Best Reads for 2024 - Pastoral and Ministry

Because of my new gym walking habit, I read more books in this category than any other.  As a result, a picked a few more “best” books than I usually choose.  Honestly, I could have picked 10 more books in the “best” category – picking the couple handfuls I did was challenging.

The Thrill of Orthodoxy:  Rediscovering the Adventure of Christian Faith by Trevin Wax.  This book is an amazing reminder of the awesome nature of Christian orthodoxy.  Wax does an especially good job of addressing the various ways our modern world, under the guise of theological or personal freedom, actually narrows and limits the remarkable things God offers us in Jesus Christ.  Progressive society, which thinks it has more freedom, has actually settled for much less than God offers us in Christ.

Competing Spectacles:  Treasuring Christ in the Media Age by Tony Reinke.  At first glance, I thought this was a worldview books with spectacles being the lens through which we see the world.  But in actuality, when Reinke speaks of spectacles, he is speaking of the way the world around us seeks to draw attention to itself (celebrities, politics, etc.).  Reinke argues that no matter how attractive or absorbing the spectacle is that society offers us, the ultimate “spectacle” that should draw our attention is Christ crucified.

Ministry in the New Realm:  A Theology of 2 Corinthians by Dane C. Ortlund.  As I prepared to preach through the book of 2 Corinthians in church, I read this wonderful little book as preparation.  I am so glad I did.  Ortlund does a wonderful job of drawing out the themes in this magnificent book, enabling the busy pastor to get a birds-eye view of the book and greatly aiding his preparation.

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.  This is the first book on my “best” list that was not written by a Christian, but is so timely and helpful in so much of what is going on in the world.  Haidt argues that smart phones, social media and online gaming have changed childhood, bringing with them increased anxiety, immaturity, depression, and many other problems. 

Truth We Can Touch:  How Baptism and Communion Shape our Lives by Tim Chester.  This short book is a excellent book on the ordinances/sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  Chester is a bit more “presbyterian” than me, so I did not agree with him on everything, but despite that the book is excellent for bringing out the deeper meaning and prompting personal reflection regarding these tangible gifts from God that provide pictures of our salvation.

Bad Therapy:  Why the Kids aren’t Growing Up by Abigail Shrier.  This is the other ministry “best” book not written by a believer.  That said, this is a remarkable expose of how the so-called therapy that is offered our kids, especially in public schools, is so damaging.  Continually hunting for trauma, foregoing actual parenting, “saving” kids from any risk that actually brings growth and resilience, and over medicating them are some of the many issues Shrier addresses.  And she is very clear – both therapists and parents are guilty in equal measure.

Shepherds for Sale:  How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda by Megan Basham.  This book was a bit terrifying.  Basham has the evidence of how prominent pastors have been bought and paid for by leftist organizations to promote their agendas under the guise of biblical truth.  Others have fallen into the trap of being so enamored by the attention of the secular media that they are willing to fudge truth for the praise of men.  A wonderful reminder to me – preach the Word!

You’re Only Human:  How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News by Kelly M. Kapic.  As a person who has, in the past, had a tendency to work too many hours and not take enough time off, Kapic’s book is a good reminder.  He speaks of all the ways we are limited as human beings and how those limits, rather than being a curse or a frustration, are actually blessings God has built into our lives.

Uprooting Anger:  Biblical Help for a Common Problem by Robert D. Jones.  This book so wonderfully biblical.  As a person who has struggled with anger in the past and a person who has to counsel others struggling with anger, this book has so much practical, Scriptural wisdom.  It will be a wonderful tool to share with others or use as a basis for counseling.

The Heart of Jesus:  How He Really Feels about You by Dane Ortlund.  This little book – only 100 pages – is a distillation of Ortlund’s book Gentle and Lowly.  Although I read and enjoyed Gentle and Lowly, this book is wonderful because the same truths are there, but in a package that is much more digestible and much less intimidating for those who are not avid readers.  What is the heart of Jesus toward you?  Read it and find out!

Great books, but did not make it into the “best” category:

Trusting God even when Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges

Warfield on the Christian Life:  Living Life in the Light of the Gospel by Fred G. Zaspel

Letter to the American Church by Eric Metaxas

Voices from the Past, vol. 2, by Richard Rushing, ed. 

Owen on the Christian Life:  Living for the Glory of God in Christ by Matthew Barrett and Michael A. G. Haykin

Word Centered Church:  How Scripture Brings Life and Growth to God’s People by Jonathan Leeman

God’s Grand Design:  The Theological Vision of Jonathon Edwards by Sean Michael Lucas

Understanding Scripture:  An Overview of the Bible’s Origin, Reliability and Meaning by Wayne Grudem, C. John Collins, and Thomas Schreiner, eds

The Flourishing Pastor:  Recovering the Lost Art of Shepherd Leadership by Tom Nelson

The Toxic War on Masculinity:  How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes by Nancy R. Pearcey

Heart of the Holy Land:  40 Reflections on Scripture and Place by Paul H. Wright

The Saints of Zion:  An Introduction to Mormon Theology by Travis S. Kerns

Is the Commission Still Great?  8 Myths about Missions & What they Mean for the Church by Steve Richardson

Can We Trust the Gospels? By Peter J. Williams

Israel and the Church:  An Israeli Examines God’s Unfolding Plans for His Chosen People by Amir Tsarfati

Reactivity:  How the Gospel Transforms our Actions and Reactions by Paul David Tripp

Gospel-Shaped Marriage:  Grace for Sinners to Love like Saints by Chad and Emily Dixhoorn

The New Creation Model:  A Paradigm for Discovering God’s Restoration Purposes from Creation to New Creation by Michael Vlach

Malachi:  God’s Unchanging Love by Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus:  A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi

From Weakness to Strength:  8 Vulnerabilities that can Bring out the Best in your Leadership by Scott Sauls

Crucial Accountability:  Tools for Resolving Violated Expectations, Broken Commitments, and Bad Behavior by Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, Switzler

Live Your Truth and Other Lies:  Exposing Popular Deceptions that make us Anxious, Exhausted and Self-Obsessed by Alisa Childers

The Advantage:  Why Organizational Health Trumps everything else in Business by Patrick Lencioni

The Titus Ten:  Foundations for Godly Manhood by J. Josh Smith

The Joy Switch:  How your Brain’s Secret Circuit Affects your Relationships – and how you can Activate it by Chris M. Coursey

The Prodigal God:  Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy Keller

The Secular Creed:  Engaging Five Contemporary Claims by Rebecca McLaughlin

Social Justice Fallacies by Thomas Sowell

The Unwavering Pastor:  Leading the Church with Grace in Divisive Times by Jonathan K. Dodson

Reforming Joy:  A Conversation between Paul, the Reformers and the Church Today by Tim Chester

Budgeting for a Healthy Church:  Aligning Finances with Biblical Priorities for Ministry by Jamie Dunlop

 

Best Reads of 2024 – Fiction

Here are the best fiction books I read this year.  Nothing disappointing on this list, but there are definitely some series that I started and were good, but in the long run not worth my time to continue.  As should be obvious from my list, this is the year I discovered C. J.  Box’s Joe Pickett series.  I have not read as many books from a single series in one year for a long time.

I am currently reading the latest Brandon Sanderson Stormlight book, and it will be followed by the last book in Tad Williams’ current fantasy series (Last King of Osten Ard) -  I am pretty sure both of these books will show up on next year’s best list.

Open Season by C. J. Box.  This is the first of Box’s Joe Pickett series.  Just about any of the books listed below could be here in the best list – Open Season is probably not his best.  But none of the 9 I read were anything but excellent.  Joe Pickett is a game warden in Wyoming who regularly finds himself in the midst of a murder or other kind of mystery.  The TV series streaming on Paramount got me interested and while I enjoyed the TV show, the books are just wonderful.  Nothing too deep – just a fun, fast-paced adventure/mystery/thriller.  A perfect “comfort food” read.

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson.  This one surprised me.  Brandon Sanderson broke Kickstarter a year or two ago with his secret project books.  Crowd-funded $41 million for them!  I did not join, but picked up the books after release.  I really enjoyed Tress (on last year’s best list) but I thought my favorite would be The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook (see below).  That was actually me least favorite of the 4.  Yumi was the book I was not sure I would even buy, but I am so glad I did, because it was another favorite.

The Bookseller of Inverness by S. G. MacLean.  Another surprise.  This was a $0.99 deal on Kindle at Amazon.  I like good historical fiction, so I thought I would give it a try.  Set in Scotland in the 18^th century, this book is mystery set in the years after Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion that ended at the battle of Culloden.  Slow-moving, but very absorbing and atmospheric, this is historical mystery writing at its best; it gives C. J. Sansom, one of my favorite authors, a run for his money.  Looking forward to more of her books this year.

The Bone Ships by R. J. Barker.  A third surprise and another super cheap Kindle purchase.  This is the first book of the Tide Child Trilogy.  Barker does some wonderful world-building, creating a fantasy world ruled by sea power and ships that are crafted from the bones of sea monsters.  But, what happens when the sea monsters die off?  Or when one last sea monster appears again?  This is swashbuckling naval adventure at its finest.  And the best part – no foul language and no sexual content!  Just a great story.

Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Robert Harris.  A fourth surprise.  I read and enjoyed Conclave by Harris and found one of his historical fiction novels set in ancient Rome for a few dollars on Amazon.  This is really excellent – the first book of a series on the life of lawyer Marcus Cicero.  It is full of Roman political machinations and legal drama – almost like an ancient, early day John Grisham novel (think The Pelican Brief or The Firm, just set in ancient Rome).  I look forward to the rest of the series.

Other good reads, just not on the “best” list:

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Artemis by Andy Weir

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi (Interdependency, #1)

The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi (Interdependency, #2)

The Last Emperox by John Scalzi (Interdependency, #3)

Savage Run by C. J. Box (Joe Pickett #2)

Winterkill by C. J. Box (Joe Picket #3)

The Frugal Wizards’ Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson

The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson

The Tower of Fools by Andrzej Sapkowski (Hussite Trilogy, #1)

Trophy Hunt by C. J. Box (Joe Pickett #4)

Out of Range by C. J. Box (Joe Pickett #5)

In Plain Sight by C. J. Box (Joe Pickett #6)

Free Fire by C. J. Box (Joe Pickett #7)

Blood Trail by C. J. Box (Joe Pickett #8)

Below Zero by C. J. Box (Joe Pickett #9)

Dragons of Deceit by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance Destinies, #1)

Conclave by Robert Harris

 

Best Reads of 2024 - History and Biography

Entering the New Year, I look back at my reading list from the past year.  This year, I hit a personal record 103 books read for the year, but I almost consider that number cheating.  In the summer of 2023, I started reading during my walking “coffee breaks” during days in the office.  I walk a mile in the gym and read while I do it.  Thus, I have managed to go through a few more books than I have in past years.  Of course, the books I read while gym walking are not deep, 500-page theological tomes – who wants to carry that around, plus I often read those with a note pad alongside.  That said, some of the “gym walking” books made it into my list of best books of 2024. 

One book that is not listed in any of these posts does not fit any category but was hugely impactful in my life.  As a guy who struggles with blood sugar issues, I would highly recommend Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar by Jessie Inchauspe to anyone who needs it. 

Here is a list of the best history and biography books I read this year, along with others I would recommend and a few that disappointed.

The Savage Storm:  The Battle for Italy, 1943 by James Holland.  James Holland’s books occur regularly on my “best of” lists.  He is one of my favorite military historians right now – a great blend of scholarship, insight and a writing style that drives the story in a novel-like fashion.  This book is about the American, British and Canadian invasions of Italy and the battles that followed.  I am currently reading the sequel to this book – Cassino, 1944 – which carries the story on into central Italy.  In addition, check out his informative and chatty podcast – We Have Ways of Making You Talk.

The Necessary War:  Canadians Fighting the Second World War 1939-1943, vol. 1 by Tim Cook.  Tim Cook also shows up regularly on my best list – he is one of the best Canadian military historians writing currently.  The Necessary War is the first volume of his history of the Canadian military during World War 2.  He covers it all – land, sea and air – with an interesting style, discussing both the decisions made in Ottawa as well as the experiences of the average soldier, sailor and flyer.  Volume 2 – Fight to the Finish – is in my “to read” pile for this year.

King:  A Life by Jonathon Eig.  This is a fascinating and very balanced biography of Martin Luther King Jr.  Eig does not stand him on a pedestal, but neither does he spend the whole book in character assassination.  There is much about Dr. King that is praiseworthy, like his courage and commitment to civil rights that was rooted in a biblical foundation.  That said, Dr. King was far from a paragon of personal virtue – the book makes it clear he was a serial adulterer during his lengthy marriage to his wife.

The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans.  The years between the world wars of the 20^th century were a painful, troubled time, nowhere more so in Interwar Germany.  The Coming of the Third Reich is the first volume in Evans’ trilogy on the Nazi Party prior to and during World War 2.  In this volume, Evans tells the story of how the political and economic fiasco that was the Weimar Republic ushered in circumstances that enabled Hitler to from obscurity to power in a few short years.

The Cold War:  A New History by John Lewis Gaddis.  We have achieved enough historical distance from events such as the Cold War to enable historians to write insightful books about those events.  Gaddis’ book is an example of this – this is high level history that shows the trends and decisions of those decades, whether made in Washington or Moscow, and focuses especially on the importance of individual actors (Pope John Paul II, Reagan, Thatcher, Solidarity in Poland) who made choices and took stands that finally broke the world out of the Cold War stasis.

Challenger:  A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham. I am not an engineer – I leave that to sons-in-laws and nephews – but even as a non-engineer, I was both fascinated and horrified by this book.  It reads like a gripping detective story; a cover-up of serious design flaws in the Space Shuttle and the brave people who risked their livelihood to expose them against the will of government functionaries.  Unfortunately, good people had to die before that happened.  And as Higginbotham makes clear, even after the Challenger disaster, the bureaucrats at NASA did not learn their lesson.

Revenge of the Tipping Point:  Overstories, Superspreaders and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcolm Gladwell.  My brother-in-law Stephen has recommended Gladwell’s books to me more than once.  When I saw this one on sale at Costco, I figured I would give it a try.  What a fascinating book.  Gladwell is the one who popularized the idea of a “tipping point” that brings about change.  But what happens when the tipping point is misused, manipulated or leads to tragedy?  What happens when people use the tipping point as an opportunity for social engineering?  Covering topics like COVID-19, gay marriage and opioid epidemic, Gladwell shows what happens when the tipping point becomes a tool in the hands of society.

The Eastern Front:  A History of the Great War, 1914-1918 by Nick Lloyd.  This is a follow-up to Lloyd’s previous book on the Western
Front in World War 1.  Lloyd covers the initial battles on the Russian front, the battles over Serbia, the Italian front, the war in the Balkans and the immediate aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917.  Especially fascinating are his discussions of the relationship between Germany and its weaker partner Austria-Hungary as well as the internal debates of the leaders of the Entente about where and how to use their military resources to bring about victory on the battlefield.

More great books, although not quite good enough to make it to my best list:

Leyte Gulf:  A New History of the World’s Largest Sea Battle by Mark E. Stille

Pax:  War and Peace in Rome’s Golden Age by Tom Holland

The Blazing World:  A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689 by Jonathon Healey

Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril by King Abdullah II of Jordan

Our Ancient Faith:  Lincoln, Democracy and the American Experiment by Allen C. Guelzo

There Will be Fire:  Margaret Thatcher, the IRA and Two Minutes that Changed History by Rory Caroll

The Impulse of Victory:  Ulysses S. Grant at Chattanooga by David A Powell

The Murder of Jim Fisk for the Love of Josie Mansfield by H. W. Brands

The Mounties March West:  The Epic Trek and Early Adventures of the Mounted Police by Tony Hollihan

President Garfield:  From Radical to Unifier by C. W. Goodyear

The Rise of the G. I. Army: 1940-41, The Forgotten Story of How America Forged a Powerful Army Before Pearl Harbor by Paul Dickson

The Wide, Wide Sea:  Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides

Throne of Grace:  A Mountain Man, An Epic Adventure and the Bloody Conquest of the American West by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin

Left for Dead:  Shipwreck, Treachery and Survival at the Edge of the World by Eric Jay Dolin

Monte Cassino:  Ten Armies in Hell by Peter Caddick-Adams

Against All Odds:   The Untold Story of Canada’s Unlikely Hockey Heroes by P. J. Naworynski

Stampede:  Gold Fever and Disaster in the Klondike by Brian Castner

The End of Everything:  How Wars Descend into Annihilation by Victor Davis Hanson

An Unfinished Love Story:  A Personal History of the 1960’s by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Checkpoint Charlie:  The Cold War, the Berlin Wall and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Iain MacGregor

Snow and Steel:  The Battle of the Bulge 1944-45 by Peter Caddick-Adams

White Knights in the Black Orchestra:  The Extraordinary Story of the Germans who Resisted Hitler by Tom Dunkel

The Holy Fox:  The Life of Lord Halifax by Andrew Roberts

House of Lilies:  The Dynasty that made Medieval France by Justine Firnhaber-Baker

Henry V:  The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King by Dan Jones

The Darkest Summer: Pusan and Inchon 1950: The Battles That Saved South Korea--and the Marines--from Extinction by Bill Sloan

 

Books that disappointed on some level:

Children of Ash and Elm:  A History of the Vikings by Neil Price (he lost me when he mused extensively about “transgender Vikings…”)

Battle for the Island Kingdom:  England’s Destiny 1000-1066 by Don Hollway ( I am not sure how one can make such an interesting time filled with interesting characters such a dull read)

Book Review: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

I tend not to read issue books.  Issue books are fleeting, especially political ones – soon the event or issue passes from the scene to become yesterday’s news.  It is my hope that will not be the case with The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.  The book is about what Haidt calls the “great rewiring” of the brains of 10-14 years olds in most English-speaking nations.  His argument is that smart phone use, which provides 24-hour access to social media, pornography and gaming, has completely changed the brains of our vulnerable pre-teen and early teen children, especially girls.  His data is rather chilling.

First of all, Haidt is not a Christian and this is not a Christian book.  Haidt is actually an atheist, although in at least one passage in the book he admits struggling to find words and explain concepts without spiritual references, which I thought was interesting.

Haidt’s story begins with what he calls a tidal wave of suffering that exists today in the lives of our teens and young adults.  These young men and women are being diagnosed with anxiety and depressive disorders at an alarming rate.  What is causing this?  His answer has many facets, but the tipping point of the problem rests with the ability of impressionable young minds to have continual access to things like social media or online gaming, especially through the smart phones that every child has in his or her pocket.  For him, the Internet is not the problem.  Unfettered 24-hour access to it can be.

Today’s child did not grow up in the same way that I grew up.  My friends and I ran around the neighborhood.  We engaged in risky play.  We were often left alone on the playground or in the neighborhood to settle our own disagreements.  We walked to school by ourselves.  We developed what Haidt calls our antifragility – the risky, broadening experiences of our childhood and early teen years gave us a strength of mind and emotions that set us in good stead for the future.  In the vast majority of cases, that is not happening today.  Parents helicopter, always hovering, diving in to solve their kids’ problems for them.  They do not allow their children to take risks at play.  Even playgrounds are designed in such a way that it is hard to get hurt even if you tried.

As a result, kids grow up differently today.  And parents parent differently.  Now add in smart phone technology and unscrupulous social media companies that want to addict those children as young as possible, and you have trouble.  Being glued to their phones has replaced the free play that was once part of growing up.  Girls are increasingly anxious and depressed because they can never match up with what is found on social media, and any attempts to do so can be viciously undermined by their peers.  Boys can get lost in the world of online gaming or pornography and having never been allowed or encouraged to take risks in childhood, refuse to take risks as an adult.  Either way, it is not good, and our children are paying the price.

Does Haidt have a solution?  Many, actually.  In one fascinating chapter, he taps into spiritual wisdom from the past like being slow to anger and quick to forgive to provide ways for people to break free from the anxiety and depression in their lives.  While not all the ideas are Christian, many of them have Christian parallels.  He encourages governments to set age limits on social media accounts (13 is the present limit, he encourages at least 16, he prefers 18).  He calls on social media companies to use the technology available to actually verify the age of their users, which they do not typically bother doing.  He sets a vision for schools to provide elementary kids with more free play (longer recess, better playgrounds with more risk allowed, and less supervision and rules) and phone-free school days.  And he calls on parents to be proactive and to band together, not only to demand change, but also to create sub-communities where their kids can grow up with other kids who are also not being given a smart phone and social media access at 10 years old.

Haidt’s solutions are practical and well thought out. Time will tell whether legislators can put aside party and band together to pass laws for the health of our kids.  I am truly skeptical that amoral social media companies will change without being forced to by law.  Parents can and should read this book and change their parenting habits.

And as a parent – how was I challenged?  I need to let my son take risks.  As he grows older, given him more and more freedom and responsibility so he can grow in areas that will benefit him as an adult.  Limit daily screen time.  And be very cautious about handing him a fully functional smartphone at a young age.  According to Haidt, the benefit of these things will be lifelong.

 

Best Ministry-Related Reads of 2023

2022 was the first year a number of years where I did not reach my goal of reading 20 or more ministry-related books in a year.  It is just a challenge for me to find reading time during my ministry week.  But this year, I stumbled upon a way to inject more reading time into my day.  I started reading during my morning and afternoon walk breaks in our church gym.  Obviously, there are only certain books you can read this way, which is why you will find a great number of biographies, religious history and issue books on this list than most years.  But some of those books – like Remaking the World, and the Watts and Ryle biographies – were really great reads.

 

Remaking the World:  How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West by Andrew Wilson.  Easily the best book, apart from the Bible, that I read this year.  Wilson’s book is a remarkable synthesis of Western history in the last two centuries from a Christian worldview.  He explains how the West became WIERDER (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic, Ex-Christian, and Romantic) and how all of these movements were at a critical point in the year 1776.  Highly recommended!

Write It on their Hearts:  Practical Help for Discipling Your Kids by Chris and Melissa Swain.  What a great little book.  It is short, to the point and very practical.  The authors cast a powerful vision for actively discipling your children in your home, rather than just expecting church or Christian school program to do it for you.  It is a book I wish I had when our biological kids were younger, and I am looking forward to integrating many of their ideas into our family as Dawson grows up.

 Counterfeit Kingdom:  The Dangers of New Revelation, New Prophets and New Age Practices in the Church by Holly Pivec and R. Douglas Geivett.  Pivec and Geivett are serious scholars who have studied the New Apostolic Reformation movement, which is led by churches like Bethel Church in Redding, CA.  The authors expose their faulty theology, their strange and even at times cult-like practices and how their music provides a gateway to that leads unsuspecting people to their inadequate teaching.  This is a timely warning for all faithful believers. 

Forgive:  Why Should I and How Can I? by Tim Keller.  Before Tim Keller passed away in 2023, he published this, his final book.  Forgive is a typical Keller book – very biblical, well-reasoned and filled with thought provoking ideas.  Keller’s treatment of forgiveness is very accessible, even for those who are not believers and asks and answers some of the tough questions that come with the call to forgive those around us.

 

Isaac Watts:  His Life and Thought by Graham Beynon.  This one surprised me.  This is a really good biography about a fascinating man of God.  Most people would only know Isaac Watts for the hymns he wrote (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Joy to the World and many others).  Watts’ hymn writing did change worship in the evangelical church in England, but beyond that he was a faithful pastor, a children’s book author, and a philosopher, all the while battling ill health for many years of his ministry.

 

J. C. Ryle: Prepared to Stand Alone by Iain Murray.  This is another biography I really enjoyed.  Ryle was a 19^th century churchman in England who became a bishop of the Church of England at a time of great theological drift.  Ryle was a faithful pastor and best-selling author who was faithful amidst a church that he begun to truly lose its way theologically.  As such, Ryle becomes a model for our times as theological drift becomes more and more prevalent in the church in America.

 

The Holy Spirit by Gregg R. Allison and Andreas J. Koestenberger.  This is an excellent volume unpacking the theology of the Holy Spirit.  In the first half, Koestenberger provides a biblical theology of the Spirit, showing the progressive revelation of the Spirit and His work throughout Scripture.  In the second half, Allison gives the reader a systematic theology of the Spirit and His varied ministry in the world.  You may not agree with some of the theological positions taken in the volume, but it is still an excellent resource and a great store of knowledge.

 

Preaching as Reminding:  Stirring Memory in an Age of Forgetfulness by Jeffrey D. Arthurs.  This is another book that surprised me.  Arthurs’ premise is that we all forget what is important and true at time.   His argument is that a pastor’s role is to be the one who reminds the people of God about who God is and what He has done.  Arthurs’ fills his book with practical ways a pastor can do this through sermons, stories, songs and even the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

 

2^nd Tier Reads – still very good and highly recommended:

Lead:  12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church by Paul D. Tripp

Has the Church Replaced Israel? By Michael J. Vlach

Scribes and Scripture:  The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible by John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry

The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative by Steven D. Mathewson

Belong:  Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another by Barnabas Piper

Surprised by Jesus:  Subversive Grace in the Four Gospels by Dane Ortlund

Fault Lines:  The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe by Voddie T. Baucham Jr.

God For Us:  Discovering the Heart of the Father through the Life of the Son by Abby Ross Hutto

Midnight Rider for the Morning Star by Mark Alan Leslie (historical fiction)

The Heresy of Orthodoxy:  How Contemporary Culture’s Fascination with Diversity has Reshaped our Understanding of Early Christianity by Andreas J. Kostenberger and Michael J. Kruger

The Rise of Christianity:  How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries by Rodney Stark

Yours, Till Heaven:  The Untold Love Story of Charles and Susie Spurgeon by Ray Rhodes Jr.

Amillennialism and the Age to Come:  A Premillennial Critique of the Two-Age Model by Matt Waymeyer

Jack:  A Life of C. S. Lewis by George Sayer

Tried by Fire:  The Story of Christianity’s First Thousand Years by Willam J. Bennett

Galileo by Mitch Stokes

The Truth and Beauty:  How the Lives and Works of England’s Greatest Poets Point the Way to a Deeper Understanding of the Words of Jesus by Andrew Klavan

Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson

Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield

God Shines Forth:  How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church by Daniel Hames and Michael Reeves

Lincoln’s Battle with God:  A President’s Struggle with Faith and what it meant for America by Stephen Mansfield

The Christmas We Didn’t Expect by David Mathis

 

 

Best Fiction Reads of 2023

As I look back at my fiction reads for 2023, I see that for the second year in a row, science fiction was quite popular with me.  I still read some good fantasy novels – see below – and at least one thriller, but for some reason over the past few years I have re-discovered how fun good sci-fi can be.

 Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson.  It is always a good year for a new Brandon Sanderson book – and since he broke Kickstarter with his 4 “secret projects”, we get 4 of them.  Tress is a bit different than any other Sanderson novel.  His inspiration was the William’s Goldman’s classic novel The Princess Bride, but he then asks the question – what would it look like if the princess went in search of her lost love?  This is a wonderful, light-hearted and surprisingly humorous read.

 

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini.  Christopher Paolini burst on the scene years ago as the teenage bestselling author of Eragon.  After four Eragon novels, he moved into science fiction.  With Murtagh, he returns to the world of Eragon with a stand-alone novel after the events of the inheritance cycle.  The book stars Eragon’s half-brother and his dragon Thorn.  The plot is rather simple, but Paolini adds character depth and brings it to life nevertheless.

 

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi.  This is a great little science fiction novel.  Human beings have spread throughout the universe and have encountered many alien races, some very dangerous.  As a result, soldiers are always needed.  As every human on Earth approaches retirement, they get offered a choice.  Live on subsistence until death or, volunteer as a soldier and receive a newly rejuvenated body.   This is the story of a group of those soldiers.

 

The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan.  Ryan has built another intriguing world with this series, of which The Waking Fire is the first installment.  The series has a unique “magic” system and lots and lots of dragons to go along with all the adventure, combat and world building.  What is not to like?

 

Fairhaven Rising by L. E. Modesitt Jr.  I am not sure why I love Modesitt’s Recluse series of books so well.  My son thinks they are boring and slow moving.  They are slow moving and even at times formulaic, but I find them deeply immersive, although I find his fascination with food a bit strange.  This book – the 22^nd Recluse novel!! – is about the origins and growing power of the wizard city of Fairhaven.

 

2^nd Tier Reads – still very entertaining.

Lesser Evil by Timothy Zahn (Thrawn Ascendency #3)

Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Foreigner:  A Novel of First Contact by C. J. Cherryh

Caliban’s War by James S. A. Corey (The Expanse #2)

Abaddon’s Gate by James S. A. Corey (The Expanse #3)

The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn by Tyler Whitesides (Kingdom of Grit, #1)

Cibola Burn by James S. A. Corey (The Expanse #4)

Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey (The Expanse #5)

 

3^rd Tier Reads – I finished them, but they were disappointing on some level:

Babel:  An Arcane History by R. F. Kuang

 

Best History/Biography Reads of 2023

As I review the history and biography books I read this year, I notice, as is frequently the case, that I read a lot of Canadian history again this year.  As well, some of my favorite historians ended up the list again – Sean McMeekin, David Kertzer, Allen Guelzo, Tim Cook, Adrian Goldsworthy, John McManus – along with a few new “favorite” authors like Ronald C. White.  Overall, I read a lot of good, serious
s history this year, as well as a few “just for fun” books like the story of the Princess Bride movie and a history of the World Hockey Association.  Choosing a handful of the best books was difficult.

 

On Great Fields:  The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain by Ronald C. White.  Ever since I read Michael Shaara’s classic novel Killer Angels, I have been fascinated by Joshua Chamberlain, the hero of Little Round Top at Gettysburg.  White’s excellent biography traces all of Chamberlain’s life, from his early days to his time as President of Bowdoin College and as Governor of Maine.  The book also places Chamberlain’s faith in proper perspective, something many modern biographies fail to do.

 

Rendezvous with Destiny:  Ronald Reagan and the Campaign that Changed America by Craig Shirley.  Enough time has passed for historians to begin to write balanced history of Ronald Reagan’s time in office.  Shirley’s book is about Reagan’s 1980 campaign for the presidency.  The book is remarkable; understated at times and sarcastic at others.  There are times he criticizes Reagan and other times he gives him the utmost praise. But through it all, the book is very incisive, not only with regard to Reagan but also about his competitor, Jimmy Carter.

 

The Fight for History:  75 Years of Forgetting, Remembering and Remaking Canada’s Second World War by Tim Cook.  This was a fascinating book for me to read.  I was never taught much about the Canadian experience during World War 2, and this book explains why.  From the hallowing of the great national sacrifices of World War 1, the power of the Canadian Legion vets, the overshadowing of the Canadian effort by the Americans and the British and the battle for the new Canadian War Museum, Cook explains why Canada has struggled for decades to tell at tale that needs to be told.

 

The Pope at War:  The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini and Hitler by David I. Kertzer.  David’s Kertzer’s specialty is the history of the papacy in the last couple of centuries.  Having access to newly opened archives, Kertzer shows that Pope Pius XII did all he can to stay in the good graces of the Germans and Italians during World War 2, which naturally means that he did not have the courage to speak up to protect Jews from the Holocaust.  Kertzer’s portrait is balanced and scholarly, but ultimate so very sad and disappointing.

 

Hundred Days:  The Campaign that Ended World War 1 by Nick Lloyd.  I read Lloyd’s amazing book on the Western Front in World War 1 a few years ago.  This volume pre-dates that one, is shorter and is focused on the final 100 days of combat during the war.  Over the years, historians have argued that the Germans were not truly defeated on the field of battle, but surrendered for other reasons like strife at home.  Lloyd proves otherwise – that by the end of the war, the German army was a beaten force in every way.

 

Ottoman Endgame:  War, Revolution and the Making of the Modern Middle East, 1908-1923 by Sean McMeekin.  Sean McMeekin is one of my favorite historians.  This book is a history of the end of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, from the years leading up to World War 1, through the war, the dismantlement of the Empire and finally it’s revival (in part) by Mustafa Kemal as the nation of Turkey.  Fascinating, well-told history.

 

At the Sharp End:  Canadians Fighting the Great War 1914-1916 and Shock Troops:  Canadians Fighting the Great War 1917-1918 by Tim Cook.  This is Cook’s 2-part history of the Canadian military during World War 1.  Cook leaves no stone unturned, speaking of the corruption and megalomania of Sam Hughes (Canada’s Defense Minister), the raising and training of units, their first experiences in combat to the days when they were among the finest troops serving overseas under the leadership of the brilliant Canadian General Sir Arthur Currie.

 

2^nd Tier Reads, but still great books:

Blood and Iron:  The Rise and Fall of the German Empire, 1871-1918 by Katja Hoyer

The Making of Oliver Cromwell by Ronald Hutton

The Anglo-Saxons:  A History of the Beginning of England, 400-1066 by Marc Morris

The Rebel League:  The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association by Ed Willes

The Fleet at Flood Tide:  America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-1945 by James D. Hornfischer

Thomas Jefferson:  A Biography of Spirit and Flesh by Thomas S. Kidd

As You Wish:  Inconceivable Takes from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes and Joe Layden

The Wager:  A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Gramm

To the End of the Earth:  The US Army and the Downfall of Japan, 1945 by John C. McManus

Everest 1953:  The Epic Story of the First Ascent by Mick Conefrey

The Ghosts of Medak Pocket:  The Story of Canada’s Secret War by Carol Off

King:  William Lyon MacKenzie King, A Life guided by the Hand of Destiny by Allan Levine

Jungle of Stone:  The Extraordinary Journey of John L. Stephens and Frederick Catherwood and the Discovery of the Lost Civilization of the Maya by William Carlsen

The Marshall Plan:  Dawn of the Cold War by Benn Steil

Rome Resurgent:  War and Empire in the Age of Justinian by Peter Heather

The Mad Trapper of Rat River:  A True Story of Canada’s Biggest Manhunt by Dick North

The Berlin-Baghdad Express:  The Ottoman Empire and Germany’s Bid for World Power by Sean McMeekin

Lincoln and Douglas:  The Debates that Defined America by Allen C. Guelzo

The Last Outlaws:  The Desperate Final Days of the Dalton Gang by Tom Clavin

American Sanctuary:  Mutiny, Martyrdom and National Identity in the Age of Revolution by Roger Ekirch

Longstreet:  The Confederate General who Defied the South by Elizabeth R.  Varon

Rome and Persia:  The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry by Adrian Goldsworthy

 

3^rd Tier Reads, good but somewhat disappointing as well.

Ravenna:  Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe by Judith Herrin

A New World Begins:  The History of the French Revolution by Jeremy D Popkin

The Attack on the Liberty:  The Untold Story of Israel’s Deadly 1967 Assault on a US Spy Ship by James Scott