Every year I try to collect a list of the most interesting and inspiring book lists for the end of the year. I get a lot of ideas from these lists, and every year I add more and more books to my own never-ending TBR list. Ah, well, as they say, so many books, so little time. Nevertheless, this exercise is one of the most enjoyable parts of the holiday season for me.

• 2021 For the Church Book Awards. From this list of favorites chosen by several evangelical church leaders and pastors, I am most interested in Jackie Hill Perry’s Holier Than Thou: How God’s Holiness Helps Us Trust Him, Andrew Peterson’s The God of the Garden, and the joint biography of J. Frank Norris and George W. Truett by O.S. Hawkins, titled In the Name of God.
• BBC History Magazine’s Books of the Year 2021: 33 best books for history lovers. The Word-Hord: Daily Life in Old English by Hana Videen looks like a book I could enjoy, or maybe even savor, a book about the history of Anglo-Saxon words and their sources.
• John Ehrett: The Best Books I Read This Year. Until I read this list, I didn’t know that Kashuo Ishiguro has a new novel out: Klara and the Sun. It sounds intriguing. And I might also need to read Andy Weir’s newest, Project Hail Mary.
• David Quaod: My Top Ten Books of 2021. I thought to read Calvin, one would have to read The Institutes, a somewhat daunting task especially for a person who doesn’t consider herself a Calvinist. But Mr. Quaod’s top book for 2021 is A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin, a distillation of Calvin’s writings on living the Christian life. I think I might be up for that.
• Delightfully Feasting: Crystin’s Top Ten Books of 2021. I’ve read about half of these, and I agree that those I’ve read (Cry, the Beloved Country, What Is a Girl Worth?, Till We Have Faces, and others) are worthy of a top ten list. I would like to read Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner and Why I Read by Wendy Lesser.
• Anthony Kidd: Theology in Practice, Top Books for 2021 Reading. Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal by George Packer may become my “challenge” book for the next year. Written by a self-proclaimed liberal and an Atlantic journalist, this book sounds as if it would be readable while still showing me a very different perspective. I agree with Mr. Kidd that Live Not by Lies (Dreher), Trueman’s Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, and Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson are all good and challenging, too.
• W. Jackson Watts’ Top Books in 2021: Mr. Watts is a Free Will Baptist. (I am not.) He also listed Live Not By Lies and Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. I’m interested in the Herbert Hoover biography by Glen Jeansonne that he also listed.
• Nomadic Matt: The Best Books I Read in 2021. Matt runs a travel blog, but he read a lot of books while stuck at home in 2021. One of those books, Scotland Beyond the Bagpipes by Helen Ochyra, sounds like a book I could fall for.
• Bob on Books: Best Books of 2021. Bob lists the Eugene Peterson bio, A Burning in My Bones by Winn Collier, a book I’ve had my eye on. And he has as his best children’s book St. Nicholas the Giftgiver by Ned Bustard, a book I’d also like to take a look at. And I’ve been intending to read Prayer in the Night by Tish Harrison Warren all year long. 2022 is the year.
• Sheridan Voysey: Best Books I Read in 2021: Mr. Voysey read The Yellow House by Martin Gayford, about roomies Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin. I’d like to read this one in this my spring of Van Gogh studies. And the novel Summer’s Out at Hope Hall by Pam Rhodes sounds good.
• Catholic World Report: The Best Books I Read in 2021. Over forty book lovers tell this Catholic publication the titles that they most enjoyed in reading year 2021. Dale Ahlquist read Sigrid Undset’s Kristen Lavransdatter trilogy, which I also highly recommend. Alan Anderson read Peter Kreeft’s Wisdom from the Psalms, which sounds great. Michael Ward has written After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man, which might need to be added to my reading list since I plan to re-read Abolition this year. The Light of Caliburn by Jake Frost is a tale of Merlin’s activity in modern day Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a children’s book recommended by David Deavel’s son. Another children’s book I’ve never heard of, although I am familiar with the author, is Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, recommended by Eleanor Nicholson. In a Far-Off Land by Stephanie Landsem is Christian fiction (from Tyndale House) by a Catholic author, described as deeply moving, recommended by Rhonda Ortiz who is a novelist herself. Tolkien’s Modern Reading by Dr. Holly Ordway is another book I’m going to need to check out. I’m not any more Catholic than I am Free Will Baptist, but this article was a treasure trove of reading recommendations.
• Happy Catholic: Best Books of 2021. Julie also has a list at her blog of the best movies she watched in 2021. And a reading challenge for herself for 2022. I added Stratford Caldecott’s All Things Made New to my TBR because I’ve heard good things about this author.
• Stuck in a Book: Top Books of 2021. From this list, Murder Included by Joanna Cannan sounds like a a good solid murder mystery read.
• At a Hen’s Pace: Books Read in 2021. She recommends C.J. Archer as an author of mysteries mixed with magic, and I might give this author a try.
• Jared C. Wilson: My Top Ten Books of 2021. Again, I’m going to go with Jackie Hill Perry’s book, Holier Than Thou.
• Dr. Carmen Imes (Biola University): Best Books of 2021. Dr. Imes recommends Jesus and John Wayne by Kristen du Mez, a book I’m afraid is going to make me mad, but I probably need to read it.
• Barbara at Stray Thoughts: My Top 12 Favorite Books Read in 2021. Barbara always has lots of good books to recommend.
• Debra at Readerbuzz: Best Books I Read in 2021. Debra suggests quite a few books that sound delightful, including books on healing, happiness, food, nature and children’s books, too. I need to ask her what she thinks is the very best book of all time on happiness/joy since I think she’s read a lot of them. I’m skeptical about self-help reads, but I do tend to reflect that which I read. So, maybe books about joy can bring joy?
• Gulfside Musing: The 2021 Wrap-up and My List of Favorites. In addition to favorite reads of 2021, JoAnn has a list of a few things that worked for her to maintain and improve her reading life.
• Ti at Book Chatter has My Favorite Reads: Best of 2021. I think Ti convinced me in her review to give Amor Towles’ Rules of Civility a try this year.
• Savvy Verse & Wit: Best Books of 2021. Serena has six poetry books on her best of 2021 list, narrowed down from twelve. From which I deduce that she reads a lot of poetry.
• Mary at BookFan: 2021 Favorites: I guess I’ll have to try Once Upon a Wardrobe and Surviving Savannah, both by Patti Callahan, who also wrote Becoming Mrs. Lewis. I didn’t much care for Becoming Mrs. Lewis, but I’m willing to give Ms. Callahan another chance.
• Avid Reader: 2021 End of the Year 2021 Book Survey. Melissa’s post is encouraging me to read Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon. Historical fiction. The French Resistance. Sounds like a winner.
• Martha’s Bookshelf: My Year in Books. Chicken Talk Around the World, a book about how chickens sound to speakers of different languages around the world, sounds like a great addition to my library. I’m going to have to find a copy of this one.
• I Wish I Lived in a Library: My Favorite Books of 2021. Katharine also recommends Once Upon a Wardrobe, as well as Q’s Legacy by Helene Hanff and The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin.
• Literary Feline: Top 15 Books Read in 2021: She’s got Lisa See (The Island of Sea Women) and Laurie Halse Anderson (Shout) at the top of her list, so I’m a kindred spirit.
• Dewey’s Treehouse: Mama Squirrel’s Reading List. Not squirrelly at all, she’s got some good ones. Maybe I need to read some Alan Jacobs: How To Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds. Goodness knows, I could use some help in the thinking department. (Oh, my, I just figured out that this blog, one I have visited frequently in the past, is Ambleside Online author Anne White’s blog.)

Well, that’s all of the lists I’ve had time to search out and link. If you have an end of the year favorite books list that I didn’t link to, please share in the comments. And Happy New Year, and here’s to more good books in 2022.