Happily friends, I share that I met my goal in 2021 and finished every single book on my reading list! It felt gratifying, as it does each time I finish a new book, but on an entirely new level to complete the list – especially considering I didn’t start Book #15 until December 30th!

I’d like to raise the count to 20 for 2022. I’m not sure how realistic that will be once we have a newborn, so I started my list for this year with 15, leaving room for new additions later in the year, should I need more encouragement versus a cheeky beach read 🙂

1. Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequest || Aside from the fact that one of my dearest friends gifted this book to me, it would be hard to convince me not to read this book! ‘Cold Tangerines’ by Shauna Niequest is one of my most favorite books I’ve ever read, so I am happily looking forward to this one. And by looking forward, I mean after baby makes his/her appearance. We don’t need to pour salt in the wound. 🙂
2. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid || This one reminds me of The Last House Guest that I read last year. It is one of those thrillers where something drastic happens on a seemingly normal night that changes the course of all involved’s lives. It also has phenominal reviews!
3. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave || Another book with great reviews – it was on Goodreads ‘Best Books of 2021’ List – this drama captures the story of a man’s disappearance, a wife on a mission to find the truth, who begins to realize her husband may not be the man she thought he was afterall.
4. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry || I can never get enough of a beach read, and this one seems like no exception. This details the story of two long-distance best friends, who plan a trip together each summer to catch up, despite having nothing in common. After a falling out, they plan one more trip together to make it right – what could possibly go wrong?
5. Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson || I found this one on a list of books to read this year! Set in Virginia, this follows an enslaved woman’s journey to fight for her freedom.
6. The Magic of Motherhood by Ashlee Gadd || I found this as a recommended book for new moms over on Something Pretty. Rather than being filled with pages of advice, this heart-filled book is comprised of essay and stories written about the love, heartache and magic of being a mother.
7. Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman || Eek! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to dive into this one! Aside from this being my first “how-to” parenting book, there is something so captivating for me about the french and their lifestyle. Not that I’m positive that “french parenting” is actually a thing, this book comes highly reccomended. Fingers crossed that daily wine and cheese hour is a parenting tip. (I mean, imagine. A little boy or girl in black and white stripes, nibbling on cheese and juice. Ugh, my heart cannot take it!)
8. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Stout || I’ve seen this book as I’ve curated my reading list for the past few years and finally decided to see what the hype is all about. This novel is also the winner of a Pulitzer Prize! The main character, Olive, is the axis around 13 other stories, which wind themselves into lives filled with all of the complexities of human drama.
9. The Neighbors Secret by L. Alison Heller || I’ve been a fan of mystery novels since my days of reading Nancy Drew under my bed covers as a kid. This thriller follows a group of parents faced with a decision after a series targeted acts of vandalism – they will protect their children at any cost, even if that means someone has to die.
10. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig || This one seems a little out of my genre comfort zone, but has come highly recommended from friends and authors alike. Jodi Picoult, my favorite author, even went as far to say it is the “It’s a Wonderful Life for the modern age” – I don’t need any more convincing after a statement like that!
11. How to Celebrate Everything by Jenny Rosenstrach || This book was written for me, right?! I am eager to dive into this author’s take on finding joy and celebration in all of life’s moments. Perhaps a timely read for me, as I anticipate many moments that feel less than celebratory in the early mornings with a newborn.
12. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr || This book contains two of my favorite details to read about – the second world war and the setting of France! Similar to many books written about this era, the novel follows the store of two different people – a young blind girl forced to flee Paris and a young boy who joins the Nazi movement – until their paths ultimately collide.
13. Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand || I am slightly appalled by myself never before reading an Elin Hilderbrand book, considering its genre usually falls right up my alley. Aside from the cover giving me all of the warm weather vibes during this cold front, the story is about the protagonist discovering her husband has died, and while trying to process the details of his death, comes to the realization that her husband had a secret life on the island of St. John.
14. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover || Admittedly, this book wasn’t originially on my list for this year but I can’t seem to escape it – it is everywhere! Many reviews describe that this is the kind of emotionally jarring novel that sticks with you long after reading it. To me, my favorite kinds of books are the ones that leave a lasting impression, so I just can’t not read this one.
15. Things I Wish I’d Known Before Becoming Parents by Dr. Gary Chapman || Jody and I both enjoyed reading his arguably more popular book, The Five Love Languages and still refer to it often in our marriage, so I’m holding onto hope that this one will be just as impactful as we prepare for this new role.

Other Books On My Radar:

• Waiting In Wonder: Growing in Faith While You’re Expecting by Catherine Claire Larson (I’ve been actually been working my way through this 40-Week Devotional since November)
• In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
• Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
• Live in Love: Growing Together Through Life’s Changes by Lauren Akins

Interested in seeing more? You can find my past reading lists here, here, here and here.