Meredith's Recommended Books: December » Living Life with Meredith

It’s time for the December Recommended Books. I can’t believe it’s been 1 whole year of “Meredith’s Recommended Books” series!

This series pushed me to read more non-fiction books than I ever have in my life. Before, I used to read non-fiction books randomly but this year pushed me out of my reading comfort zone. More psychological thrillers entered my life & I read books from a ton of new authors too.

I don’t always want to recommend books that you’re seeing everyone else read & recommend. I want to find new authors that you’ve never heard of and hopefully I’ve done that some this year.

I’m really excited about these two books. One, I love Hannah Brencher. I started reading her blog about 7 years (!) ago and just fell in love with her words & her writing style. This is her 3rd book and she did not disappoint.

Second, I ended up reading 2 more Christmas books after reading The Twelve Dates of Christmas last month so I was ready for a good thriller. Macy has read it & nodded furiously with wide eyes when I asked if I should read it for the December Recommended Books.

I think you’re gonna love these books & they’re both perfect for this time of year–a new year and one after a rough year at that & winter, which is perfect for cozying up with a nice thriller. So let’s get to it!

Onto the December Recommended Books!

December Recommended Book #1:

Fighting Forward by Hannah Brencher

Here’s the synopsis:

“Fighting Forward is the empowering anthem you need to take the next small step to a better life.

At the darkest point of a life-altering depression, Hannah Brencher took a silver marker and labeled a composition book “Fight Song.” In that little notebook, she poured hope-filled truths and affirmations, knowing that one day, she–and you–would need a reminder to stay in the fight. Drawn from those glow-in-the-dark words, Fighting Forward is your empowering invitation to show up, claim hope, and take back your life one small win at a time.

Popular blogger, viral TED Talk speaker, and founder of The World Needs More Love Letters, Hannah shares personal stories of developing daily rhythms and sustainable faith in a culture of hustle. With a heap of hope for those who long to move from anxiety and fear into action steps, the power-ballad essays in this book will encourage you to savor the milestones you’ve already reached, root yourself in the next small step, welcome healthy routines into your day, and apply grace like sunscreen in the process of your own becoming.

Fighting Forward champions the truth that each song starts with a single note. With trust and a little time, each note and every small step adds up to a victorious anthem of showing up to this life and staying in the fight to become who God made you to be.”

My Thoughts:

Hannah Brencher didn’t disappoint with this one. I picked this book not only because it came out last week but also because I thought it would be a really good one after this past year.

I would recommend reading this book slowly. It’s a book to be savored and to give your focus to when you read it. I would even recommend having a piece of paper nearby so you can make notes of the things that stick out to you.

I think this book will be valuable for years to come. This one isn’t going out of style any time soon. It’ll probably be a book that I pick up again in a few months and something new will stick out to me.

Hannah is great at weaving storytelling, scripture/faith, and practical advice all in one chapter. I love that because you can relate to her and the story she’s telling, be grounded in faith, and also have practical steps to move forward in every single chapter.

Sometimes when you’re reading non-fiction books everything can start running together. Non-fiction is just totally different than fiction to me so sometimes paragraphs or chapters don’t stick out. I remember that I was just humming along reading and everything was starting to run together when I hit one section and I thought “Wait. That’s me. That’s this situation.” And then it was “Here’s what you need to do.” or “Here’s what you need to think about and refocus on.” I think God put those words there that stuck out to me because He knew I needed them. I don’t get that a ton with non-fiction books. Some are a dime a dozen but this one? This one is good and the one everyone needs to read to start this year off.

December Recommended Book #2:

What My Sister Knew by Nina Laurin

Here’s the summary:

” “…currently wanted by the police. If you know anything about the suspect’s whereabouts, please call…”

I look up at the TV screen, and my twin brother’s face is splashed across it, life-size.

It’s a shock that makes my breath catch. This is my brother as an adult, my brother who I last saw fifteen years ago after the fire that killed our parents, covered in soot, clutching a lighter in his hand, his knuckles stark white against the dirt and ash.

Everyone always said he’d grow up to be a heartbreaker. But his face has gone gaunt instead. The stubble on his cheeks and chin is patchy, and his eyes look dull and dark.

My first thought is that it’s not him. Not my beautiful brother, the golden boy who everyone loved. Yet, deep down, I’ve always known this would eventually happen.

What did you do this time, Eli? What the hell did you do?”

My Thoughts:

What a ride. What a book. This really is the perfect “curl up on the couch on a cold winter day” book. Once you start reading, you’re not going to want to stop. I had a to-do list and not one thing got done because I just couldn’t put the book down. There were plenty of twists & turns and there were a few moments where I had to stop and think “Wait. What? What does that mean?….OH!”

Okay, there was more than a few. Haha This would make a great book for a book club or just to read with a few friends to discuss. Macy & I were texting about the book after I finished it & discussing the situation.

It’s a great psychological, mystery thriller that’s going to keep you turning page after page from the very first chapter.

I want to say more but I don’t want to say too much or accidentally give anything away so I’m going to end it with this sentence:

You’re not going to see the last couple of chapters coming.

Happy Reading! + Some News:

I really hope that you dive into & enjoy these two books. Comment below and let me know if you plan to/if you do & what you thought. I’d love to chat about them both!

In other news…this is going to be the end of my Recommended Books Series. It’s been a good year of great books but it’s time to mix things up here. I’m still going to be recommending books here on the blog but only a few times a year. I haven’t decided how many books I’ll be recommending in each blog post or even the exact dates but I do know that it’ll be 4 times a year. I think I’m going to do the same for the young adult recommended book series too.

Thank you for following along each month with my Recommended Book series. Your support means everything to me! I’ll see you in a couple of months with my new set of recommended books!

Love,