Books of 2021

I know this subject is so last year, but I’m just so excited about it anyway, and the end of last year was full of, you know, having a baby, so, a few weeks late, here we go!

Back in 2020 I read a whole seven books, the last two of them during December, because I was so mortified by my only having finished five so far when December arrived. I had set a goal for myself at the beginning of the year to read 12 books. One per month, on average. Should be totally doable, right?

Well, you know what happened in 2020. Anxiety was high, my eyes needed glasses, we had to sell our house and then unpack at the new one, we were trying to make new friends, I had a miscarriage. It wasn’t exactly a recipe for success in the Meeting Personal Goals department. Or the Having Time to Read Real Books department. I read lots of short, online things, but not many real books.

But, y’all, check it out!

In 2021, I read 41 books!

Now, to be fair: two of them, I read most of them during 2020, but finished them in January 2021. I always count a book “read” during the year I finish it, regardless of when I started it. It’s the only logistically acceptable way for my brain to keep track. And 14 of them are books meant for children, either that I’ve read aloud to my kids, listened to on audiobook with my kids, or have finally read for myself because I never read them when I was a kid. And, of the “adult” books, two were audiobooks, so I didn’t actually put in the “work” of reading them.

But even if you discount all of those….23 physical, whole, entire, grown-up books is a vast improvement over 7, and clearly exceeds my 2021 renewed goal of 12 books in one year. Yay, me! 😁

Behold, the grand list of them all, sorted by category, with a thought or two of mine about each.

Read-Alouds and Audiobooks with the Kids

Matilda by Roald Dahl
Why I picked it up: My somewhat precocious little girl was in kindergarten and a bit of a teacher’s pet, like Matilda, so I thought it would be a good first chapter book read-aloud for her.
My takeaway: Miryam loved it, I enjoyed reading it, and even Luke listened attentively sometimes (he was a young 4yo when we read this).

The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling
Why I picked it up: I found it on a list of good read-alouds for pre-K and kinder age kids, and it was available to download immediately the day we were leaving for a family road trip.
My takeaway: Miryam liked this one a lot, as we’d recently read about King Midas’s golden touch, and she made the connection.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Why I picked it up: Classic!!
My takeaway: Both big kids enjoyed this story and were eager to watch the old movie when I pulled it up; this was my own favorite one in this category; I hadn’t read/heard it since my own childhood and it was just plain fun.

Dinosaurs Before Dark and several other Magic Treehouse books by Mary Pope Osborne
Why I picked these up: My sister said her 4-year-old was devouring Magic Treehouse books being read to him, so I thought I’d give it a go with Luke.
My takeaway: As it’s meant for kids a little older than mine to read on their own, it was pretty boring for me. However, Luke liked it so much we read DBD a second time, and he sat to hear the next one in the series all in one sitting. He was way more into this than he had been with Miryam’s favorite read-aloud chapter books. Both kids are hooked on this series now.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
Why I picked it up: I found it on several “good read alouds” book lists.
My takeaway: Neither my kids nor I really got into this story. The kids didn’t want to listen past ⅓ of the way through. I finished it on my own, because I’d never read it before, but still didn’t like it much. Just not our style, I guess.

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’s Magic by Betty MacDonald
Why I picked it up: A friend passed her copy on to me when I was helping her pack up to move.
My takeaway: Miryam thought these stories were hilarious. I found them not so clever as the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle stories I remember my mom reading to me (in these she uses actual magic cures; I remembered clever cures that used ordinary things to get kids to make better choices on their own), so I didn’t love it, but since M did, it was fun to read with her.

Bonus: Audiobooks I put on for the kids but didn’t necessarily listen to the whole thing myself:

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

A Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Fiction Just For Me

The Chronicles of Narnia (in this order: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; The Horse and His Boy; The Magician’s Nephew; The Last Battle) by C.S. Lewis
Why I picked it up: Justin wanted to read these aloud to the kids, but I’d never read them, so when we scored a good deal on a hardback full set, I decided to get a head start on them.
My takeaway: I was so enthralled! I wish I had read them when I was younger. I will gladly reread them with/to my children in the future. 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Why I picked it up: One of my best friends loves and devours mysteries. I don’t think I’d read a mystery story since The Boxcar Children from my childhood. My friend said this was a great one to start with.
My takeaway: I could hardly put this down. Will be back for more!

The Troll Garden: Short Stories by Willa Cather
Why I picked it up: Cather is one of my favorite authors. I didn’t read anything of hers in 2020. It was time for more. I read one short story between each of the Narnia books.
My takeaway: A lovely collection of in-character stories for Cather. A good confidence booster, since the stories were short, for someone trying to get into a better habit of spending her free time reading rather than phone-scrolling.

The Other Bennett Sister by Janice Hadlow
Why I picked it up: A friend recommended it, so after listening to Pride and Prejudice on audiobook, it felt like a natural next-fiction-pick.
My takeaway: This book really brought “poor Mary” from P&P to life. It was a little bit too long in my opinion, but overall I enjoyed it.

Middlemarch by George Eliot
Why I picked it up: A friend recommended this to me, so I’d begun it, in 2017, but I lost the library’s copy, then never procured another copy after paying for that one, because I had 2 kids under age 3, and we were moving again, and very busy mom plus mom-brain meant I couldn’t properly take in the complex syntax and rich, sometimes old-fashioned vocabulary. Life settled down this year, plus my sister got me my own copy for Christmas last year, so it was time to try again.
My takeaway: Delightful! Truly a classic. It’s long and it took me five weeks of all my free time to finish it, but so worth it. The narrator’s commentary about the characters, sprinkled throughout, was executed in a way that made the story even better, rather than being over-explanation.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Why I picked it up: It’s been on my “list” since a close friend raved about it back in high school, so I finally got around to it.
My takeaway: A clever take on Nazi Germany. I didn’t absolutely love the narrative voice (see: my love of classics, above), but the ending really redeemed any small complaints and bored moments I had throughout the book.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Why I picked it up: Recommended by a librarian friend.
My takeaway: Well-written modern fiction. Not necessarily a favorite, but I can unequivocally recommend it.

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
Why I picked it up: Willa Cather. 👌🏼
My takeaway: Another lovely novel by Willa Cather. When I’ve read them all, someday, I’ll let you know what my very favorites are.

The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
Why I picked it up: Again with Ms. Cather!
My takeaway: I liked this even more than O Pioneers!

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
Why I picked it up: We took a family vacation to a beach house in Florida over fall break. I wanted to bring with me a book to read—fiction, and something we owned, just in case I might lose it somehow. Justin has Lewis’s Space Trilogy (beginning with this book) in a single volume, and it was something I hadn’t read before, so it checked my boxes.
My takeaway: I don’t often (maybe ever?) read science fiction, so this was pretty different for me. It was interesting enough, though, that I went on to finish the trilogy.

Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
Why I picked it up: It’s the next in the series, and contained in the same physical volume in my case, as Out of the Silent Planet.
My takeaway: It was harder for me to get into the plot and dialogue in this than the previous one, but the theological implications were even more interesting to ponder.

That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
Why I picked it up: Final book in Lewis’s Space Trilogy.
My takeaway: It was difficult for me to keep track of all the new characters, at least at first, but it was fascinating to watch the plot unfold once it got going. It was so interesting to see the different ways Lewis treated theological themes in fiction for adults (ie. in this trilogy) vs. with a target audience of children (ie. in the Narnia series).

Non-Fiction

Mary’s Mantle Consecration by Christine Watkins
Why I picked it up: A friend invited me to do this 40-day personal retreat with Mary and I accepted.
My takeaway: I didn’t love the daily reflections as written. I don’t want to say they were cheesy, because I’m sure they are profound for some… I did, however, love the externally-imposed motivation to discipline myself to reflect daily, pray a rosary daily, and give up Facebook for six straight weeks, which effectively cured me of a borderline addiction to Facebook, such that I now check it only on weekends and with very little interest, instead of a dozen times a day “in case I’ve missed something.” This was a huge life upgrade for me that’s paid dividends all year. I highly recommend fasting from social media for a specified amount of time if you compulsively pick it up for no good reason as I’d been doing in 2019-2020. So that aspect was worth every page.

Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer) by Pope St. John Paul II
Why I picked it up: It was part of the content lineup for my moms group meetings.
My takeaway: A good stepping stone into some of JPII’s lengthier writings, and timely, with my Marian consecration, to get to know our blessed mother better.

Your Blue Flame by Jennifer Fulwiler
Why I picked it up: I absolutely loved Jen’s book One Beautiful Dream, where I first heard about her concept of “your blue flame” (a thing that you’re good at, that makes the world a better place, even in a small way, when you do it). She inspired me to start this blog in the first place. So I checked out this new book all about that from the library.
My takeaway: A great way to talk about charisms (special and specific gifts the Holy Spirit gives each individual) in lay terms. I could hand this book to anybody, Catholic or non, and they could go make the world a better place with their own gifts with its insight. It wasn’t as riveting as I’d hoped, probably because I’d already heard Jen flesh out most of these ideas on her podcast. But if you haven’t already identified your own charisms or “blue flames,” and want to—go read this book!

The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher
Why I picked it up: One of my best friends was reading it and raving about it and wanted someone to talk to about it.
My takeaway: I felt like Dreher’s main point was kind of obvious: you need to find, plug into, and/or build community with others who share your faith, where you’re at, or you’re going to feel isolated and/or lose your faith and/or fail to pass on your faith to your kids. I’ve written a few times (see here and here) already about my strong feelings about how worth it it is to put in the effort to build a community, so I won’t rehash here. His strong opinions about acceptable forms of education, I took with a grain of salt. I did, however, really enjoy reading the chapters about history, and having several of my opinions about community-building validated.

This Present Paradise by Claire Dwyer
Why I picked it up: My favorite podcast was going to be reading it for Lent this past year, and I wanted to follow along.
My takeaway: I was so thrilled to be introduced to St. Elizabeth of the Trinity! This book went nicely as a spread-across-Lent read and I’ll likely read it again someday.

Remember Your Death (Memento Mori) by Sr Theresa Aletheia Noble
Why I picked it up: A close friend loved this book over Lent the year before, so she and I and some other friends read it together for Lent this past year.
My takeaway: It was really meaty for a daily devotional, and I’ll definitely be revisiting it in future years.

For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn
Why I picked it up: A local friend highly recommended it, and also lent me her copy.
My takeaway: So insightful! A quick, easy, oddly fun read about understanding how men think.

Mulieris Dignitatem (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women) by Pope St. John Paul II
Why I picked it up: The moms small group I joined last year was reading it.
My takeaway: Every woman needs to read this. If you need a reading buddy, let me know and I will read it again with you. It’s a bit dense at times but so, so beautiful, in both language and message. This post was inspired by this read.

A Work of God: Images of Renewal by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
Why I picked it up: I listen to the CFRs’ podcast, “Poco a Poco,” and they kept talking about it.
My takeaway: Anything to encourage openness to religious Vocations among my children! The photos are great and the essays are interesting too. It’s a staple of the coffee table book stack now.

Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker
Why I picked it up: A friend marked it as “want to read” on Goodreads, and it’s endorsed by an author another friend recommended, and the library has it, so I was curious.
My takeaway: Although written from a perspective I couldn’t relate to much, this book brought together several points that, in isolation, I wouldn’t have taken note of. I didn’t appreciate the author’s vulgarity at times, and I dismissed what didn’t align with my own morals and values, but her underlying message is worth thinking about.

Your Pregnancy and Childbirth by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Why I picked it up: My OB gave me a copy at my second prenatal appointment, and I thought, “It’s been six years since I’ve read a pregnancy book; why not?”
My takeaway: At times almost comical in its dry medical terminology, this book was a good refresher about all the things to expect and prepare for regarding pregnancy, labor and delivery, and early newborn care.

The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons
Why I picked it up: A friend highly recommended it.
My takeaway: Extremely interesting look at some unexpected quirks of human psychology. I really enjoyed this, and learned a bit, too.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Why I picked it up: Years ago, a Buzzfeed quiz indicated that Mindy Kaling should play me in a movie about my own life, so I’ve been mildly curious about her since then; and it kept coming up as trending or recommended on Goodreads; and the library has it.
My takeaway: Honestly I was bored by this book. I’m probably not the target audience. It read more like a blog that I wouldn’t follow than a memoir. But there were 3 chapters I really liked, so if you want to check it out from the library for free and skip to pg 176, I liked “Men and Boys,” “Married People Need to Step It Up,” and “When You’re Not Skinny, This is What People Want You to Wear.”

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver
Why I picked it up: My mom offered for me to borrow anything off her “religious books” shelf the last time I went to visit; this title caught my eye.
My takeaway: I loved the first few chapters, and wanted to love the whole thing, but the second half of the book, until the final chapter anyway, wasn’t as interesting or insightful. I don’t regret reading it, but I don’t definitively recommend it, either.

Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald H. Calloway
Why I picked it up: One friend lent me her copy, then months later another friend asked if I’d like to do the consecration with her in a small group. I said Yes.
My takeaway: I learned so much about St. Joseph! It was extra-special to do this consecration during the Year of St. Joseph, but I would recommend this book to anyone any time.

Audiobooks Just for Me

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. You can read allll about this one here.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Why I picked it up: I read an abridged-for-children version of this when I was a preteen, and haven’t touched the story since, and it was a glaring omission in my repertoire of classics I’ve read.
My takeaway: I liked it. It was a tiny bit too sappy sweet for me to love it. It also probably didn’t help that I was mostly listening to it during bouts of pregnancy-related middle-of-the-night insomnia, so I was annoyed and exhausted every time I turned it on. Oh well, can’t love them all.

Tell me in the comments below: What from my 2021 list are you adding to your own Want to Read list? And/or: What is a favorite title of yours that I should add to my Want to Read list?