My 2016 Reading List
One of my big goals for 2016 is to do A LOT of reading.
2015 was a big year for our family, with Ezra’s birth, my two book releases and Matthew’s six weeks of travel. Consequently, my love of reading really took a back seat. I read the fewest number of books I have read in years (less than 20 books).
Here are the books that I have bought that I know I want to read in 2016. I’m sure this list will evolve and have lots of additions, but if you are building your reading list, I thought this might inspire you.
Fiction
Fiction is my favorite, so it is a bit shocking all the non-fiction books I plan to read this year. These are books that I curated from best of 2015 lists as well as some that I found on my own.
- Did You Ever Have a Family
- The Color of Secrets
- A Man Called Ove: A Novel
- True Colors
- Firefly Lane
- Winter Garden
- My Notorious Life: A Novel
- A Window Opens: A Novel
- The Girl Who Stopped Swimming
- The Kitchen House
- City of Women: A Novel
Books on Slowness/Intentional Living
My 2016 word is SLOW. In an effort to be a student of slowing down, I am committing to reading at least one book a month on slowness/intentional living. Here are the ones I have identified so far.
- 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life
- Maxed Out: American Moms on the Brink
- Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World
- Breaking Busy: How to Find Peace and Purpose in a World of Crazy
- A Life of Being, Having, and Doing Enough
- How Then, Shall We Live?: Four Simple Questions That Reveal the Beauty and Meaning of Our Lives
- The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun
- Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living
- Wild and Free: A Hope-Filled Anthem for the Woman Who Feels She is Both Too Much and Never Enough
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
- Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You
- The Top Five Regrets of the Dying
- The Gift of Being Yourself
Miscellaneous Non-Fiction & Parenting Books
Other non-fiction books that don’t fit into the above categories.
- A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting, and Coming Together
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
- Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World: How One Family Learned That Saying No Can Lead to Life’s Biggest Yes
- Raising Uncommon Kids: 12 Biblical Traits You Need to Raise Selfless Kids
- Wild in the Hollow: On Chasing Desire and Finding the Broken Way Home
- Rising Strong
- Parenting the Wholehearted Child
- A Mother’s Heart
- The Mission of Motherhood
- Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: 10 Ways to Reconnect and Find Peace in Everyday Life
Business Books
Looking forward to reading these books and growing as a professional this year.
- Money-Making Mom: How Every Woman Can Earn More and Make a Difference
- Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
- I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time
- Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want
- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
- Playing Big
Journaling & Prayer Books
As I have previously shared, I LOVE journaling books. I am also on the hunt for several good bible studies and prayer books. These are the books I am working through this year.
On a reading quest here too! Seven books in and counting 🙂
You are doing better than me! 🙂 WOW!
Thanks for sharing! Nice compilation of books – I’ve read some of them. Hope you get to read at least one from each category and savor it in the midst of the creative mom season. Here’s one for your Bible Study/Prayer/journaling category…Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood by Melissa B. Kruger
Thanks for the recommendation!
A Life of Being Having and Doing Enough is an all time favorite of mine. One to keep re-reading- loved it. Just finished Big Magic- so good! Always love getting your book recs. I finally got the Fringe Hours- can’t wait to read it!!
I love, love, love Wayne Muller! Thanks for your kind words. Hope you enjoy Fringe.
I see Fates and Furies in the photo. I would tell you not to bother with this one.. Read it because of good reviews but found it very difficult to get through. Especially the first half. Reading a non-fiction one called Have Mother Will Travel. About a mother daughter on a several country trip. Really enjoying it!
Thank you for the recommendations!!! I have read 2 of the ones from kristina Hannah…truly awesome books…if I could recommend a few Bible Studies I would personally suggest Beth moore A woman’s heart with the video sessions and becoming more than a good Bible study girl by Lisa Terkeurst also with videos…looking forward to digging into some of the ones you suggested…thank you
surprised to see so many secular titles here. I only read christian fiction and non fiction. I never know what kind of sexual content or bad words are find in the non christian titles
I love books! I hope you will let us know if you love any of the ones you read and would recommend them. I received your book “The Fringe Hours” for Christmas and it’s on my reading list for 2016. I just read “The Girl on the Train” and found it very engaging. It sucked me in quite quickly. It reminded me a bit of “Gone Girl” in that you’re never quite sure what’s going on until close to the end. Enjoy your reading!
I finished A Man Called Ove today and it might be one of my favorite books ever. SO, SO wonderful. Very different from any book I have ever read and really moved me. Check it out.
I LOVE your book list, Jess! I see so many of my favorites on here and some new ones that I can’t wait to read too!! Thank you so much for sharing your year of reading!!
So grateful to have been included on this list Jess, especially alongside so many other great authors! And, I picked up a few to add to my list this year as well 🙂
Just Mercy is AMAZING! One of my favorite 2015 reads. If Bryan Stevenson ever speaks near Nashville, do everything you can to go hear him. Also, I see Fates and Furies pictured on your shelf but not on the list. I just finished it a few days ago and really liked it, in the sense that there’s so much to consider and discuss. I haven’t stopped thinking about it, though I see why there are divided opinions.
I love seeing other reader’s book lists! I’m hoping to bump up my reading again, but with another baby due next month, we’ll see how that goes! 🙂 I’m hearing wonderful things about Breaking Busy and have that on my list as well!
I love your list. Thanks for sharing! I have recently started reading Kristin Hannah’s books. I read Winter Garden a few months ago and really enjoyed it. I read Firefly Lane over the weekend and I highly recommend adding Fly Away to your list. It is the sequel to Firefly Lane. Happy Reading!
Awesome! I have a stack of Kristin Hannah books to read and was just wondering what one to start next.