Best Books of 2020 - Fiction

This is the last of my 3 annual posts about the best books I read in the past year.  This last post focuses on the fiction books I read.  Here are the best and the rest.  Please forgive the formatting issues - Blogger has recently decided to make it near impossible to make text wrap around pictures.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.  Although it is a bit difficult to get into because of the writer’s style and perspective, Mantel’s amazing trilogy about the life of Thomas Cromwell is a classic.  She follows Cromwell’s early life and rise to become one of the most trusted servants of the volatile King Henry VIII of England.

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel.  This is part 2 of Mantel’s trilogy, another amazing book.  In this volume, Cromwell, now flush with power, has to manage the rise and subsequent removal of Queen Anne Boleyn.

The Burning White by Brent Weeks.  This book brings Weeks’ 5-part Lightbringer series to an end.  The conclusion is exciting, absorbing and satisfying.  If you like epic fantasy and interesting world-building, this may be a series for you to check out.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini.  Paolini, a fellow Montanan, burst on the scene as a teen with his Inheritance Cycle, featuring Eragon and his dragon Saphira.  He became the Guinness record holder for the youngest author of a best-selling series.  This book is different; it is Paolini’s first science fiction novel.  While the book moves slowly at times, it is a wonderful read set in a fascinating future universe.

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson.  Sanderson has become one of my favorite authors and is in the middle of a huge series of books, the Stormlight Archive.  Dawnshard is book 3.5 in the series, an e-book that bridges the gap between books 3 and 4.  It introduces new characters, fleshes out existing characters and adds layers to an already intricate but immensely interesting plot.  Look for Rhythm of War, book 4, to top my best fiction books list next year.

2^nd Tier Reads, but still very good books:

In the Region of the Summer Stars by Stephen R. Lawhead

Sandstorm by James Rollins

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan

The Autumn Republic by Brian McClellan

Map of Bones by James Rollins

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin

The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin

The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin

Best Reads of 2020 - Christian and Ministry

This is part 2 of my annual summary of the best books I read in the past year.  This post will focus on books pertaining to the Christian faith and ministry.  I set a goal to read 20 books in this category each year.  I barely made it this year.  Need to be a bit better in 2021.

The Gospel-Driven Church:  Uniting Church-Growth Dreams with the Metrics of Grace by Jared C. Wilson.  I don’t have much time of day for the church growth movement.  It is a movement that always seems to be tempted to over-apply business models to the church of the living God.  Wilson takes another approach.  What might it look like if we approached church growth with a gospel-driven perspective?  Read the book and find out.

Hearers and Doers:  A Pastor’s Guide to Making Disciples through Scripture and Doctrine by Kevin J. Vanhoozer.  Disciple-making should be a central focus in any church.  Vanhoozer’s book is an insightful study of the pastor’s role in making disciples, through teaching and consistently reminding the congregation to be hearers and doers of the truths of Scripture.

A Big Gospel in Small Places – Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters by Stephen Witmer.  The only ministry we often hear about is mega-church ministry.  Those are the churches who frequently make the headlines, for both good and ill.  Witmer’s book is a gentle push back against the assumption that ministry only happens in big places or big churches.  All you small town pastors and Christian workers – read it and be encouraged and challenged.

Sons in the Son:  The Riches and Reach of Adoption in Christ by David B. Garner.  This is a book for anyone who loves to dive deep into theology and the riches of the gospel.  Garner’s argument is that adoption, which at best is under-taught, at worst basically forgotten, is a central piece – perhaps THE central piece - necessary in our understanding of the salvation found in Jesus Christ.

Did America Have a Christian Founding? By Mark David Hall.  Hall presents a well-argued and passionate defense of the Christian roots of America.  While he does not assume all of the founders were evangelical Christians, he pushes back strongly against the assumption that the pivotal founders were deists.  He takes scholarly consensus to task for their unwarranted assumptions, as well as their selective use of the evidence available.

Gentle and Lowly:  The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund.  Apart from the Bible, easily the best, and most encouraging, Christian book I read this year. Ortlund focuses on the many varied but always merciful and compassionate heart of Christ for those who belong to Him.  Jesus does not only love you, he likes you and his heart is continually and eternally bent in compassion and mercy toward you.  Believe it!

2^nd Tier reads – still very good books, just did not make the “best” list:

Paul’s Vision for the Deacons: Assisting the Elders with the Care of God’s Church by Alexander Strauch
Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures for Approaching God’s Word by Matt Smethurst
In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilken
A Praying Life: Connecting with God is a Distracting World by Paul E. Miller
How to Walk into Church by Tony Payne
The Power of Vision: How You Can Capture and Apply God’s Vision for your Ministry by George Barna
Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible by Mark Ward
Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer by J. Oswald Sanders
1 Timothy by Phillip Graham Ryken
One to One Bible reading: A Simple Guide for Every Christian by David Helm
The Case for Biblical Archeology: Uncovering the Historical Record of God’s Old Testament People by John D. Currid
Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry by Paul Tripp
Coronavirus and Christ by John Piper
Journey Through Colossians: 36 Day Verse-by-Verse Devotional by Tara Barndt

 

Best Reads for 2020 - History and Biography

I am finally getting to my annual blog posts about the best books I read in the past year.  Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and a shut-down, reading time was still at a premium this year.  Pastoral ministry does not shut down in a pandemic.  Between that and having a preschooler (and for 2 months an additional toddler foster child) in the house, it has been a bit of a challenge to find time to read.  That said, here are the best books I read this year, starting with History/Biography books.

Vicksburg:  Grant’s Campaign that Broke the Confederacy by Donald L. Miller.  I have read a lot of books on the American Civil War, but Miller’s book is one of the best I have read in a long time.  He traces the origins of Grant’s campaign all the way to his final victory at Vicksburg, Mississippi.

 The Second World Wars:  How the First Global Conflict was Fought and Won by Victor Davis Hanson.  Hanson is one of my favorite authors, in that he always seems to find a way to think out of the box.  This book, a top-down analysis of World War 2, is a prime example.  Organized thematically, Hanson does an amazing job of unfolding the what’s and why’s of these pivotal events.

 

The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara by David Kertzer.  Kertzer’s expertise is the early modern Papacy.  He has a knack for bringing seemingly forgotten events that changed the world to new light.  In this book, he tells the tale of how the abduction of one Jewish boy played a part in the unification of Italy and the loss of the Papal States, the country the Pope governed in central Italy.

 

The Road Not Taken:  Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam

by Max Boot.  Edward Lansdale was a CIA operative who had great success bringing fair and peaceful elections to the Philippines.  The US government sent him to Vietnam to do the same, without giving him the tools to make his ideas a reality.  It is fascinating to speculate what could have happened had he been provided with more support during his time in the war-torn country.

 

JFK:  Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956 by Fredrik Logevall.  I am not a JFK fan necessarily, but this is a spectacular biography of Kennedy’s early years.  Logevall analyzes Kennedy’s early life, unpacking the influence of his father, his continual health struggles and even his frequent moral failures.  This is not a hit piece – it is a balanced biography of a flawed man that inspired America with his leadership.

 

Tower of Skulls:  A History of the Asia-Pacific War, July 1937-May 1942 by

Richard B. Franks.  In this book, part 1 of a planned 3-part history, Franks examines the origins and beginnings of World War 2 in the Pacific.  Instead of starting with Pearl Harbor, he begins where the war actually started – with Japan’s invasion of China in 1937.  This volume ends with the fall of Corregidor and the Bataan Death March, the events that were probably the lowest point for the Allied side in the Pacific conflict.

 

The Anarchy:  The East India Company, Corporate Violence and the Pillage of an Empire by William Dalrymple.  Today entities like Google and Facebook have a powerful effect on our culture, economy and politics.  Dalrymple looks back in time to the approximately 50 years (about 1750-1800) when the East India Company, a private corporation, went from a small trading outpost to ruling the Indian subcontinent.

 

2^nd Tier books – Very good books, worth a read, just not as good as the one’s previously listed.

Normandy ’44: D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for France by James Holland
Dreams of El Dorado: A History of the American West by H. W. Brands
Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final year of the American Civil War by S. C. Gwynne
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance during the Blitz by Erik Larson
Dead Reckoning: The Untold Story of the Northwest Passage by Ken McGoogan
When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans who Fought for Ireland’s Freedom by Christopher Klein
Forgotten Victory: First Canadian Army and the Cruel Winter of 1944-45 by Mark Zuehlke
The Desert Generals by Correlli Barnett
The Age of Eisenhower: America and the World in the 1950’s by William L. Hitchcock
Crusaders: An Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands by Dan Jones
The China Mission: George Marshall’s Unfinished War, 1945-47 by Daniel Kurtz-Phelan
Chiang Kai-Shek: China’s Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost by Jonathan Fenby
Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor by Russell S. Bonds
The Real Horse Soldiers: Benjamin Grierson’s Epic 1863 Civil War Raid Through Mississippi by Timothy B. Smith

Destination Casablanca: Exile, Espionage and the Battle for North Africa in World War 2 by Meredith Hindley

Dam Busters: The True Story of the Inventors and Airmen who led the Devastating Raid to Smash the German Dams in 1943 by James Holland
Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads and the Making of Modern America by Michael Hiltzik
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep
Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari and their Battle for Speed and Glory at LeMans by A. J. Baime
Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland

3^rd Tier reads – not bad, but somewhat disappointing:

Countdown 1945:  The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days that Changed the World by Chris Wallace