10 Best Books I Read in 2015

This year it has been fun sharing the books that I’ve been reading each month – and checking them off my list. There were 20 books in the original pile, but as the year progressed a few others managed to sneak their way into the pile as well. Somehow I always forget that authors release books throughout the year, not at the end of the year. My list of 20 books managed to creep up to 26 books.

With just a few days till the end of the year, only one book remains to be read, and that one will be moved to the pile for next year instead. While part of me is irritated with myself for not getting every single one finished, I keep reminding myself that there were a few books added over the course of the year and in the process there were several books that I absolutely loved!

The last few days I’ve been creating a new stack of books to read in the upcoming year, which had me looking back at the past year. Of the 80+ books that I read, there were ten that truly stood out to me, either as a mom, wife, or just for myself:

1. Own Your Life by Sally Clarkson – This was one of the first books I read this year and such a great start to the year! I truly cannot recommend it highly enough. Sally’s writing is so personable and is full of truth that speaks right to your heart. If you are looking for a book to kick start your year and help you understand what it means to live life meaningful – grab it now!

2. Cleaning House: A Mom’s Twelve Month Experiment by Kay Wyma – As moms we understand how difficult it can be to find the balance between helping our kids and doing too much for them and lead our kids down the path of entitlement. From cleaning toilets to cooking meals, there is a lot of humor tied in with practical suggestions on how one mom made sure her kids understand the basics of what responsibility looked like in various forms. Definitely some food for thought and ideas to try with our kids!

3. Beyond Ordinary by Justin Davis – While our marriage is truly ok, I absolutely loved this book and may have asked my hubby to read it as well with me in the upcoming year. I love the focus of not settling for average, but instead pushing to extraordinary in all areas. The book also flips back and forth between he said/she said, which gives a great perspective from both sides.

4. Glimpses of Grace by Gloria Furman – This may have been one of my most dog-eared books other than Own Your Life this year. Truly loved this book and the gentle and practical reminders on how we can see grace in all areas of our life.

5. Caught Up in a Story by Sarah Clarkson – Sarah touched the English geek in me and tied in a child’s imagination with the rising/falling action in a story, gave some great book recommendations, and gave my hubby and I some fodder for talking about a book series that we’d been holding off letting the kids read (but decided to read a few out loud to them now). Love her insight and her heart in this book!

6. Flash the Donkey by Rachel Anne Ridge – In June I had the chance  to meet Rachel Anne and the ‘hero’ of the book, Flash, in person. Such an amazing time, even though it was a fast trip! And the book – chocked full of practical life lessons that will speak to your heart and leave an impression in the weeks and months to come. I promise, it’s good! Rachel has a writing style that I absolutely adore and after reading it, I was looking for the deeper meaning in so many of the seemingly ordinary things that happen each day.

7. Motivate Your Child by Scott Turnasky – This is another book that wasn’t on my original list to read, but was added after a friend recommended it to me. It is packed full of practical and hands-on helps – and focusing on internal motivation with kids. Again another book that my hubby has on his nightstand to read again with me so we can learn together and apply to our family.

8. The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst – If you are one that struggles with boundaries and being a ‘yes girl,’ this is definitely a great book to read. Lysa writes with

9. Writing in the Margins by Lisa Nichols Hickman – While I’ve taken notes in my Bible over the years, I’ve switched between many different versions and lost quite a few of the notes. This is another book that I’ll be referring to often in the upcoming months and it inspired me to purchase a journaling Bible to use in the months and years to come. There are also some wonderful questions for deeper study at the end of each chapter, making it almost more of a Bible study guide as well.

10. The Giver series by Lois Lowry – Yes, I know that I’m years behind in reading every single one of the books in this series, but I finally got around to reading them this year since our oldest was reading them. While ‘teen lit’ isn’t typically something I read, it has been more and more as I try to keep up with what the current (or in this case past) books are and the content in them.

What were your top reads from this past year? Any books you would recommend for others to read in the upcoming year?