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Of the 58 books I read in 2021, here are my top ten favorite ones.

1. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino

This is not a book about sales, though it would certainly help if you are in sales. It’s really a book about how to get the most out of life and how to be the best version of yourself.

It’s about man who inherits 10 ancient scrolls that are the ‘secret to success’. Each scroll has a powerful message.

I will go back to this book again and again.

Here is just one quote from the book:

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2. Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

I loved this book. I felt like I was listening to my grandfather describe his life from a beautiful, bygone era as I read about the simple life of Jayber Crow.

Jayber Crow is a book you want to read when you can sit back, relax, put your feet up and just enjoy a good story.

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3. The Last Arrow by Erwin McManus

Erwin shares one phenomenal story after another, connecting what God teaches in the Bible to real people putting that into action, and the POWER that action had in their lives. Here are a few of my five favorite points from the book:

1. You need to act like your life depends on it because it’s never just your life involved. The world desperately needs everything you can bring to the table.
2. You will never sustain greatness or fulfill your God-given calling if you see people as an obstacle to your destiny rather than as essential to fulfilling God’s purpose in your life. An old African saying: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We are more powerful when we walk together, and we are more vulnerable when we walk alone.
3. Fear is like a leprosy that eats away at us. Fear will lead us to build fortresses that look like security and safety. Fear convinces us that we have locked out the dangers, but it hasn’t locked the world out at all. Instead, fear has trapped us inside. It was never a fortress, it was a prison.
4. I do not believe anyone is born average but I do believe that many of us choose to live a life of mediocrity. To be above average demands a choice. Average is a safe choice and it’s the most dangerous choice we can make.
5.  Do not lose sight of the fact that just because it’s time to move forward, the things in the past did not have great value for the time in your life. Appreciate the past, but live IN the present and FOR the future. 

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4. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This fantastic book was written nearly 100 years ago, but applies to life today. The book covers topics such as:

• dealing with difficult people, 
• navigating tough conversations, 
• making a positive impression, 
• speaking so others listen, etc. 

If you haven’t read this one in awhile, add it to your 2022 reading list!

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5. Clara Barton by Janet Benge

I’d heard of Clara Barton in connection with the Red Cross, but never knew what a fascinating life she led!

Reading (or listening to) stories like this gives me hope for each human. Clara was a simple girl that noticed a gap and problem, then filled the gap and help solved the problem. We can do great things by starting small. 

I’m thankful for women like Clara because she carved the way for a woman like me, She was a leader before women were allowed to lead. She was hard-working, creative, respectful, but bold. 

I listened to this book on my free Hoopla app and recommend it for moms and their daughters to listen to together.

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6. Anonymous by Alicia Britt Chole

As I closed this book, I hugged it in deep appreciation. Oh, how I needed to hear those beautifully written words.

I recommend this to someone new in town, who may feel ‘anonymous,’ or to someone whose dreams haven’t been realized.

Here are 5 points from the book:

• Why would Jesus announce the birth of his precious son with a full angelic choir, then hide this priceless gift for three decades?  Because what is hidden is not unimportant.
• God’s first public words to Jesus were not directional (go there) or instructional (do this) it was relational: THIS IS MY SON!  God spoke affirmation before Jesus had ever done any good works.
• Every day, we invest in a future we cannot see. Time is not really spent, it is invested in a future we cannot see. 
• Jesus could stand strong in public because he stood still in private. He intentionally pursued quiet places.There is healing in stillness. 
• Savor the anonymous season. Respect it’s potential.

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7. Before you Split by Toni Nieuwhof

This is the best marriage book I’ve ever read. I picked it up, not because I was ready to ‘split,’ but simply curious on the advice she’d give from the perspective of a divorce attorney.

I had no idea how truly insightful and helpful this book would be to EVERY SINGLE MARRIED PERSON!

Here are 5 take-aways:

• Your marriage can go from that bad to this good. No matter how troubled or even chaotic your marriage may seem, you have more control over its future than you think.
• Ask yourself and people you trust: “What is it like to be on the other side of me?“
• Your spouse can’t make you happy. Happiness is something you bring to a relationship, not something you get from it.
• There’s danger in allowing the emotions you’re experiencing right now to lead you to make long-term decisions. Yes, your emotions are real. Examine them. Learn from them. But don’t give them the lead role.
• Find friends who will help you WIN in your marriage. Surround yourself with WISE, trustworthy, and objective friends who help you make better decisions. Your friends help you lean into or away from your marriage.

Do your marriage a favor and read this book.

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8. The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garret Graff

This book was captivating because it shared so many different stories of the people who were directly impacted by the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.

I read this book twice this year – first reading the book, then listening to the audiobook. Both were excellent, but I loved that the audiobook contained REAL RECORDINGS from that day. It was powerful.

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9. Front Desk by Kelly Yang

This book is so entertaining, you won’t want to put it down. My son kept asking: “Can we read another chapter?” 

It’s the story of a girl and her parents who moved to the US from China. They get jobs at a motel in California. Mia, only 10 years old, runs the front desk. The book tells interesting stories about the guests who come to the motel, and gives insight into what it’s like to be an immigrant. The stories are endearing and you will fall in love with the characters! 

Because Clark is such an active kid, he doesn’t usually want to sit and read. This is one of the first books where he actually loved sitting with me and reading together. It was one of the sweetest memories of the summer. 

My son said: “I wish this book would never end.” I felt the same.

Parent tip: Keep trying new books until you find one your kid loves!

Read this book with kids ages 8-12.

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10. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

I’ve heard of and even quoted this author many times, but didn’t read his book until this last year. It’s a beautiful and hard book to read. Victor Frankl is a psychologist who survived Auschwitz – partially by using the techniques he taught his clients. One thing I loved was that he tried to find a way to laugh every day while imprisoned. He and another Jewish man would think up silly stories to share. Finding humor in the worst situation helped them survive.

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Here’s a picture snapshot of my Top Ten Books from 2021:

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There you have it! My favorite books of 2021.

What was your favorite book of the year or which book from this list do you want to read in 2022? Leave a comment by clicking on the box by the TITLE of this post.

Click here for the list of 58 books I read in 2021 and how I find time to read.

Click here to read my favorite books of 2020.

Click her for my favorite books of 2019.

Click here for my favorite books of 2018.

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