my 2021 reading challenge

at the beginning of 2021, i set a goal to read 40 books for the year. and it happened!!
here is my list and ratings for each |

01. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (3/5 stars)
02. Wabi-Sabi Welcome by Julie Pointer Adams (5/5 stars) *a beautiful coffee table book and all the things near to my heart.
03. This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel (4/5 stars)
04. Before the Coffee Gets Cold #1 by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (2/5 stars)
05. The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (4/5 stars)
06. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller (4/5 stars)
07. Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado (5/5 stars) *a daily read
08. One Two Three by Laurie Frankel (3/5 stars)
09. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (3/5 stars)
10. Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand (4/5 stars)
11. The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz (5/5 stars)
12. The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion (4/5 stars)
13. The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer (3/5 stars)
14. Love Does by Bob Goff (5/5 stars)
15. Untamed by Glennon Doyle (5/5 stars)
16. The Highly Sensitive Parent by Elaine N. Aron (4/5 stars)
17. Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau (3/5 stars)
18. The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur (5/5 stars)
19. The Wives by Tarryn Fisher (3/5 stars)
20. Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford (4/5 stars)
21. Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile (5/5 stars)
22. Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks (4/5 stars)
23. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah (5/5 stars)
24. Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine (4.5/5 stars)
25. Killman Creek by Rachel Caine (4.5/5 stars)
26. The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle (3/5 stars)
27. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (4/5 stars)
28. The Empathy Diaries: a Memoir by Sherry Turkle (4/5 stars)
29. Betty by Tiffany McDaniel (5/5 stars)
30. Many Windows, Seasons of the Heart by Faith Baldwin (5/5 stars)
31. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (3/5 stars)
32. The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright (4/5 stars)
33. The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates (4/5 stars)
34. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers (5/5 stars) *can’t wait for this movie- coming 1.21.22!!
35. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (5/5 stars)
36. Home Front by Kristin Hannah (3/5 stars)
37. Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane (3/5 stars)
38. The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (4.5/5 stars)
39. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (4/5 stars)
40. It Ends with US by Colleen Hoover (4/5 stars)

from where i currently sit at a coffee shop 

tips for reading more |

01. carry a book with you everywhere you go (appointments, carpool lines, all the places where you may find downtime)
02. prioritize it. i am a big believer that we find the time for the things that are most important to us
03. use the library (all but a handful of the books i read last year were from the local library)
04. place your phone in another room- esp. at night
05. it’s important for me to set a example for my children of a love for reading so i try to read in front of them often
06. read a variety of genres you enjoy
07. if you aren’t loving a book, move on, and maybe come back at another time
08. wake up before your kids to read; take in some time alone
09. i use the goodreads app to track my reading goals and gets lots of book ideas from spivey’s bookclub

my 2022 challenge is to read 40 books again… i was going to bump it up, but with the arrival of baby monaco this summer, i think keeping it as is is probably best… i am almost done with my first book of the year and it’s a must-read for everyone.

book | get your life back by john eldredge (absolutely loving it!!)

… please let me know if you set a book challenge for the new year and how it goes …