I read 74 books in 2015. And two weeks ago, I went through the list of books I had read and chose my Top 10 Reads from that list.
Each of these books that made the top 10 list was either a book that deeply impacted me in some profound way, a book that I just fell in love with the storyline, or a book that taught me something that will probably stick with me the rest of my life.
In no particular order, here are my Top 10 Reads from 2015:
Rising Strong
It’s too hard to sum up how this book impacted me in just a paragraph. But let’s just say the impact was deep, wide, and profound. You can read my posts on Stop Feeling Guilty About Asking for Help and Failure is Hard. The End. for a small taste of how this book messed with me.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
I thought I was a minimalist. Then I read this book. Although some of the parts were weird and repetitive, the question, “Does it spark joy?” has changed how I approach so much of life — from things I own to personal commitments and calendar clutter. Read more of my thoughts on this book here.
Parenting the Wholehearted Child
I typically steer clear of parenting books because I just don’t feel like there’s a method or 1-2-3 plan for raising kids. Every child and every family is different and there are no one-size-fits-all plans. So I almost didn’t read this book, but I’m so glad that I because it really challenged my heart and approach in loving and nurturing relationships with my kids.
Anchored
This book is the story of Kayla Aimee’s daughter being born as a micro-preemie and the pain and heartache and struggle that she walked through while fighting for her daughter’s life. It’s funny AND heart-wrenching at the same time — which is a mark of a talented author, in my opinion. (I always say that I consider a highly talented author to be someone whose writing makes me laugh and tear up in the same page.)
This book resonated with me at a very personal level because my husband was born at 27 weeks. His mom died when he was young and I never got the chance to meet her — which has always been hard for me because I wish so much that I could ask her all about what Jesse’s birth and long hospital stay was like for her. Kayla’s book is giving me a glimpse into some of the emotions and heartache and fears Jesse’s mom must have experienced and it feels like such a gift to understand more of what that was like from her perspective. 
Dear Mr. Knightley
The book starts out slowly, but once I got to about page 40, I couldn’t put it down. It delves into some deeper issues of how past hurts and rejection can wound people so deeply that they hide their real self for fear of further pain and rejection. It’s a beautiful story of healing and redemption and of how to love and reach out to hurting people.
Ever read a book that you just don’t want to end and when you finish it, you want to meet the characters in real-life? That was this book for me.
Hands Free Life
This book spoke to me at a deep, heart level. It challenged me to stop hurrying through life, quit worrying about what other people think, and start savoring the ordinary, everyday moments. I smiled through parts, cried through other sections, and came away from the book with fresh resolve to make each day count — not in more efficient productivity but in more meaningful relationships with others. Highly, highly recommended!
What Alice Forgot
I really enjoyed this book and it has stayed with me for months after reading it. While it wasn’t written from a Christian perspective and had some swear words in it, the book was well-written and really caused me to step back and examine my own marriage and relationships to see if I’m making small choices that would, over time, have devastating consequences.
For the Love
This book is laugh-out-loud funny, but packed with many, many thought-provoking nuggets. You probably won’t agree with everything in it (I didn’t either!), but I think it will really make you think and re-examine relationships. And I’m almost positive it will make you laugh!
Note: I enjoyed the first half of the book better than the second half. I’m not exactly sure that I can pin-point why, but just thought I should put it out there. Also, the book is a little all over the place and the chapters feel more like essays or blog posts on different topics, not a cohesive compilation that builds upon itself and needs each chapter to make the whole book what it is.
Breaking Busy
I loved this book! It’s chock-full of all kinds of helpful advice, tips, and inspiration on living life more slowly with purpose.
One of the quotes that especially jumped out at me was this:
“Our lives have gotten so cluttered with things we think we should do, that we can’t figure out what we were meant to do. Let your life be about what you were meant to do, not full of what you think you should do. This starts with your daily decisions about how you spend your time.”
The Art of Losing Yourself
If you like Christian fiction that tackles real-life brokenness and doesn’t have Hallmark endings, I’d highly recommend this book. I loved the character development and it reminded me that everyone has hard burdens they are carrying, and that hurting people need our love not our judgment, ostracizing, or criticism. Thanks to Lisa-Jo Baker for the recommendation!
Bonus: Just Show Up
I just had to include this one! While I think this book could have used stronger writing and better editing, I gleaned so much from it. If you have a friend who is going through trauma or heartbreak, this book gives very practical and wise advice on how to walk through suffering and hard times while being a blessing, not an annoyance or causing more hurt.
What were your favorite reads from 2015? Tell us in the comments!
Loved your list wrote them down I already have a list a miles long and I will read them this year, because I love to read and you I learn more and more from learning. My current read is your book! Money Saving Mom! I love it buy it ladies! Thank you for the list Crystal! Blessings to you and your family! Vicky beehumblewithme.com
Thank you so much for your kind encouragement!
I like your bible I seen amongst the books! May I ask where and what bible you use ? 🙂
Thank you so much for your list (and for all the comments!). This year I had hoped to read 30 books (I can’t imagine how you fit in so many!). I am not likely to meet that goal, despite a good start to the year. I think I’m going to prioritize some of the ones you’ve mentioned though! Thanks to everyone.
How do you keep track of the books you’ve read?
I track them on a board on Pinterest.
What Alice Forgot looks really good! I read The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty last year, and found her writing to be really interesting. Just Show Up looks like it’ll be a great one for my bible study group to work through. Thanks for the recommendations!
I loved Dear Mr. Knightly! Thanks to you!
I liked Lizzy and Jane the best. I’m still reading The Bronte Plot. I like it, but the other two would rate over it. 🙂
Dear Mr. Knightley was my favorite. 🙂
I loved Anchored. One of my favorites of the year.
I’m slowly make my way through it but I’m really enjoying reading snippets here and there of Simply Tuesday. I started it waaay back when you scoped about it and still enjoying and savoring it 🙂
Books I devoured this year:
all of T.I. Lowe’s books with Goodbye and Second Chances being my favorite.
The Chop, Chop series by LN Cronk. It’s an eight book series although the first one can be a stand alone. I got really attached to the characters and really enjoyed all the books!
Thanks for putting this together every year Crystal! I always love seeing what yours and others favorites are and getting new ideas.
I know you recently read Reedeeming Love, I wanted to suggest the Mark of the Lion Series. It’s my favorite by Francine Rivers. It’s really rich historically and when your girls are teenagers it may be a great read with them as a character discussion on the two main characters and the choices they make, what they pursue, and what they attract into their lives as a result.
I always talk about my son but realized I don’t think I’ve mentioned I have a 20 month old daughter too and Mark of The Lion is on my list of books to read with her when she’s of course way older :). Thanks so much again for this list. I’m excited to check out everyone’s suggestions!
Ahh sorry one more ? The ESV Daily Reading Bible! This has revolutionized me being able to consistently read the Bible daily.
I saw someone ask about a good Bible study/ plan for busy moms on your scope today and wanted to mention it as another option.
Every day there’s a reading from beg Old Testament, beg New Testament, middle Old Testament, middle New Testament and it’s all laid out by day in that order for you (but the sections go in order so by the time you’re done you’ve read the whole Bible. It’s based on the Mcheynne bible reading plan but instead of having to flip through a regular Bible to each reading in the plan the Bible is already set up according to the plan and you just read straight through).
It’s designed to read in a year but it will probably take me two as I read usually just two of the sections per day.
Anyway that’s one of my favorite 2015 book finds as its been life changing for me as I’ve been able to cultivate and solidify the habit of daily Bible reading.
I also ordered The Daily Light at your suggestion and am looking forward to reading that when I need a pick me up throughout the day!
Well, this just made my day! 🙂 Thank you, Jody!! Many blessings for the new year!
Oh wow! How awesome you saw this! Thank you for writing such wonderful books! I am eagerly looking forward to The One I Trust! Many blessings to you in the New Year as well!
I just finished the Mark of the Lion series. I’m a huge Francine Rivers fan so I’m not sure how I had missed it before. It was excellent
Wow! 74 books?! My reading list for this year consists of a measly 12! I’m working on getting back in the habit of reading regularly. I love to read and am a happier person when I read books on a regular basis!
In 2015, I loved these books:
The Happiness Project
The Nesting Place
Girl on a Train
Where’d You Go, Bernadette
In 2016, I plan to read (among others):
Hands Free Mama
Hands Free Life
Happier at Home
YOUR BOOK – Money Making Mom
🙂
I love The Nesting Place!
Not sure for how long, but “Hands Free Life” is $1.99 for the kindle version on amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P5W5G0W/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00P5W5G0W&linkCode=as2&tag=mmrsdarcy-15-20&linkId=T2BJ3HAOGHXQBUX6
Thanks for sharing you list! I have a couple of those on my list for this year now. Here’s my top 10 list! http://oneradianthome.com/top-10-books-read-2015/
I’ve been wanting to read Rising Strong; I really must make time for that one this year! And two of my favorites from 2015 made your list too. 🙂 I’m hoping you’ll find time to read One More Step in 2016! I love reading your book reviews for many reasons. Happy reading!!
Thanks for he list! I just downloaded hands free life and it’s only 1.99 for the kindle right now 🙂
I always look forward to your posts on reading to give me some ideas. I loved Dear Mr. Knightley and have it on my list to read again in 2016.
My favorites from 2015 are:
Keep Your Love On
The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert
The Boys in the Boat
For the Love
Edenbrooke
Saving Amelie
The Nightingale
Better Than Before
Love the Home You Have
The Bronte Plot – however, I didn’t like this as much as Dear Mr. Knightley
I’m going to add some of your favorites to my reading list!
Saving Amelie was great! You need to read Secrets She Kept by the same author now! It was really great too!
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll add it to my list!
My favorite was Surprised by Motherhood by Lisa Jo Baker…you recommended it here, and it touched me deeply!
Thanks for the post! I love hearing about what others recommend. Out of the 61 books I read this year here are my top 10:
The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges
Intercessory Prayer by Dutch Sheets
Raising Kids for True Greatness by Tim Kimmel
Desiring God by John Piper
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell
Heart Shift by John Trent
Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story by Joni & Ken Tada with Larry Libby
The Act of Marriage by Tim and Beverly LaHaye
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman
Thanks so much for your list! I love getting good book recommendations.
Some of my favorites from 2015 were:
Dinner with the Smileys – true story of a military mom who has a different guest to dinner once a week during her husbands deployment. Very heartwarming!
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels – hilarious story of Food Network star Ree Drummond and her courtship with the ‘Marlboro Man’. Laugh out loud funny
The Storied Life of AJ Fikery – very good fiction.
The Rosie Project – really funny fiction story of a scientist looking for a wife.
Thanks again for the list
Funny I JUST blogged my 2015 books and the ones that are on my 2016 list. Except now I want to add the 7 of yours I haven’t read to my list!!!
My favorite reads of 2015 were: Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, In the Garden of Beasts, For the Love, Life Changing Magic, Millionaire Next Door, & Prayer for Beginners tunemyheartblog.com/2015/12/31/2015-goals-recap/
I’ve read a lot of books this past year. Mainly bc you inspired me with your reading list last year! Thank you for sharing and encouraging others to grow in all areas of life!
My favorite books off all time are Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy, Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber and The Penny by Joyce Meyer.
Sorry, spelled your name wrong – ugg.
Thank you for the list Crystal! Looking for books to read during a surgery recovery and now I am locked and loaded! 🙂
Crystal, you inspired me to read more books in 2015. I set a goal to read 60, and completed 61. I rarely set goals I actually meet, so thank you. I wonder if I need to set more goals like this that I actually enjoy and look forward to achieving!! Thank you for sharing your top10, I love love hearing suggestions from others!
So many great book listed here! It’s fun to read the comments and get even more ideas. I have to tell you, I read more books than ever before in 2015 in large part to your inspiration. I set a goal, was intentional with my time, blew the goal out of the water and it took me down a path that was about far more than the number of books I read. Anyway, thanks for the inspiration. A few of my favorites were Every Bitter Thing is Sweet, Undone, The Best Yes, Own Your Life and The Four Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership. Here is to another great year in the books!
Great list!!! A few of my top favorites this year were:
1) Dear Mr. Knightly – I read this after your review on it and it was so, so good. I just read it last week and am still processing the richness and depth of the story.
2) Hands Free Life.
3) The Best Yes.
4) In a Sun Scorched Land
Thank you for your great list – many of your favorites are now on my “must read” list!
Katie Ganshert’s was wonderful. I loved it for the same reasons you did! And I’m on Alli’s launch team and cannot wait to start yelling everyone about Breaking Busy! Best book of it’s class! Parts really remind me of your How to Say Goodbye To Survival Mode! Both are wonderful!
A week ago I blogged about my top 20. If you visit my site it is easy to find 🙂
Did you have a favorite book this year on being an introvert? I seem to remember a post about it but can’t find it! I would like to look that one up to read! Thanks for your help! Stephanie
Was it “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain? I’ve heard lots of recommendations for that one.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking is AMAZING!!! I loved that book! Must read for introverts (and for extroverts so they can understand us better 🙂 )
Thanks for sharing this list. Whenever I’m looking for something to read, I always turn to your lists to find possibilities 🙂
just wondering, what specifically did you find weird about “Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up?” Maybe it spoke more to me than you because I’ve struggled with clutter a lot more than you have.
I loved that book. It changed my life. Since reading it, I haven’t once balled up my socks, fold my shirts so that they fit neatly in the dresser drawer, and have things in closet that I love and spark joy in my heart but I don’t necessarily want on display.
I can’t speak for Crystal (though she did have more specific review of Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up that you might be able to find in the blog archives), but while I loved the basic idea of keeping what sparks joy, I found the parts where she advocates thanking your belongings and greeting your house to be weird.
I’m all for more gratitude and awareness of your blessings, but thanking and talking to the things themselves isn’t the direction I want to go with that. 🙂
I loved Katie Ganshert’s “The Art of Losing Yourself”! Glad you did too. I am passing it on to several friends. 🙂
I’ve been reading a lot business/personal how to books for my real estate career and I find the different approaches amazing. The Miracle Morning was life changing and The Strengths Finders book, complete with free online test, helps you zero in on your top 5 Strengths. Starting the new Mitch Albom book now!
I re-read Strengths Finder every year before my performance review. It really helps frame the way I talk bout myself and my skills.
Such great choices! I loved a lot of these.
Favorites in non-fiction:
The White Rose
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Five Equations that Changed the World
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert.
There were a lot of fiction books I enjoyed for one reason or another, but the best in terms of writing and story would probably be:
the Pathfinder series by Orson Scott Card
Dangerous by Shannon Hale
Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer (unless she ruins the ending the third book, which I haven’t read yet) 🙂
(Yeah, I like YA fiction…)
I loved reading “Dear Mr. Knightley”… I’ve actually read it several times.
I believe I found this book through a recommendation on one of your posts, so thank you!
This year I loved:
-The Fringe Hours
-168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
-In Defense of Food
-Dead Wake by Erik Larson
-The Way of a Pilgrim
-The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
-Happier at Home
And so many more!
I always enjoy your book lists. I have never been disappointed by books you recommend. Now I have a few to add to my 2016 list!
Thank you so much for this list! I’ll definitely be looking up some of these at our library!
The best book I read this year was Beyond Boundaries: Learning to Trust Again in Relationships by John Townsend. I had been in some difficult friendships and was really asking myself what healthy relationships look like. This book helped me pull back from some unhealthy friendships, and re-engage with some friends from long ago whose relationships I’d totally let slide. I feel like a different person now, just from having the right people around me! I’ve been so encouraged by your own journey of friendship and the fact that you have some wonderful friends in your life right now. It’s so great to see!
Thanks so much for taking the time to post this! I have read several of your recommendations and loved them all. Can’t wait to read some of these!
My faves for the year were Dear Mr. Knightley, Relationships, A Mess Worth Making by Paul Tripp, and Who is This Man by John October.
“Unglued” by Lysa TerKeurst
“The Waiting” by Cathy LaGrow (awesome story about a lady who was raped–the details aren’t graphic if anyone is worried–in 1928 and gave the resulting child up for adoption. What resulted was a beautiful story of what God can do with a life no matter the awful circumstances surrounding his or her conception.
Some fiction favorites:
Robin Jones Gunn published a few new books in her “Christy and Todd: The Married Years series.” If anyone has a teen girl, The Christy Miller series is AMAZING. It starts in a “Summer Promise” with girl who is turning 15 and meets God for the first time. It then follows that girl through her teen years and eventually college and married years. I still reread the books every year. I like how in each season, they have applied to me so much!
And this isn’t a book marketed by a Christian published but Julianne Donaldson’s books, “Blackmoore” and “Edenbrooke” are very clean and VERY good. I checked them out from the library and then bought them and that isn’t something I do very often!
Actually one of my favorites this past year was your book, say goodbye to survival mode. I read it slowly a bit at a time in the course of 2 months so I could fully digest it.
Another favorite was the reading promise by Alice Ozma. It’s a story about the journey of one girl and her father of reading aloud for many years and how that impacted their relationship.
I also enjoyed Sarah Mackenzie’s Teaching From Rest which was a nice follow up for me to your survival book.
I loved The Reading Promise! I listened to the audiobook and really liked that she had her Dad read part of it.
I really enjoyed Praying Upside Down by Kelly O’Dell Stanley. It has really helped me see some situations the way God sees them, not from my selfish perspective.
http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Upside-Down-Experience-Transform/dp/1414389833
I have not read one complete book this year-Ahh! I used to read dozens of books each year, sometimes two in a weekend, but with the toddler and newborn, that has not happened. Thanks so much for the recommendations and I really enjoy reading the comments from the others on their recommendations. I have tons of book credits from Amazon from choosing the no rush shipping, I should be able to pick up a few of these. This is the year for reading!
I vote for When God doesn’t fix it for the next Periscope book study! =)
Thanks for the recommendations! I have read a few of the ones you mentioned, and added a few to my list!
I read more in 2015 than I have in previous years… thanks in part to you and other bloggers being such an encouragement to make it happen!
Some of my favorites were:
– Kitchen Counter Cooking School & The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn. Both are about her true-life adventures learning at a French cooking school, then teaching others to cook. Fun, and I learned a lot, too! (I’m not a huge cook).
– Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. A WONDERFUL biography about Dietrich Bonhoeffer (German theologian involved in WWII resistance and attempting to assassinate Hitler.) Very inspirational. I recommend the Kindle version because it’s quite thick, and I liked the dictionary function because he uses some larger words.
– The Dressmaker of Khair Khana – true story about a girl who operates her own dressmaking business in Kabul, Afghanistan, in the midst of the Taliban regime. (not scary).
– Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society – like someone else already mentioned. So good!!
I think these ones stuck out because I like a good story, whether it’s true or not. I also have pretty specific guidelines for not being too scary/traumatic and not much in the way of graphic romantic scenes.
I also read some “non-fiction” books like The Best Yes, etc. Good too!!
Finally, I recommend the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters! I just re-read one of hers – I love them. They are fiction about archaeologists in Egypt around the 1900s. The first one is called Crocodile on the Sandbank.
So fun to see The Art of Losing Yourself! I loved For the Love. Big fan of Katherine Reay. And I’m sad to say I’ve never read Brene Brown, even though everybody raves about her! I need to rectify this.
I hardly read anything last year. But I created a book list that I have been building up on Amazon, and have a goal of reading one book a month to start. If I read more than that, well, that’s just a bonus! ? Hands Free Mama is one of the books on my list, and I found it at a Lifeway bookstore yesterday for $3!! It was a nice surprise, and I am excited to read it. I started ‘Heart Sisters’ and ‘Treasuring Christ when your Hands are Full’ late last year. Those are the first three I’ll be reading.
Crystal, did you find The Devil in Pew #7 creepy at all? I have heard so many mixed reviews. Was curious if it gave you nightmares or the heeby jeebies. It’s been on my want to read list for a couple years, just not sure if I can stomach the crazy of it! 🙂
I don’t know that I would call it creepy, but it was a harder read. This was my review and I think you can read the first chapter. https://homeschooling4boyz.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/the-devil-in-pew-number-seven-by-rebecca-alonzo/
Wow. 74 books. They say “readers are leaders”. Maybe I need to get reading! Not that I want to be a leader. But just more productive and a doer, if that makes sense.
Look forward to this post every year. Love seeing all the book recs from everyone. I end up reading many of the books listed here. My fave books this year:
*15 Invaluable Laws of Growth (John Maxwell)- listened to this as a family on during a trip, and we’ve relistened to it a few times already, even the kids. And we’ve all already experienced positive changes by applying the lessons.
*Doohickey- a wacky novel about a guy trying to market his grandpa’s invention. It was really a fast read and funny. (I randomly picked this off the library shelf.)
*AD:33 Ted Dekker’s novel about Jesus last year on earth. But you have to read AD:30 first. Full of suspense and action and made me cry a few times.
*The Mysterious Benedict Society Trilogy (Trenton Lee Stewart)- highly recommended by Jessica Fisher on another blog. I listened to this with my children. The series is packed full of adventure but the biggest thing for me was that the children in the story are smart, caring and respectful.
I enjoyed The Power of Habit, I think I’d like to read it again this year.
Also, a great history read was Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle. Such insight into that period in time.
I’ve also been reading through all of the Phryne Fisher Mysteries after getting addicted to the show on Netflix.
As you know Crystal my son is also a 27-weeker! I loved Anchored too, and even though it is extremely emotional, I also want to write my son’s story as a book. Thank you for sending it to me 🙂
I’m bound and determined to get more reading done this year. I let life get in the way too much this past year! I’m so bad at forcing myself to finish one book before I pick up another, which I why I still am waiting to start your recent book. I think I’m going to just have to read multiple books at a time b/c I’m dying to dig into it! Thanks for sharing your list – I think I may have to check out some of them for myself this year!
You have given me some great books to add to my list for this year. I ended up reading 53 books over 2015. Goal was 52 so I didn’t surpass it by much like I have in past years. How you fit in 70+ in the year you had is beyond me! WOW great job!
My top 3 favorite reads from 2015 were
1.Flash: The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me About Life, Faith, And Second Chances -I laughed, I cried, and I wanted to know how on earth the author got into my brain and wrote my thoughts down in the pages of her book!
2. The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions In The Midst Of Endless Demands -This book hit me at my core believes and reminded me I am making great choices. I am making my best yes, my top priority and I need to stop thinking that I should somehow be doing more.
3. Free To Be Me: Becoming The Young Woman God Created You To Be – This book was intended for high school and college age gals but there were things within its pages that this 40+ gal needed to hear. I cried so hard in some chapters it touched old wounds that needed to be healed.
I want to read Flash. I keep seeing it around the web every so often!
And I love, Iove, love The Best Yes!
I think I read *aloud* to my kids more than I read alone this year! Two that I read recently Audacious by Beth Moore and Choosing Joy by Sara Frankl & Mary Carver. I think I’ve highlighted and sticky-noted more from Choosing Joy than any other book in a long time.
Thanks for the list! I’ve added a few to my library list. 🙂
Me, too–thank you so much. 🙂
2015 was the year I finally got back into books. Off-hand, here are some I particularly liked:
The Dead and the Gone (also loved Life As We Knew It which I read in 2014, both at my teen daughter’s suggestion…but don’t bother with This World That We Live, the last book in the trilogy. It’s not nearly as good.)
The Young Bond series (recommended by my teen son)
The Kite Runner (so devastatingly sad!)
Dinner: A Love Story
Switch
Better Than Before
Notes from a Blue Bike
Thanks so much for sharing these! And yay for getting back into books!
My favorite read this year was The Guernsey Literary and Potato peel pie society. Its amazing, moving, funny and so sweet. Its takes place after WW 2 and its written in letter form. It brings you right into the lives of the characters. I listened to it as an audio while driving around for work and I shouted out NO!!! when it ended. I was so sad and it felt as if I was leaving behind friends I would never hear from again. Its that good. I am a member of a facebook page called Potato Peel Pie which is sort of online book lovers meet up inspired by the book.
http://www.amazon.com/Guernsey-Literary-Potato-Peel-Society/dp/0385341008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451742514&sr=8-1&keywords=the+guernsey+literary+and+potato+peel+pie+society
This was one of my favorites, too!!!
This book is SO GOOD ON AUDIO!!!!
I agree. I just fell in love with all the characters because of the different voices giving them a life. It was so good.
I agree, this was a great book!
I wish there was a way to just keep the people of Guernsey in my life. LOL
love that book!!!
Thank you for Doug this every year! I love having recommendations from a Christian that are motivational and include nonfiction as well!
One of my favorites has to be “The Fringe Hours” by Jessica Turner. It really changed the way I looked at my time – especially my evening hours – and I plan to reread it this year! There are so many good books out there that I love reading what you enjoyed. Thanks for the recommendations, Crystal!
YES! That was such a good book!
“The Fringe Hours” is my favorite read of 2015. It was the most impactful. Once of my goals for 2016 is to spend 30 minutes each day doing something I love.
I loved The Fringe Hours too! I read it and re-read it right away! ? It just energized and inspired me.
I just got My Fringe Hours and have read just a bit of it. I like its format. Part book, part journal.