Favorite Books of 2017!

One year I’ll get my life together and actually get this post up before the February, but we’re in mid-March and its still on my to-do list. Oops!

Long Story Short : Each year I have a goal to read 30 books. That’s 2-3 books/month. Some months I read 5. Some months I read 0. (Wedding season, ya’ll). I’ve loved reading since I was young. I used to get in trouble for staying up past my bedtime reading “The Boxcar Children”. Things haven’t changed much. I still stay awake too late some nights with a book that I can’t put down. And there is nothing that makes stress disappear in my life faster than a good book & a hot bath.

I’m going to highlight my favorite books of the year here & at the bottom I will list out all of the books I read this year! I read a mix of books this year, and for the first time I enjoyed fiction. I prefer a memoir style book, or a business book to teach me & give me inspiration. I love when a writer tells good stories. I love feeling like I gain a friend by the time a book is over. This year I read 26 books. There were a few that I started and put down after a while when they weren’t really doing anything for me. There is nothing worse than a book that you don’t enjoy reading. Life is too short. Put down the books you don’t like and find one you LOVE. Then, you will finally learn what it feels like to get lost in a book. Find the genre that you love the most.

I love following my favorite authors on social media & looking at the books THEY are reading. This is one of the ways I have found my favorite books. Authors know what good writing is. It’s like asking your foodie friends where to go to dinner – you’re always going to get a good recommendation.

I won’t say which book, but there was a line in one of the books I read this year that talked about people in their “20’s”. It rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn’t shake my frustration & disappointment that a writer would paint with such a broad brush a whole DECADE of humans – of which I was included. So – I did a thing. I e-mailed the writer. Just asking for clairfication and explaining how it made me feel. AND GUESS WHAT? They e-mailed me back. WHAT WHAT WHAT? I could not believe it. They understood my feelings & apologized. This changed my life. I LOVE authors. You know why? Because writing is such a personal job. So they take very seriously the comments and questions from their readers. I want to be like that in my own life.

Onto the books! These are my top picks! 

Option B – by Sheryl Sandburg & Adam Grant : THIS BOOK. This book is about adversity, resilience, and grief. Sheryl Sandburg tells her own story about losing her husband – but also uses research to show you how to not only work through your own adversity, but how to be a support when your friends are going through hard things.

Frientimacy – Shasta Nelson : Does anyone else feel like adult friendship is hard? I do. I’ll just be honest. This book is practical & it helped me see areas I need to work on in my own life in regards to my friendships. Things are not as easy as when we were in school spending 5 days a week together. I thought this book was very insightful!

Cherish – Gary Thomas : Are you married? Are you in a relationship? Are you hoping to be one day? BUY THIS BOOK. Loved the heart of this book & the practical advice on how to cherish one another. It was encouraging. Instead of hearing how “hard” marriage is – Gary Thomas shows us with practical advice how to have a marriage full of love, joy, and closeness. Highly recommend!

At Home in the World – Tsh Oxenrider : Tsh tells the real life story of her & her husband traveling the world for 9 months with their 3 children. I LOVED THIS BOOK. It’s not a “how-to” book, but more of a memoir style. It made me crave travel. AND it made me realize that adventure does not have to stop once parenthood begins! Love that Tsh and her husband took their children WITH them on this adventure. I am sure they will remember this for the rest of their lives! If anything, read it for the amazing writing and to add a few places to your bucket list! I know I did!

Finish – Jon Acuff : One of the best business books I’ve ever read. Has to do with goal setting & actually ACCOMPLISHING your goals. The things that keep us from finishing what we started, and strategies to make reaching your goals easier. Jon is one of my favorite people to follow on social media also – he is hilarious and also is always giving practical advice.

The Turquoise Table –  Kristin Schell : This book about hosting & community in your neighborhood! I LOVED the practical advice she gives and the stories about how she cultivated a community of people right around her who she can count on. It is totally what I desire in my own life! Really encouraging.

The Go-Giver – Bob Burg & John David Mann : This book is written like a story, but is one of the very best business books. So many gems & pieces of wisdom you can use in almost any area of life. Easy read, I read it in a day.

A list of all the books I read in 2017 : 

Yes, Chef – Marcus Samuelsson

A Man Called Ove – Fredrick Backman

Finish – Jon Acuff

Option B – Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant

How’s Your Soul? – Judah Smith

If – Mark Batterson

What Falls From the Sky – Esther Emery

Choosing Real – Bekah Jane Pogue

Never Unfriended – Lisa Jo Baker

At Home in the World – Tsh Oxenrider 

The Turquoise Table – Kristin Schell

Cultivate – Lara Casey 

Nothing to Prove – Jeanie Allen 

Wind Words – Rob Kaple 

Messy Beautiful Friendship – Christine Hoover

Frientimacy- Shasta Nelson

A Wrinkle In Time – Madeleine L’Engle 

Of Mess & Moxie – Jen Hatmaker

Gift of the Sea – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

A Simplified Life – Emily Ley

Notes From a Blue Bike – Tsh Oxenrider

Church of the Small Things – Melanie Shankle

Love Lives Here – Maria Goff

Simply Tuesday – Emily P. Freeman

Cherish – Gary Thomas 

The Go-Giver – Bob Burg & John David Mann