My Favorite Books from 2015

I enjoy getting caught up in a good book, though it's not often that I can do that!  I've put together a list of my favorite books that I read in 2015 and a few that are sitting on my shelf waiting to be read.

Best Books of 2015

Every year I read the Book of Mormon.  Doing this provides blessings, daily insight and inspiration, as well as a deeper relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  It is one of the things I need to feed my spirit each day.  You can get your own free copy through the link above or in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Training the Best Dog Ever - We got a new puppy at the end of 2014.  I had a lot of experience training dogs in my life before kids, but that was 11 1/2 years ago.  This book was a great refresher for me and was easy enough for my older kids to read and use.

Good Pictures, Bad Pictures - I love, love, love this book.  Knowing the dangers of pornography, I am always talking with my children about how to avoid it, what to do when they encounter it, what it does to their brain, etc.  This book is a great place to start or continue the discussion.  It's written in a way that is easy for young children to understand, but is also engaging with older children.  Check out this video that goes right along with it!

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman - We love to listen to or read John Lund's talks, and that might be where I heard Gottman's name though I can't remember for sure.  This book was amazing for me, I finally felt like I had mental tools to solve problems.  It also helped me see where I was causing problems, and how to help me listen as well as talk to be heard.

Between Parent and Child by Haim Ginott - I was at a homeschool conference a couple years ago and heard Wallace Goddard speak.  He recommended this book.  It is well worth reading.  The back section got a little off track of what I expected and I felt it was unnecessary, but the first two thirds or so of the book are great.  Along that same thought, The Soft Spoken Parent is another book that I enjoyed.  It is a quick read yet something that can be referred back to frequently.

Of course I must include Trim Healthy Mama.  It's been a life changer for me!  Click THM in the labels on the right to read my other posts about it.

I began the Uncle Eric Books series.  I had heard how great Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? is and after researching it myself I decided to buy the entire series.  I do not engage in politics and economics beyond the very basics, they bore me and make me sleepy.  But Richard Maybury has turned both topics into easy to understand sets of letters.  I appreciate how clearly the topics are explained, as both politics and economics are topics I wish I knew more about lately.  These books have prevented my eyes glazing over as I have attempted to dive deeper into government issues.  The books can be used as high school courses as well.

What's on my shelf for 2016?

I will finish the Uncle Eric Books series.  I have 5 more to read.

Drawing Heaven into your Marriage  - I hope his marriage books are as great as his parenting books!

Increase in Learning
Act in Doctrine
Power to Become - all by David A. Bednar.  These books were a Christmas gift, something I've been wanting for a while.  Every time I read or listen to Elder Bednar speak I am filled with inspiration and understanding.  I am sure these books will provide a lot more of that as I work towards improving myself, becoming closer to Jesus Christ, and learning better ways to learn.
Tip - the first one, Increase in Learning, is available free on the Bookshelf app.  The books come with DVDs and notes for where a video segment should be, in the Bookshelf app the videos are right on the pages!