Non-fiction books of 2010 (Just like Reality TV only so much better!)

I cannot let the year go by without giving you “the list.”


I will provide The Fiction List very soon! Oh, and I didn’t provide any links, sorry. I don’t have that kind of time. But I did put a link on the very last book, because it’s so easy to remember. You can thank me later.

May you have many happy hours of reading, dear friends.


Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv – This book made me want to keep my children outside all summer long, from dawn to dusk. It’s full of interesting statistics and arguments for how children and smarter and healthier when they get some dawg-gone fresh air.


Elements of Style by InStyle Magazine – Yeah, this was chewing gum for my brain, but I actually enjoyed it. I am fashion-challenged and always need ideas. I found it in my public library and it helped me get ready for wearing “teacher-clothes.”


Love and War by John and Stasi Eldredge – I would read anything these two wrote, even if it’s a grocery list. John and Stasi are famous for books like Wild at Heart and Captivating. This is their take on marriage. And yes, sometimes it’s war. Good read.


Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom – I do like Mitch. His search for faith and God are recorded in this book about his relationship with two men who are coming to the end of their lives. Short and sweet.


Mitten Strings for God – by Katrina Kenison - After reading The Gift of an Ordinary Day and falling so hard in love with it, I had to read this first book of hers. Mitten Strings is more for moms of young children, which I appreciated. She is so great at describing the life of a mom – all the beauty, mundane, and sheer lunacy that we deal with all the time. I love the encouragement to SLOW DOWN, MAMA. Don’t be in such a hurry for these kiddos to grow up. I don’t appreciate her tendency to dabble in new age theories and rhetoric, but the majority of the book is very rich and helpful.


Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh - I have read this little gem before and I try to read it every other year or so. Ladies, go get this book. Especially if have any sort of writer in you. Lindbergh writes this from a tiny cabin on a beach where she has escaped from her large family for a time of solitude and reflection. She writes about what a woman needs and how to find your voice in the midst of all the “hats” we wear.


The Essential 55 & The Excellent 11 by Ron Clark - These are the books I read to motivate me over the summer as I prepared to go back into the classroom. Highly encouraging! Homeschooling moms would especially enjoy The Excellent 11.


Kids, Parents, and Power Struggles by Mary Sheedy Kucinka (?) Not sure I spelled that last name right….this is the author of Raising the Highly Spirited Child – one of the best parenting books I think I’ve ever read. If you have an intense child, read this book. Buy this book. Highlight and mark it up.


Somewhere More Holy by Tony Woodlief - If there was one book I would give to a couple who just had a baby, this would be it. (hmmm, I guess I better get this out to my brother and his wife in the next few weeks!) Woodlief is a daddy who loves Jesus, loves his family, and writes with the precision of a brain surgeon. I have gushed about this book so much in the past, let’s just stop now.


Throw Out Fifty Things by Gail Blanke – I really enjoyed this gal’s column in Real Simple. I think her official title is “life-coach” for which I’m sure she gets paid the big bucks. But, the book was just so-so. I’m not a huge clutter-bug, but I enjoyed reading her thoughts on organization and life.


Permission to Speak Freely by Anne Jackson – Uh, hold onto your binders for this one. Jackson asked the question on her blog, “What’s the one thing you feel you can’t say in church?” The responses were so overwhelming, she wrote this book to address them. It’s powerful and honest and filled with several stories of her faith journey as well.



Bittersweet & Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist – Yup, love her. Bittersweet was my favorite.


Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman - I absolutely loved getting to know Mary Beth Chapman. She is so cool and funny. I was not prepared to laugh out loud while reading this book, but I seriously did. There some hilarious stories about underwear in this book. Just trust me.


The Pioneer Woman Cookbook by Ree Drummond – Well, I saved the best for last. I know I said Bittersweet was my favorite, but this is darn near close. Ree Drummond is my kind of woman and she makes real food, people, not that weird stuff they put in fancy magazines. Go get it, even if you don’t cook, or don’t have 4 kids, or hate cows. You will relish the photos, words, and maybe even fall in love with meatloaf again.