I have enjoyed reading since childhood, but when I became a mom, suddenly it was something I could rarely find time for. That all changed when I bought myself a Kindle e-reader before our second child was born. All of a sudden, I had something to do with my brain while I sat in the dark nursing.
And once I discovered I could get books for free on the Libby app with my library card, I was in heaven. I typically read each night to help turn my brain off before I go to sleep at night. In 2023, I made it through 45 books. I’m sharing some of my favorites today and I would love to hear if you’ve read any of these and what your thoughts were!
Favorite Fiction Reads:
Hail Mary was a fantastic sci-fi read that I couldn’t put down. I waited a long time for the hold to be ready at my library and it was WELL worth the wait. If you’re into science fiction, its a must-read!
Yet another un-put-down-able read from Stephen King. This was not a horror story at all, but an amazing fantasy tale, similar to Chronicles of Narnia/Lord of the Rings stories. I think this was my favorite fiction book of the year!
The master (Stephen King) at work again, imagining what might have happened if the Kennedy assassination had been foiled. This was a long read, and the characters were so well written it was like they were your best friends by the end of the book. I didn’t want it to end.
Favorite NonFiction Reads:
Killers of the Flower Moon is a narrative nonfiction book about a time in history I had never learned about before. Did you know there was a Native American tribe made rich by the oil deposits under their reservation, and that the government appointed white “guardians” to manage the money for them, who then stole and murdered, and did all sorts of horrible things to get that money for themselves? This was SHOCKING and so well written.
This was a great read. I’d definitely recommend it for the beginning of the new year if you’re wanting to make any changes in your life! I’ve read a ton of books in this category, but this is definitely one of my favorites.
Great read for any parents who want to teach their kids intentionally about managing money, without the mean-spiritedness of the well-known financial guy. I loved the way he approached this book and gave readers so much to think about.
Favorite Memoirs:
I was basically made a Southern Baptist by birth. My dad has served on staff at Southern Baptist churches since before I was born, and I have so many wonderful memories and experiences from my times growing up in our church, serving on staff, and now getting to bring my kids along. BUT…there is A LOT the that Southern Baptist Convention has screwed up on. A. LOT. I’ve watched in horror the last few years as the sexual abuse cover ups were exposed (going up to the highest levels of leadership) I’ve watched the scramble to pass the buck by saying the churches are all autonomous, therefore it can’t be the fault of the larger organization, and I could talk your ear off about all of this. As my own personal silly way of fighting back, every time they did something else stupid, I bought a book of someone they shunned.
All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore was one of the books I bought. If you didn’t grow up in this world, Beth Moore was once the darling of Southern Baptist women’s ministries around the country. She wrote dozens of women’s bible studies, held many large conferences, and had quite the following. But when she came out against Donald Trump, people lost their minds, literally burning her Bible studies and saying the most vile things about her.
Her book was one of the most beautiful things to read. She shared some very difficult parts of her life with us and everything she wrote just oozed authenticity and grace. She is a gem and the SBC is worse off for losing her influence and beautiful way with words. I’m so grateful that she had the courage to stand her ground on important issues, even though it cost her so much. If you grew up in the SBC/evangelical world and have grown frustrated with the way some of the behaviors and actions of the people in those movements are so clearly anti-Jesus, I can’t recommend this book enough.
Tara Westover is someone else who came from Evangelical circles and overcame so much to get where she is today. It was really hard to fathom some of the abuse that she endured at the hands of her own family, and stunning to see how far she rose above her early life. She is amazing and this book was a hard, but I think necessary, read.
Ending gun violence in America is something I feel really strongly about. I also grew up in the south in a family who hunted and have guns, which they store responsibly. There is a middle ground between taking all the guns away and having open carry and little regulation around who can buy a gun, and Taylor Schumann uses this book to share some of the realistic measures that can be taken in that middle ground for a safer America. She also shares her story as a survivor of an on-campus shooting and the disappointment she felt when her community overlooked some of the practical things that she learned could be implemented to help curb some of this violence.
The first half of the book is primarily her story, while the second half delves into statistics and suggestions for helping stop the gun violence problem in America. I would highly recommend that everyone read this book, no matter their view on guns, because she isn’t advocating for one “side” or the other, only for the safety of our citizens. A truly, truly wonderfully written book.
If we share a similar taste in books, you can see my real-time reviews when I share reading updates on Sundays in my instagram stories! You can also check out my Instagram highlights to see my last couple of years of reviews. I’d love to connect with you there!
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