Favorite Books from 2015 and a Giveaway

I love to read. Like, really really really love to read. Peter says that I’m addicted, and he might be right. Over the past eighteen months, I’ve read over 100 books. (Is that an addiction??) Here are some of my favorites from the past year. (In no particular order)

  1.  Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan: If you are a parent of small children, you will find this book to be  hilarious. Laugh out loud funny. Peter and I read it at the same time and we giggled all the way through.
  2. The Rosie Project by Graeme Samson: This book is about an adult with Asperger’s (who doesn’t know that he has Asperger’s) and how he relates to people in his life. It is a work of fiction but is very insightful and amusing.
  3. The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty: Everything I’ve read by this author is good. There is always some sort of twist that you don’t see coming.
  4. The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty: This is probably my favorite Moriarty book.
  5. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: Are you sensing a theme here?
  6. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: This is a book about a somewhat dysfunctional family who move in together one summer, but this one had an ending that I didn’t see coming. I love those kind of books.
  7. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: I am a sucker for historical fiction, particularly anything written about World War II. In my opinion, this is a must read!
  8. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom: This novel delves into the relationships between slaves and their masters in the 1800’s. Lots of intrigue and heartbreak in this one. I absolutely loved this book.
  9. The Martian by Andy Weir: This book was recently made into a movie which I haven’t seen yet because Peter and I rarely go on dates and now he’s deployed blah blah blah. But the book was phenomenal. Beware: There was a lot of bad language. I mean, like, a lot. But I’m guessing that if you were stranded on Mars, you might use a few choice words too. Admittedly, I glossed over some of the technical stuff, because, um, math and science, but the book was interesting and surprisingly funny. As I read it, I could totally envision Matt Damon playing the part.
  10. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: I may have actually read this book last year, but y’all. This one has stayed with me. It’s funny and emotional and heartwarming and heartbreaking and everything I want a book to be.
  11. Preemptive Love by Jeremy Courtney: This book is the true story of a man and his family who felt called to leave the comforts of home, move to Iraq to share the love of Jesus, and help children receive life-saving treatment. I can not imagine doing that, can you? I want to be this guy’s friend. He is inspiring.
  12. The Memory Man by David Baldacci: I just recently finished this book. It’s sort of a departure from my usual, but I loved the mystery and intrigue. If you enjoy watching CSI or other similar shows, you will like this one.
  13. For The Love by Jen Hatmaker: This book has the typical Jen Hatmaker humor and poignance. I read this at the same time as my friend Angie, and we texted each other throughout the book. Jen makes you feel like you’re her best friend. (I am her best friend, right?) I love anything she writes so of course I loved this one too.
  14. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown: This one is not very action-packed but it is interesting. It follows a group of young men who competed for the gold medal in rowing in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. I found myself rooting for these boys even though I already knew the outcome.
  15. The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner: If you are a busy woman (and who isn’t), this book is for you. Jessica will teach you the importance of saying no to things that interfere with your goals and she will help you identify and find time to participate in things that bring you life and joy. This book has shown me the importance of making time to do things that fill my soul so that I can better care for my family. There are journaling spaces throughout the book to help you work through the process.
  16. Love Does by Bob Goff. This guy is a lunatic. And I mean that in a good way. His stories are funny and cringe-worthy and inspiring. Chapter 25, “God is Good,” is my favorite. (Just in case you wanted to know.) I once watched him speak via video and he is irrational and impassioned. I think you’ll find him to be both of those things too.
  17. Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch: I wrote an entire piece about the first chapter of this book a couple weeks ago (and I’ll probably be writing more about it in the future), so all I’ll say is this: If you have children living in your home, BUY THIS BOOK! You won’t regret spending the money on it, I promise.
  18. I’m a little biased but I also sort of enjoyed Mommy Has Crinkles. (wink wink) If you’re an exhausted mom, feeling alone with very little time to refresh your soul, this book is for you.

Comment below and tell me which of these books you’d like to read this year. By commenting, you’ll be entered in a giveaway where I’ll choose one lucky winner to receive the book of their choice. I’ll leave comments open until December 31, 2015.

And I’m always looking for a great book to read so feel free to share your favorite book recommendations too!

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23 thoughts on “Favorite Books from 2015 and a Giveaway”

  1. I haven’t read any of those but I am making a list.
    I’ve read Baldacci before and got turned off. I’ll give him a go again.
    The Rosie Project has me intrigued. Living with a kid let on the spectrum is always interesting.
    And I need to order Crinkles. I wonder if I could get an autographed copy of it from the brilliant author.

    1. Of course! I don’t actually have any more copies at the moment but I ordered some so I’m waiting on them to come in. When they do, I’ll let you know. And I had never read Baldacci before. The Rosie Project has a sequel but I haven’t read that yet.

  3. I need to consult you when I need a new book to read! I’ve read several of those too. I would love to read anything by Jen Hatmaker (she has been on my list for a while) & Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World. Thanks for sharing so much; your blog is wonderful:-)

  5. I haven’t read any books on this list, but I’m printing it out to make an effort to do so. I would really like to start with reading “The Fringe Hours.” I’ve heard great things about it. My list this year included:

    1. “An Altar in the World” by Barbara Brown Taylor.
    2. Sonia Manazano’s “Becoming Maria” about how she arrived on Sesame Street.
    3. “Still Alice” about Alzheimer’s (didn’t watch the movie)
    4. “Unglued”. I got it for Christmas last year and was thrilled to finally sit and read it.
    5. “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed. I read this one while visiting the Pacific Crest Trail. Language! But a great great read!
    6. “The Book of Unknown Americans” by Cristina Enriquez. I highly recommend it.
    7. “The Pearl that Broke It’s Shell” by Nadia Hashimi. Powerful, poignant, important, and timely.

    I didn’t think I read that much this year, but apparently I did. Thank you for your post. You’ve inspired me to put out a list as well.
    Happy reading, sweet writing/reading friend.

    1. I love your recommendations! Still Alice was amazing – I forgot about that one! I want to see the movie. And I read Wild too. It was really good. I haven’t read the others on your list but I’m going to put them on mine for this year. Thanks so much!

  6. Hmmm. You have provided quite a varied selection. To say your are ‘well read’ might be an understatement 🙂

    From your list, I would be interested in, “The Nightingale” and “The Kitchen House”.

    One of my favorite authors is Charles Martin; and my absolute favorite by him is, “Wrapped in Rain”.

    Here are a few that I read and would recommend:
    1. “Soul Keeping” by John Ortberg
    2. “The Invisible War” by Chip Ingram
    3. “Word Filled Women’s Ministry” by Gloria Furman, …
    4. “The Historian” by Elizabeth Kostova (the images that she paints with words are enviable)

    Thank you for sharing. Your list has expanded my author horizon!

    1. Charla, I love Charles Martin and “Wrapped in Rain” is my favorite too. I have a quote from Ella on my personal FB page – “God loves me so much that He actually took the time to dream me up.” I also loved “The Invisible War.” Thanks for your other recommendations. I will put those on my list!

  7. I just checked out the audio “Dad is Fat” so I can listen while I run. Multitasking at its finest. I’ve been meaning to pick up “The Nightingale” for the longest. Do you think I’d like it? “The Boys in the Boat” is on my to-read list as well.

    I KNOW I could be Jen Hatmaker’s bestie after reading “For the Love”.

    And of course, I love “Mommy Has Crinkles” by my favorite new author!

    1. Why haven’t I thought about audio books while I run??? I’ve actually never even listened to an audiobook. (gasp!) I think you’d like The Nightingale though.

  8. They all sound great. I haven’t read as much as I used to. But Raising Grateful Kids sounds like a must read.

  11. I need to read Raising Grateful Kids!! It is quite a challenge! I must say that I’m enjoying Mommy has Crinkles!

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