2021 Book List

My goal for the year was 50 books, and I hit that in July! I definitely wasn't expecting that. But I was able to continue reading at a pretty good pace, finishing the year at 83 total books!

1. Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan // I started off the year with a light, fun read. I enjoy Jim Gaffigan's comedy, and liked his first book. This one was fun too! There were points when I felt like it was too much talk about food {too much food kind of grosses me out}, but I knew that going in, so I was able to power through and appreciate the silliness.

2. This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay // This book contained journal entries from a junior doctor. Parts of it were funny, parts were shocking, parts were fascinating. Overall, I found the journal narrative interesting, but I do think there was too much crudeness in some of his stories.

3. The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy Greene // I think The Office is probably my favorite TV show, so this was a fun book for me. It was fun to read about the story behind the show, and how it was made. There is input from the actors, writers, producers, makeup people, etc. If you're a fan of the show, I highly recommend this book.

4. Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself- While the Rest of Us Die by Garrett M. Graff // I really liked the author's oral history of 9/11, so I thought I would give another book of his a try. And the title was so intense haha. This was just as thoroughly researched, and it was interesting to read about all of the secret plans to preserve our government in the face of an attack. It got a little repetitive, but it was fascinating to learn about underground bunkers right around where we're living {in our county!} 

5. The Shadows by Alex North // I was on the edge of my seat reading this book. It was CREEPY. Like, don't read at night by yourself if you don't want to scare yourself haha. It was a lot darker than the author's first book, taking an other-worldly tone {it centers on a couple of high school kids who believe that they can sync their dreams and actually cause things to happen in real life: particularly, murder}. But the whole time I was reading it, I knew that it wasn't real, that the author was going to share the reality behind the supposed spiritual world. And he did. A fun {goosebump} read :)

6. Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker // This came highly recommended...and I should really know better by now haha. The premise was intriguing: two missing sisters, only one comes back. This was less suspense novel, and more twisted, messed-up family. And the ending was incredibly predictable; you knew the returning sister was lying from the start {even though the author didn't mean for that to be obvious}. Do not recommend.

7. Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore // Another book that left me pretty disappointed. There were too many characters, and too many details about said characters that completely detracted from the main storyline: a crime in a small Texas town. Readers are promised one story, but instead receive the background and memories of secondary characters that fail to move the story forward. Do not recommend.

8. The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump by Bandy X. Lee // This book was fascinating. Whatever your political leanings, it's worth a read. I can't speak to all of the rules of psychiatry {and whether the Goldwater rule applies, is violated, etc}. While there were certainly some obviously biased psychiatrists, most tried to just take the evidence as it is, basing their opinions on the decades of Trump's interviews, media statements, tweets, etc. I will say, the worst-case-scenarios these psychiatrists feared didn't happen in his presidency, but I still think they proved their point of all the damage he was able to cause.

9. One by One by Ruth Ware // I like this author, but I was disappointed in this book. The premise sounded really interesting: a group of people are snowed in, people keep dying, there's a killer among them, etc. But this was far from a thriller. The characters fell flat, the murderer was painfully obvious, and I just couldn't finish this book quick enough. 

10. Help! I'm Married to My Pastor: Encouragement for Ministry Wives and Those Who Love Them by Jani Ortlund // I appreciated this author's voice on things related to ministry wives. And the title just makes me laugh! It was pretty brief and too often trite; I would have liked for her chapters to be more in depth, more practical. But she offered godly wisdom that might be a good starting point to then dive in deeper with a mentor.

11. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley // This came up on my hold list at the library, and I had no idea it was pretty much the exact same premise as #9: a group of people snowed in, people keep dying, there's a killer among them, etc. While this one had slightly better story-telling, it was still an overall disappointment. And there were quite a few inappropriate things in the book too. I need someone to write this premise really well!

12. The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home by Russell Moore // I really appreciate Russell Moore's voice. In this book, he discusses family issues: relationship dynamics, marriage, divorce, kids, aging parents, stress within families, etc., and how they relate to the church and the gospel. It is really well-researched, full of good theology and practical application.

13. Consumed by Hate, Redeemed by Love: How a Violent Klansman Became a Champion of Racial Reconciliation by Thomas A. Tarrants // I enjoyed reading his story. It's amazing how the Lord changed this man's heart through reading the Word, and how doors were opened for him to minister to others. It was a little slow at times, but overall an interesting story.

14. Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker // This was a difficult read as it dives into the the dark world of escorts. It's sad to see how these women are forgotten, not receiving the proper investigation and justice. I did find the narrative verbose, so it was hard to stay interested amidst all the unnecessary details. It may not be fair to judge the book on the fact that the crimes have not been solved {that's not the author's fault}, but that was a factor in how I would rate/recommend this book, as it clouded the storyline and left me disappointed.

15. Under Our Skin: Getting Real About Race- And Getting Free From the Fears And Frustrations That Divide Us by Benjamin Watson // I have really appreciated Benjamin Watson's gracious commentary on both pro-life and racial issues. This book is no different. Each chapter expands on his feelings regarding racial divisions in our country, and I found it incredibly compassionate and overall helpful. It presents racism as {ultimately} a sin problem, but challenges the reader to evaluate their own biases, looking past their own lived experience to understand the lived experience of others. A great starting place in the conversation on race.

16. There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids by Linda Akeson McGurk // I enjoy reading how other cultures parent, and I have wanted to make sure we get more time outside. So this was a good book to read! I enjoyed reading about her experience of spending childhood outdoors, and it makes me want to look for forest schools in our area. I don't think there were any special secrets shared, but I appreciated how much nature is incorporated into Scandinavian life. 

17. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith // The first of the Cormoran Strike series. This was a mystery/detective read, and I really enjoyed it! This series is actually written by J.K. Rowling, so I was interested to read her writing. There were times when the story was slow, but the writing was so good that it kept me engaged the whole time. It has been a long time since I have read such good writing! I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

18. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith // The second of the Cormoran Strike series. Continuing along in J.K. Rowling's series, I found this book strange. It was so much slower than the last book, and it went back and forth between the actual mystery/detective storyline and the personal life of the detective. Which would be fine, except that the storyline was super bizarre, and I don't know how many more times I could read about the detective hurting his knee. Just not my cup of tea. I'll continue reading the series, but I hope the next book gets back on the track of the first book.

19.  Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage by Gavin Ortlund // I think this is an important book. The author argues for ranking theological issues in tiers, as they relate to the gospel, and then treating them accordingly. I think this is something seriously lacking in the American church today, which is why there are so many divisions and factions. He warns against theological sectarianism and theological minimalism {very important}. While I think the book is overall helpful, I do think that there were areas that are not explored/explained enough, and areas that are belabored. 

20. Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristen Kobes Du Mez // This one was difficult to give a starred review alone on Goodreads. I only gave it 2 stars, and yet I still think this book is worth the read. The tone of this book drips with disdain; the author clearly has a critical agenda. The author gives no definition for "evangelical," which is a huge problem. Many names were lumped all into the same camp, which is a glaring error in this book {James Dobson, Mark Driscoll, Jerry Falwell, and Tim Keller are not all in the same camp}. The author also seems to not understand many evangelical beliefs, at least not from a biblical standpoint. Instead of rightly evaluating a belief from a biblical standpoint and showing how some evangelicals have misinterpreted them wrongly {and thus condemning actions as sinful or unbiblical}, she just assumes the belief is bad because it's held by an evangelical {example: male headship/leadership is biblical, but male dominance/arrogance/abuse is sinful}. The author also makes a lot of assumptions and assigns motives to evangelical leaders without actually substantiating her claims. There is A LOT of correlation without proving causation. So overall, her case is confused, poorly supported, and too often misinformed. However, I still think evangelicals need to read and understand what the unbelieving world around us sees. While I can say that it's not fair to lump us all together {and it's not}, the reality is that the unbelieving world does lump us all together. All those "Christians" who do/say crazy things and "give us all a bad name," are still what the unbelieving world sees and judges as "Christian." So I think there's much to be learned from how we are perceived {right or wrong}, and then we must humbly evaluate our own hearts to make sure we are showing a dying world the real Jesus. Not a "John Wayne" {false} jesus. 

21. A Warning by Anonymous // An anonymous senior official provides a behind-the-scenes look at President Trump's behavior and offers a warning to the nation's voters about re-electing him. I don't know how much of this is true, but I don't have any reason to believe it's not. Most of what the author presents is in alignment with all that Trump said in public, so there's no surprise on his behavior. It seemed like the author really wanted to hope things would get better, that Trump would be a good leader, but after spending so much time with him, felt the need to warn the nation of how terrible his leadership really was. It was a fascinating read. You probably won't like it if you are a Trump supporter.

22. About Your Father and Other Celebrities I Have Known: Ruminations and Revelations from a Desperate Mother to Her Dirty Son by Peggy Rowe // This is Mike Rowe's mom {the guy from Dirty Jobs}. She is certainly a funny lady! While I chuckled throughout this book, I was somewhat disappointed. There were several points where it seemed disjointed, and it was distracting enough to make this a not awesome read. I wish this book had a better editing job.

23. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith // The third of the Cormoran Strike series. This book was back on track in the series. It still wasn't quite as good as the first book {#17}, but it was much better than the second {#18}. I'll continue reading the rest of the series. 

24. Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform by John F. Pfaff // In 2017, I read Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crowe. This book was recommended as a balance to that book and that author's conclusions. And I think it was a good balanced viewpoint to help understand criminal justice reform. Pfaff doesn't ignore race, or even say that all of Alexander's conclusions are wrong. But he does offer up a more broad and nuanced argument for the true causes to mass incarceration. And I think overall, he did a better job of presenting his case, even acknowledging the holes/challenges in his own theories. He focuses a lot on prosecutorial discretion and accountability, arguing that it's an entire segment of the criminal justice system that gets largely ignored in terms of data and analysis. A helpful, well-balanced book.

25. What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Moore // Probably the most nerdy book I have read haha. But I found this book so interesting. It's really absurd and nerdy, but I enjoyed it. 

26. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith // The fourth of the Cormoran Strike series. So I understand that it's not reality to have exciting, dramatic cases one after another, but I'm reading fiction, so I think we can suspend just a little bit of reality haha. I say that because I felt like this case was just so...bleh. The mysteries just weren't very compelling until the last part of the book. This one focuses more on the personal lives of Cormoran and Robin, and I guess I just prefer the mystery part.

27. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen // This is a really important book. Loewen shows how American history textbooks tend to reduce our history down to dates/events, while omitting anything unpleasant and preaching "America is great!" He fills in a lot of history that is lacking in our American textbooks, and he challenges the industry to produce textbooks that show the good, bad, and the ugly of our history, while teaching students to think critically, rather than just memorize facts. I would love to sit in on one of those history courses!

28. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution by Carl Trueman // This book was not quite as straight-forward as I was led to believe. While it isn't difficult, it does read like a university thesis paper. A lot of research went into the book. But I was left with the feeling of "so what?" when it was all said and done. Perhaps that wasn't the author's aim, but tracing the history of our modern cultural moment didn't help me engage it any more. I guess it's good to know how we got here, but it wasn't anything overly enlightening, or anything that couldn't simply be explained by "sin gives birth to death." I was slightly confused by all of the hype and praise for this book.

29. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith // The fifth of the Cormoran Strike series. This case was better {a cold case this time}, but the writing was still pretty slow. This was the longest book of the series so far, and it felt it. I found the characters more enjoyable, and I do look forward to continuing the series as they are published.

30. The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World by Brett McCracken // A simple, straight-forward book that places sources of wisdom in a pyramid, similar to the food pyramid. The author warns against our social media-saturated culture, without completely discounting it. Nothing profound or new, but a good resource, none-the-less. Would recommend.

31. There Are No Grown-Ups: A Mid-Life Coming-of-Age Story by Pamela Druckerman // I read her book on Parisian parenting a few years ago, which I really enjoyed. This book, however, was completely different. In my own personal opinion, it was uninteresting and not at all enjoyable. I barely finished it, and only because I kept thinking it would get better. Just wasn't for me.

32. Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say by Preston M. Sprinkle // I appreciated his sensitivity and seeming gentleness in how he approached the topic of transgenderism; he very much wants to preserve the humanity of each transgender person, which I think is very needed in the church. While I don't think this is an all-inclusive book, I learned a lot and think this is a good resource to begin learning how best to love and serve transgender people. 

33. Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben // I wanted to try a new author in the mystery/thriller genre, and I was very disappointed. The plot was ridiculous, the characters were corny, the sexuality was offensive {and completely unnecessary}, and there were so many typos. Do not recommend.

34. The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan // A story of a nanny that disappears and the woman who tries to piece together what happened {sort of}. I have read this author before, but I found this book somewhat disappointing. For being a mystery, it wasn't very mysterious. The pace was really off for me on this one, too. Too short of sentences. Too many and too quick sections. It just felt jilted the whole way through. The characters were so strange, and the ending was ridiculous. Didn't love this one.

35. The Twenty-Ninth Day by Alex Messenger // The author recounts his time in the Canadian wilderness and how he survived a grizzly attack. The first section of this book was really slow, but I'm glad I kept going. He described things in such detail, that you felt like you were actually there, experiencing the attack with him. I listened to the audio version {read by the author}, and I wouldn't recommend that. His voice is so dull and monotone, not at all reading with the emotion of being attacked by a bear. But I still found his story gripping, so I guess it couldn't have been that bad?

36. Idol Lies: Facing the Truth About Our Deepest Desires by Dee Brestin // This book has been on my to-read shelf for years, and I'm glad I finally read it. This is an honest look at how our hearts are idol factories. I love how she challenges the reader to seek Jesus to know Jesus, not for what He can give us. It was certainly thought-provoking. I do feel like it was a little lopsided, as the author talks a lot about the idol of control. I also thought she talked a lot about overeating. Overall, a good, quick, worthwhile read.

37. I See You by Clare Mackintosh // So I liked the premise of the "whodunnit" plot, but you have to suspend A LOT of reality for this book. It's just a little {or a lot} over the top. And the ending made me roll my eyes. Not my favorite thriller, but not the worst I have read.

38. Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica // There was a lot of back and forth in this book, both in perspective and time, which made it hard to follow. While it held my interest for most of the book, there was a lot of background story that just seemed unnecessary {all of the information on doulas, their role, women's healthcare, etc}. The author spent A LOT of time on those things, and it did absolutely nothing to advance the plot or overall story, so I was confused about why I was reading about it. Once all the pieces came together, it kind of left me scratching my head, not because I didn't understand the ending, but because I didn't understand why the whole book was written the way it was to arrive at that ending. 

39. A Change of Affection: A Gay Man's Incredible Story of Redemption by Becket Cook // Aside from my critique of this book and the writing, praise God for the redemptive work the Lord has done in this man's life. The fact that he can find His identity in Christ alone, is truly a testament to the work of the Holy Spirit. I appreciated his unashamed proclamation of truth, and His complete abandon of his old life. It's always hard to rate a memoir, because it's someone's lived experience, and I don't want to deny that. But I did find his writing and story-telling highly over-simplified. His story of conversion was powerful {credit to the power of God}, but it was laced with Christian-ese language that made it feel unrelatable {and I'm a Christian}. Simply by the way it was written, I don't believe this would be helpful for a non-Christian, or even someone struggling with homosexuality, despite the book's claims.

40. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman // I really appreciate Backman's writing and humor. This was right in line with A Man Called Ove, with all its quirkiness and during a real estate showing. It's a funny and thought-provoking glimpse into human nature and the anxieties we carry. Highly recommend.

41. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager // An apartment sitter finds mystery in one of Manhattan's most high-profile buildings. People keep disappearing, and she sets out to find the truth. A fun mystery/suspense novel.

42. Final Girls by Riley Sager // I got onto a Riley Sager kick and decided to read all of her available books :) The story of women labeled "Final Girls" after surviving horrific mass tragedies. This one was not as good, and seemed a bit silly in execution. Definitely my least favorite of her books.

43. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager // The last book didn't deter me, and I'm glad I kept reading this author. This is a ghost story of sorts {which I normally don't read}, and it was the perfect blend of suspense and mystery. To be fair {and spoiler coming}, I probably only liked it because it didn't actually end with any paranormal elements. All the paranormal occurrences were fully explainable, and probably the only reason I read this book.

44. Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible by Shannon Popkin // This was the first book for my summer book club! I gained a lot of insight into my own personal desires for control, and I felt like she offered biblically sound counsel on rooting out our sin of control to trust God. I do wish that the examples were more relatable to a wider audience of women {so not just the stay-at-home moms in the church}, and I think a couple of the women from the Bible she referenced didn't necessarily need an entire chapter devotion, but overall, I found this book helpful.

45. The Survivors by Jane Harper // Dark secrets in a small town. A current event triggers an investigation that digs up the past. Nothing revolutionary, but still kept my attention until the end.

46. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz // I had high hopes for this one. It was supposed to harken to the Agatha Christie days, but it just didn't get there for me. The format was different {a book within a book}, and honestly, I think that made it more difficult to follow. Between the 2 stories, I preferred the book within. But even those characters were flat and unlikeable, and I was just so disappointed. Outside of that inside book, you're inside the head of the main story's main character, and it was, quite frankly, boring. Confused? Yep. Do not recommend.

47. Comparison Girl: Lessons from Jesus on Me-Free Living in a Measure-Up World by Shannon Popkin // I wasn't able to get to this one in time for our summer book club discussion, but I still wanted to read it. I related to this one less than Control Girl, and I felt like she seemed to be grasping to fill the pages on this one. Still lots of good nuggets, but I was done with the "Friend, let me tell you..."  "Friend, this is how I see it." She was pushing too hard to be relatable. 

48. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty // I finished this book and immediately thought, "what in the heck did I just read?!?!" This has to go on my top 3 list of most bizarre books I have ever read. The only reason I finished it was because I had just had several books in a row that I didn't finish, so I forced myself to finish this one. I shouldn't have. This was a strange story, had weird characters, and I just don't even understand the rave reviews for it.

49. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid // A quick, easy read with a lot of interesting social commentary. It's a story about racism and class and coming of age. While it was a pretty decent thought-provoking read, it wasn't groundbreaking or overly fantastic. Given the serious and important nature of the topics presented, I felt like not enough weight and credence was given to them, based on the characters and storyline.

50. Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us by Christine Gross-Loh // I really enjoy reading about how different cultures approach parenting; I find it so fascinating. Perhaps I have read too many of these type of books already, because this felt much like the others. It seemed over-generalized, often seeming to emphasize how Japanese parenting is better and American parenting is terrible. So most of the book seemed to only focus on Japanese vs. American cultures, which would be fine, if that's how it was advertised {to be fair, she did mention some about Sweden and Italy}. It wasn't a bad book, and I did find it interesting to learn about Japanese parenting. 

51. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig // I really enjoyed this book! I'm not big into sci-fi, but this story was really interesting. It's the story of a woman who finds herself in the Midnight Library, a sort-of "in-between" after death. In it, she is able to choose a different story for her life, able to go back and make a different choice. She ultimately discovers what's most fulfilling in a life well-lived. Recommend!

52. The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You've Been Taught and How to Recover What God Intended by Sheila Wray Gregoire // I have read a good number of the books discussed in this one. And while I am thankful to not have been negatively influenced by the "purity culture," I can certainly see how some of the teaching and emphasis has caused harm. This book seeks to rectify that by pointing out the one-sidedness and lacking of a full Biblical context that many of those books present. I wouldn't necessarily throw out all of those books; it's a good reminder that you HAVE to read everything with open eyes and compare it ALL to Scripture. While I didn't quite agree with everything written, I do think this book provides a pretty balanced view on sex, so I do recommend it.

53. Meals from Mars: A Parable of Prejudice and Providence by Ben Sciacca // This book is a fictional story with the aim to start an honest conversation about race and prejudice. While the conversation that happens within the story may be oversimplified in some ways, I did find it helpful. And the author even wonders at the end how things might be different if people were willing to have these conversations, in a mature and humble way, even as messy and uncomfortable as they can be. A good, quick read.

54. The Minister's Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Doubt, Friendship, Loneliness, Forgiveness and More by Karen Stiller // I really enjoyed this memoir. It was a relatable, witty, and very honest view of being a minister's wife. I appreciated her view on varying topics like friendship, marriage, kids, moving, etc. I would recommend this book to all minister/pastor wives and those who want to love their own.

55. Ten Words to Live By: Delighting In and Doing What God Commands by Jen Wilkin // As always, Jen Wilkin did not disappoint. I have learned so much from this faithful teacher, and I am so thankful for her voice in women's ministry. This was an in-depth look at the heart behind the 10 Commandments, and I appreciate the way she able to say things in an easy-to-understand way.

56. How to Become a Federal Criminal by Mike Chase // I don't know why, but I really enjoy quirky reads like this. Completely useless information, but fascinating, nonetheless :)

57. Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane C. Ortlund // This was a deep, good read. More than once, I found myself having to stop, digest, and really ponder his writing, but it was a an overwhelmingly comforting book. To actually know the heart of Christ...not just know what He has done, but truly know his heart. I haven't read much of the Puritan writers, mostly because it's hard for me to follow them. So I was grateful for how Ortlund easily disseminated their writings/thoughts in an easier to understand way. Highly recommend.

58. Force of Nature by Jane Harper // This was the 2nd book in the Aaron Falk series, and I didn't realize that I missed the first book until after I finished this one. I felt like there was some backstory I must have missed, but honestly, it wasn't that crucial to the story, so it wasn't that weird to jump in mid-series. Five women go on a hiking trip for corporate team building, but only four women come back. A little slow at times, but overall a pretty decent mystery/thriller.

59. The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer // I actually really enjoyed this book...it made me want to homeschool. If you don't know me, you can't understand the magnitude of that statement! I was praying through our schooling options, and wanted to do some research, and this book made me want to homeschool, it made me excited about what my kiddos could learn, and it made me believe that I could actually do it. Definitely a fan of this homeschooling method {at least in theory haha}.

60. Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick // I actually found this book refreshing and helpful. It focuses on parenting from grace, rather than law; the gospel should be central in our parenting. I think that many of her conversation/teaching examples were helpful, even though many were entirely too verbose. But I took them for what they were: examples. I think this is one I will be coming back to over the years.

61. The Guardians by John Grisham // I hadn't read a John Grisham book in a long time, so this was more nostalgic than anything else. It was pretty slow, with more legal-ese than mystery/suspense, even given the plot {young lawyer is murdered, innocent man convicted and put in jail, new lawyer/minister fighting to exonerate him, deep secrets revealed, etc}. I did listen to the audiobook, so I wonder if the narrator was just too monotone. 

62. The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful Connections with Your Kids by Sarah Mackenzie // So I had a hard time rating this book. I liked the premise and resources: reading aloud to our kids has so many benefits, and we should make it a rhythm in our family life. She offered several examples for multiple age ranges. But I struggled with how repetitive the book was, and how much she wrote like reading aloud to your kids was the best and only way to connect with your kids and build meaningful relationships with them. It definitely inspired me to instill this practice into our own family rhythm, but it was probably less about this particular book, and more because it was an idea I was already mulling over while I was researching/considering homeschooling. 

63. The Associate by John Grisham // I tried another one, in hopes I could get a better read from him, but unfortunately, this one was even less exciting than the last one {#61}. Kind of a strange story, and definitely dragged on too long. Such a bummer.

64. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien // I put "Read The Lord of the Rings Trilogy" on my {40 Before 40} list. While I realize this one isn't actually part of the trilogy itself, I decided to start off with this one. Again, this one is a hard one for me to rate. I don't enjoy fantasy books; it's just not my thing. But I do enjoy the Lord of the Rings movies {though The Hobbit was not my favorite of the cinematic features}. I very much appreciate Tolkien's writing; he has a way of bringing the fantasy worlds to life, and I appreciate his story-telling abilities. That being said, I still struggle with the fantasy aspect of worlds filled with goblins and wizards and dwarves. I guess I just don't feel the "magic" or "fantasy" of it all; it just seems a bit strange and silly to me. I am going to push through to read the actual trilogy, in hopes that I enjoy those more {in the same way I did with the movies}. 

65. Hostage by Clare Mackintosh // A pretty entertaining read. {For me}, it was a little silly when the "terrorists' were revealed {and the reasons for them taking hostages}, but I thought the writing was clever and overall enjoyed the read.

66. American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI by Kate Winkler Dawson // I enjoyed this true crime narrative, which recounts the birth of modern criminal investigation. It follows the career of Edward Oscar Heinrich, who is known as the "American Sherlock Holmes." As a lover of true crime, CSI, mystery/thriller reads, I enjoyed this one! Some of the cases/stories seemed too detailed and off-topic, but most of it seemed to tie in just fine.

67. If You Tell by Gregg Olsen // This book was AWFUL. The level of abuse that these sisters endured at the hands of their mother was horrifying. I wasn't familiar with the true story, so I just kept reading, basically more horrified the more I read. I kept hoping there was going to be some redemption. And while the sisters did finally break free and their mother was arrested, the way the author wrapped up the book just fell flat. So I just felt icky after reading this book. The writing wasn't that great either, so skip this. Trust me. I really wish this was on my DNF list...

68. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer // This was a fantastic book. A former mega-church pastor who sought to slow down and fight back against our "hurry culture." Really interesting and convicting, and I appreciate his suggestions to slow down. I was really inspired to implement many of his strategies. I definitely recommend this one!

69. Where I Left Her by Amber Garza // I was intrigued by this story, but it just seemed to drag on too long. I felt like the main character just kept saying the same things over and over. And the "twist" at the end was not as shocking as I think it was meant to be. Meh.

70. The Lost Man by Jane Harper // I just thought this one was too slow. While some have described it as "atmospheric," I just felt like it was an endless, repetitive description of the desert. I was completely un-invested in the characters, and the quasi-mystery story that played out in the background. Not my favorite read.

71. The Dry by Jane Harper // This one was much better; I guess I enjoy the Aaron Falk storyline better from this author. Small town secrets, reckoning with the past...a typical mystery and interesting read.

72. To Tell the Truth by Gilly Macmillan // Famous writer has a secret past; husband goes missing. This one was also really slow. And the ending came out of left field...and not in a good way. Totally implausible. And I was frustrated that the author left some things unexplained. Meh.

73. The Lying Game by Ruth Ware // Boarding school friends play a game of lies. Told in flashbacks to past back to present. I felt like I didn't ever really get a good picture of the girls' friendship {aside from the game they played}. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't great.

74. Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service by Carol Leonnig // While I can't speak to the accuracy of all of these accounts, I did find the history presented extremely interesting. A unique glimpse behind the scenes of the Secret Service. An easy and entertaining read.

75. The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry // This is not the typical genre I read, but I still enjoyed this one. The story is told over the course of 10 summers between 2 best friends who are complete opposites. While you definitely know the story is leading to them getting together in the end, I appreciated that it wasn't an unrealistic fairy tale. There was enough conflict and struggle to make it interesting and somewhat believable. A good beach read. As a warning: there is a pretty steamy sex scene, one you can easily skim past.

76. Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America by Chris Arnade // The author left Wall Street to document poverty and addiction in the Bronx, which then led him to drive across the country and see how the rest of the country compared. There were some interesting stories, and it definitely makes you think about how "the back row" lives. It's not always as simple as getting a job, moving out of a bad area, etc. While I appreciated the stories and perspective, there's not a lot of actual research behind this book. It is simply anecdotal stories and the author's opinions. So take it for what it is.

77. Alone by Lisa Gardner // Book #1 of Detective D.D. Warren Series. A state trooper/sniper is called to a hostage situation, where he ends up pulling the trigger and dealing with the fallout of that decision. While I enjoyed this book, I was completely confused, because the D.D. Warren character was only a brief mention, not a main character at all. So I read the next one...

78. How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life by Catherine Price // The first half of the book gives some research behind the adverse affects that phone-use has on cognitive function. Super helpful and terrifying. The second half of the book was a concrete plan to remove phone usage in your life. Helpful, though pretty intense. It gave me some confidence that maybe my phone usage is not quite that bad {compared to what the author describes}, but it was still eye-opening and challenging. I think it's a helpful read, no matter what level of phone usage you have.

79. Hide by Lisa Gardner // Book #2 of Detective D.D. Warren Series. A gruesome discovery on the grounds of an abandoned mental health institution, leads detectives on the search for a possible copycat to a serial killer. Again, I was intrigued by this book, and D.D. Warren had a little bit more of a role in this book, but still not a main character...

80. Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History by John Dickson // Thoroughly researched and comprehensive history of the Christian church. I appreciated his balanced view, not sugar-coating or making excuses for any part of the Church's history. The author included the history of both Catholicism and Protestantism. I do wish that he had made more of a distinction for some actions done by those who did things in the name of Jesus, who were not in reality Christians. But I also understand why he didn't, probably to keep from the appearance of minimizing some actions. To be fair, in several instances, he did make distinctions on specific teachings of the church and how they contradicted specific actions. Overall, an interesting, well-researched read.

81. The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner // Book #3 of Detective D.D. Warren Series. A young mother goes missing and her husband is the main suspect, especially since he is not offering much help in the search for her. FINALLY the book that actually has D.D. Warren as the main {detective} character, but I didn't like it. I liked the other previous detective character {Bobby Dodge} better. I might try one more in the series to give this character a chance, but we'll see...

82. Don't Mom Alone by Heather MacFadyen // As moms, we often try to do it all, and alone at that. The author encourages moms to risk being vulnerable and seek out relationships to do motherhood in community. For this book, I would say to save the good nuggets and ignore the rest. There were several good pieces of wisdom, but unfortunately, it leaned just a few too many times toward worldly "follow your dreams," "you are enough," "make yourself happy" pieces of advice. Not necessarily the book I would recommend to all moms, especially not young or immature believers.

83. Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics by Ross Douthat // The author states that most of modern American Christianity is unorthodox, which he asserts is bad for religion and bad for the country {which I agree}. He describes various heresies that have taken over American Christianity, from Gnosticism and the "God Within" gospel to the Prosperity gospel and Christian Nationalism. His solutions include being "political without being partisan" and a return to orthodox Christianity. He offers a fairly convincing argument, and I thought this was a fascinating read.

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Books I started but didn't finish:

• Parkland: Birth of a Movement by Dave Cullen // This book was "meh." I read his first book, Columbine, which was so thoroughly researched and so well written. This felt rushed and disorganized. I didn't understand a good number of the side stories. And while I knew this book was going to be different {the first focusing on the events, the people, the stories of that day, this one focusing more on the movement that the kids launched after the events}, I found it pretty dull. 
• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson // I have avoided putting this on my DNF list for 2 years now. But I have tried to make it through this book multiple times. And I just can't. It's not a bad book. It's just really long, and I just haven't been able to get into it. I gave it a valiant effort for 2 years, but I just have to move on. Maybe I can pick it up again in the future. But for now, I'm going to stop torturing myself and stop renewing it at the library {again}.
• Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy // This was a difficult read. The whole thing was just so sad. The author tried to tackle the painful, controversial issues of racial injustice, particularly as it relates to why so many black men are murdered in South Los Angeles. This wasn't a bad book, there were just too many details, and I just couldn't stay focused. 
• The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfeld // I read another book by this author a couple of years ago, and really liked it, so I thought I'd try another. It was just too slow. I read a few reviews that said that it was slow until about the last 20% of the book, with a less than impressive ending, so I just decided I didn't want to wade through any more. 
• Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges // This wasn't a bad book. But it was highly repetitive, so I just decided that I didn't want to finish it. I felt like I got the overall gist about half way through, and skimming ahead didn't seem to show any shift in narrative.
• The Substitute by Nicole Lundrigan // I started this book, but found it to be fairly disturbing right off the bat, so I decided not to continue with it. Perhaps it could have been better the further I read, but I didn't want to stick around and find out.