100 Books of 2025

 In 2009, I pledged to read 100 books over the course of 2010. Here's my list of 107 books in case you're interested.

I did it again in 2011 (why not?). Here's my list of 109 books.

The tradition continued in 2012 where I read a whopping 144 books! Here is my list from that year.

In 2013 I kept on chugging along, reading 104 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2014 I hit my best record yet, reading 152 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2015 I beat my record, reading 187 books. Here is my list from that year. 

In 2016, I read 166 books, focusing on books I owned but had never read. Here is my list from that year.

In 2017, I read 123 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2018, I read only 54 books. I spent most of my year driving the kids around, haha! Here is my list from that year.

In 2019, I read 150 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2020, I read 152 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2021, I read 203 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2022, I read 249 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2023, I read 131 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2024, I read 105. Here is my list from last year. 

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It's a running joke about how many books I own. The books I own and have never read are a little less than 500. This used to be funny to me, but at some point, a switch flipped, and it became overwhelming to me. Now my goal is not just to read as many books as possible, but to be extremely picky about what I keep after I read it. I only keep books that I will absolutely read again or will pass down to my children. I still have a long way to go, but I do see how much progress I'm making!

I read 100 books in 2025. I am being so much more intentional with the books I read now. Life is too short to read a book that isn't going to interest me or serve me in some way!

I do still utilize the library for books that are recommended to me so that I don't have to buy a book just to read it one time. I much prefer reading the book, and then if it's something I definitely want to re-read in the future, I can order it from my favorite local bookstore (Gottwals). 

I feel pretty good about this - you can see that I only kept about 30% of the books I read, so I'm being quite picky, and hopefully this will help the piles of books in my house decrease!

Without further ado, here is my 2025 list (the "K" next to a book indicates that it was a keeper for me):

• "Growing in Holiness" by R.C. Sproul (1) (K)
• "Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime" by Janet and Geoff Benge (2)
• "George Muller" by Janet and Geoff Benge (3)
• "The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace" by Gary Chapman and Paul White (4) (K)
• "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo (5)
• "Six Hours One Friday" by Max Lucado (6) (K)
• "White Fang" by Jack London (7)
• "The Family Upstairs" by Lisa Jewell (8)
• "No Wonder They Call Him the Savior" by Max Lucado (9) (K)
• "Significant" by Rachel Risner (10) (K)
• "Pretty Girls" by Karin Slaughter (11)
• "The Whole-Brain Child" by Daniel Siegel (12) (K)
• "The Whisper Man" by Alex North (13)
• "Joy to the World" by Lifeway Women (14) (K)
• "No Exit" by Taylor Adams (15)
• "The House in the Pines" by Ana Reyes (16)
• "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd (17)
• "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" by Holly Jackson (18)
• "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" by Madeleine L'Engle (19)
• "The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides (20)
• "Survive the Night" by Riley Sager (21)
• "Let Me Off at the Top!" by Ron Burgundy (22)
• "The House Across the Lake" by Riley Sager (23)
• "God Heard Their Cry" by Ray Vender Laan (24)
• "Wrong Place Wrong Time" by Gillian McAllister (25)
• "The Last Mrs. Parrish" by Liv Constantine (26)
• "Desperate Measures" by Stuart Woods (27)
• "The Lying Game" by Ruth Ware (28)
• "The Tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamillo (29)
• "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart (30)
• "God's Passion For His Glory" by John Piper (31) (K)
• "Lock Every Door" by Riley Sager (32)
• "What Have You Done?" by Shari Lapena (33)
• "Business Kombat" by Chris Casamassa (34)
• "None of This is True" by Lisa Jewell (35)
• "A Delicate Touch" by Stuart Woods (36)
• "The Black Stallion and Flame" by Walter Farley (37)
• "The Best Known Dojo" by Cris L. Rodriguez (38) (K)
• "The Year of Miss Agnes" by Kirkpatrick Hill (39)
• "Verity" by Colleen Hoover (40)
• "Moby Dog" (Wishbone series) by Alexander Steele (41)
• "The Perfect Marriage" by Jeneva Rose (42)
• "Tender is the Flesh" by Agustina Bazterrica (43)
• "Still Missing" by Chevy Stevens (44)
• "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer (45) (K)
• "American Tall Tales" by Adrien Stoutenburg (46) (K)
• "One Perfect Couple" by Ruth Ware (47)
• "This is Day One" by Drew Dudley (48) (K)
• "His Last Words" by Kim Erickson (49) (K)
• "Zero Days" by Ruth Ware (50)
• "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Wishbone Classics" (51)
• "A Not-So-Simple Life" by Melody Carlson (52)
• "Starring Jules (As Herself)" by Beth Ain (53)
• "Christian Beliefs" by Wayne A. Grudem (54) (K)
• "William Still and the Underground Railroad" by Kathleen Stevens (55)
• "The Haunted Cove" by Elizabeth Baldwin Hazelton (56)
• "It Will Cost You Everything" by Steven J. Lawson (57) (K)
• "Learning to Live From the Acts" by Eugenia Price (58)
• "Pain Free Drug Free by Shelly Debin Toland (59)
• "A Place to Hide" by Jayne Pettit (60)
• "Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God" by Noel Piper (61)
• "The Secret of the Indian" by Lynne Reid Banks (62) (K)
• "Answers Book for Teens Vol. 1" by Bodie Hodge/Tommy Mitchell/Ken Ham (63) (K)
• "Desert Neighbors" by Edith M. Patch and Carroll Lane Fenton (64)
• "Prayer" by John Onwuchekwa (65) (K)
• "Becoming a Nation of Readers" (A report of the commission on reading) (66) (K)
• "Why One Way?" by John MacArthur (67) (K)
• "1 Corinthians" by John MacArthur (68) (K)
• "Called & Accountable" by Henry T. Blackaby and Kerry L. Skinner (69)
• "The Weight of Glory" by C.S. Lewis (70) (K)
• "Uncle Arthur's Storytime" (71)
• "Paid Trial Playbook" by Jon Evans (72)
• "Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute" by Ken Blanchard (73) (K)
• "The House of My Mother" by Shari Franke (74)
• "Amazing Love" by Corrie ten Boom (75) (K)
• "Great Leaders GROW" by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller (76) (K)
• "Beyond the Battle for the Bible" by J.I. Packer (77) (K)
• "The Beggars' Bible" by Louise A. Vernon (78)
• "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley (79)
• "Slave Girl" by Betsy Haynes (80)
• "Diddie, Dumps & Tot" by Louise-Clarke Pyrnelle (81)
• "R-T, Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH" by Jane Leslie Conly (82)
• "Come, You Weary" by Michael Reeves (83) (K)
• "Fish!" by Stephen C. Lundin (84) (K)
• "Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God" by J.I. Packer (85) (K)
• "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek" by Kim Michele Richardson (86)
• "Jip" by Katherine Paterson (87)
• "Holy Moments" by Matthew Kelly (88)
• "The Servant" by James C. Hunter (89)
• "Eddie's Green Thumb" by Carolyn Haywood (90)
• "Perspective" by Jana Shugart (91)
• "Out of the Maze" by Spencer Johnson (92)
• "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23" by Phillip Keller (93)
• "The Bobbsey Twins in the Country" by Laura Lee Hope (94)
• "I Funny" by James Patterson (95)
• "Dan Morgan: Rifleman" by Ernest E. Tucker (96)
• "Raving Fans" by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles (97) (K)
• "Power Through Prayer" by E.M. Bounds (98) (K)
• "I Even Funnier" by James Patterson (99)
• "When the Darkness Will Not Lift" by John Piper (100)

Favorite theology books of the year:
- Growing in Holiness by R.C. Sproul
- Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem
- It Will Cost You Everything by Steven Lawson
- Prayer by John Onwuchekwa
- Why One Way by John MacArthur
- Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer
- Beyond the Battle for the Bible by J.I. Packer

Favorite fiction of the year:
- The Whisper Man by Alex North
- No Exit by Taylor Adams
- The Secret Lift of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Completed studies with the whole family: Answers Book for Teens Volume 1, Why One Way by John MacArthur

Favorite library books I want to buy: Out of the Maze by Spencer Johnson, When the Darkness Will Not Lift by John Piper

Favorite authors overall: John Piper, John MacArthur, Ken Blanchard, Spencer Johnson, J.I. Packer    

Okay, so how did you do? What were some of your favorite books and authors?

2024 Recap

One of my favorite authors, James Clear, has the brilliant idea of measuring success backwards. In my job with Success Team Coaching (STC), this is something I would say comes up probably 3-5 times per week in some way. It’s an incredible way to measure your success. Looking at what you’ve accomplished and seeing how far you’ve come is an amazing feeling, and planning out your 1% gains accordingly is how you continue to see progress.

2024 was such an incredible year, and particularly the last six months were so fulfilling for me. It sounds dramatic, but my life right now is different than I ever truly thought it would be. 

Athletically, I got out of my comfort zone and embraced not only taekwondo, but also tried my hand at activities such as step class, barre, Jazzercise, aerial yoga, Pound, and more! I went from a white belt in taekwondo to a senior green! I competed in two taekwondo tournaments and came home with medals both times. I continued my streak all year of working out five times per week.

In the beginning of the year, my goal was for Stephen and I to find time for four date nights. Midway through the year, my job schedule changed, and it’s now unusual for us to not go on at least two dates per month! We are really enjoying the extra time together and continuing to grow closer together. The years are flying by so quickly - I’m so thankful for any extra time I get with him.

My evenings are free due to my new job schedule, which means I’m intentional about how I spend my evenings. Our kids both have jobs now, so we all set aside one night of the week to put away phones, eat dinner together, do Bible study together, and play a game together (either board game, Wii Sports, or something outside). For the first time in years, I’m able to set aside Thursday nights every single week to go to Bible study at church, which has been huge for my social development and spiritual development.

I have more time to focus on my job at church, which is one of my top priorities. I was able to plan events in the fall of 2024 that I’ve never had time to sit down and plan before! I’m focusing way more on my personal Bible study as well as the time I put into studying for lessons I’m teaching at church, so my spiritual life is the best I’ve felt in years, and I have so much passion for teaching and continuing to learn what God has to say to me.

I did a podcast with an awesome friend (2 seasons!) and it stretched me and was so much fun! (Look out for season 3 in 2025!)

The kids and I discovered how much we enjoy going to concerts together in 2023, so in 2024 we made it a point to go see some of our favorites - Meghan Trainor, NF, and Olivia Rodrigo being the standouts. We have six events lined up for 2025 already, so I’m definitely looking forward to this trend continuing!

My friendships deepened with some of the most amazing women ever. These are the best friendships of my life and I’m so thankful for all of them. This year included everything from comforting each other to laughing until we cried. How blessed am I to have people like this to go through life with.

My job at STC is satisfying in a way that I didn’t even realize was possible. I spend every single day connecting with the most incredible, high-achieving people who influence me in so many ways. I learn something new every day. It helps me attain something I hadn’t quite put my finger on that I wanted - to be a part of someone else’s success. The feeling that I get when I talk to someone, give them an idea or am very direct with them about something they should be doing, and then they send me a message 20 minutes or 2 weeks later telling me this amazing outcome - I LOVE celebrating with them and knowing I was a small part of that. 

My mental health in general at the end of 2024 is stronger. I feel lighter. I feel more joyful. I feel more peace. I know all of that is due to the culmination of all of what I wrote above. I’m so excited about the future.

STC has this exercise called your predictable future. It’s what your future would look like if nothing changed. Over the past few years, when I’ve done this exercise, I’ve felt overwhelmed, stuck, and hopeless in certain areas of my life. The end of 2024 has been such a beautiful time because I’m seeing so much change in so many areas. 

God is so faithful. I can see His hand in so many things, not just in the last year, but in guiding my life. He’s given me quirks that work with certain friends. He’s given me certain gifts that work in my jobs. He’s placed people around me that balance me and help me self-reflect. I’m completely in awe. I’m not deserving, and I’m so thankful for all these amazing blessings. 

s completed it, or he reaches out to them if they haven't.

100 Books of 2024

In 2009, I pledged to read 100 books over the course of 2010. Here's my list of 107 books in case you're interested.

I did it again in 2011 (why not?). Here's my list of 109 books.

The tradition continued in 2012 where I read a whopping 144 books! Here is my list from that year.

In 2013 I kept on chugging along, reading 104 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2014 I hit my best record yet, reading 152 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2015 I beat my record, reading 187 books. Here is my list from that year. 

In 2016, I read 166 books, focusing on books I owned but had never read. Here is my list from that year.

In 2017, I read 123 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2018, I read only 54 books. I spent most of my year driving the kids around, haha! Here is my list from that year.

In 2019, I read 150 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2020, I read 152 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2021, I read 203 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2022, I read 249 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2023, I read 131 books. Here is my list from last year.

********************************************************************************

It's a running joke about how many books I own. The books I own and have never read are a little less than 500. This used to be funny to me, but at some point, a switch flipped, and it became overwhelming to me. Now my goal is not just to read as many books as possible, but to be extremely picky about what I keep after I read it. I only keep books that I will absolutely read again or will pass down to my children. I still have a long way to go, but I do see how much progress I'm making!

I read 105 books in 2024. This is a lot less than last year, but I'm okay with that. I was more intentional this year with the books I read!

I'm very happy with this ratio of the books I kept and books I got rid of. I want to stay around this ratio of being picky with the books I'm holding onto. For the first time, I also tracked how many books I read through the library. I'm reading a fictional series by my favorite author and I don't want to purchase the books because I won't reread them in the future, so the library has been great for me to not purchase unnecessary books.

Here's my 2024 list ("K" indicates that I kept the book)

• "Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses" by Kimberly A. Lathem (1) (K)
• "Dan Crawford: A Life of Fact Stranger Than Fiction" by Diane Schoemperlen (2)
• "Best in Children's Books, Volume 17" by Mary Macnab (3) (K)
• "Katie John" by Mary Calhoun (4)
• "You Shouldn't Have Come Here" by Jeneva Rose (5)
• "The Name of This Book is Secret" by Pseudonymous Bosch (6)
• "The Hard Truth about Soft Skills" by Peggy Klaus (7) (K)
• "Children's Missionary Library" by Vernon Howard and Alice Bostrom (8)
• "The Trumpet of the Swan" by E.B. White (9)
• "Mike Fink: Best of the Keelboatmen" by Harold W. Felton (10)
• "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman (11) (K)
• "Willpower Doesn't Work" by Benjamin Hardy (12)
• "Cross Fire" by James Patterson (13)
• "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancey (14) (K)
• "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte (15) (K)
• "All Good People Here" by Ashley Flowers (16)
• "Appleblossom the Possum" by Holly Goldberg Sloan (17)
• "Hidden Pictures" by Jason Rekulak (18)
• "The Knowledge of the Holy" by A.W. Tozer (19) (K)
• "Harriet Tubman: Freedom Leader" by Tanya Savory (20)
• "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" by Fannie Flagg (21) (K)
• "God's Tribesman: The Rochunga Pudaite Story" by Jams and Marti Hefley (22)
• "Pete and Penny Know and Grow" by Dorothy Grunbock Johnson (23)
• "The Villa" by Rachel Hawkins (24)
• "Up From Slavery" by Booker T. Washington (25)
• "The Precious Present" by Spencer Johnson (26) (K)
• "Bringing up Boys" by James Dobson (27)
• "Lord, Teach Me to Pray" by John MacArthur (28) (K)
• "The Drift" by C.J. Tudor (29)
• "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (30) (K)
• "Mindset" by Carol Dweck (31) (K)
• "Our Independence and the Constitution" by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (32)
• "Fairest" by Gail Carson Levine (33) (K)
• "L.A. Dead" by Stuart Woods (34)
• "Two Dollar Bill" by Stuart Woods (35)
• "Thomas Jefferson: Man with a Vision" by Ruth Crisman (36)
• "The Push" by Ashley Audrain (37)
• "How to Be Your Own Selfish Pig" by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (38)
• "Strategic Moves" by Stuart Woods (39)
• "Crime Scene Investigation" by Paul Mauro (40)
• "Want to Know a Secret?" by Freida McFadden (41)
• "Ten Girls Who Made History" by Irene Howat (42)
• "The Secret of the Old Mill" by Franklin W. Dixon (43)
• "The 9th Judgment" by James Patterson (44)
• "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" by Frederick Douglass (45)
• "Strange Tales of the Civil War" by Michael Sanders (46)
• "Pygmalion" adapted by Nicole Vittiglio (47)
• "Ten Girls Who Made a Difference" by Irene Howat (48)
• "Ten Boys Who Made History" by Irene Howat (49)
• "Contraband" by Stuart Woods (50)
• "Unbound" by Stuart Woods (51)
• "It Figures!" by Marvin Terban (52)
• "Make Way for Sam Houston" by Jean Fritz (53) (K)
• "Unintended Consequences" by Stuart Woods (54)
• "Carnal Curiosity" by Stuart Woods (55)
• "The Pilgrim's Progress" (abridged) (56) (K)
• "Unnatural Acts" by Stuart Woods" (57)
• "Paris Match" by Stuart Woods (58)
• "Hot Pursuit" by Stuart Woods (59)
• "So Far From the Bamboo Grove" by Yoko Kawashima Watkins (60)
• "Naked Greed" by Stuart Woods (61)
• "It's Not Supposed to Be This Way" by Lysa TerKeurst (62)
• "Stonewall" by Jean Fritz (63)
• "Pocahontas and the Strangers" by Clyde Robert Bulla (64)
• "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis (65) (K)
• "Foreign Affairs" by Stuart Woods (66)
• "Hercules and Other Tales from Greek Myths" by Olivia E. Coolidge (67)
• "Hunting for Hidden Gold" by Franklin W. Dixon (68)
• "The Upstairs Room" by Johanna Reiss (69)
• "Scandalous Behavior" by Stuart Woods (70)
• "Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans" by Edward Eggleston (71)
• "A Spark of Light" by Jodi Picoult (72)
• "The One Minute Sales Person" by Spencer Johnson (73) (K)
• "Ethan Frome" by Edith Wharton (74)
• "My Husband's Wife" by Jane Corry (75)
• "How Successful People Think" by John Maxwell (76) (K)
• "Time Management Magic" by Lee Cockerell (77)
• "The Return of Tarzan" by Edgar Rice Burroughs (78)
• "Mountain Miracle" by T.L. Tedrow (79)
• "Family Jewels" by Stuart Woods (80)
• "Desiring God's Own Heart (1 & 2 Samuel/1 Chronicles) by Kay Arthur (81)
• "Dishonorable Intentions" by Stuart Woods (82)
• "The Envy of Eve" by Melissa B. Kruger (83)
• "Sex, Lies & Serious Money" by Stuart Woods (84)
• "I'm Glad My Mom Died" by Jennette McCurdy (85)
• "The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey" by Kenneth Blanchard, William Oncken, Jr and Hal Burrows (86) (K)
• "Let Sleeping Vets Lie" by James Herriot (87) (K)
• "Fast & Loose" by Stuart Woods (88)
• "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank (89)
• "The Gospel on the Ground" by Kristi McLelland (90) (K)
• "Get Over Your Damn Self" by Romi Neustadt (91)
• "Carry on, Mr. Bowditch!" by Jean Lee Latham (92)
• "Gung Ho!" by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles (93) (K)
• "The God You Can Know" by Dan DeHaan (94) (K)
• "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift (95)
• "The Golden Age of Pirates" by Bob Temple (96)
• "God's Crime Scene for Kids" by J. Warner Wallace (97)
• "The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson (98) (K)
• "They Never Learn" by Layne Fargo (99)
• "Echoes of the Reformation" by Brandon D. Smith (100) (K)
• "Indecent Exposure" by Stuart Woods (101)
• "COFA: George Washington" by Augusta Stevenson (102)
• "God Has Spoken" by J.I. Packer (103) (K)
• "Brighty of the Grand Canyon" by Marguerite Henry (104)
• "God Came Near" by Max Lucado (105) (K)

Author most borrowed from the library in 2024: Stuart Woods

Favorite Nonfiction: 
"The Hard Truth about Soft Skills" by Peggy Klaus, 
"Willpower Doesn't Work" by Benjamin Hardy, 
"Dan Crawford: A Life of Fact Stranger Than Fiction" by Diane Schoemperlen, 
"Mindset" by Carol Dweck, 
"It's Not Supposed to Be This Way" by Lysa TerKeurst, 
"The One Minute Sales Person" by Spencer Johnson, 
"How Successful People Think" by John Maxwell, 
"The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey" by Kenneth Blanchard, William Oncken, Jr and Hal Burrows, 
"Let Sleeping Vets Lie" by James Herriot, 
"Gung Ho!" by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles

Favorite fiction: 
"Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" by Fannie Flagg, 
"The Push" by Ashley Audrain, 
"The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis

Favorite authors: Spencer Johnson, Kenneth Blanchard, Kay Arthur (for her Bible study books), Stuart Woods

Favorite theology books: 
"The Knowledge of the Holy" by A.W. Tozer, 
"The God You Can Know" by Dan DeHaan, 
"The Circle Maker" by Mark Batterson, 
"Echoes of the Reformation" by Brandon D. Smith, 
"God Has Spoken" by J.I. Packer

Favorite genre this year: theology or business development

How did you do this year? What were some of your favorite books and authors?? 

100 Books of 2023

In 2009, I pledged to read 100 books over the course of 2010. Here's my list of 107 books in case you're interested.

I did it again in 2011 (why not?). Here's my list of 109 books.

The tradition continued in 2012 where I read a whopping 144 books! Here is my list from that year.

In 2013 I kept on chugging along, reading 104 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2014 I hit my best record yet, reading 152 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2015 I beat my record, reading 187 books. Here is my list from that year. 

In 2016, I read 166 books, focusing on books I owned but had never read. Here is my list from that year.

In 2017, I read 123 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2018, I read only 54 books. I spent most of my year driving the kids around, haha! Here is my list from that year.

In 2019, I read 150 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2020, I read 152 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2021, I read 203 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2022, I read 249 books. Here is my list from last year.

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In 2021, I joined a Facebook group called "Read What You Own". The goal for us is that we read the books we already own instead of buying new books. I saw great success with this in 2021, and I feel like 2022 was even better. 2023 I feel like I listened to more audiobooks of books I don't own, and got more from the library than usual, so I kind of strayed from this goal a bit, but I still was able to give away a lot of books in the house!

It's a running joke about how many books I own. The books that I own and have never read are in the thousands. This used to be funny to me, but at some point, a switch flipped, and it became overwhelming to me. So now my goal is not just to read as many books as possible, but to be extremely picky about what I keep after I read it. I only keep books that I will absolutely read again or will pass down to my children. I still have such a long way to go, but I do see how much progress I'm making!

I read 131 books in 2023. This is a lot less than last year, but I'm okay with that. I was more intentional this year with the books I read - I got rid of a lot of books without even opening them, which is very hard for me!

I'm very happy with this ratio of the books I kept and books I got rid of. I want to stay around this ratio of being picky with the books I'm holding onto. This is only keeping track of the books I read - not the ones I discarded without reading, which were probably between over 100 throughout the year.

This Goodreads image is missing one book that I just added, but still quite accurate.

Here's my 2023 list:

• "My Lovely Wife" by Samantha Downing (1)
• "Confess" by Colleen Hoover (2)
• "Zel" by Donna Jo Napoli (3)
• "News for Dogs" by Lois Duncan (4)
• "Helen Keller" by Margaret Davidson (5)
• "The Curse of the Blue Figurine" by John Bellairs (6)
• "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson (7) (K)
• "Finding Serendipity" by Angelica Banks (8)
• "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley (9)
• "Regretting You" by Colleen Hoover (10)
• "The Explicit Gospel" by Matt Chandler (11) (K)
• "The House of Secrets" by Nina Bawden (12)
• "Furnace of the Lord" by Elisabeth Elliot (13)
• "A Three-Minute Speech" by Jennifer Armstrong (14)
• "Henry Reed's Babysitting Service" by Keith Robertson (15)
• "Finding Perfect" by Colleen Hoover (16)
• "James and the Giant Peach" by Roald Dahl (17) (K)
• "Submarine Spy" by Arnold Ytreeide (18)
• "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell (19)
• "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey (20) (K)
• "The Radium Girls" by Kate Moore (21)
• "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien (22) (K)
• "The Adventures of Molly Whuppie" by Anne Shelby (23) (K)
• "Through the Gates of Splendor" by Elisabeth Elliot (24) (K)
• "Without Merit" by Colleen Hoover (25)
• "Dead Until Dark" by Charlaine Harris (26)
• "Homesick: My Own Story" by Jean Fritz (27)
• "Mad Honey" by Jodi Picoult (28)
• "November 9" by Colleen Hoover (29)
• "Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography" (30) (K)
• "Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager" by Ken Blanchard (31) (K)
• "Pollyanna" by Eleanor H. Porter (32) (K)
• "A Dog Called Kitty" by Bill Wallace (33)
• "Warriors: Dawn" by Erin Hunter (34)
• "The Sisters Grimm" by Michael Buckley (35)
• "Roller Girl" by Victoria Jamieson (36)
• "Slammed" by Colleen Hoover (37)
• "Point of Retreat" by Colleen Hoover (38)
• "Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic" by Arleta Richardson (39) (K)
• "The Shore Road Mystery" by Franklin W. Dixon (40)
• "Sugar" by Jewell Parker Rhodes (41)
• "Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself" by Judy Blume (42)
• "Maybe Someday" by Colleen Hoover (43)
• "This Girl" by Colleen Hoover (44)
• "Maybe Not" by Colleen Hoover (45)
• "Heart Bones" by Colleen Hoover (46)
• "Keys to the Deeper Life" by A.W. Tozer (47) (K)
• "Go For No" by Richard Fenton and Andrew Waltz (48) (K)
• "The One Minute Manager" by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson (49) (K)
• "Local Woman Missing" by Mary Kubica (50)
• "Strawberry Girl" by Lois Lenski (51)
• "Maybe Now" by Colleen Hoover (52)
• "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi (53)
• "Treasures from Grandma" by Arleta Richardson (54) (K)
• "Hopeless" by Colleen Hoover (55)
• "You Are Special" by Fred Rogers (56)
• "More Stories from Grandma's Attic" by Arleta Richardson (57) (K)
• "The 1% Rule" by Tommy Baker (58) (K)
• "The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (59)
• "Faith-Shaped Kids" by Steve and Valerie Bell (60)
• "Good Neighbors Make Great Neighborhoods" by Tim DeTellis (61)
• "Losing Hope" by Colleen Hoover (62)
• "A Room With a View" by E.M. Forster (63)
• "Finding Cinderella" by Colleen Hoover (64)
• "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel H. Pink (65)
• "Centerburg Tales" by Robert McCloskey (66) (K)
• "Finish" by Jon Acuff (67) (K)
• "The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle" by Hugh Lofting (68)
• "Tarzan of the Apes" by Edgar Rice Burroughs (69)
• "My Father's Dragon" by Ruth Stiles Gannett (70) (K)
• "Elmer and the Dragon" by Ruth Stiles Gannett (71) (K)
• "The Dragons of Blueland" by Ruth Stiles Gannett (72) (K)
• "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George (73)
• "Traces of Guilt" by Dee Henderson (74)
• "Never Never" by Colleen Hoover (75)
• "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen (76) (K)
• "Heroes of America: George Washington" by Joshua Lanft and Rochelle Larkin (77)
• "Know Why You Believe" by Paul E. Little (78) (K)
• "Walking on Water" by Jennifer A. Miskov (79)
• "Whoppers, Tall Tales and Other Lies" by Alvin Schwartz (80) (K)
• "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael E. Gerber (81) (K)
• "The Land of Stories: the Wishing Spell" by Chris Colfer (82) (K)
• "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn (83)
• "Sometimes I Lie" by Alice Feeney (84)
• "Hostage" by Clare Mackintosh (85)
• "The Locked Door" by Freida McFadden (86)
• "Do Not Disturb" by Freida McFadden (87)
• "Never Lie" by Frieda McFadden (88)
• "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle (89) (K)
• "The Inmate" by Freida McFadden (90)
• "The Perfect Son" by Freida McFadden (91)
• "Ward D" by Freida McFadden (92)
• "Heroes of the Cross: Wilfred Grenfell" by Alec Richard Evans (93)
• "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne (94) (K)
• "Behind Her Eyes" by Sarah Pinborough (95)
• "Saving Noah" by Lucinda Berry (96)
• 'What's the Difference?" by John Piper (97) (K)
• "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman (98)
• "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens (99) (K)
• "The Wife Upstairs" by Freida McFadden (100)
• "The Good Daughter" by Karin Slaughter (101)
• "Dead to Her" by Sarah Pinborough (102)
• "The Kind Worth Killing" by Peter Swanson (103)
• "COFA: Wilbur and Orville Wright" by Augusta Stevenson (104)
• "Insomnia" by Sarah Pinborough (105)
• "The War That Saved My Life" by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (106) (K)
• "What Happens When Woman Say Yes to God" by Lysa TerKeurst (107) (K)
• "The Wit and Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin" put together by Barnes & Noble (108)
• "We Need to Talk About Kevin" by Lionel Shriver (109)
• "It's a Doggy Dog World" by Tommy Greenwald (110)
• "Tales from Beatrix Potter" by Beatrix Potter (111)
• "Civil War Spies: Behind Enemy Lines" by Camilla J. Wilson (112)
• "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles" by Julie Andrews Edwards (113)
• "The Swiss Family Robinson" by Johann Wyss (114)
• "The White Knights" by W.E. Cule (115)
• "The Tenth Circle" by Jodi Picoult (116)
• "Plain Girl" by Virginia Sorenson (117)
• "Ghandi" by Amy Pastan (118)
• "A Wind in the Door" by Madeleine L'Engle (119)
• "Donkey-Donkey" by Roger Duvoisin (120)
• "Little Blog on the Prairie" by Cathleen Davitt Bell (121)
• "King Arthur and His Knights" by Howard Pyle (122)
• "Escape From the Slave Traders: David Livingstone" by Dave & Neta Jackson (123)
• "Doctor Dolittle's Puddleby Adventures" by Hugh Lofting (124)
• "Best in Children's Books: Volume 10" by Mary Macnab (125) (K)
• "Best in Children's Books: Volume 6" by Mary Macnab (126) (K)
• "More Adventures of Homer Price" by Robert McCloskey (127) (K)
• "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin (128) (K)
• "Puppy Lost in Lapland" by Peter Hallard (129)
• "The Bandit of Ashley Downs: George Muller" by Dave & Neta Jackson (130)
• "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls (131) (K) (Read with the kids)

Author most borrowed from the library in 2023: Colleen Hoover

Favorite Juvenile books: Zel, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (a re-read), Homesick: My Own Story, Pollyanna (one of my favorite movies growing up!), The Sisters Grimm: The Fairytale Detectives, The War that Saved My Life, The White Knights, The Westing Game (a re-read), The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Favorite Nonfiction: Who Moved My Cheese?, The Radium Girls (A MUST READ!), Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager, The One Minute Manager, The 1% Rule, The E-Myth Revisted

Favorite authors: Spencer Johnson, Kenneth Blanchard, Freida McFadden, 

Favorite theology books: The Explicit Gospel, Keys to the Deeper Life

Favorite genre this year: Psychological thrillers

How did you do this year? What were some of your favorite books and authors??