings – Jennifer Rosner
Good Grief – Granger E. Westberg
Suffering is Never for Nothing – Elisabeth Elliot
Home Work – Julie Andrews
The Giver of Stars – Jojo Moyes
True Love – Jennifer Lopez
A Good Neighborhood – Therese Anne Fowler
Born Standing Up – Steve Martin
The Last Letter from Your Lover – Jojo Moyes
The Rooftoppers – Katherine Rundell
GriefShare: Your Journey from Mourning to Joy – David & Nancy Guthrie
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – J.K. Rowling⭐️
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J.K. Rowling⭐️
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J.K. Rowling
Wildflower – Drew Barrymore
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – J.K. Rowling
Mama Bear Apologetics – Hillary Morgan Ferrer
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers – Dane C. Ortlund
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling
Double Time: How I Survived–and Mostly Thrived–Through the First Three Years of Mothering Twins – Jane Roper
A Sweet & Bitter Providence – John Piper
Firekeeper’s Daughter – Angeline Boulley
Christmas with L.M. Montgomery – L.M. Montgomery
A Redbird Christmas – Fannie Flagg
The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint Exupéry
The Christmas Pig – J.K. Rowling
The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas – Ann Voskamp
Shadow and Light: A Journey into Advent – Tsh Oxenreider
New Morning Mercies – Paul David Tripp

You can find my ratings and reviews on Goodreads!

Something helpful I did this year to aid in my goal of reading more was removing all social media apps on the home screen of my iPhone and replacing them with bookish apps–Goodreads, Audible, Libby, Kindle, etc.

I really enjoy having those apps front and center and find myself passing time by seeing what friends are reading, researching books or reading more myself!

What did you read this year?
What’s on your list for next year?

Let’s be friends on Goodreads!