Top Ten Books of 2022

I guess this has become a tradition! This was my third year making the goal of reading 100 books in a year. It was a bit harder this year because in September, my commute shortened from 45 minutes without traffic to about 10 minutes. I do not regret having a shorter commute, but it was a bit more challenging to get the books read when I wasn’t listening to them as frequently when I was stuck in traffic. So here is my top 10 list of books that were my favorite in 2022. 

 

1.     What you Wish For by Katherine Center 

 

What You Wish For was one of the most powerful books that I read this year. First off, I think the title should instead be The Joy You Choose because that is much more what the book is about than wishes. This book takes place in an elementary school, which is probably why this book resonated with me so much. You see, I read this at the end of the school year. It had been a very difficult school year for me; I had gotten to the point where I would go home and apply to jobs outside of education. I was questioning if I was really called to be a teacher anymore. This book reminded me about the importance of choosing joy and finding ways to smile or bring a smile to others despite difficulty. As a Christian, I recognize that not every event in our lives is happy, but as a Christian, I can have joy recognizing that God is with me through everything. 

 

Samantha Casey is a school librarian who lives her life to the fullest. She chooses to wear bright colors and eccentric outfits because it brings joy to her and others. She chooses joy instead of living in some difficult memories. She loves her little private school, but then a new principal arrives. To her surprise, Sam recognizes him as the fun-loving teacher whom she had been in love with from her previous school (but that was when she was invisible and blended in with the crowd). Her excitement is abated however when she first sees him. This man who used to joke with his students now wears a fitted suit and no smile. Together, they must learn to choose joy despite difficult circumstances. And just a fair warning, you may want your tissues nearby from the very beginning. And as a bonus, I later read Things You Save in a Fire and The Bodyguard by the same author, and I enjoyed both of them immensely (I even stayed up until 1am finishing The Bodyguard). 

 

In the end, my students helped me to realize the joy that I find in teaching. In the same week, I had two students find the spark for learning. They researched an animal, and then they created stop motion videos to share their learning. They were so excited, “Miss S! Miss S! Come and look at what I created!” I knew I did not want to give that up for a desk job. That was the same day that I reached out to my current school, and I am so glad that I made that decision. It was truly God directing my path to where I am today. 

 

 

 

2.     Get out of your head by Jennie Allen 

If I reread a book twice within the same year (and not for teaching purposes), then you can rest assured that I am going to include it in my list of top books for the year. As I mentioned earlier, this past school year was difficult. One of the things that I realize that I do is that I overthink things. A small thought comes into my head and the next thing I know, I have turned and added to that thought more than was there before—like a snowball. Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen goes through the book of Philippians as she talks about giving God our anxieties. She discusses ways to get the worries out of our head so that we do not continue to ruminate on them and instead give these worries and anxieties to God. She also addresses the lies that we so often believe about ourselves, and she encourages us to replace them with truth from God’s Word. 

 

3.     Find your people by Jennie Allen

 

Jennie Allen was a very encouraging part of my year. Another one of her books that I read this year is Find Your People that focuses on building relationships and building community. She encourages us to invite people into our lives and into our homes without having to worry about making sure everything is super tidy. These core circle of friends know your deepest struggles and the messiness of our lives. These core friends are the ones you call when something happens to pray or cry together. Jennie Allen goes through and shares ways to find these core people to have these deep meaningful conversations with (and after reading this book, I really want to invest in a fire pit to bring people over and have those conversations as we roast s'mores). Also, I just want to say thank you to Angel who chose to come alongside me last year (still does even though I am less anxious now) when I felt everything crumbling. Together, we study the Bible and have those difficult conversations together, and we can reach out to each other about praying for events that happen in our lives. 

 

 

4.     The Sacred Search by Gary Thomas

Last year, I recommended Outdated about Christian dating (see last year’s post). This year, I attended a single’s conference, and for one of the sessions, the presenters used this book as the basis of their presentation. It was an encouraging read that gave a perspective on an area of life that I am in. This is about what to look for as a Christian young adult seeks to find someone to marry. It covers topics like dating, engagement, and how that ultimately impacts marriage. Gary Thomas also plays with the phrase of people looking for a soul mate. While JP Pokluda used it to say sole mate where there is just one once you choose to marry them, Gary Thomas uses sole mate like a shoe sole. You want to find someone who is willing to do life with you, to travel the difficult roads together, and to make a marriage centered on God together. 

 

5.     Why we kiss under the mistletoe by Michael Foley

 

If you know me, you know I love Christmas! I found this book as a free Hoopla download (Hoopla is connected with my local library where I get 5 monthly downloads—I usually use all of them by the 15^th, so finding a free download is extra fun). Though the title is catchy, kissing under a mistletoe is only a small portion of this book. It is a nonfiction book about any and all holiday traditions from the story behind beloved carols to holiday treats from around the world to yes, why we kiss under mistletoe. What I loved most about this book was how most of the traditions that we have around Christmas focuses on Jesus coming to this world as a baby. 

 

I was able to recommend this to my brother, Nick, and he recommended it to his newsletter readers. That is a double recommendation for you to read it if you want to know more about Christmas!

 

 

6.     All the Impossible Things by Lindsay Lackey

 

This was my favorite children’s chapter book that I read this year. Red is a middle school girl who is in the foster care system. This book is a beautiful blend of realistic and fantasy fiction. When Red gets angry, she has the fantastical ability to control wind. She often lets her anger get the best of her until she starts to realize how it hurts those that she has started to care about. While I loved this book (and it hit so many topics), I hesitate to recommend it to my fifth graders. I would say that this is more for older middle school children because there is drug use (Red experiences the effects of knowing her mom uses drugs), feelings of abandonment, and even discussion about puberty. However, these topics are done in a thoughtful way that tug at the readers’ heartstrings and provide empathy for children who may be facing things like this. A similar book thematically that is more appropriate for elementary students is called Wish (this was a book that several of my current fifth graders recommended), and I also enjoyed reading. 

 

 

7.     The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui. T. Sutherland

 

I had several students recommend this book series to me, and many of them gave me faces of shock when they found out I had never read this book. When I did, they were so thrilled. Since then, I have been able to recommend this book to several of my current students, and at least two of them have started reading the series and are even further into this series than I am.

 

This is the first book of the Wings of Fire series. There are different clans of dragons, and there was a prophecy about young dragons (dragonets) from different clans that will one day bring peace. We meet five dragonets from the start, and this book focuses on Clay the Mud Wing (other books focus on a different dragonet). He acts as the big brother of the group even though he is a bit clumsy and is often misunderstood. There is a lot of action in the story, and the writing is imaginative with all the different powers that the dragon clans have. Also, I love that humans are portrayed as these helpless creatures called scavengers who are just seeking to find treasure (one of the things they have in common with dragons).

 

8.     Covert Cows by Steve Robinson

This is a book about Chick-fil-a and their business model and outlook. Normally, this is not a kind of book that I would go to, but I love Chick-fil-a, and I was curious about how they ran their franchise. I will admit that this took longer for me to read because it was not my typical book. One of the biggest mindsets of Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-a, had was that he wanted to show those around him God’s love without explicitly talking about God. He focused on building relationships with the community. In fact, any local owner goes into the Chick-fil-a business with the focus that this is a permanent community position (like a marriage). Even though I am not business minded, reading this book encouraged me to live my life in ways to build community and relationships with those around me.

 

Fun fact: my brother also recommended this book! We are just on the same wavelength this year on our book recommendations. 

 

 

9.     Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker

 

Counting on Katherine is a charming picture book about local Hampton Roads history. This goes through the story of Katherine Johnson who was a human computer at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. It shows her as a child as a mathematical genius, and ultimately, she grows up to help save Apollo 13. I read this one to my fourth graders, and they absolutely loved it. I think that day they were also much more engaged in our math lesson after learning about a local mathematician. 

 

10.   The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman

The Recipe Box was a fun book, but it was a bit slow at times. This is about a lady who is a fancy pastry chef in New York, but her roots are in Michigan on her family’s apple orchard.  The chapters shifted from the different generations that were in her family. Every daughter at thirteen receives a wood carved recipe box with the secret family recipes and a key to keep them safe within the family. Each section of the book also focuses on a recipe (recipes included) that tie the story together with the present-day story. My favorite line in the book is how the family bakes for those they love. And that is ultimately why I bake for those around me; it is a way for me to choose joy and share it with those around me as I seek to build community and relationships. 

What were your favorite books that you read this year?