Last week I talked about the importance of reading for writers and the various types of benefits books can have. Which got me to thinking about what I’ve been reading lately and what’s on my to-read list!
Hopefully we will all be getting a bit of time over the holidays to do some reading, right? Let’s make this happen! Here are some of my reading lists for you to enjoy and hopefully feel inspired by 🙂
Please share what you’ll be reading over the holidays as well! There’s always room on my “to-read” list for a few more 😉
Please note that links on this page are affiliate links which means if you buy something I may get a small commission at no cost to you. Feel free to just google the books on your own if you prefer!
Bethany’s Reading Lists
Best of the year:
Since 2021 is drawing quickly to a close I suppose it’s the perfect time to look back on a years worth of reading! I was lazy in my record keeping and only counted 67 of the books I read- the real number is higher. Overall I read a wide range of books with a maybe more than average amount of fantasy novels.
Based on no specific formula, here were a few of my favorites:
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
I read this book slowly over the entire year- there is so much in here! And every bit of it is gold. This is a book to buy, to write in, and to reread again and again. The subtitle is “Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You” and Brown does a wonderful job of walking us through how to do just that. Highly recommend.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
This book was powerful and thought provoking yet also very readable. Wilkerson does an excellent job of looking at an important and emotional subject and this book is well researched and informative.
Recent reads:
These are a few favorites from the last month!
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
This diverse romance was sweet, emotional, and more deep at times than I had expected as it addressed complex issues such as chronic pain, race, and healing from abusive relationships.
The New Copernicans: Millennials and the Survival of the Church by David John Steel Jr
This book describes a change already happening in our culture and predicts the grave implications it will have for the church if they do not adapt. Interesting to read this book a few years after its publications, to see some of the shifts taking place and to think about what steps may come next.
Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
This youth novel is shown from the perspective of Jason, an autistic twelve-year-old who struggles to navigate in a neurotypical world, such as at school, with his family, and with a girl he has met online.
The Heartbreak Bakery by A. R. Capetta
A sweet YA novel with plenty of baking, self-learning and growth, gay pride, young gay romance, and a touch of magic. This book featured an agender protagonist along with a colorful, real, and likable LGBTQ+ cast, which was really wonderfully done. This is a sweet book that will make you want to go and bake something delicious!
Holiday favorites:
I realize these are all picture books! We thank our local library for their excellent selection 🙂
Cranberry Christmas by Wende and Harry Devlin
I like to reread this book (as well as the Thanksgiving edition) every year!
Happy Narwhalidays by Ben Clanton
We love all of the Narwhal and Jelly books!
Amazing Peace by Maya Angelou
Sweet words to ruminate on in the holiday season.
Bonus!
Holiday movie favorites include: The Holiday, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and (of course) Die Hard.
Holiday music favorites include: Mercy Me’s The Christmas Sessions and Relient K’s Let it Snow Baby… Let it Reindeer.
On my to-read pile:
These are all books I hope to get to before too much longer!!!
Feel free to let me know if you think there are more books I should add… though there is never any fear of ever completing the list. What a beautiful problem to have 🙂
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
My husband kept grinning and snickering to himself as he read through this book earlier in the year so I’m looking forward to seeing what all the fun is about! With both Gaiman and Pratchett there is really no way to go wrong.
Rising Strong by Brené Brown
I’m looking forward to working my way through another book by Brown in the year ahead! This one is 
Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews
I’ve already ordered this book and am so excited for it to arrive! Andrews is probably my favorite author and after reading snippets of this story I already know it will live up to all its hype.
So that’s what I’ve been reading and what I’m up to- so what about you? Hope there are some fun books on your bookshelf this season and that you get a chance to spend some time reading! 🙂
