2021’s stack of books was about as tall as the year before’s. Oddly, like in 2020 (and now 2022, spoilers), I started the year having a tough time getting through a large book. Still, I read a lot of very excellent books. I found some new favourites, and checked some off my list that I’ve been wanting to read for a long time. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Fiction
Brandon Sanderson
3.5/5 cats
I’m just now discovering that I only read two fiction books this whole year, and they were both Brandon Sanderson. This is the second installment of his new YA series. Though I wasn’t massively taken with his superhero YA books, I do like these. They’re fun, fast, and the protagonist is quirky in a crazy, but fun, way. I flew through this one, and enjoyed myself thoroughly.
Brandon Sanderson
4/5 cats
I’m just now discovering that I only read two fiction books this whole year, and they were both Brandon Sanderson. This is the second installment of his new YA series. Though I wasn’t massively taken with his superhero YA books, I do like these. They’re fun, fast, and the protagonist is quirky in a crazy, but fun, way. I flew through this one, and enjoyed myself thoroughly.
Nonfiction
How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen
Joanna Faber & Julie King
5/5 cats
Longtime followers of my blog may recall I first read this back in 2018, and loved it. However, as a mom of two, now, I felt I could use a refresh. And it still holds up. If you want a dynamite attachment parenting book, put this on your list.
Simone Davies
5/5 cats
This book had been on my list for years, and I really wish I’d picked it up sooner. If you are interested Montessori parenting at all, this will hold your hand through all areas of life. I got so many great ideas from this book, and it was actually the first book I’d read on Montessori (I’ve just been an internet peruser). There is not a Montessori Baby by the same author, and, though that’s not really relevant to me right now, this was so great, I’d recommend that to any new parents, too.
Daniel J. Seigel, M.D., and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD.
4/5 cats
Every list of compelling parenting books seems to have this one on it. After my friends bought it and read it, I borrowed it. If you are wanting to really understand how a child’s brain works, and how that will look, and what you can do in different frustrating situations, this short book will enlighten you. It should probably be required-reading for parents.
Erin Benzakein with Julie Chai
4/5 cats
After enjoying my indoor jungle for a couple of years, I became a bit interested in outdoor plants, as well, particularly flowers. I wondered if maybe I should try to grow some cut flowers, since I enjoy bouquets inside so much. This book will cover everything you need to know about that. In the end,I decided that route wasn’t realyl for me, but I learned a bunch about plants, and even added more flowering plants to my yard this year.
Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious
Timothy D. Wilson
3.5/5 cats
I borrowed this book from my friend years ago (sorry). It’s a compelling look into why we think and act the way we do—which is particularly relevant in today’s polarized world. Just because we do something, or feel something doesn’t make it a conscious decision, or a right thing. This book covers how much of who we are is, in a way, on auto-pilot, and how we can introspect to understand more. Though it was written well, it obviously took me some time to get though, which is why I docked points.
Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD.
5/5 cats
Oh, my heck. One of my favourite reads of the entire year, and favourite parenting books ever. If you’re like me, and like to look to humanity’s past to see how successful humans worked, and how to apply that to your own kids today, then this book is for you. The author visits serval cultures that produce happy, competent adults, and searches for what they do in their culture that supports and produces that. I felt a bit pleased and smug, as some of her discoveries were hypothesizes I’d come to myself during my time parenting, so that was fun. It’s so good. Parents, please read it.
Mother’s Milk
Rachel Hunt Steenblik
5/5 cats
As with many other women in my faith, I’ve recently become very interested in learning more about Heavenly Mother, or Mother God. These poems are beautiful and touched my soul. As a mother myself, and a daughter far from her earthly-mother, I especially felt I could gain a glimpse of understanding. Reading these poems was a highlight of my reading year. Our of all the poetry books I read this year, these were my favourite. Highly recommend.
Restoration
Patrick Q. Mason
4/5 cats
In these modern times, and as person in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it can be easy to wonder how to fit all their pieces of religion in the past, and current with desire for more knowledge. This book was a tremendous read on exactly that. It’s short, and I highly recommend it to every member of the Church.
Carol Lynn Pearson
4/5 cats
More poems on Heavenly Mother. Beautiful, pensive, and heartbreaking all at once, as with Mother’s Milk. If you enjoyed Mother’s Milk, then you will like these, too. There is more emphasis in loss and searching in this collection, though.
You Will Get Through This Night
Daniel Howell
5/5 cats
I have watched Dan on the internet for almost the entirely of the time he’s been making videos. I didn’t just buy this book to be supportive—I’m not that supportive—but because the content seemed valuable. Though I expected it to be good, I was very impressed with this book. It breaks down so many actionable ways to help yourself through hard times, and Dan shares many personal insights, triumph, and fallings-short. I personally will keep this book in a place I can easily reference it, and would recommend it to anyone dealing with tough times.
Lindsay Kite, PhD. & Lexie Kite, PhD.
4/5 cats
In our hyper-sexualized world, all of us, but especially girls and women, end up with some very warped and harmful views. This book breaks these things down, and helps you see these problems more clearly, and how you can break out of them. Not going ot lie, though it’s a tremendous book—that I think everyone, men and women, should read—it was hard to get through. The authors were kind enough to warn readers that it could be, at the start of the book. But I still was a bit surprised by the rage, and irritation I felt at seeing our societies horrible messages laid out all together and so plainly. You won’t regret reading it, though.
John Green
4.5/5 cats
The Vlog Brothers are also people I have watched on YouTube much more than a decade. Personally, I relate to John in a lot of ways, so I was interested in his reviews on a wide array of subjects. I, too, love rating things on a 5-point scale. Often, John can be more morose, or even macabre, than me, despite us being similar. In that regard, there were times when reading this was challenging. However, overall, I enjoyed the juxtaposition of more ‘frivolous’ subject with more serious ones. In college, during my last year, I took a class in my major that was probably the best class I took. In it, we covered our own histories, and how they related to those around us, and how stories that stand out to us still didn’t necessarily have us as the protagonists in them. It was enlightening; and The Anthropocene Reviewed is very much in the same vein. My favourite in this book was the story about the hot dog. In the end, I really enjoyed this book, was inspired by it, and even gifted it to my dad on his birthday. I was left feeling like I should review and rate more things.
Gave Her a Name
Rachel Hunt Steenblik
4/5 cats
Though Mother’s Milk was still my favourite overall book of poems on Heavenly Mother, this was still a lovely addition to my collection of longings. This far out from reading it, it is hard to differentiate all three books, but, I do think this one focuses slightly more on the lack of mentions of Heavenly Mother, and womanhood in general.
Glennon Doyle
3.5/5 cats
It wasn’t until after I read this that I heard it had some very mixed reviews. To be honest, I don’t know much about Glennon Doyle, but I can say I enjoyed this book. The main takeaway for me was that we, especially as women, but anyone, shouldn’t just sit back and ‘be tame’ for others’ benefit. Obviously, don’t be crazy. Do no harm. But flustering people and being bold isn’t causing harms and we should allow ourselves to truly experience what we want to, and be who we are in this life.
Brad M. Reedy, PhD.
4/5 cats
When I finished this, I texted my family, and told them this ought to be required reading for all 4 of us. If you want to learn how to be more yourself, by and through yourself (as opposed to needing other people to prop you up, and helping you maintain your sense of self), then this is a must-read. The author is extremely open about his short-comings in the past, and present. But that just helps you be able to see yourself more clearly. Whether you need to stand on your own two feet, or set and keep boundaries (hint: you probably do), I highly recommend this book.
Karyn B. Purvis PhD., David R .Cross PhD., & Wendy Lyons Sunshine
5/5 cats
This was another one those books that showed up on most gentle parenting booklists, and I was excited to finally get my hands on it. Also, my son (currently 2) has been a different person than his sister—shocker—to parent, and several of my effective tools with my oldest just weren’t cutting it with him. Instead of just giving tools, and showing how that works, this book is looking at root causes and issues, which was very helpful. I’ll probably re-read it in the future.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse
Charlie Mackesy
3.5/5 cats
We were gifted this book by my mother-in-law the previous Christmas, but I just got around to it. This book is feels very much like an avant-garde-ish animated movie. That’s not bad, it’s just not heavy reading. Several times, I took pictures of the set to send to Todd, because I thought the quote might resonate with him, so there’s some good stuff in here. However, still didn’t feel like I came away having learned something new, or reminded of anything I’d forgotten, and it was very sparse. I doubt you’ll dislike this book, but I’m not sure I’d have purchased it myself.
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
4/5 cats
Yes, this is different than the other book at the top of this list. For one thing, its’s the original, so older, and slightly less streamlined. There is some overlap with the Little Kids version, to. However, I wanted to read it, because I loved the other one, and I wanted to inform on how to listen so kids will talk. Overall, it was a good read that you will probably learn something from.
Layla Saad
4/5 cats
Last year, I realized I needed to do more reading in this area. Though I’ve already gone through a few books on this subject, I still found lots to learn from this book. Uniquely, it is sort of a workbook style (bring your own notebook). Even still, this book was able to really help me think deeply, and ponder areas that may not have been on my radar as much, and I discovered parts of myself that needed work. For anyone hoping to unlearn the racism inherent in our society, I’d recommend this.
As a small aside, I felt like there was a grouping of books I happened to read back-to-back that just sort of ‘fit’ together in really interesting in intersectional ways. Here’s that bunch of books:
Like last year, that’s where my booklist ends, because I’m working my way through a h u g e Brandon Sanderson. I’ve also got 3 new nonfiction, and 1 fiction book already awaiting me. Since I’m collecting recommendations for 2022 from friends and online lists, I’ll ask you, dear reader: any recommendations for me? What was your favourite book you read last year?
