Last year, I read 64 books…but there were some…extenuating circumstances that made it an incredibly unique year for reading.

This year, I just wanted to read 50.

But I wanted to do it in style and made a whole challenge for myself…that failed miserably. Trust me.

However, I did get all 50 books read, just barely, and I always want to share what I am reading with people. Many of these were just for my own enjoyment, but some were worth taking notes on.

If you want to get access to some of those notes, as well as a growing list of notes I take from books from time to time, then you can check out this post about DSM’s Brain for more!

I’ll write a brief blurb about each book, but I encourage you to check everything out on your own and earmark what seems interesting to you. 

***all book links are affiliate links, so if you choose to make a purchase of a book using my link then please know that I will be compensated for that purchase. If you aren’t comfortable with this, then I suggest searching the names of the book on your own and avoid clicking any links below***

But, let’s get to it! Here are the 50 books I read, a thought, and the aforementioned links! Buckle up!

1. On Writing by Stephen King

Filled with great strategies for writing, how to consistently write, and an insight into how Stephen King has become such a prolific writer!

2. Unrig by Daniel G. Newman

A great visualization and lesson of how our voting system isn’t perfect, and ways it could be improved upon.

3. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley

The most beneficial part was a graph with the breakdown of data for what is the “sweet spot” for all forms of content creation (blogs, tweets, FB posts, YouTube videos, etc.)

4. 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition by Rick Williamson

Written by a professor from my Alma Mater with whom I worked closely, I was thrilled to gain insights into the Johannine letters above and beyond what you might typically find glossing over this small collection of letters.

5. A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

A surprise favorite book and a new favorite author of mine – tailor-made for those with an interest in science, dragons, and all things Victorian!

6. Abundant Simplicity by Jan Johnson

We read through this with our church, and there were so many wonderful lessons on how to simplify one’s life both inside and out.

7. Fear Gone Wild by Kayla Stoecklein

A heart-wrenching tale of a pastor’s death by suicide from the wife’s perspective as she wrestled with everything going on – not a light-hearted story by any means.

8. Your Secret Name by Kary Oberbrunner

An author I got to connect with who used to be a pastor and lives in my local area – a great book breaking down how we all have a name that God knows us by.

9. Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port

Driving home the point that networking is much more relational and other-centered than a “what’s in it for me?” mindset.

10. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Shame drives a lot of what we do, even if we don’t recognize it, and we can choose to reframe shame to grow and learn and find true joy.

11. The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

What stuck out to me the most in this book was the importance of play in a life that is decidedly not driven by shame!

12. In the Name of Jesus by Henri J. M. Nouwen

One of my all-time favorite authors, a book about learning how to lead like Jesus led his people.

13. The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

Honestly, this one was out of left field for me, but I gave it a shot and it was a wild ride of a read – I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it had material I do not normally engage with and made me a little uncomfortable at times.

14. The Mars Challenge by Alison Wilgus

Graphic novels have a way of telling stories within stories, and this book about why it is difficult to travel to, let alone settle, on the Red Planet is far more engaging than a scientific report could ever be.

15. Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You) by The McElroy Family

The McElroy Family hosts some of my favorite podcasts, so this book about podcasting was right up my alley – and it has inspired me to really consider podcasting in my future.

16. Native by Kaitlin B. Curtice

How native american culture and life intersects with the Christian faith is amazing to me, but the ideas conveyed here that storytelling events are a key to understanding one another and building empathy for fellow humans was my favorite takeaway.

17. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

I thought I would love it, but I really was not a fan. At the time it was written, I am sure it had great ideas, but now these ideas are so commonplace that I couldn’t get into the book.

18. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

I’ve been told to read this book for years, so I finally did. Some of the ideas only apply once you have built up wealth for yourself, but there are good tips in here for when you may reach that point.

19. Switch by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

Best tip: chop change up into its smallest digestible parts to help everyone adjust smoothly in an organization.

20. How to Lead When You’re Not In Charge by Clay Scroggins

“Champion publicly. Challenge privately.” is one of the best quotes from this book, in my opinion, and has a lot of important lessons packed into two short sentences.

21. Learning to Speak God From Scratch by Jonathan Merritt

“Speaking God matters because speaking always matters.” That sums up the entirety of the book, honestly.

22. The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan

The sequel to A Natural History of Dragons, it discusses grieving, motherhood, and guilt/shame in ways that brought me to tears, all while also discussing Victorian-esque politics, battles with dragons, and cultural mores and how much of our shame and guilt can be wrapped up in social norms and not some great universal morality.

23. Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Starting with a purpose allows for everything else to flow naturally, be it business or family or ministry.

24. The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma

A dense book I have no hope of summarizing in one sentence, but habit hacking strategies make up a majority of the themes of the book!

25. All Yesterdays by John Conway

When it comes to paleontology, we are not being creative enough with the way we depict ancient creatures. When it comes to life, we are too often letting what we already know influence what we see and do, rather than imagine what could be.

26. Key Person of Influence by Kevin Harrington

Purpose, credibility, and character are the key factors to becoming a person of influence in any field or industry

27. The Art of Storytelling by John Walsh

The process of storytelling is more than effectively communicating your story but connecting your audience with the story.

28. No-Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel, MD & Tina Payne Bryson, PhD

Your kids feeling heard and listened to goes a long way to creating a healthier, more well-developed and well-rounded adult.

29. You Are the Brand by Mike Kim

I connected with the author just over a year ago when I first started copywriting, and this book convinced me that building my own personal brand not only makes sense but is also an inevitability of being a human!

30. Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller

The classic for all marketers and copywriters. Do I need to say more?

31. Marketing Made Simple by Donald Miller

If nothing else, read how to build a wire-framed website. You will not regret it.

32. Platform by Michael Hyatt

As with most things in life and business, consistency is the key to building your platform.

33. Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton

A wonderful book, but Ruth’s description of prayer as all the ways we communicate and commune with God has got to be one of the best I have ever read or heard.

34. Habitudes by Tim Elmore

Plenty of lessons packed into this book, but my main takeaway was that we are not creating or selling products or services – we are creating ways to solve people’s problems!

35. Permission Marketing by Seth Godin

A book that changed how I see marketing altogether! Permission given to access someone’s email, for example, is precious “real estate” so treat it as if you were being welcomed to someone’s home.

36. I Want to Be a Marketer When I Grow Up by Dan Sanchez

Loved this kid’s book about marketing, and it does a good job of explaining a bit of what I do in a way my kids can understand!

37. The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby

Not exactly a revelation, but History has not been kind to the honesty of our nation, showing us that, deep down, our nation (and many others) have been built on foundations of lies and cover-ups and half-truths. 

38. The Art of Making Memories by Meik Wiking

The stories we tell about our memories actually shape the way we remember those memories (and vice versa)!

39. Write Better by Andrew T. Le Peau

I don’t know why this lesson stuck out to me from everything else, but it is so true in my life that I can’t NOT share it: people remember how things end more than how they began.

40. Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott

Shocker: you’d think I would have learned before reading this book that the best thing you can do to become a better writer is to have a consistent writing habit…

41. Neurocomic by Dr. Matteo Farinella & Dr. Hana Ros

My daughter loved how kinda creepy the drawings were for the book and it was fun to explain to her how parts of the brain work (she loves anything about the body and anything creepy, so it was right up her alley).

42. Last Pick Vol 3 by Jason Walz

The ending to one of my favorite graphic novels from last year – a series about the overlooked and “broken” people a collection of aliens ignore ends up being the ones who save the human race. So many good life lessons to learn here – seriously, check it out!

43. The Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman

A recommendation from my friend Jay, this book did not disappoint. You are one connection, some time, and some hard work away from achieving your dream career! 

44. Wake by Rebecca Hall

Another harsh lesson for someone who is a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP): pretty much all westernized countries have continually tried to erase and rewrite history to be shown in their favor…

45. This Book Will Teach You How to Write Better by Neville Medhora

A top-tier copywriting technique: record yourself convincing a friend, casually, why what you are selling is worth it – then rewrite it for clarity, not voice. 

46. What If? by Randall Munroe

I love science and hypothetical science, so this book was simultaneously fascinating and hilarious. One of my most enjoyable books of the year!

47. Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller

This book broke me down in so many ways, and I was not prepared for it. From the search for love, to the loss of a hero, and the discovery that fish don’t exist…I was a mess.

48. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung

For an introvert like me, this book was so good to read. And Debbie Tung might be one of my new favorite authors!

49. Book Love by Debbie Tung

As a book lover, this book was a natural consequence of reading Quiet Girl in a Noisy World.

50. Commute by Erin Williams

I have tried to read more female authors this year, and books like this make me realize I have a lot to learn about what my female human counterparts deal with on daily.

That’s the list of books in 2021 I managed to read – phew!

It was one heck of a ride to read these, and I am sure it was one heck of a ride to read this list. Kudos to you if you made it this far.

This is where I normally hop in and say something like, “Hey. I’m a freelance content and copywriter. Hire me.”

Today, though, I just want to say, “Thanks for reading.” I appreciate ya!