My Favorite Books of 2021

Happy New Year, everyone! 

For the past two years, I made the personal goal to read 100 books. In 2020, I made it by the skin of my teeth as I frantically finished reading my 100th book on New Year's Eve. This year in 2021, I had a bit of a buffer as I finished the year with 104 books. Now let me clarify, I am perfectly okay with counting audiobooks and picture books (especially because I am a teacher). 

As I thought about my books of 2021, I wanted to share with you my ten favorite books of this year. 

Nonfiction

Outdated: Find Love that Lasts When Dating Has Changed by J.P. Pokluda

This was by far one of my favorite books. I loved it so much that I reread it, and I am thinking about rereading it again (I really should just buy my own copy). As a Christian single, I have read books about what a God-centered marriage looks like. Realistically though, that is not the stage that I am in. There are very few books about what being single looks like as a Christian, which is why this book was such a breath of fresh air. 

The first part directly addresses singleness. This part was probably the most impactful for me because Pokluda shows how singleness is a gift (even though many view it as a curse), and he also uses the epistles of Paul to show how Paul also calls it a gift. This part encouraged me to use my time and resources in impactful ways. How can I use my time that I have because I am single in a meaningful way for those around me?It is this time of singleness that God is forming me into the woman that He wants me to be, and if God's plan is for me to stay single, He has given me a rich life with so many opportunities that I can serve Him.

The rest of the book is dedicated to dating. It discusses the standards that we have, whom we should date, how to express interest etc. all from a biblical perspective 

Word to the wise (paraphrasing from various parts of the book): guys, be direct when asking a girl out and call it a date. The girl and all of her friends will be impressed that you know what you want and you are showing the leadership. Really, if you think she loves Jesus and seems like an interesting person, why not just ask her on a date and see what happens? It is not a marriage proposal. The worst that happens is that she says no, and you move along on your merry way and ask that other girl you thought was both godly and interesting. In fact, dating is all about getting to know someone so that one day you can have that marriage where both choose to continue to love each other as their sole mate (not soulmate).  

One of the parts that struck me in this section is how we should be dating in a community. We should introduce our dates to our families and our friends and be introduced to their families and friends. God did not intend relationships to be in isolation. 

So if you are a Christian single trying to navigate the world in a coupled off universe, check out this book. And if you are also in the Hampton Roads area, check out this in-person community. The Christian Young Adults of Hampton Roads is a group that I joined in 2021, and it was one of the first times that I have felt community with people who are in a similar age and stage in life. As I look back on this year, they were one of the reasons that made 2021 special, and I would love to be able to share it with you as well. 

Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America's 16th President and Why it Failed by Brad Meltzer

A few years ago, I read the First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington by the same author. I absolutely loved it, and I was eager to see that Brad Meltzer had a new book about Lincoln. 

This book reads like a crime mystery novel even though it is nonfiction. Because it reads like a mystery, the reader is able to get to know Lincoln as a person rather than just a historical figure. As I read it, I felt that I could have been friends with Lincoln if we had met. Lincoln had a sense of humor that would put people at ease, even though it was often self-deprecating.

By the way, this assassination attempt is not the one that we think of with John Wilkes Booth (though they are related to an extent). This assassination attempt was when Lincoln was headed to the White House before he was sworn in as President. 

The book begins in the middle of the night with a figure in a wheelchair with a felt hat where he is pushed by a lady. The figure was Lincoln as he disguised himself to escape the attempted assassination. 

This book follows various characters and delves into their back story to show their motives just like a crime novel. 

This book was a great jumping off point to my summer. The first part of my summer, my brother and I went on a road trip. We got to visit Springfield, Illinois that was all things Lincoln including his house and his library (both are excellent exhibits if you are visiting that part of Illinois). This book gave me an insight into the man who led our country in a time of turmoil. 

Another Lincoln book that I read this year was Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails. This was also a fun read that I recommend because it showed how Lincoln was the first wired President where he embraced the latest technology of the telegraph. He used it to send commands to his officers and even interrupted messages among his officers. Again, this book also showed Lincoln as a human with his love of technology. 

Hardtack and Coffee or The Unwritten Story of Army Life by John Davis Billings

Most of my summer, I was a teacher-ranger-teacher for Manassas National Battlefield. It was an absolutely incredible experience where I got to work at the Battlefield and explore historical documents as I created lessons for teachers around America. I got to dig through primary sources and read about accounts of soldiers who had fought and died on the soil that I walked every day. 

For a lesson that I did about food, I used Hardtack and Coffee. This book is written by a Union soldier who experienced the Civil War. Because of this, it is the manual for many Civil War reenactors to know what life was like in the army camps. 

This account is very telling of what a soldier experienced while at camp, and it includes topics like coffee, food, packages, entertainment, among many other topics.

However, John Billings is also quite humorous. He describes the soldiers as hoping that when they find a louse on them that it is the Robinson Crusoe of their kind and not the swarm that they inevitably know are there. He also describes lice racing among the men for entertainment. Whose louse will win? 

And please don't read the chapter on food while actually eating food. The descriptions of hardtack will unsettle any stomach. There were different types---the really old ones like bricks, the ones where bugs had made the hardtack their castles, and the ones with mold. All of which you could still eat and survive in the military especially if you had that high-prized item of coffee. And when they did not have coffee, well, the soldiers created their own out of things like okra or peanuts.  

So if you want to know more about the Civil War, check out this humorous account of a Union soldier's life during the Civil War. 

Dear Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in the Digital World by Maryanne Wolf

If you have read this far, then clearly, you are a reader, and this next book would be for you. 

This book is about all the amazing things that our brain does when we read just one word. So many regions of our brain are active so that we put the sounds to the letters and the meaning to the word and the meaning in the context. 

The author writes letters to the reader throughout the book as she explains the complex process of reading and how incredible our brains are in interpreting little squiggles of meaning. 

She then discusses how our brains are different when we read things digitally. 

In fact, you are probably skimming this article for random helpful tidbits like if I would mention watermelon. 

Our brain when reading through digital media is much less focused and skims rather than reads completely as we are prone to do when reading print.

This was the most powerful teaching book that I read this year because it highlighted the importance of reading--focused reading. Maryanne Wolf claims that adults understand when to code switch between digital media and print media, but she worries about children who have grown up in a digital world and are far more exposed to digital media than ever before.

After reading this book, I went back and retaught sustained silent reading in my class. Every child needed to be engaged in their book. We talked about what reading looked like, what it sounded like, and what reading was not (not looking around the room looking for the words on the ceiling or neighbor's desk). I set a stopwatch to see how far we could make it. We made it to one and a half minutes on that first day. A few weeks later, though, we made it to the 20 minute mark, and the students started cheering feeling a sense of accomplishment (many even begged me to keep going).

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading and wants to know what our brains are like when we read. I would also especially recommend this book to parents of children just starting to read and teachers in general. 

Picture Books

The Eternal Soldier: The True Story of How a Dog Became a Civil War Hero by Allison Krotzer Kimmel

I discovered this book at Manassas National Battlefield by one of my good friends. This is the true story of Sallie, a dog that was adopted by a Pennsylvania unit. 

She became the soldiers' mascot, and she joined them in battle. She encouraged them when they were wounded, and she discouraged deserting. She was always there for her soldiers. 

This sweet tale is sure to capture any child's (okay anyone's) heart about this heroic dog who fought in both Virginia and Pennsylvania during the Civil War. 

Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco

One of the most memorable lines of Pink and Say is, "Now you can say you touched the hand that shook the hand of Abraham Lincoln." This summer, I felt a bit like that as I walked through Lincoln's house. The only thing that you were allowed to touch in the house was the original banister. I thought, "I am touching the banister that touched the hand of Abraham Lincoln!"

This book is about two young Civil War soldiers. Sheldon "Say" is wounded in battle and left for dead, but then Pinkus "Pink," a young African American soldier, rescues him and brings him home to restore Say's courage before the next battle. The book talks about their differences and their reasons for fighting.

This moving tale about friendship in time of war is a powerful retelling of a true story. And just as a warning, you may want a box of tissues nearby as this war story makes you feel the tragedies of war and what they were ultimately fighting for. 

I would recommend this picture book for anyone in fourth grade or older (there are some more graphic images) and especially to anyone who enjoys stories from the Civil War.

Fiction

Murder on The Orient Express by Agatha Christie

This was my first Agatha Christie book, and oh wow! It blew me away. I really cannot say too much because the ending was the part that really grabbed me, and I would love to talk about with anyone who has read it.

To give a brief summary (with no spoilers I promise!): The Orient Express is moving across the continent when an unexpected snow drift causes a freeze on the forward momentum. The people soon discover there has been a murder, and since the train cannot move, the murderer must still be onboard. Luckily, there is a private investigator onboard who must unravel what happened on that fateful night.

This book was not the creepy suspenseful, but the plot is driven forward by the constant discovery of clues from the passengers. There is an intricate web that Agatha Christie blends so beautifully. 

If you are ready for an excellent Sherlock Holmes like mystery, then be sure to check out this book. 

Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee

This historical fiction explores the 1930s and the Civil War period in alternating chapters. Rena's family was wealthy until the stock market crashed. As a writer, she eagerly looks for jobs, and finally finds one with the Federal Writers' Project recording the stories of former enslaved people.

Her very first assignment is Frankie Washington, a 101 year old lady who shares her life as a slave through the Civil War. As the stories weave back and forth, the two women of different ages, races, and backgrounds draw closer in friendship as their stories begin to weave together. 

I really enjoyed being able to experience two historical time periods. There were also elements of faith that played into Frankie's story allowing her to teach the younger lady about forgiveness. 

If you are looking for a historical fiction book with multiple storylines, you should check out this book.

The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen by Ada Bright and Cass Grafton

Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors. Normally, I am hesitant to read fan-fiction because well...it just is not as good as the original. The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen is a very different take than typical fan fiction because it brings Jane Austen into the 21st century.

Through a time traveling necklace, Jane Austen from the late 1700s, finds herself on the streets of Bath in the 21st century right in time for the Jane Austen Festival, and she is thoroughly enjoying herself.

Rose Wallace is a Jane Austen fan, and the short lady that she sees seems odd. After puzzling through it, she tries to confront Jane about being the actual Jane Austen. Things go terribly amiss because a dog comes and swallows the gold charm forever barring Jane Austen from returning to her time and publishing any of her works.

Suddenly the world is thrust into an alternate universe where Jane Austen does not exist. And it is a very sad universe...

I enjoyed this book because it brought to life a beloved author, and I would recommend it to other Jane Austen fans who would enjoy a light read. 

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

This was one of the last books that I read in 2021. Several people had recommended it to me, and now, I recommend it to you. Historical fiction is and has always been my favorite genre. I love putting myself in a different place and experiencing the thoughts and emotions of a different time period.

Eva is a Jew during World War II. Though she watches the German capture her father, she and her mom are able to avoid the raid by being at their neighbor's apartment. They then escape with the Ava's creation of false papers. 

In a small mountain village near the border to Switzerland, a priest approaches Eva to help him with a forgery operation to help more Jews escape to Switzerland with false papers. 

Many children must also pass through, and they must be given a new name for security. As she works with Rémy, another talented forger, they decide to keep track of the real identity of the children in a book of religious texts with a code that Rémy creates. This book becomes even more valuable as the Germans draw closer and begin to unravel the network that they have created.

This book also jumps between World War II and 2005 giving the reader bits and pieces as the story unfolds in a masterful finish. Since Eva is a librarian, there is the thread, as well as, of the appreciation of books and what books can do for us. Eva knows that she can trust one lady in particular because of their shared love of books. I'd like to think that I too can make friends with people who are avid lovers of books. 

And so if you have made it this far, dear reader, I hope that this New Year is filled of hope and friendship, joy and laughter, and of course, lots of reading! 

What were your top books that you would recommend? I'm always looking for good recommendations!