My top 5 non-fiction books of the year (so far)
2024 📚's I can't stop thinking about
2024 has been a year of reading. I am 40 books in this year, and wanted to challenge myself to not only read more but also read for growth. I love an easy, non-fiction, but there is so much to learn and gain through books out of our comfort zone. While I’ve only read non-fiction here and there in years past, 14 of my 40 have been non-fiction so far this year. I have been pleasantly surprised by the ones I have picked up. Below is a list of my top 5 for 2024 so far, in the order I read them:
Essentialism Greg McKeown
This was a perfect read as I began the new year. It essentially teaches you to figure out… what is essential. While this may sound obvious, I found the advice to be very practical and in all honesty, relieving. It’s easy to compare oneself to all that another may take on, but this book challenged me to consider what is best for me and my family. The Lord used it as I was praying through my big decision of whether or not to leave my job, and it has also been useful in my day-to-day life choices as well. Whatever season you may find yourself in, I highly recommend this practical and encouraging book.
Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become Like Him, Do as He Did John Mark Comer
To be blunt, Christians as a whole have ticked me off over the past 8 years. The lack of love and care I’ve seen from those who express their faith in my God has been mind-blowingly frustrating. The Jesus I know simply has not matched the actions of the self-proclaimed followers I have seen. Enter John Mark Comer. I enjoyed Comer’s book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, and I loved this one even more. Comer does an excellent job of pointing to Scripture to show the character of Christ and how we can strive to be more like Him. I’m convinced that the Church as a whole would be far better should we understand the ways of our Messiah, know the Word, and act more in love as He did. This book is a great start towards that.
Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World Sissy Goff
As someone who has dealt with anxiety throughout my life, I want to help my daughter (and all of my kiddos!) as they manage their own. This book came highly recommended and I have now recommended it to everyone I know with girls. It was a help for my sons too, so do not let the title steer you away if you do not have daughters. I love Sissy Goff’s firm, yet gentle approach to helping girls young and old. I found help for myself in the process of reading as well!
The Anxious Generation Jonathan Haidt
Wow. Just wow. I simply cannot recommend this one enough. This book outlines, with great detail and data, just how smartphones and easy access to the internet have changed the upcoming generations. This is an absolute must-read for everyone, but do not pass up on it if you have children or plan to one day. The information in the first 50-75% is hard to swallow (but so important to know!), but there is hope given towards the end, so hang in there! It’s worth it.
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert John Gottman
I read this book after nearly tossing several other marriage books across the room. I wanted to gift a helpful resource to two engaged couples in our lives, but again and again, I found myself frustrated with the content I was reading. Chart-topping marriage books (primarily of the Christian variety) tend to be extremely sexist and demeaning of women and have less than practical advice within them. I finally ran across this book — which I hesitated on as I do not completely agree with everything Gottman writes — but I loved it. The book gives clear and practical tips for forming a foundation of communication, which I believe to be pivotal for a healthy and lasting marriage. It also points out that friendship is essential and shares activities to partake in together at the end of each chapter. I gave this book as a gift to both of the couples I was hoping to and will continue to give it as a marriage gift from here on out.
What else should I read? Fiction or non-fiction, I’d love your recommendations! And if you do read one of the above, let me know your thoughts!