Want to read more this year? I know many people who have set reading goals for this year, wanting to read a certain number of book. Others have just said they wanted to read more in general. I think the best way to meet the goal of reading more is to find some good books that are relatively easy to read and add those to your list of to-read books for the year.
I’ve looked over the books I read during the last few years and searched for books that would help people get more books read this year. Here are 12 books that just about anyone can enjoy.
A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron
Do you ever wish your pet could talk? If so, A Dog’s Purpose will give you a glimpse into what might be going on in their minds. The book follows a young puppy through his life with his mother and then in a pound until he is euthanized because of a broken leg. That is not where the story ends, though, but is just where it begins as the dog wakes up as another puppy but can remember his last life.
Read the full review.
A Man Called One by Fredrik Backman
Every once in a while, you come across a book that has everything – love, humor, sadness, relationships that start and end and an unforgettable character. Ove lives in a world that has moved past him. He believes in doing the right thing and that other people should do the right thing. He also believes people should know how to do basic things in life, like make coffee, parallel park and write a letter. The story of Ove begins where it ends, with Ove trying to buy and iPad even though he knows nothing about them.
Read the full review.
Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven
It seems every leadership and inspirational book I was reading mentioned Make Your Bed as a must-read book. I hadn’t heard about McRaven’s viral commencement speech, but after reading the book, I can understand why his advice was so well received. It has common sense and is to-the-point. I recommend reading it.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
A China rabbit doll is loved and doted upon by a little girl, yet all the doll can feel in return is a sense of entitlement because it is loved more than the other toys. When a new housekeeper puts Edward Tulane (the rabbit) on a shelf one day, he cannot believe that he is being treated in such a way. Abilene is overjoyed when she finds her doll, but the doll just wishes the housekeeper to be punished. Then, when the family decides to take a journey on a ship, Edward topples overboard and is lost.
Read the full review.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
When the animals on a farm overthrow the humans, the goal is for the animals to live in harmony and each animal help according to his or her own abilities. To most, the change in life borders living in utopia. The humans had been mistreating the animals with long work hours, whippings and forgotten feedings. The pigs emerge as the leaders since they are the only animal who can read well. But, can someone being in charge work with the new animal society?
Read the full review.
The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede
Sept. 11, 2001, changed the entire world. For the people of Gander, Newfoundland, the day was a way to change the world in a good way. Once the United States’ airspace was closed that fateful day, planes that were still in the air had to find a place to land. Many were in the middle of crossing the ocean and were diverted to Gander, a familiar checkpoint to pilots who cross the Atlantic. Thousands of people were stranded on the island for days and they found nothing but people who wanted to help them, and the stories are told in The Day the World Came to Town.
Read the full review.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
During World War II, the Channel Islands were occupied by the Germans in hopes that they would soon take control of England. Instead they stayed for several years. On Guernsey, the village people did what they could to survive and help those in need on their island. Getting caught coming home late one night, a few of them create a literary society, which ends up drawing them even closer during a trying time.
Read the full review.
The Timekeeper by Mitch Albom
We all keep track of time – the days, the hours, the minutes. Some of us want more time and some of us wish it would go by faster. Are we ever content just being where we are?
The Time Keeper tells the story of three people and one of them is Father Time – the first person to keep track of time in humanity. He wants more time and he is given it by watching as time goes by, but never getting older. Until, on Earth, there are two people he can help put time in perspective – a sick man who wants to live forever and a teenage girl who wants time to go by faster. He is sent down to Earth to understand their lives and intervene at the right time to show them what is truly precious.
Read the full review.
The 13th Gift by Joann Huist Smith
How does a grieving family deal with Christmas? Joy is replaced with pain and smiles with tears. One family in Dayton, Ohio, deals with just that during the Christmas season of 1999. Rick, the husband and father, dies of a heart attack after putting off surgery so they could enjoy the holidays together. Knowing that and his not being there puts the mom and oldest son not wanting to even celebrate. The two other children still want to see the magic of Christmas come alive. Then, a present is found on their porch that changes everything.
Read the full review.
The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond
I read this book back in 2014 when The Pioneer Woman was just starting to get very popular. This is a compilation of her blog posts from when she was starting out and it tell the story of how she and Ladd met, dated and got married. She’s very open and honest in sharing her personal struggles – especially with sweating. Did you know she was a vegetarian when she met Ladd and he taught her how to cook steak? For more fun details, read this true love story.
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
One play was all it took for Rick to go from an NFL player with a lot of potential to a laughingstock who would never play the game again. Then fate intervenes and he is given a chance to play on a team – in Italy. Rick learns a lot about himself and what is important in life while Playing for Pizza. It is always interesting to read a Grisham novel that is not a trial or crime plot.
The Walk series by Richard Paul Evans
Alan Christoffersen loses his wife, his company and his friends and does the only thing he can think to do – start walking. As he journeys from Washington state to Florida, he encounters good people and bad people and learns so much about himself. It is a long journey, not just for his body, but for his heart and soul to heal. There are five books in the series, but they are all quick reads.
Do any of these books sound like a book you would like to read? Let me know if you pick one up and if it helps you get to a place where you read more this year!
Happy reading!