What I Read in 2022

 

It’s time for my annual roundup of the books I read in the previous year. 2022 had two themes: Bible studies and biographies. I read the most Bible study books I’ve ever read in a row. This was one of the busiest years of my life with two children, and I needed some help structuring and simplifying my Bible study time. I usually study on my own and reference commentaries as I go, but I needed to simplify my approach this year. Study books helped with that.

I also got into celebrity autobiographies, with a Jane Austen biography thrown in. There’s something about reading about other people’s lives that puts your own into perspective. You can read their stories and think, “wow, I have a normal life!” or think “wow, I want to reach goals like they did.” I have a few more celebrity autobiographies I’m wanting to check out for 2023. It’s interesting to read about the people we see on TV and in media. I’m okay with a boring life and will just read about other people’s drama!

I didn’t read much fiction this year. I wanted to, but there were a few times I would start a fictional book and not be able to get into it. I don’t have a lot of time to read, so I decided not to force any reads I wasn’t interested in. Even if I was several chapters in, I gave myself permission to stop. I did that to three fictional books this year. I’ve also been on the waiting list at my library for several fictional books.

I read ebooks on my iPad more than ever before, mainly because that was how I could access free books from my library. I still prefer physical books, but I can’t say no to free.

I tried one audio book this year, another autobiography. I liked hearing Bruce Springsteen read about his life, but I just don’t jive with audiobooks. I felt like I could have read the book so much faster than listening to it. My mind also wanders with audiobooks. I gave up and decided to try to hunt down the physical book to finish it that way. I know some of you love your audiobooks, and I wish I could too, but my brain just doesn’t process in that way. I’m a visual learner and need to see words on a page.

I definitely could have read more in 2022, but sometimes I just wasn’t mentally in a place to read. I was too tired or too overwhelmed or working on our home remodel or reading to kids or do countless others things that I chose to do over reading. And that’s okay! That’s life!

I haven’t set any reading goals yet for 2023. I think I’ll just take things as they come, which is what I did in 2022.

What reading goals have you set for the New Year?

Books I Read in 2022:

• Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics— https://amzn.to/3IoK2fH
• Amen: The Story of Scripture from Eden to Eternity— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Ruth: Fields of Grace— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• The God That Comes Near— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• The Knowledge of the Holy by Tozer— https://amzn.to/3GhkazR
• The Fruit of the Spirit— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini— https://amzn.to/3GH4rvo
• James: The Steadfast Life— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Exalting Jesus in James by David Platt— https://amzn.to/3GgXqzY
• The Secular Creed by Rebecca McLaughlin— https://amzn.to/3jGIHqc
• Open Book by Jessica Simpson— https://amzn.to/3QgRrPZ
• Grace in the Wilderness: Study on 1 Peter— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Be Hopeful (1 Peter) by Warren Wiersbe— https://amzn.to/3CqJr9E
• The Storyteller by Dave Grohl— https://amzn.to/3G9HQG0
• The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce— https://amzn.to/3Z5en97
• The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield— https://amzn.to/3GDn5Ek
• The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher— https://amzn.to/3CnPZ8G
• Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry— https://amzn.to/3GflPG8
• Even If: A Study of Habakkuk— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Arise: A Study of Nehemiah— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Delight: Psalms 1-30— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Wait: Psalms 31-60— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Seek: Psalms 61-90— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Arkansas/Arkansaw: How Bear Hunters, Hillbillies, and Good Ol' Boys Defined a State by Brooks Blevins— https://amzn.to/3GCCiFE
• Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley— https://amzn.to/3GogEUq
• The Office BFFs by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey— https://amzn.to/3QmItRy
• I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy— https://amzn.to/3GEZ9At
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah— https://amzn.to/3X3rRjR
• Waiting for Hope: Malachi Study— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Mercy in the Storm: A Study of Jonah— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y
• Colossians: Rooted in Him— https://tinyurl.com/k3need8y

What I Read in 2021 + Not Meeting My Goal

At the end of 2020, I set a goal to read 24 books in 2021. I thought it was doable to read two books a month. I had read much more in past years and thought that would be an attainable goal. I forgot what it was like when babies start crawling and stop napping all day. I quickly realized my goal of 24 books would not be met. And I was good with that. I didn't have the time or the mental space to push myself. I read for a few minutes each day in the car line while I waited for my first grader and shushed a fussy baby who didn't want to sit in the car. When I wasn't too tired, I'd read a few minutes before bed. Those minutes slowly added up to completing a few books.

I also didn't go easy on the type of books I read. They needed concentration and sometimes had paragraphs that needed to be reread and contemplated to understand.

Before I list what I read, here's how I'm thinking I'll approach 2022-- no goal. As someone who loves goals and lists, I just don't have the motivation this year to put pressure on myself to reach a certain number. I just want to read when I can and read what I want. I have a stack of theological books to go through, but we'll see what I get to this year. I'm wanting to also add in some books that give me some mental breaks, make me laugh, and help me imagine.

I use Goodreads to track my reading, so come say hi if you use the app!

Here is what I read in 2021:

• Steal Away Home
  
• Bound Together 📚
• Lost and Found
  
• Does God Care How We Worship?
  
• Ten Words to Live By
  
• Praying with Paul 📚
• The Road Back to You
  
• Christmas in the Movies
  
• The Daily Bible 📚
• The Bible Recap
  
• The Bible Handbook

📚 Three favorite books of the year

My Year of Reading (and struggling to read) in 2020

This is how I’m reading books these days— curled up on the couch, under a blanket, holding a baby. Since having Elodie, I resolved to spend the moments I’m nursing or holding her while she sleeps to do more than just scroll on my phone. Let’s be real— there will still be a lot of scrolling. I just don’t want it to be the *only* way I spend this time. I try to keep a book nearby when I know that I’ll have time to be still and read while she’s in my arms. This is sometimes the only time I have to read in this season of life.

At the beginning of 2020, I didn’t want to set a goal for a certain number of books to read, but who am I kidding…I like setting goals for myself. I set a goal of reading 12 books for the year. That was far below what I read in 2019, but I wanted to spend more time in my daily Bible study, devoting more time to diving into Scripture, and not necessarily more time to a larger number of books. Colin and I were also hoping to add to our family, but we didn’t know that for sure when I set the goal in January. I knew if a baby came along that might affect the amount of reading I would do.

In February we found out we were pregnant. In March the worldwide pandemic hit where we live. Those two things affected my reading. My first trimester had me tired and sick. I didn’t have the energy to read. Harlow’s preschool was shut down in March due to covid, so I had her at home, taking away any alone time I previously had to read. Between consuming the news, explaining to our daughter why school, dance class and church were dismissed, processing what was going on around the world, and being pregnant in quarantine, my mind just could not focus on reading. I would pick up a book, read a few pages, and have no idea what I just read. I think it was mainly pregnancy brain, because I experienced the same thing with my first pregnancy. Focus was difficult! I maintained my daily devotions but could not motivate myself to read outside of that. I lost all desire to read.

A few months went by, summer arrived, and all of a sudden I started reading again. The desire returned. It also helps that I was in my second trimester and able to think straight again and had regained some energy.

By the end of 2020, I had read 21 books. I don’t know how I did it, but I really pushed through at the end of the year. I wasn’t trying to pass my goal or even hit my initial goal. I had given up on that. Somehow I passed it, though, and it felt nice.

I haven’t decided what my goal for 2021 will be. With having an infant who will be crawling and then walking all within this year, I know my quiet time will become harder to find. I’d like to just see what happens, but I also know I’m someone who really enjoys setting a number to reach, even if it’s a small one.

Are you setting a book goal this year? What books did you really enjoy in 2020, and what’s on your list for 2021?

Below are the books that I read in 2020. I put asterisk by my top five favorite books (not including the Bible). If you’re on Goodreads, come find me over there to see reviews of most of the books I read to know whether or not I liked them.

・Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, wife of Charles H. Spurgeon: https://amzn.to/3b0YmKB

・The Gospel According to Satan: Eight Lies about God that Sound Like the Truth: https://amzn.to/353AAdc

*・Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making: https://amzn.to/3503QkT

・All That's Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment: https://amzn.to/3oaGkt1

・Daisy Jones & The Six: https://amzn.to/3pV8pFx

*・Suffering Is Never for Nothing: https://amzn.to/2L91Tvz

・The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism: https://amzn.to/2JDSuvH

・The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms: https://amzn.to/38SrhxL

・Great Moments in Chocolate History: With 20 Classic Recipes From Around the World: https://amzn.to/3n5tURX

*・When People Are Big and God Is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man: https://amzn.to/2Xhj29n

・Not What You Think: Why the Bible Might Be Nothing We Expected Yet Everything We Need: https://amzn.to/3868NKV

・Galatians: Gospel-Rooted Living: https://amzn.to/3ocLYuP

・Galatians: Paul's Charter of Christian Freedom: https://amzn.to/2LaaZZ0

・Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers: https://amzn.to/3olbRsg

・A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World: https://amzn.to/3rPNzZA

・30 Days to Understanding the Bible: Unlock the Scriptures in 15 Minutes a Day: https://amzn.to/3ocMl8H

・One-to-One Bible Reading: A Simple Guide for Every Christian: https://amzn.to/3ncvKjT

*・For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God's Word: https://amzn.to/2JDTQ9L

・CSB Notetaking Bible, Navy/Cross Cloth-Over-Board: https://amzn.to/3b8iXgl

*・This Was Hollywood: Forgotten Stars and Stories: https://amzn.to/3hD8lam

・Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus Into the Everyday Stuff of Life: https://amzn.to/387DdNa

I’m using these two books below for my daily Bible reading for 2021 if you’re searching for a way to read through the Bible this year. There’s still time to grab them and catch up on your reading!

・The Daily Bible: https://amzn.to/385EHHt

・The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible: https://amzn.to/3hIDDwv

Here’s to reading in 2021 and finding some enjoyable and challenging books!

Books: Read in 2019 + Goals for 2020

In 2019 I set a goal of reading 24 books (shooting for 2 books a month). I wound up reading 60 books if you include what books of the Bible I read. If you take out the individual books of the Bible I read at the beginning of the year and only count me reading the Bible once through as a whole for the year plus add the fiction and nonfiction books I read, it means I read a total of 34 books in 2019. I was really motivated to read as much as I could. I definitely could have read more if I had put down my phone more often or watched zero tv. Overall, though, I'm happy with how I exceeded my goal.

                          

What I Read in 2019:

Climbing the Heights by Al Bryant

The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper

The Message of Christmas by Eugene Peterson

The Message Solo Devotional (Bible readings plus devotional readings)

The Characters of Christmas by Daniel Darling

Heaven by Randy Alcorn

Made for More by Hannah Anderson

Booked by Karen Swallow Prior

Suffering by Paul David Tripp

Word-Filled Women's Ministry by Gloria Furman

Letters to the Church by Francis Chan

The Storm-Tossed Family by Russell Moore

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

The Strategy of Satan by Warren Wiersbe

Identity Theft by Melissa Kruger

I Am a Church Member by Thom Rainer

Why Trust the Bible? by Greg Gilbert

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Why Bother with Church? by Sam Allberry

In His Image by Jen Wilkin

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

The Unsaved Christian by Dean Inserra

Revelation

The Knowing Jesus Study Bible (It took me three years, and I finally finished it in 2019. It's a Bible with daily devotions and study notes.)

Exalting Jesus in James by David Platt

None Like Him by Jen Wilkin

Hebrews

1 John

2 John

3 John

2 Peter

1 Peter

James

Philemon

2 Timothy

Titus

2 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians

Colossians

Jude

Humble Calvinism by J.A. Medders

Philippians

Honest Evangelism by Rico Tice

Spectacular Sins by John Piper (free download here)

Ephesians

Galatians

Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul

2 Corinthians

Unpacking Forgiveness by Chris Brauns

1 Corinthians

On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior

Romans

Acts

Mark

Luke

John

Matthew

Love, Sex, and Dating by Andy Stanley

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield

Sex in a Broken World by Paul David Tripp

2020 Reading Plan:

For 2020 I have decided not to necessarily set a goal or fret about numbers. I'm going to shoot for at least one book a month. I know that's half of last year's goal and even further behind what I actually read last year. This year I want to focus on some other life goals, and when it comes to reading, I want to dig even deeper into Bible study. That means my overall numbers will be lower, but I will probably be spending the same amount of time reading if not even more.  I also plan to read books that have been on my shelf that I haven't yet read or haven't read in several years. If there is a new book (or new to me) that I want to read, I first have to see if it's available for free on Kindle, Overdrive, Hoopla, Apple Books (and so on), or see if it's available to check out at my library or request that my library get it. I don't want to read less, but I want to spend less money and use free resources.

I keep track of what I read on the Goodreads app. Come find me and friend me if you also use Goodreads!

And head on over to Facebook and Instagram to share what you loved reading in 2019 or what you plan to read in 2020!