Well, I managed to read 65 books this year. (It helps that I read some for work.) Yes, I did count the Bible, too. It took me a year on a reading plan, but it is a book, so I counted it. (Or should I count the 66 books? That would put me over 100 books for the year!) Anyway, here is my round-up of best reads:
Cookbooks:
Healthy Meal Prep: Time-Saving Plans to Prep and Portion Your Weekly Meals by Stephanie Tornatore and Adam Bannon of Fit Couple Cooks—These authors (a trained chef and his creative partner) put a lot into this cookbook! Readers get twelve weeks of meal prep, each with four meals (1 breakfast and 3 main meals to rotate), which will feed a person for six days. Meals are each 400-600 calories (nutrition facts included). They are healthy without containing too strange of ingredients or being too healthy. There are photos for each meal of every prep. Every prep tells how to do it step by step, and there are shopping lists, too. Tips throughout help readers know how to buy, prep, store, reheat, and so much more. This is a gem of a resource!
Runner up:
The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals by Laurel Randolph—Simplistic at times, drool worthy at others, I can see why this cookbook has sold over half a million copies. It contains pressure cooker basics and tips about healthy eating. With recipes for breakfasts, dinners, dessert, staple sauces and beyond, the cookbook has something for everyone at every meal. Ingredients are generally not too exotic, either. While I know I do not want to make a few recipes, I would say on the whole, that this cookbook has more recipes than I have time to make, which makes it not just a reference, but a resource for years to come. I might even want to get a larger Instant Pot and some more equipment!
*I own this one thanks to a gift from a friend.
Christian/spiritual:
Seeing Beautiful Again: 50 Devotions to Find Redemption in Every Part of Your Story by Lysa TerKeurst—A collection of devotionals formatted into a beautiful book makes this a treasure trove of a resource for now and the future. Each devotional starts with a Scripture and ends with a prayer. TerKeurst shares authentically about many of her own struggles (even her husband's infidelity) and how she has seen God work through them. She writes a lot about forgiveness, a bit about marriage, and a lot about being human. In the end, she concludes that, “Seeing beautiful again requires us to stay moldable by God” (p. 246). Staying moldable is good reason to read this devotional and begin looking for beautiful all over again.Fiction:
The Shoebox by Francine Rivers—This is a beautiful short story about Timmy, a sweet foster boy living with Mary and David Holmes. Timmy carries a shoebox with him everywhere. He is the only one who knows what’s in it, that is until he becomes a wise man in the Christmas play and lays his shoebox at the feet of baby Jesus. Then the author reveals a view from heaven. This sweet book includes lovely sketches, recipes from the author and her family, and the biblical Christmas story at the end. Short, but poignant, reading this could become a family tradition.
Runner up:
The Innkeeper by John Piper (11/30/21)--A unique Christmas book with beautiful paintings, this tells the story of the innkeeper who housed Joseph and Mary. Piper supposes that this innkeeper lost his son when Herod ordered the killing of all the young boys after the wise men announced Jesus' birth. In poignant poetry, Piper writes of Jesus visiting this innkeeper and recounting how the innkeeper's sacrifice will result in a sacrifice to save the world. This is a different look at Christmas, but an important one at that!
Marriage:
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John M. Gottman, PhD and Nan Silver—This may be one of Gottman’s best books yet! Based on empirical research, but made extremely practical through questionnaires and exercises contained in the book, these principles for making marriage work, and work well, are accessible to everyone! This book reinforced to me the importance of softened start-ups, accepting a spouse and treating them with love no matter their differences, and acknowledging dreams, even if they are no feasible. The book ends with the “Magic Five Hours” that keep marriages strong. Couples can easily invest five hours a week in their relationships, Gottman asserts, through rituals about partings, reunions, admiration and appreciation, affection, and a two hour weekly date. Marriage takes work, but it is doable work, and the positive benefits for health, relationships, and beyond are well worth the investment!
Runner up:
Now You’re Speaking My Language by Gary Chapman—I expected this book to be primarily about marital communication, but found it to be about much, much more. Chapman writes with a strong gospel emphasis, as well as sound psychological principles. He challenges readers to a higher calling for marriage, to live like Christ instead of for themselves. Chapman places an emphasis on intimacy and lays a theological, as well as practical grounds for building it. This is honestly one of the best and most helpful books I have read of Chapman’s and I wholeheartedly recommend it to Christian couples!
Running:
(This is a new category this year, replacing COVID from last year. It seems apt....)
Run to the Finish: The EverydayRunner’s Guide to Avoiding Injury, Ignoring the Clock, and Lovingthe Run by Amanda Brooks (6/2/21)—This is probably the best book about running I have read so far! The author, a journalist and a run coach, blends tongue-in-cheek humor, personal anecdotes, science, and just enough mindset work to make the book accessible and applicable to runners of all kinds. Beginner runners can find what they need. Recreational runners ready to make running a lifestyle can find what they need. There is good marathon training and recovery advice for those wanting to increase training, as well as a few training plans for improving speed. The book has reasonable advice for warm-ups, strength work, and nutrition as well. It is refreshing to read a book by a “middle of the pack” runner, and upon finishing, I felt renewed in my desire to run, and to make adjustments to my current routine so that I can “run to the finish.”
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