Top 5 Reads of 2021

It’s become an annual tradition for Olive and I to share our top 5 reads of the year (here’s her top 5 reads from 2021). Here are my five favourite books that I read last year, three of which are memoirs, as well as a few honourable mentions.

[Note: Amazon affiliate links ahead]

Favourite Memoirs

A Burning in My Bones by Winn Collier

This is the authorized biography of Eugene Peterson, best known for writing The Message. I was surprised by the struggles and uncertainty that Peterson felt in his education, vocation, marriage, writing, and old age. He openly shares about struggles in his marriage: an emotional affair that caused a rift between him and his wife for several years, and the ongoing tension between work and marriage.

Eugene Peterson was drawn to uncertainty and a lack of answers. There was a gentleness and stillness about him, and an ordinariness to his life. After The Message became a bestseller, he became aware of his own temptation to celebrity and retired in a small town in Montana. Collier tells Peterson’s story with a humanity and openness that was refreshing.

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

This was a very long, but well-written book, packed with interesting stories and insights. It offered me a helpful explanation of the history of current conflicts and challenges in the Middle East and Europe. I was struck by the amount of criticism Obama endured from all sides, and how he demonstrated empathy, grace, and understanding through it all, while maintaining strength. I was surprised at how involved the US has been with other countries, many times seeming like they are pulling strings, offering incentives, and making threats, all to shape decisions according to what they felt was best. And I was disheartened at how deep the bipartisan divide of US politics is and how broken they themselves believe it to be. The irony is that the US continues to encourage other countries to adopt this way to governing, in all its brokenness.

Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie Tate

Christie Tate shares her story of going to group therapy, and how it transformed her life. This book was dramatic and entertaining read, due to the volatile and adventurous qualities of the author’s various relationships. Tate’s therapist summarized his approach with this quote, “You don’t need a cure, you need a witness.” One personal takeaway for me was when one group member said to Tate, “You know, I can be angry at you and love you at the same time.” Tate’s response was the same as mine, “No, no I did not know that.” The book gave an insightful account of the devastation of childhood trauma, as well as the slow, steady, and hopeful impact of therapy and community.

Favourite Productivity Book

Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg

Charles Duhigg is a great storyteller, sharing engaging stories about change and growth with drama and insights. The book shares 8 universal and non-traditional ideas to improve productivity – it’s not what you would expect from a productivity book.

Here are a few of my highlights from the book:

  • Google’s research shows that the most effective teams give every team member equal airtime to speak.
  • Israel’s desire for certainty and a narrow view that did not question assumptions or consider other possibilities led to their unpreparedness for the Yom Kuppar War.
  • GE discovered that their SMART goal culture caused people to choose safe goals that were achievable, but not very ambitious (e.g. ordering stationery on time). Duhigg recommends companies also use Stretch goals.
  • The teachers in the Cincinnati school system saw vast improvements when they switched from viewing student data on a automated dashboard, to working with the student data on physical notecards because handling the data helped the teachers process it better

Favourite Novel

Harry Potter 5, 6, and 7 by J.K. Rowling

My daughter started reading the Harry Potter series this year, and I joined her in reading books 5, 6, and 7. I remember the books being quite dark, so I wanted to be able to discuss some of the ideas in the book with her afterwards.

There were a few things that surprised me about the books. First, it was fun to read! I had read all the books in university and into my 20s, and it was just as entertaining and addictive the second time around. Second, I became aware of the author using the story to criticize racism, government incompetence, and dishonesty in the press, themes that were interesting to discuss with my daughter. All in all, the experience of reading the books with my daughter made this one of my year’s highlights.

Honourable Mentions

What were your favourite reads from 2021? I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message or leave a comment.

PS – Here’s my top 5 reads from 2019 and 2020, and Olive’s top 5 reads from 2019 and 2020.