Most Impactful Books (I Actually Read) of 2017

I am so happy when I am reading or listening to a good book. Usually, historical fiction is my genre of choice, but this year I have turned a corner and really enjoy non-fiction– something I never thought possible.

Whenever I post about books I will try to give a little takeaway that impacted me. I hope you try some of these or all of them. You will not be disappointed.

The top books I’ve read in 2017:

The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom, Corrie Tinboom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill (biography)

For the first half of her life, she was a watchmaker working in her family’s business. She then hides Jewish people in her home to help them escape the Nazi Halocaust during World War II. This book reminded me that so much more is still ahead. Sometimes with the mundane of being a stay at home mom, I feel that no more thrilling ventures are in my future. I forget that this is only a season and that God still has many adventures and purposes ahead for my life and yours.

The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin (non-fiction)

Gretchen takes a year of her life to focus on being happier by changing habits, trying new things, and stopping bad habits. This book taught me that it is okay to be fully me– to embrace the things I like and say no to the things I dislike. It has loads and loads of helpful tips too. One tip I started with my family, is a ritual of a quick evening tidy up. It just takes a few minutes but makes the mornings so much better.

Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty (fiction)*

This book was relatable (especially since my oldest started school recently). It was hilarious at times since the inner thoughts of the characters are shared. My biggest takeaway was that by sharing your hurts, struggles, and pain with others it takes the fear away.

Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace, Anne Lamont (collection of essays)

This was the first book I’ve read by Anne Lamont. She is very honest in her writing which I respect. She also lives in Northern California near where Brent and I went to graduate school so it was nostalgic to hear her talk about places we know well. The biggest takeaway was to always plant bulbs in the fall. If you have then you know why and if you haven’t, start this fall.

My Life in France, Julia Child (autobiography)

All the food descriptions of meals she ate and the pictures she painted with words of the French countryside made you feel as if you were there. Her determination and grit were so inspiring. She taught me to go after your dreams and never give up. Also, you are never too old to begin something new.

The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (memoir)*

This is a memoir of a poor American girl. It’s a story all people need to hear. If you have never been around poverty in America this book will give you a picture of what it is like. She speaks honestly of her complexities with family. She is a true fighter. In the book, she wanted a watch because she desired to be the kind of responsible person that wore a watch. After I read this book I started wearing a watch.

The Happiest Kids in the World: How Dutch Parents Help Their Kids (and Themselves) by Doing Less, Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison (non-fiction)

The authors are two mothers (one from America and one from Britain) who both married Dutchmen and raised their kids in the Netherlands. I feel like we can gain so much by learning how other countries do things. This is a simple and family oriented culture that thrives on doing less. From this book, I learned it is okay to let your kids ride their bikes in the rain.

Rising Strong, Berne Brown (non-fiction)

Wow. This book was so helpful and on point for me based on what I have been going through over the past several years. She is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. I first learned about her by watching her TED talk on vulnerability. When her husband asked her what her career goals were she said she wanted to start a worldwide conversation about shame and vulnerability.

I gained so much from this book. She talks about depression, risk, courage, and much more. My takeaway and something I use all the time is the phrase “The story I’m making up in my head is…” This is when I am making up lies in my head based on what I think other people are thinking. This phrase gives an opportunity for conversations about the issue rather than leaving things unsaid and stops the pattern of inner destruction.

By the way, I have found that as a mother of a 7-year-old and a 2-year-old there is not much time for reading. My trick is audiobooks. I try to always have one downloaded to my phone using the Overdrive app. I check out and download the digital audiobooks from my local library. Totally free!

I listen to the books when I go to the gym. I wake up early a couple of days and work out while my husband and kids sleep. It is WAY more motivating to get out of bed at 5 am if I know I have a great book to listen to.

When do you find time to read? What is the best book you read in 2017?

*Contains scenes with strong language, sexual and/or violent content. I try to skip over those passages. Besides the few passages that contain this content, I think these are great books.

If you purchase from a link on this blog a small percentage of the sale may come back to me. You are never charged more for the product. It’s a way to keep this site going and I’m very selective about the things I list. It’s mostly things we already own and love or things I think you would enjoy. Thank you for reading!