Top 5 Nonfiction Books of 2016

I read so many books this year that I thought it would be fun to rank my top five of all I read this year in the two major categories: fiction and non-fiction. Check out my top five fiction reads post as well. Below are my top five non-fiction books read in 2016.


1. Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out and Lonely by Lysa TerKeurst

  I borrowed this book from the library and loved the book so much that I bought a copy and will be participating in a DVD study this winter with some other ladies. This book resonated so much with me and where I have been the past year. It brought some healing to my heart and helped me to see some circumstances through a new perspective. If you have ever felt left out, rejected, or set aside this book is definitely for you.

  Lysa TerKeurst shares her experiences of feeling lonely or left out and the things she has learned from God as she's walked through a variety of circumstances and experiences. I appreciated her candidness and the honesty of admitting that she is not completely through this struggle. Lysa encourages us to lean into God and trust that he has good plans and purposes for us. One of the things that stuck with me was to consider that when I feel set aside God might actually have me set apart instead. These pearls of wisdom helped me so much and filled me with hope and faith for my present and future.


2. Listen, Love, Repeat: Other-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World by Karen Ehman

  This was another book I enjoyed so much that I had to purchase a copy so that I could re-read it. I received a kindle copy for purposes of reading, reviewing and promoting the book, but this was one I wanted to be able to highlight and pick up to re-read various sections as needed. The subtitle was what really got my attention. I hadn't read anything by Karen Ehman but, after reading this book, that will change.

  Karen Ehman reminds us that part of our calling as Christians is to love others. In Listen, Love, Repeat she gives us advice and examples of how to love others well. She talks about truly listening to others and hearing the "heartdrops". The book really inspired me to find ways to love and serve others. I think it would challenge and inspire you as well.


3. The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful by Myquillyn Smith

  I heard about this book from Jen Hatmaker on her Instagram account. Jen showed a picture of something Myquillyn had made in her house and she copied for her writing office. It was a beautiful book page wreath and I was intrigued. I checked the book out of my library and LOVED it.

  Myquillyn Smith does an excellent job of making the average person feel that she can have a beautiful home regardless of her decorating skills. She reminds us that beautiful is not synonymous with perfect. Perfect should not be our goal (nor is it particularly possible if you have kids or want to enjoy living in your home). But making it a home filled with things that you love, bring you joy and help you feel relaxed and at home will do the same for those who visit as well.

  If you struggle with not wanting to do something because it might not be perfect, this is the book for you. Myquillyn encourages us to just try something little like painting a bathroom or a $10 dresser you found at Goodwill and see what you think. If you don't like it, you can repaint and try again.


4. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature by Peter Scazzero

  I heard about this book on an episode of The Happy Hour by Jamie Ivey podcast. Her guest said that this was a book she was recommending everyone to read. I love Christian non-fiction book so I added it to my to-read list. 

  Emotionally Healthy Spirituality is so good! It is open, honest and encouraging. It has practical advice on how to grow in your emotional health including prompts to help you see where you are on your journey and exercises to practice. It is a wonderful book that I highlighted extensively and will be referencing again. 

  The book reminds us that emotions are not our enemy. It is true that we should not let them rule, but they are excellent indicators that something is not right and needs to be addressed. I appreciated Peter Scazzero's vulnerability in sharing examples of his own journey toward emotionally healthy spirituality. 


5. Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World: How One Family Learned That Saying No Can Lead to Life's Biggest Yes by Kristen Welch

  This was the first book I finished in 2016 so some of the details are a bit fuzzy a year later. However I remember being very encouraged as a mother and person after finishing this book.

  As a parent I know that I have plenty of room to grow. Let's face it, it's a learn-as-you-go, trial and error kind of job (shhh, don't tell my kids!). I welcome resources that can help me reach my parenting goals (raising responsible kids who love Jesus and serve others). The end of each chapter in this book has a "take away" section that is divided by age range for kids so you can implement any valuable suggestions in an age appropriate manner (so helpful!).

  In addition to being encouraged that it is possible to teach our children gratitude and contentment I was also reminded that I am not responsible for my children's entertainment every waking hour of the day (which, as a SAHM, I sometimes feel like that's part of the job description and can feel guilty about trying to get housework or errands done instead of playing with my kids non-stop).  

  If you are a parent and you desire for your children to love Jesus and others and grow into people who are considerate of others and actively serve others, this will help you to introduce them to service and be encouraged in your endeavors to raise kind, considerate, generous, loving people.


I read so many wonderful non-fiction books in 2016 it was very challenging choosing a top five. I look forward to discovering more fantastic books in 2017. Have you read any of these the books on the list? Have any recommendations that you think might make my 2017 top five? If you are more of a fiction person, check out my favorites from 2016.

September Book Review

We are now officially into fall which is exciting! Cooler weather, leaves changing, football, pumpkins and apples. All of that invites me to cozy up under a blanket with a good book (even though it's still 90 degrees outside). This month I cozied up with five books. You can read more about them below. If you want to read previous months' book reads, click the appropriate link: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August.

1. Made Well: Finding Wholeness in the Everyday Sacred Moments by Jenny Simmons

  This book was so good and encouraging! I'm in the process of finding healing and wholeness and this was a welcome read as I continue on this journey. Jenny talks about the tension between the heartache of death and the hope of resurrection. She shares stories from her life and from her family and friends that share the journey of navigating life through the hope of Jesus despite hardships. So many of the themes are relevant to my life right now. I would highly encourage this book to everyone (despite the shortness of the review - there's so much goodness inside I don't know where to start)! You can read a more in depth review in another post.

2. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature While Remaining Emotionally Immature by Peter Scazzero

  I heard about this book on an episode of The Happy Hour by Jamie Ivey podcast. Her guest said that this was a book she was recommending everyone to read. I love Christian non-fiction book so I added it to my to-read list. I received it for my birthday and finally got to it on my list. The book is so good! It was open, honest and encouraging. It has practical advice on how to grow in your emotional health including prompts to help you see where you are on your journey and exercises to practice. It is a wonderful book that I highlighted extensively and will be referencing again. I appreciated Peter's vulnerability in sharing examples of his own journey toward emotionally healthy spirituality. I would highly recommend this book!

3. Inferno: A Novel by Dan Brown

  I saw that another Robert Langdon novel was becoming a movie. It looked action-packed so I knew I needed to read it before it came out (though I probably won't see it until it's available on demand because we don't go to the movies often). I was sucked into the story immediately and raced through it wanting to know what was happening next. I had hoped that it would be my fiction read for the beach but in my quest to find out what was happening, I finished it the night before our trip.

  In the book we find Langdon waking up in a hospital in Florence with an apparent head wound from being shot at and amnesia from the injury. He doesn't know why he's been shot but he's afraid that he has done something terrible. One of the doctors at the hospital helps him escape and together they try to figure out what is going on, why Langdon is in Italy and what his pursuers want. It was a thrill ride that kept me guessing and trying to figure out who was trustworthy and what Robert was trying to discover. If you liked the other Langdon novels, this one should not disappoint.

4. The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

  I first heard of Amy Schumer when my husband and I were watching Last Comic Standing. I really enjoyed her confidence and personality. I know her humor tends to be more crude than people appreciate. Because of this reputation I was hesitant to watch Trainwreck. I really like Bill Hader so we watched it when it came to HBO. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and was quite surprised at how much I did. When I saw she was publishing an autobiographical-type book I was interested to read it and learn more about her as a person. I took it with me to the beach for fall break.
  I enjoyed the book and learning about the parallels between her real life and her movie. I did not know that so much was based on her experiences (I also didn't know that she co-wrote it with her sister). I felt like I got to know Amy Schumer the person better and get a glimpse behind her stand-up comic personality. She spoke truthfully about a lot of things I could relate to - mainly being a woman. I am glad that I read it. I have more respect and compassion for Amy know that I know more about her and her life experiences. If you are able to read a book with a decent amount of foul and vulgar language then I would think you'd find it a good read. If that language offends you, then probably skip this one.

5. The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful by Myquillyn Smith

  This book was a recommendation from Jen Hatmaker (not personally, just something she wrote about online). I am a homeowner with limited expertise in decorating but I still want a home that makes me smile so I am interested in books that speak to the averagely skilled person. Jen had shown her room makeover with the help of the book (her office) which I happened to get to see last year and loved (it's so cozy and inviting!). This seemed like a book for me.
  I LOVED this book! Myquillyn has manageable ideas and suggestions. Her advice is full of wisdom and experience. She encourages us to not be frozen by fear of failure or imperfection and find things that make our house homey. Not everyone has the same style and that's okay. In addition to decorating/DIY tips she also gave sound advice about ridding ourselves of fear, discontentment, and comparison (among other things). It is a book for the heart and the home. I checked it out of the library but I may have to acquire my own physical copy because it contains so much goodness. It is definitely one I recommend.



My total of completed books for the year is now up to 60! Please tell me about a book you read in September. I keep telling myself that I am going to stop purchasing books or borrowing them from the library until I read all of the ones I already have, but I just can't help myself! Do you have this "problem" as well?