Have you ever watched a movie about a book you read and thought “the book was so much better than the movie?” I believe this happens to most of us and the reason is simple: we have awesome imaginations! The movie director has to tell the main story of the book within a certain amount of time, and for that they can’t include many of the interesting things that can make a book so fascinating.
Books have the ability to immerse us in different worlds, expand our minds, heal our souls, and motivate us to choose a better life. That’s why I’m always looking for the next great read. So today I thought I would share my favorite books that I got to read last year. Now for me personally, I really like non-fiction. This is because real life, to me, seems to be so incredibly interesting that no imagination can match. Who would ever imagine something like the story in Unbreakable, The Boys in the Boat, or Man’s Search for Meaning? For this reason there are very few fiction books on my favorite list.
So here they are, my top 5 books from last year.
- The Heartbeat of Trees by Peter Wohlleben – who knew trees actually have a heartbeat? Trees are living beings that breathe, give, and communicate. Spending time with trees can make us ourselves feel alive.
- All Things Bright and Beautiful and All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot – The fascinating story of a veterinary practice in Northern England in the 1930s. I loved all the imagery and simplicity of life in different times, how the people loved and cared for their animals, and how their environment shaped their lives.
- Why I Trust the Bible by William D. Mounce – The author shares how we have the Bible we have today, why the books it contains are in there, and even ventures into explaining why bad things happen to good people.
- Being Mortal by Atul Gawande – fascinating book on our modern quest for extending life no matter the cost, the beauty of letting go, and what is being done to help us live independently as we age. This book brought me a lot of peace over the issue of aging and dying.