Books of 2023

I did a great job keeping tracks of my 2023 books through April and then didn't. This year also felt really haphazard on the books I read. Just what ever fell into my lap basically. I miss not having a book club. I'm ringing up around 40 books for 2023. I'm certain I've missed a handful with my poor tracking for half of the year.

 

 I completed my 3rd year reading through the Bible. This year I used The Bible Recap which goes through the Bible chronologically. You read assigned daily Bible section and then listen to a "recap" of that section. It's super informative and really helps you to understand the passages. I highly recommend it.

 

An author and her daughter go to a cabin in Winthrop, WA for the summer (I adore Winthrop in real life, so it was fun to have it as the setting). A murder mystery unfolds in the small town. Easy read. Surprise ending. Slightly suspenseful. 

This was an assigned book for Shane last school year as a freshman. I read it while he was reading it. Incredible read of a Holocaust survivor. No matter how many books I read on the Holocaust, never can I wrap my head around the horror of all of it.

An older book and a very random read. It was suggested to me because of it's content on managing people and leadership. Overall an interesting take on running a business. 

A mystery that was long and drawn out. Weak side story lines. Interesting enough to read to finish it but not to suggest it. 

A true story of a women's experience as a child in the foster care system. Where she was able to find family and faith. 

This would make a great book club book. So much to ponder. Lots of parallels that could be debated. It was a bit slow, but super thought provoking. 

Butterflies Set Free Translated by Katie Gallagher (no image)

True stories of human trafficking. Mind numbing sad. One of the best books I've read on this topic that fully shows how people end up in these situations and how with rescuing they can recover. 

The life story of a book store owner. Full of life lessons, romance, friendship and sadness. A recommended read. 

A Christian fiction book with the main topic of grief. 

True story of a death, time in heaven and return from death. 

A not practicing Jewish man lives the Bible as literal as possible for a year. Such an interesting and thought provoking read. My reading of it was perfectly timed after I had read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy in the Bible. He drove me crazy and I wanted to shout at him so many times. His literal comparison was a bit much for me, but he did a lot of research. He never ended up excepting God, yet interestingly he truly became a better person through the experience. 

 A sweet romantic mystery involving friendship and family history. 

An older book with incredible thoughts and ideas on food. I didn't fully agree with some of her thoughts overall. Replicating this would be extremely difficult (honestly just about impossible). It was inspiring for sure. 

A great frame work for engaging children into a Christian world view. Not rocket science but laid out well in a great reminder. A quick and short read.

A short story that took about 1 hour to read. It was so good though I didn't want it to end. 

This is potentially part of a series, but I didn't realize that. I think I found it sitting in the airport with a note saying up for grabs. 

I saw this author speak at a conference. Her life tail is fascinating, multiple personalities and trauma. I had high hopes for this book, but it was a bit hard to read in how it was written.

World War II setting. A family takes in an orphan Jewish baby as their own. Recommended read. 

 Good overall classic bestseller. Enjoyed the characters and the plot. 

This book really imprinted imagery in my head. I often feel like I watched this as a movie instead of reading it. 

 A quick and easy read. Good principals and reminders. 

I won this book from a blogger friend. It was a sweet easy read that really brought a peace to my heart. Tales of a Mom who hasn't had an easy path parenting and I could relate and it felt good. 

This book was so powerful. It really helped me to understand Shane's brain and how we can support him. I highly encourage anyone to read this (or some of his other versions) if you have someone in your life with an ADHD brain. 

Oh how I wish this book was written 16 years ago! Hands down the best parenting book ever. This could easily be the only parenting book basically worth reading (and I've read a TON of them!). I highly recommend it. 

I love the concept of this book. I can't say I have a full life council though. 

A sweet fun read about a church community and it's pastor. 

What a fantasy tale! I've never read anything like this. Great read. It appears to be book 1 of a series, though I haven't read any others. 

I can't remember anything about this book. 

 

The tales of a family with 3 children traveling the world. A fascinating read. I can't imagine doing it myself especially with my 2 kids. I love the idea though. 

Fascinating book! In my top 5 of this year. Highly recommend it.

Absolutely the most comprehensive book on heaven. Biblically based and thoroughly researched. It's lengthily and a little redundant. Each chapter takes on a different question and there are something like 45 chapters. I read a chapter a night. Highly recommended.

A good thriller. 

 

Come November, I turn to cheesy Christmas books. My first Christmas book of 2023. I grabbed it at Costco. Don't read this book.  

 This is a perfect Christmas book. 

 Another perfect Christmas book. 

Mediocre Christmas book.

 It takes place somewhere near the Olympic Peninsula in a made up town which was interesting. Weird ending though.
 

Perfect Christmas book. 

Another Christmas book win (and I am pretty picky about them). 

Solid Christmas book. 

The final Christmas book (and book of 2023). It wasn't really very Christmasy, but a sweet story to end the year.

Books of 2022

My book list of 2022. I didn't do a great job keeping track of the books I read this year. Life was just a lot more then ever. In all of it, I kept on reading. Though keeping track of what I read didn't make it on the top of the memory banks. Here is what I can find through my library book borrowing list (but they only keep 100 on there, so that got only got me through the last 5 months of 2022. Plus, the "readers choice" books don't actually have information on them. I appear to read a lot of those). Along with the few books that I took pictures of to remind myself of what I read. 

I've listed them this year from last read of the year to the beginning. You'll see Christmas book season to start. I hit that one early and hard. I think I cracked my 1st Christmas book before Thanksgiving! 

The total books that I can remember I read is coming in at 30 for 2022. I would wager that this year was certainly one of my less read years in comparison. Back to life was just a lot more then ever.

I completed my 2nd year in a row reading the Bible through. This year I used this devotional/reading plan. 

A perfect Christmas book to end the season on. 

 

A fun Christmas romance. The characters had a fun banter back and forth. The setting was unique, taking place in a European village with a King. 

A Christmas book full of Santa. 

Classic Christmas book. Just a good Christmas read. Just what Hallmark movies are made of. 

Another fabulous Christmas read. Where you just want it all to work out. 

This one was ok, but one of the characters was an author. Each chapter opened with parts from the books she was writing and I totally didn't enjoy that part. I just skipped over that section each chapter. I'd take a week on "the Ranch" though for sure! 

Loved this historical fiction book. So many trials and tribulations. Really puts our life into preservative. 

 

An another intensive picture of a girls life in India. Things that one wants to believe aren't even possible, but sadly they are. Fiction, though I'm certain there is plenty of truth in all of it. Eye opening for sure. 

 

A very interesting take on Alzheimer's disease, where the two main characters have it at an early onset in their late 30s. This one really makes you think about what might be best for people with dementia could be very different then what one might think. Certainly some curve balls through into the plot here.  

 

I struggled for half of 2022 with a Crohns flare I was lead to read this book on the SCD diet. It was written many decades ago. I followed the SCD diet for 2 months without a lot of results. It's a HARD protocol to follow and it's not been updated to our current times of food products making it even harder. 

What a time to read a book such as this. The story set in a period where abortion is illegal. Stories of 5 women are followed. Lots to let one chew on and think about. 

Decent suspense thriller. A bit long winded. 

A really good suspense thriller! 

The sweetest book. Just a good nice read. I realized I really enjoyed two of this authors books this year. 

 

I remember this book, but I barely remember this book. It was a long drawn out romance. Kind of annoying, but I wanted to know how it ended, so I finished it. 

Creepy suspense thriller! What a crazy plot!

A book about ALS. A good read, though sad. 

Sisterly love. Or too much? 

 

Another one by Lisa Genova. She tugs on your heartstrings for sure!

Just a silly fun read ESPECIALLY if you've even been a Room Mom before or have ever been involved in your PTSA. 

Decent suspense thriller. 

Solid good book. 

A great book. Really makes you think about love and trauma.

A true crime story. An unsolved mystery about mostly likely a person who has murder the most people ever in history. A bit long at points, but overall an interesting read.

For the 1st half of 2022 I was in a book club. This was one of the picks. It's very Jodi Picoult. A good book club book. 

This was an amazing book on praying. It really broke down how to effectively prayer. 

This was a hard book for me to get through. I took it chapter by chapter and had days to weeks between each one. The message is an important one. 

Hal Perkins as a parent is a pretty amazing role model. 

Danny Silk also has a lot of knowledge and wisdom to give.