Books I Read in 2021

The great German novelist Franz Kafka once said that "a book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us", and I stand by that since I find reading to be intellectually stimulating and emotionally satisfying. And reading has made me love books so much that I feel better at the mere sight of them. There are times I sit at my desk and wish I could get hold of certain books, read them and add them to my personal library.

It seems I am not the only one who loves books because whenever I read "Saturday Nation", a local newspaper, I usually come across people who profess their love for books. And I recently heard Eliud Kipchoge, one of the greatest marathoners of all time, say that he is an avid reader. Hearing that Kipchoge loves learning as much as he loves running made me tip my hat to him.

Because I love books, I thought it wise to share with you, my dear reader, some of the books I enjoyed reading this year - the way former U.S. president Barack Obama does. (You see, Obama is an avid reader as well. At the end of each year, he usually tweets a list of the books he enjoyed reading in the course of the year.)

Among the numerous books I read this year is Tony Robbins's Awaken the Giant Within, a voluminous tome about how to release our potential. Robbins bares his soul in the book as he shares his experiences such as how he hired a crooked employee who swindled him out of thousands of dollars. He also narrates with disarming frankness how he achieved his dreams of owning a mansion near a beach and learning how to fly a helicopter.

Having achieved his dreams, Tony Robbins authoritatively gives us tips on how we, too, can achieve ours. One of the tips is building a strong word power, which he says will help us express ourselves effectively and interestingly. He also advises us to read avidly. Miss eating a meal, he suggests, but not reading a book. That has inspired me to keep on devouring books and to never let a day pass without me reading something.

As I read Awaken the Giant Within, I found myself admiring Tony Robbins's depth of knowledge and style of expression. He expresses himself in a folksy and confident way, often using the pronoun 'I' to state his points. Such is the style of expression I am endeavoring to employ in my writings.

This year, I purchased and read two books by John Mason - one of my favorite motivational authors. I like John Mason because he writes his books in short chapters. And he packs a lot of wisdom in those succinct chapters. From the two John Mason's books I read this year, I learnt that we are each born an original; we should therefore not die a copy. That insight has encouraged me to keep on cultivating my uniqueness even when naysayers disapprove of how I do my things.

I also gleaned from one of those two John Mason's books that we ought to regularly spend time in honing our craft. Mason recommends devoting at least one hour everyday practicing our craft, an advice that has made me resolve to be playing the piano for one hour each day since I'd like to be a great hymn writer of Charles Wesley's caliber.

You might be reading this and thinking, "Wow, Thuita, thanks for those enlightening words of wisdom." But hold on! I've got a few more books to tell you about.

This year, I also devoured a couple of novels. I read novels not only because I am a sucker for riveting stories but also because I believe they improve our word power and communication skills, and ultimately the quality of our lives. Some of the novels I read this year fell flat for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed a few such as Alex George's A Good American and D.J. Delffs's The Martyr's Chapel. Those two novels are in a word, captivating.

Since I am deeply Christian and a Jesus freak, I included in my reading repertoire a few books that would strengthen my faith in God. I read two English translations of the Bible and books by such renowned evangelists as Max Lucado, Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen. And after reading those Christian books, I can honestly say they deepened my faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrated yesterday. Adieu!

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed this story on books I read in 2021, you might also enjoy another one I wrote last year on "Books I Read in 2020". Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.