Another great year of reading complete! I was aiming for 125 books, but got to 103 🙂 What were my favorites? I picked 12 – six fiction and six non-fiction – books that stood out as ones I recommended to people after I read them. (Okay, maybe there are 2 bonus ones, too.) These are the books I kept thinking about and wanting to talk about to others. You can find full reviews of them in my monthly reading bookshelf posts, so I’ll just give a little snippet here.
NON-FICTION
The Way by Josemaria Escriva
I’ve described The Way as Jocko for Catholicism! It’s short snippets of advice on various topics and he doesn’t beat around the bush!
The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher
Jefferson Fisher is a master of communication. His advice for how to have hard conversations and good conversations is very insightful!
Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
Mark Twain said Joan of Arc was his best book. It’s heavily researched historical fiction but it gives great insight into this saint’s life.
Sincerely, Stoneheart by Emily Wilson Hussem
Written in the style of C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, this book addresses current issues most women face in today’s society. Very convicting!
The Priest Barracks by Guillaume Zeller
Many, many priests were among those rounded up the by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps. This important book tells what they endured.
A Song for Nagasaki by Paul Glynn
Promoted by Fr. Mike Schmitz during Lent, this book tells about the Catholic community of Nagasaki – before, during and after the nuclear bombing.
FICTION
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
A Canticle for Leibowitz is one of my favorite books of all time! A dystopian tale about monks keeping the records of technology in secret for future generations to use – it’s fascinating!
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston
This was such a fun read with a unique storyline! An elderly gentleman is mistaken for another man who lives in a nursing home for patients with dementia. How can he explain that he doesn’t belong there?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
If you’re a fan of Paris, you’ll want to read the original novel, which is so much different than the Disney movie. Hauntingly beautiful and much darker.
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida
A Japanese tale of a psychiatrist’s office found down an elusive alleyway where all the patients are prescribed cats to solve their problems. Loved this book!
The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
I’m definitely old enough to read fairy tales again. At my age, I can really appreciate the world and story Lewis created in the Narnia series. I read them slowly and close together and I could see how he was telling the story of creation, from beginning to end, in these tales.
The Christmas Stranger by Richard Paul Evans
A man has lost his will to live after losing his family a few years ago on Christmas Eve. Then a stranger enters his life and he meets a young mother who is widowed and a young boy who needs help. Will it be enough to change his mind?
BONUS: BIOGRAPHIES
Padre Pio by C. Bernard Ruffin
I learned a lot of details about Padre Pio’s life by reading this book. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in this saint.
My Son Carlo by Antonia Salzar Acutis
A book written by a saint’s mother who is still alive? It’s an amazing story about a teen who understood the spiritual life more than most people older than him.
What were your favorite books this past year? Share in the comments!