2020 was the year that offered me more time, and in that time, my 24 book goal turned into 75, and I even exceeded that. Since I read so many good books this year, it was EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to narrow it down to the favorites I wanted to share with you. Since I’ve done top 6 reads for the last few years, I’ll take it as a personal challenge to continue the trend.
I’m currently taking suggestions for the reads to start with for this year! In case you are interested in seeing the complete list of books I read this year, I’ve linked the two posts (Part 1 and Part 2) below!
(By the way, you can find even more of my favorites on my Amazon page here!)
Affiliate links are used in this post
1. Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No, to Take Control of Your Life By Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
This book opened my eyes to all of the ways I am not setting good boundaries in my life, even though I thought I was pretty good at boundaries! It gave me the confidence to set better lines and non-negotiables, and my favorite part about this book was that it was backed up with Scripture. After the first page, I was totally hooked and resonated deeply with it. I would definitely recommend it because even if you don’t think you struggle with boundaries, you likely do. Hehe.
2. Living for God: Reclaiming the Joy of Christian Virtue by Frank M. Hasel
I loved how simple and practical this book was. If someone were to talk to me about “Christian virtue” on the street before I read this book, I would have had a completely different idea as to what that meant. My favorite part of this book were the stories that beautifully illustrated each point in a practical and relatable way.
3. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton
Wow. After I finished this book, I put it down with reverence, relief, anger, and with a burning desire for justice all at once. The amazing true story about Anthony Ray Hinton, and just the raw thoughts he faced while on death row for 30 years - for a crime he did not commit. This book, by the way, was a great follow up to “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson, Mr. Hinton’s lawyer. Honorable mention for that book, by the way, because when I finished it, I wanted to quit my job and go to law school so I could help the falsely accused.
4. Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely by Lysa TerKeurst
This book definitely touched me and even though I didn’t agree with absolutely everything in it, it stands out as a top book this year. As someone who has felt rejected, less than, lonely, left out, purposeless, and blinded to the beauty of Christ’s love, this book was such an encouragement. I will likely be re-reading this one.
5. Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport
Absolutely a top read and one I recommend having a physical copy of, as it is a great one to refer back to later on. I enjoy practical books, which is why I liked this one so much. As a minimal-ish person, I appreciated the approach to minimalism when it comes to technology and our devices that play such a huge role in our lives.
6. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Okay, so I honestly did not think I was going to like this one as much as I did but I could not put it down! I don’t generally gravitate toward this time period or even this genre of fiction, but the guy at the book store couldn’t stop raving at it. I picked it up out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it - well, clearly, I enjoyed it because it made my top 6 this year!
What were some of the best books you read in 2020? I'd love some recommendations for 2021!
