2019 was the year I rekindled my love of reading. I have the feeling I read more in 2019 than I have in a long time - even more than in 2017, which was the last time I did a top reads post. With everything that has been going on in our lives, I had to make an intentional decision to read more. Most every evening, when 7pm comes around, my devices go away, and a book comes out. Of course, if I’m reading on my iPad or Kindle, that stays out, but the point is that I read. No Instagram scrolling. No Facebook messages. No Netflix or Hulu. I read. And I’ve loved it. I’ve devoured books. I’ve put books back that I wasn’t feeling (I feel life is too short to read a book for fun that isn’t interesting to you…). I’ve listened to books on commutes. Books. Books are great - I’ve always thought so.

I know you want to get to my top reads, but I totally have to share this story: when I was young, I was an avid reader. I’d even read in the car - in the dark! I’d wait until we were under street lamps to get the next sentence in. My parents swear to this day that it’s the reason I had to get glasses. If it was - it was worth it (but let’s be honest, that was not the reason. Haha!)

I only chose 6 books again, even though I read a lot more than 6. Actually, my book reading goal for 2020 is at least 24 books, so maybe I’ll have a larger list for you next year. Ready?
(By the way, you can find even more of my favorites on my Amazon page here!)

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1. The Mark of the Lion Series By Francine Rivers

Okay, so I suppose this is technically three books, not just one, but this series was so hard to put down! I was gifted the first in the series for my birthday. It was so good that once I was done, I was seriously tempted to pick them right back up and start again. I figured I should let some time go by before doing that though. Francine Rivers is one of my favorite authors and I know I’m behind to the party, but this series was fantastic. It challenged my faith in such a positive way, and I’ll definitely be revisiting this series. (I bought these one at a time, but you can even get a boxed set!)

2. Pax By Sara PennyPacker

Even though I don’t teach language arts anymore, I couldn’t resist checking this book out. I love a good middle school book. A sweet story of a fox and his boy that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend - especially if you love a good tear jerker. I also learned a lot about foxes! (Get your copy here)

3. Everybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People By Bob Goff

Wow wow wow. Such. A. Good. Book. This book moved me to tears, and it was so hard to put down! It challenged me, it entertained me, and it really made me think twice about how to love others. And really desire to do so. A definite must-read. (PS: I read the first book from Bob Goff, Love Does, and talked about it in my 2017 reads! Get your copy of Everybody Always here!)

4. Capital Gaines: Smart things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff by Chip Gaines

Going off my theme of continuing books from 2017, since I read the Magnolia Story then, I read Capital Gaines now. As expected, I finished the book wanting to quit everything and follow my dreams. I guess I don’t have to quit everything to follow my dreams, but you know what I mean. Worth the read - and it’s a quick one! (Get your copy here)

5. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv

I actually started this last summer, and finally finished it this year - took a while, but not because it was not interesting! This is an older book from 2007 and it talks about the possible complications (and solutions to them) that can arise when children are alienated from nature due to several reasons. As someone who works with children, and someone who wants some one day, this was definitely an interesting read and I could totally resonate with it. (Get your copy here)

6. Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believe the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis

I didn’t want to read this book just based on the reviews I read on it, but I was pleasantly surprised by the content! The author told stories from her life connected to lies she believed in her past and how she overcame them. It was full of tough love, which we all need sometimes. I can’t wait to read the sequel. (Get your copy here)

What were some of the best books you read in 2019? I'd love some recommendations for 2020!