If giving book recommendations was a love language, it would certainly be mine! I’ve read some stellar (and not-as-stellar) books over the past few months, so I thought I’d do a quick recap.

Here are the 11 books I’ve read this year (so far!) and my thoughts on them:

// Unbroken – Highly recommended. I absolutely loved this book. It is a beautiful story about the resilience of the human spirit, even in the worst conditions. Plus, it has a wonderful message about redemption and grace and forgiveness. I can’t believe this book is the story of an actual man, it’s simply unbelievable.

// One Thousand Gifts – Recommended. This book is written beautifully and really made me look at the world differently, and with more gratitude. Although I couldn’t always relate to the author, I think her perspective on the world is admirable and I love the idea of being thankful for the everyday things, no matter how small, even in the midst of adversity and even despair.

// The Shack – Skip it. Other people seem to love this book, but I’m not among them. I thought this book was interesting, but I wasn’t a fan of the writing style and the really long sections of dialogue. While I thought it made some interesting points about the relationship between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, I’m not certain the theology is necessarily sound. I will say that I liked being reminded of how intimately God loves us, and that was my big takeaway from this story!

// The Alchemist – Highly recommended. This is a great story and an easy read. I really love the idea that the Universe conspires to help us reach our life’s purpose – how beautiful and inspiring is that?! It really motivated me to start asking God for direction and then realizing when He is answering my prayers and telling me where to go and what to do. This book isn’t necessarily religious, but I read it through that lens.

// The Four Agreements – Recommended. This book is another quick read with a lot of wisdom packed into it. As the title suggests, this book contains the explanation of four agreements and how to pursue happiness and personal freedom through these agreements. While none of these ideas was new information to me, it served as a great reminder and I recommend the book.

// Gone Girl – Highly recommended. Was I the last person to read this book?! I loved it. I thought it was smart and interesting and it definitely kept me turning the page! I also loved the ending, which I’m almost afraid to admit since I know some people hated it.

// Boundaries – An absolute MUST READ. If I could recommend you read one book this year, just one, this would be that book. This book has been life-changing for me and has helped me create and keep boundaries with loved ones, which I have never been good at. I plan on re-reading this book in a few months, and then again after that, just to remind myself of the wisdom in its pages. Best of all, the author is a Christian so the explanations are also biblical. Ah, so good.

// The Night Circus – Recommended. This is another book that kept me up way past my bedtime for a few nights in a row! It has magic and love and a bit of suspense… I won’t say it’s the best book I’ve read, but it was unique and a fun read!

// The Goldfinch – Recommended. This book won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction so I expected to be blown away and I just… wasn’t. The writing is great (in my opinion), but the story just never sucked me in. I was talking to a friend and they commented that this would be a better movie than a book, and I would completely agree (even though I rarely like movies as much as books)!

// Yes Please – Skip it. I thought this book was going to be more entertaining, but I was a bit disappointed. Amy Poehler talks a lot about her career and how networking and connections got her to where she is today, but honestly, I’m just not all that interested comedy, I guess! I thought there would be more interesting anecdotes (like Chelsea Handler’s books!), and was disappointed there were not.

// Make it Happen – Barely recommended. I liked this book, but I think there are better books out there for productivity and going after your dreams. However, the reason I recommend this book is because it made me really think about whether I’m pursuing God’s kingdom or my own, and it motivated me to start listening to His will and to think about the motivations behind my actions.

I’m always open to book recommendations, so if you have any, pass them along!