In college, I was taught that writers are readers. I scoffed at this axiom, as I wasn’t a reader. But those words proved true this year—a year in which my book Scared to Life was edited and published. In 2021, I read and listened to more books than in any previous year of my life—despite rebuilding my business from its COVID revenue plunge, publishing a book, and trying to get a podcast off the ground. Here are those books in the order I would recommend them.
The Source
How Rivers Made America and America Remade Its Rivers
Martin Doyle has changed my perception of American history more than any author I’ve read. Wow. He opened my eyes to the dynamics of our republic’s foundations. He introduced me to trends and dynamics never covered in my high school or college history classes. So many times while reading this I thought, “I had no idea!” I learned SO MUCH. I was already in love with rivers, impressed by rivers, and wary of how humans exercise our dominion over rivers. Doyle made me consider them as both change agents and victims. Doyle’s incredible research and topical expertise are paired with a pragmatic approach—far more objective than subjective. And he somehow does all of that with an approachable voice of an everyman. If you love rivers or history, you’ll love this journey. If you have the eyes of a libertarian capitalist, the curiosity of a scientist, the mind of an engineer, or the heart of a conservationist, you’ll get sucked in as I did.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
The World’s Largest Man
A Memoir
Harrison Scott Key wrote what is easily the funniest memoir and probably the most hilarious nonfiction book I’ve ever read. Like no author I’ve thus far absorbed, he leveraged the art of juxtaposition for original humor and poignant cultural commentary. He did this best when crafting short lists to describe people, places, and experiences of his life experience in the Deep South. Key also demonstrates an incredible ability to give people grace and maybe even the benefit of the doubt, connecting the relatable denominators shared by both his caricatures and ourselves. I really appreciated his arc of redemption that led to a touching final chapter. I highly recommend the audiobook version of this memoir, as Key’s vocal impersonation of his father enhances the color of his quotes.
Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Jesus and John Wayne
How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
I didn’t even finish this book before I started discussing its assertions with family and friends. Kristin Kobes Du Mez flies over the history of evangelicalism at 30,000 feet and connects people and subcultures with jaw-dropping thoroughness. She connects dots through uncanny research and unassailable evidence—primarily through direct quotes from the subjects of her research. Du Mez exposes the grift, hypocrisy, dysfunction, and malignant intents of men who stood as pillars of the faith system in which I was reared. Sadly, those whose personal faith framework would benefit most from these uncomfortable revelations are the least likely to engage with this content.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out fo 5 stars
Live in Grace, Walk in Love
It’s been years—if ever—that I’ve highlighted as many pages in a book as I did in this one. Few, if any, books I’ve ever read have done in me what Finley Peter Dunne first coined: “comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.” Bob Goff has a way of stepping on your toes while hugging your heart. The faith system of my youth spoke pejoratively of a love-based faith, but this book proves that a life that reflects the love of Jesus is not the easier way to do life or Christianity. Just the best way. I know Bob. I’ve watched him live the exhortations of this book just in our conversations and email exchanges. And I’ve watched first-hand how that radiates out through his family, his employees, his ministry partners, and those like me who try to follow him as he follows Christ.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
PreachersNSneakers
Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities
I preordered this book the first day it hit Amazon. I couldn’t wait for the print version to arrive the day it was delivered. So I downloaded the audiobook at 4:50am and listened to the whole thing while hiking before work. Ben Kirby serves up stout enigmas and cultural critique in an approachable yet provocative way. I like when authors say “I don’t know,” when they demonstrate humility and vulnerability. Kirby does that while stepping on toes—including mine, including his own. The questions in this book are ones that deserve our wrestling, both internally and in conversations within our respective faith circles. The audiobook includes a 55-minute interview with Judah Smith that pleasantly surprised me.
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
No Cure for Being Human
(And Other Truths I Need to Hear)
Kate Bowler is either superhuman or one of the most fully-formed humans whose life has been captured in an autobiography. Yet there is no hint of arrogance, condescension, or self-aggrandizement in the pages of this memoir. In fact, it’s in her candor and self-deprecation that she proves herself an authority on the human experience. The themes of this book pressed especially hard on my soul, as I’ve been wrestling with some of the same questions for very different reasons. I didn’t think anyone could improve on Bowler’s last memoir, Everything Happens for a Reason (And Other Lies I’ve Loved); but this book does. My heart clung onto Bowler’s poignant sentiments and simple-but-unique prose.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Something’s Not Right
Decoding Hidden Tactics of Abuse and Freeing Yourself from Its Power
Dr. Wade Mullen wrote the best book about identifying and responding to traumatic abuse I’ve read to date. Mullen pushes very practical principles through the filters of personal relationships, organizations, and churches. This succinct manuscript gives survivors of abuse compassion, encouragement, and fantastic tools for discernment. You’ll want to highlight so many lines in this book, but my favorite thought was the following quote: “The principle of opposite action isn’t simply doing the opposite of what evil is doing but doing the opposite of what evil wants you to do.”
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
The Great Sex Rescue
The Lies You’ve Been Taught and How to Recover What God Intended
Two of my friends’ wives recommended this book with fervor and vulnerability that frankly shocked me. I now know why. I had a visceral reaction to its content: anger, disgust, and compassion. I hate the misogyny, patriarchy, and misuse of Scripture that the church and the Christian industrial complex have leveraged to abuse women and rob them of their dignity, autonomy, and pleasure. I wasn’t shocked that the religious system of my youth condoned marital rape and spousal abuse. I was just taken aback by how the tentacles of that entitled mindset had escaped our cult and wrapped around evangelicalism at large. I have no doubt that men across the nation are grabbing their pitchforks to resist the message of Sheila Wray Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach, and Joanna Sawatsky. But these women have offered a full Gospel to women, and I applaud their courage. This isn’t a fun read, but I rank it this high for the importance of the needed and pervasive truth on these pages.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Think Again
The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know
I have a sneaking suspicion that this book will influence my future. After listening to Adam Grant read the audiobook, I bought the print version to be able to reference it. How do you know when to change your mind? How do you help others to see when they need to change theirs? Grant answers those questions in this book with applications for our personal transformation and cultural influence. I recommend this book, especially to parents, teachers, ministers, entrepreneurs, engineers, and writers.
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed
Wow. I mainlined Lori Gottlieb’s award-winning book like the suspense thrillers I read in high school. Only on this immersive journey, I brought a highlighter and reread lines or even whole paragraphs. I dog-eared pages to discuss with my therapist. As a writer, I aspire to Gottlieb’s prose. As a human, I aspire to her balance of vulnerability and boundaries. As someone who counsels others, I aspire to her example. I’m a slow reader. This book took me eleven hours to read, and those hours proved both a gift and a revelation.
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
When Thoughts And Prayers Aren’t Enough
A Shooting Survivor’s Journey in the Realities of Gun Violence
I purchased Taylor Schumann’s book almost exclusively because the cover art was one of the most creative and well-executed book designs I’d ever seen. The content proved equally haunting. She handles a difficult topic with grace and boldness, empathy and self-deprecation, vulnerability and courage. No matter what you think the solutions are for school shootings and mass murders, this read is worth your time. It gave me handles to carry ideas—actionable, practical recommendations for saving lives and helping living victims enjoy better lives. If you read only one chapter, read chapter 13. I can count on one hand the Christians in my life who would consider following Jesus in the way Schumann asks believers to consider in that closing chapter.
Amazon rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars
The God Who Sees
Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong
I enjoy when students of Scripture bring context to well-worn stories that white, Western readers can’t see in our English translations. Few in the world have more qualifications for discussing both the North American refugee & immigration enigma and its intersection with scripture than does Karen Gonzalez. She brings the bible and politics together in a non-partisan way, humanizing both ancient texts and daily headlines. Her lived experience brings color to these chapters. My perspective on the issue of immigration will forever be changed by some facts she uses to support her assertions.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
The Data Detective
Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics
Tim Harford’s latest book arrived at a time when all of our lives are inundated with charts and graphs and claims from scientific studies. This book is worth the purchase just for the introduction, the first chapter, and the last chapter. You don’t have to be a stats nerd to enjoy this book. If anything, this great guide was written for everyday consumers of content (all of us) to make sense of the world as it is being measured and explained by supposed experts. Harford’s skepticism isn’t cynicism, though; and his anecdotes are filled with historic intrigue. The questions Harford asks are personal, not just analytical. If you like Malcolm Gladwell books or Planet Money podcasts, you’ll enjoy this read—especially in its audiobook format.
Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Money
The True Story of a Made-Up Thing
I’ve long enjoyed Jacob Goldstein’s podcast, Planet Money, and its spinoff podcast, The Indicator. The hosts of these shows regularly help me understand complicated situations in the news, and he brought that same pragmatic simplification to this book. Goldstein turned a seemingly-dry topic into a book I finished in a few days—while mainlining another book at the same time. This book gives you the gift of historical context and of being able to look at federal policies and cultural movements with a knowing nod.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Everybody Fights
So Why Not Get Better At It?
I didn’t expect much from Kim and Penn Holderness’ first book. I was looking for a light palate cleanser after a couple of heavy reads. I’ve never read a more vulnerable marriage book than this one. They contextualized their advice better than your marriage-conference staples. And they did all of this not as gentle-voiced PhD experts but as people who’ve learned the hard way—but who thoroughly learned those lessons. I highly recommend the audiobook version, as it comes with playful and emotional bonus content. I’d recommend this book over every other marriage book I’ve read.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
The Bomber Mafia
A Dream, A Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
I can’t imagine the time inherent in Malcolm Gladwell’s research or in sifting out just the details he needed to build this compelling narrative. This book was built as an audiobook first and converted by an editing team into a print version. The audio version is filled with actual recordings of these World War II personalities and sound engineering that make the book feel more like an audio documentary. The book starts with an invitation to take sides but leaves you in the end with a tough moral enigma. I really appreciate how Gladwell presented the people of faith and how that influenced their innovation and war strategy.
Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
The God-Shaped Brain
How Changing Your View of God Transforms Your Life
I will be referencing this book for years to come, particularly the portion that describes how doctors and scientists can tell the brain of a conservative or liberal just by their MRI scans. Timothy Jennings brings FMRI evidence of how our brains can be physically and chemically shaped not just by believing in God but by surrendering to the concept of a loving God. I had to absorb this book in doses, as its picture of biology, theology, and philosophy was a lot to take in all at once. If you’ve read Steve McVey’s Beyond an Angry God, Jennings takes McVey’s assertions deeper and adds science and captivating anecdotes to them.
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Dopamine Nation
Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
Anna Lembke grabbed my attention with the subtitle but hooked me for binge-listening with her quote from Kent Dunnington: “Persons with severe addictions are among those contemporary prophets that we ignore to our own demise, for they show us who we truly are.” As someone who struggles with moderation in activities that provide dopamine, I found these accounts of recovering addicts and scientific research insightful. I referenced this book in conversations before I finished absorbing it, even though it took me only a few days to carve out enough time to listen to the whole work. Lembke’s professional experience is accentuated with her laudable vulnerability, and she finds the common humanity in the patients whose stories she leverages to engross the reader or listener.
Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Unsettling Truths
The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery
I got A’s and often 100’s in Christian school history classes. So, I was paying attention in class. But I had never seen the untidy quotes or details of the historic documents presented in this book. There’s a reason for that. Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah make a solid case that the church didn’t bury their heads when it came to the genocide of indigenous peoples in North America. It blessed it and all but sponsored it. I have seen the blasphemous application of promises to Israel claimed by my fellow citizens. I’ve heard churches and evangelical leaders call for God to bless America. It’s been years since I’ve accepted the premise of that jingoist request—an invocation rooted in the extermination of Native Americans. Thanks to this book, that will be a prayer I hope I never pray again. The authors take aim at the policies, presidents, and behavior of both conservative and liberal persuasions. The book presents the perspective of indigenous peoples and of those who follow Jesus from those communities with humility and confidence. But they do not let readers feel comfortable and in so doing live up to the title of this important work.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
The Truth About Us
The Very Good News About How Very Bad We Are
Brant Hanson delivers contrarian medicine with more than a spoon full of sugar—yet again. He quotes both philosophers through the ages and the Muppets, both a bevy of Scripture passages and social media comment sections. Hanson leverages humor in the most approachable prose you’ll find on nonfiction shelves. He wraps difficult realities with whimsy, self-deprecation, and authentic candor. I wish his words and particularly this book were available to me 30 years ago. I wonder how much it would’ve changed my life.
Amazon rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars
Scared to Life
Tales of a Good Good Who Reveals His Heart When Ours Is Racing
Yes, I wrote this book. But I also read this book and listened to its audiobook adaptation—which I read out loud. So, I know this book like I know no other nonfiction work. Based on the other books I’ve read this year, this is roughly about the spot in the order that I’d recommend it to you. More than any other book on this list, I can verify the veracity of its content. The stories in this book changed my life, and I hope they inspire brave surrender in your life. The number one reason you should buy this book, though, is that all of my author proceeds go to support Love Does, an organization changing lives in conflict zones around the world.
Amazon rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Gentle and Lowly
The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers
I wish I could’ve read Dane Ortlund’s book three decades ago. It’s no wonder that at the time I bought this book, it ranked #1 in Christian Counseling, #1 in Religious Counseling, and #2 in Christian Discipleship on Amazon. This book refutes the narratives the Western church (especially the kind in which I was reared) have believed about Jesus and God the Father—using their own words, the canonized words of early church fathers, and the arc of those statements across the library of Scripture. I used one of the anecdotes in this book twice in discipleship conversations before I even finished absorbing the last chapter.
Amazon rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars
Reading While Black
African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope
After reading Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes, I looked forward to being confronted by this book for the ignorance I brought to the Bible. That enthusiasm helped me power through the academic sections of Esaau McCaulley’s work. (As a PhD, McCaulley comes by erudite language and syntax honestly.) I didn’t find anything that confronted my biases or discrimination, but these chapters did open my eyes to how often the Biblical canon leverages stories of African disciples. I was impressed by how McCaulley wove seemingly-disparate passages to demonstrate the overarching context that changes the slaveholder narrative about subservience. I really appreciate how he reframes the assumed inconsistency of Paul’s writing and his practice (much in the same vein as Paul’s relationship with the equality of men and women). As the father of a Black daughter, I hope the God of the Bible as portrayed in this book is the God my daughter experiences the rest of her life.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Until Unity
I had to consume Francis Chan’s latest book in doses. It took me two months to finish it, even with Chan’s impassioned performance on the audiobook. I intentionally consumed this book to help temper the book that I’m currently writing, but this manuscript’s impact will be spread beyond just that guiding role. Few people could write this book with the authenticity Chan leverages. His humility makes his assertions that much more convicting.
Amazon rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars
What Made Jesus Mad?
Rediscover the Blunt, Sarcastic, Passionate Savior of the Bible
I almost didn’t download Tim Harlow’s book after my exasperated wife said, “I’m just so over all the outrage [in culture].” But Harlow doesn’t call us to outrage or even justify it. He reveals the passionate heart of Jesus and shines a light on the ways we get in the way of it. I was intrigued by his insights into well-worn New Testament stories. I appreciate Harlow’s candor about the times he’s been an obstacle to the gospel. I dare you not to get choked up at the end of chapter 12, and I encourage you to overlook the click-bait title for a book that’ll be good for your heart.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
The Genius of Jesus
The Man Who Changed Everything
A lot of my church experience has looked at what we learn about Jesus through his deity. In this book, Erwin Raphael McManus asks us what we can learn from Jesus’ humanity. If you can look past McManus’ self-congratulations, you’ll be impressed by the subversive, counter-cultural example of Jesus—the modeling that speaks of God’s heart and wisdom. The Genius of Jesus offers philosophical challenge and practical application. If anything, it’ll assure you that your humanity is a beautiful aspect of who you are.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
A Church Called Tov
Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing
Scot McNight and Laura Barringer don’t use hypothetical composites for this book. No, they use real names and real churches and real stories that have been documented—and some that they experienced in their own church. While the negative examples could lead the reader to disillusionment, my hope was buoyed by their vision for what the church can and should be, based on the vision cast Jesus and the early church fathers. This book made me appreciate the leadership of the church where I serve and where my wife works on staff.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Reborn in the USA
An Englishman’s Love Letter to His Chosen Home
In a country filled with men who plaster jingoist bumper stickers on their trucks and women who whisper “Mexicans” when not using slurs like “illegals,” it is ironic that this memoir reached the top of the New York Times bestsellers list. Roger Bennett practically predicted that irony in the last chapter of this book. (The naturalized citizen spent decades here undocumented.) That last chapter addresses my mixed feelings about my home country and what its known for. At the same time, it reminded me of the power of our cultural exports—both for harm and for good. Bennett’s captivating stories stirred pity in me and gratitude that the dysfunctional aspects of my youth were in other categories than his.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Get to the Publishing Punchline
A Fun (and Slightly Aggressive) 30 Day Guide to Get Your Book Ready for the World
Joy Eggerichs Reed helped me get my book published. After reading her how-to guide (on a flight from Charlotte to Salt Lake City), I am fully equipped to build a killer proposal and marketing plan for my next manuscript. Reed uses humor to offset challenging candor and leverages encouragement to offset the realities of the process. Her very practical advice rings true to my experience of pitching books before and during the social media era. If you dream of writing and publishing a book someday, start with this book. It will save you headaches and frustration. Also, I love that for every book purchased, a children’s version is given to a child in foster care—to help them write a story that gives them agency and that helps them see the bigger story of their lives. This book would be higher on my list except that it’s for a very specific audience, compared to titles I could recommend to anyone.
Amazon rating: 5 out of 5 stars
An Ugly Truth
Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination
As someone who earns two-thirds of my income from Facebook advertising, I felt compelled to expose myself to inconvenient knowledge that would add to the moral dilemma inherent in my profession. Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang’s sourcing, culling, and editing thoroughly convinced me of the belligerent malignancy and incredible duplicity of the platform’s leadership. I would not want the jobs or responsibilities Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg hold, but I would also not want the challenge of sleeping at night with what should be blaring in their respective consciences. Fittingly, I finished this audiobook on the day the big Facebook outage of 2021 occurred and the day after the Wall Street Journal’s whistleblower Facebook source was revealed. I should disclose that I am Facebook friends with one of the Facebook security team members mentioned in this book.
Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
The Making of Biblical Womanhood
How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth
I came to Dr. Beth Allison Barr’s book with big hopes. While this book didn’t deliver on those expectations, it did offer solid evidence of how Christianity and, in particular, the evangelical movement has misinterpreted and misread Scripture passages about women—and how it has utterly skipped over significant passages that contradict its patriarchal system. While I was underwhelmed with Barr’s case for medieval precedence as support of egalitarian Christianity, I did appreciate her clarity on the confusing disparity between the Apostle Paul’s different statements on gender roles. Barr could’ve used more space to address the damning reality of how complementarian churches have far more sexual abuse cases than denominations that don’t force women into submissive roles, but overall she makes a compelling case that how things are in evangelicalism is not how God intended them to be.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
When Narcissism Comes to Church
Healing Your Community From Emotional And Spiritual Abuse
I’m not sure anyone is more qualified to write this book than Chuck DeGroat. His anonymized stories and prescriptions pour out of his unfortunately-vital career. My own experiences with an abusive minister led to lots of highlighted lines and paragraphs. (Narcissist pastors seemed more the rule than the exception in the religious sect in which I was reared.) DeGroat offers both a prophet’s warning of these wolves and compassion for the wounded humans behind those fangs. He helps the reader pick up on subtle cues to identify dangerous people and systems and then offers practical steps for remedy on the personal and corporate levels. I’ve never seen the Enneagram used as a filter in the way DeGroat does in these pages.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Fuzz
When Nature Breaks the Law
Nobody combines random inquiries and a sense of humor in long-form science journalism as Mary Roach does. She sheds light on topics you’d never ponder and in places you’d never go. As a proxy for the reader, she follows her curiosity around the planet and into what must be mind-numbing archives yet saves the reader from anything but the fascinating knowledge she finds. Per usual with her books, some of the most quirky trivia resides in her footnotes. I will never look at humanity’s relationship with nature the same after listening to this audiobook.
Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Live No Lies
Resist the Three Enemies That Sabotage Your Peace
In his most recent book, John Mark Comer leverages both philosophy and theology to expose the hypocrisy and insufficiency of the Christian left and the religious right. With careful but endearing language, he critiques the assumptions of Western culture. Comer calls followers of Jesus to examine their motives and their syncretization with post-modern assumptions. He earnestly demonstrates the unsustainability of mantras like, “The heart wants what it wants,” “Be true to yourself,” and “You do you.” Comer offers both practices and practical examples of how to live a full life that draws others to want to do the same.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Cultish
The Language of Fanaticism
As someone who both survived living in a cult and is now writing a book about my escape, I related most to the stories of people who’ve felt trapped and those who’ve been ostracized. Amanda Montell’s book gave me more empathy for those who’ve succumbed to the schemes of QAnon proliferators, anti-vaxxers, 9/11 truthers, and multilevel marketers. Their desperate search for connection and identity deserves more pity and less ire. Though the book didn’t mention the January 6 storming of the Capitol, I couldn’t help but connect the insurrectionists’ language with the linguistic markers that Montell presented. These pages brought clouds of sadness over my heart not just for the victims of cult leaders & systems but also for those like Montell who use cults as an excuse to avoid a life of faith in Jesus. These haunting stories also caused me to evaluate my faith communities and how to avoid cultish behavior and language.
Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Bad Faith
Race and the Rise of the Religious Right
In this succinct book, Randall Balmer challenges the narrative myths of the religious right and the Moral Majority. It exposes men like Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, and other evangelical demagogues for twisting Scripture to support a racist agenda. Using their own public statements and documented interviews, Balmer documents how this political movement didn’t pick up the abortion flag until years after Roe V Wade and how they only did that to cover their racist genesis after unsuccessfully trying to rally political momentum with multiple other issues. He points out that even now the movement isn’t pro-life—just anti-abortion. Instead of putting their hope in the church and its gospel, they sought to leverage political power. Balmer demonstrates how this has required moral concessions since the Reagan administration. Instead of pursuing an influence toward a culture “on earth as it is in heaven,“ these wolves wanted their America to be as homogenous outside their church walls as it was inside them.
Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
What If Jesus Was Serious … About Prayer?
A Visual Guide to the Spiritual Practice Most of Us Get Wrong
Skye Jethani followed up his fantastic journey through the sermon on the mount with this thought-provoking treatise on one of the most intrinsic practices of the Christian faith. His intuitive illustrations make some of his profound explanations easier to digest. My favorite section of this book discusses the nuances of confession—important unpacking of how and why we need to unburden our souls of our secrets.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Packing for Mars
The Curious Science of Life in the Void
In this book, Mary Roach brings her New York Times bestselling irreverence and curiosity to space travel. She again leverages her humor and dramatic use of notes while exploring aspects of space travel and weightlessness that we don’t think about as kids, dreaming about visiting the moon. Candidly, some of the passages required me to pause to stave off nausea; and it took me a few chapters to get past content that didn’t interest me. But I was inspired by how science has overcome or at least diagnosed challenges.
Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
The Examined Life
How We Lose and Find Ourselves
Some of the lines of Stephen Grosz’ book haunted me—in a good way. He gave me fodder for conversations with my own therapist and a heads up about scenery to expect later in my life’s journey. His short chapter of pages 81-85 might explain the white nationalist movement in the United States. Grosz writes with a succinctness, even an abruptness—sometimes leaving stories seemingly unfinished. He doesn’t dwell long on explanation or practical application. But he does hit you with one-liners that’ll raise your eyebrows.
Amazon rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Mossad Exodus
The Daring Undercover Rescue of the Lost Jewish Tribe
Gad Shimron was absolutely the right person to write this book, but he unpacked the rucksack of his memories with odd pacing and emphases. The story unfolds like an old dude sitting across the dinner table from you. The narrative jumps to moments indelible to Shimron, sits down in random details, and then fast forwards through large swaths of historical moments. Despite all of that, it’s an easily digestible book broken up into tiny chapters—great for unwinding over several weeks’ worth of bedtimes. Shimron juxtaposes the ambition of the Prime Minister and Mossad leadership with the racist realities of their fellow Israeli citizens, ending the adventure book with poignant social commentary. I hope someone makes this story into a movie.
Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Not Necessarily Rocket Science
A Beginner’s Guide to Life in the Space Age
In this book, Kellie Gerardi deftly connects space travel’s history to its future. She tells her story of hustle defensively, as though it’s been criticized a lot. It very well may have, but I wasn’t familiar with her outside of this book. She leverages that external distrust to encourage others who dream of space exploration and to give them practical steps to follow her example. I was really struck by her perspective that private space companies are collectively democratizing space travel. My biggest takeaway from Gerardi’s book will be her description of the overview effect—how looking at earth from outside it changes the permanent mindset of astronauts toward humility and global unity.
Amazon rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars
Greenlights
Matthew McConaughey tells you early on in this manuscript that he prefers bull sh!#ters to liars because everyone including the bull-sh!#ter knows they are spreading manure. So, I wasn’t sure how much of these entertaining tall tales to believe. Greenlights is full of contradictions: arrogance and self-depreciation, fantastic prose and superfluous poetry. Regardless of how much of this manuscript is fiction, fact, or a muddy misremembering, you won’t soon forget the wild tales from McConaughey’s journey to his fiftieth birthday.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 books
How (Not) to Save the World
The Truth About Revealing God’s Love to the People Right Next to You
Having recently driven through San Francisco’s Tenderloin District with my teenage daughter, I have great respect for Hosanna Wong’s challenging ministry within her chosen mission field. Wow. For me, the value of this book sits in Wong’s anecdotes far more than her long didactic stretches. She puts both the poet and the license in poetic license. (Someone should tell her that the Sea of Galilee doesn’t hold any saltwater, and seaweed was highly unlikely to grab Peter’s feet in the middle of a stormy lake.) But Wong brought a new perspective on the story of the Good Samaritan. Ironically, as someone who does spoken word art for a living, her reading on the audiobook was noticeably off-rhythm with random syllabic and word emphases that even Siri wouldn’t get wrong.
Amazon rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars
Try Softer
A Fresh Approach to Move Us Out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode—and Into a Life of Connection and Joy
It was worth the price of Aundi Kolber’s book for this assertion: “No matter how hard we try, we can’t hate or shame ourselves into change. Only love can move us toward true growth. This is the love given to us by a gentle, kind, compassionate, good God and the love we are invited to give ourselves to.” Kolber also introduced me to the concept of “Window of Tolerance,” which I hope I won’t soon forget. I regularly—almost religiously—partake in the activities she recommends for getting into that window. Now, I’ll know to connect those practices with a different kind of intentionality.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
A Very Punchable Face
A Memoir
Colin Jost thoroughly convinces readers how hard he worked to get to where he is and to stay there. He balances that with equal part self-deprecation. Jost relies heavily on the trope of substance abuse—the wild stories that happen after someone is drunk, high, or similarly wasted. While the tales are engaging, I was left grateful that my life and its stories are rich without copious amounts of legal and illegal chemicals. I grabbed this audiobook for $4.99 and was grateful I waited for a drastic sale before I bought it.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Crying in H Mart
A Memoir
Michelle Zauner recalls this season of her life with jaw-dropping detail. Zauner retells these poignant moments with a haunting beauty and an incredible command of language—including what feels like the perfect juxtaposition of her two languages. I’m far from a foodie, but you don’t have to own an adventurous or diverse palate to enjoy a book marinated in constant food references. I can’t imagine living through the experiences Zauner describes or reliving them over and again while writing these chapters.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Phallacy
Life Lessons From the Animal Penis
Emily Willingham’s book uses the complexity of copulation across living creatures to prove just how comparatively boring the human penis is and how inadequate it is to bear the social construct it holds. She debunks the patriarchal hijacking of evolutionary biology as an excuse for male dominance, aggression, and sexual assault. Interestingly enough, Willingham’s devotion to natural selection leads her to a few befuddled moments. For me, the mysteries of this book, the intricacies it catalogs, and the diversity it demonstrates all point to intelligent design. And a ridiculously-creative designer. This sounds weird—I know—but a book that criticizes religion gave me more confidence in and wonder for God. At the same time, the anecdotes told in the introduction and final chapter of this book made me grieve for a broken world that needs Jesus.
Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Hello World
Being Human in the Age of Algorithms
While some of Dr. Hannah Fry’s examples from the United States have been well-discussed elsewhere, her approach to global humanity and international trends held my attention. Some of the findings she touts did surprise me, too. I love that data often does that. I appreciated her balance between optimism and cynicism—her authentic wrestling with pros and cons. She presents the healthy tension between a world managed by blindly-biased, imperfect humans and one ruled by blindly obedient, malignant algorithms. When she lands the plane in the final chapter, Dr. Fry’s pragmatic solutions seem utterly reasonable.
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Congratulations, Who Are You Again?
A Memoir
This book is this high on this list for reasons it wouldn’t be on yours. Harrison Scott Key’s memoir details his life writing a book, marketing it, and moving on with life after his magnum opus was done. I read the book the week publishers started showing interest in my manuscript. Also, his tension of how to honor his father in his writing despite a strained relationship with him is autobiographical for me. Even with a highlighter in hand and highlighter applied regularly to paper, I burned through this thick paperback in a handful of days. I want to remember the truths in chapter 25, the ying to Bob Goff’s Dream Big yang.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Why Men Hate Going to Church
I wish I had a dollar for every time David Murrow generalized, oversimplified, and held to gender stereotypes in this book. If so, I could’ve purchased half the books on the list. And I’m not sure which of his connections are correlation or causation. That said, I’ve found some of Murrow’s assertions true in the thriving churches and men’s religious groups in which I’ve participated. I wasn’t surprised the author hails from Alaska. Note: I listened to the audiobook, which is based on the original version—not the updated version.
Amazon rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Necessary Endings
Henry Cloud’s advice isn’t highly technical or earth-shatteringly new, but it is profound. In this book, he says the thing about our various difficult situations in life that we aren’t willing to say to ourselves or say out loud. If you avoid confrontation at all—let alone as much as I do—you will find truth and courage in this book to stop procrastinating on difficult conversations. Some of his illustrative anecdotes will stick in my head for years to come.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
The Road Back to You
An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
I had to read until the second-to-last chapter to get to my Enneagram type, but the long journey was rewarded with insight into people I care about. When Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile did get to my type, it was as if they had been listening in on my therapy sessions. These Enneagram coaches affirmed practices I’ve been incorporating over the past few years to connect with Jesus, redeem my dysfunction, and leverage my personality type to contribute to the world.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Soundtracks
The Surprising Solution to Overthinking
For all the times my therapist has confronted my assumptions and the scripts that run in my head, I don’t know that I would’ve labeled myself an overthinker before reading this book. The value of this book to me was more the commiseration with Jon Acuff’s anecdotes than his prescriptions—some of which at the time of this review I’ve not committed to try. Acuff’s delivery of the audio version of this book makes his brand of humor come alive.
Amazon rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Buzz!
Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies
You’ll find pink highlighter marks throughout the pages of my copy of Kenneth Carter’s book. As an adrenaline junkie, I was intrigued by a researcher’s peek into biology (especially neurology) that unlocked some realizations about how I’m wired. Ironically, it’s not an exciting read. In fact, I used the college professor’s chapters to help me fall asleep over a month of evenings—sometimes making it only a page or two before turning off my light for the night. I found the tests in the back too simple and short to reveal solid scores. They could use more diverse options to capture the various categories Carter was trying to codify.
Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Chasing Vines
Finding Your Way to an Immensely Fruitful Life
I bought this—my first Beth Moore book—after this indelible encounter with her staff. Having read this work, I now wonder if John MacArthur’s misogynist comments about Moore are based more in his jealousy or his chauvinism. Moore’s research into viticulture makes multiple Scripture passages come to life in new ways. Her candid anecdotes humanize her exhortations. Sometimes, the syntax gets a little thick; but so do many paragraphs written by great theologians.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
The Thing Beneath the Thing
What’s Hidden Inside (and What God Helps Us Do About It)
I connected early with Steve Carter’s opening chapters and then fell disappointed with the barely-connected Sunday school answers of the rest of the book. I won’t soon forget the pothole / sinkhole object lesson, though, and I appreciated some of the other analogies and anecdotes Carter leveraged. I will also remember how oddly Carter narrated the audiobook—like someone reading a book aloud and for the first time with odd emphases, misplaced pauses, and the ardent whisper folks use when reading picture books to children at bedtime. I commiserated with Carter in this, though, as I tried to narrate my own audiobook a couple of weeks later.
Amazon rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Good Apple
Tales of a Southern Evangelical in New York
Elizabeth Passarella’s career of working with words shines through the essays of this book. I laughed during only two of the stories in her book, but I’m not her intended audience. I did connect with her self-indictment of being a disappointment to the Religious Right® that reared both of us—born 11 months apart. Some of her religious assertions arrive so abruptly and glibly that they sound like Sunday school answers instead of the well-earned realizations that fill the rest of this book.
Amazon rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Lament for a Father
The Journey of Understanding and Forgiveness
This book is mistitled. Marvin Olasky doesn’t describe his journey of understanding as much as his research into his family’s past. He doesn’t describe his forgiveness. Instead, he chalks his parents’ and grandparents’ dysfunction on their respective upbringings. Olasky also doesn’t sit in lament. While this book is not a fun read, you’ll find little space devoted to Olasky’s personal mourning. I found the writing of a long-time magazine editor ironically needful of some serious editing. I regularly needed to reread sentences to understand what he was trying to say. This book did spur me to be more affectionate with my daughter. It also affirmed my journey of breaking long, generational chains of abuse.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Prey Tell
Why We Silence Women Who Tell The Truth And How Everyone Can Speak Up
I didn’t connect with Tiffany Bluhm’s most recent book until the middle section, but I highlighted often throughout the rest of the book. As someone who confronted an abusive pastor for his sexual misconduct, I wish (1) more victims could hear Bluhm’s call to courage and (2) more of their friends, family, and coworkers would receive this invitation to give them the benefit of the doubt. When I reached out to Bluhm over Instagram about reading her book, she left an authentic voice memo of a prayer for me. That ardent desire for justice permeates these pages.
Amazon rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The Wonder Switch
The Difference Between Limiting Your Life and Living Your Dream
This book can’t decide if it’s a memoir or a self-help book. Harris III doesn’t close the loop on several of his anecdotes. Some of the scientific studies he references, though, are intriguing. He also references other books whose premises intrigued me enough to put them on my Amazon wish list. Several of the assertions in here and the way he illustrated them landed as fresh thoughts to me.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Year Book
Each year, I read a book as a literary Rumspringa. It’s usually a memoir that offers a look into a lifestyle completely foreign and unattractive to me. Seth Rogen’s highly-produced audiobook was my 2021 peek into the life of someone searching for transcendence in so many wrong places. Year Book is probably the most profane book I’ve ever finished. I felt dirty pushing through the language and flippant discussion of drugs and porn. At the same time, Rogen demonstrates his storytelling prowess with tales of strange adventures. His Hollywood revelations will grab the most attention, but his chapter on antisemitism and social media deserves a thoughtful discussion with your friends offline.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Wild Goose Chase
Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God
As someone who talks or writes about spiritual adventure on a weekly basis, I bought this book on the premise—maybe even the subtitle. As with many spiritual books based on an analogy, though, it seems like Mark Batterson blurs the line every once in a while between correlation and causation. As a spiritual adventure writer, I also struggle not to make the descriptive into something prescriptive. His recommendations walk the line between biblical exhortation and syncretized self-help mantras.
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Estranged
Leaving Family and Finding Home
This was a difficult book for me to absorb. I’m guessing that was at least part of its point. So much pain. So many unabashedly-complicated revelations. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for Jessica Berger Gross to write—to relive. As I wrestle with the enigma that is setting & holding boundaries for an abusive father, I’m thankful for the faith community around me. Reading Gross’ depressing memoir, I was led to gratitude for how Jesus has protected me from some of the understandable-but-unhealthy responses she made along her journey. Like Gross, I am finding redemption and discovery in being a parent—a different dad than the one I had.
Amazon rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Nothing to Prove
Why We Can Stop Trying So Hard
After six hours of listening to Jennie Allen read this book, I’m not sure I am any more prepared to “stop trying so hard.” Several times, I wondered what the content at hand had to do with the theme of the manuscript. This book was built for and by the Christian Industrial Complex, particularly the suburban-white-mom-with-both-hands-on-a-Starbucks-cup part of it. There are better books on this list along this topic.
Boundaries in Marriage
Understanding the Choices That Make or Break Loving Relationships
I probably should’ve read the full Boundaries book on which this short one was derived. I didn’t gain much insight from Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend in this short read. This content is important, but I wish it were fleshed out more.
Amazon rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
When Strivings Cease
Replacing the Gospel of Self-Improvement with the Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace
I bought this book based on the premise of its title and subtitle. I regret that impulse purchase. While Ruth Chou Simons’ writing is filled with authentic anecdotes that create helpful analogies, I didn’t finish this book with any practical answers. This book is the love child of cognitive-behavioral therapy and Sunday school answers. That said, I’m not the target demographic for her writing, as evidenced by how many times she addressed the reader as “friend” and “sister.” That latter one especially chafed me because one of the theologians she quoted in the book recommended that women should allow their husbands to physically abuse them more than once to establish a pattern before they report abuse to authorities or their pastors.
Amazon rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars
The Enneagram Type 7
The Entertaining Optimist
This small book made me wonder how much of it Beth McCord copied and pasted from the other books in the series. This content proved nowhere near as practical or insightful as other resources I’ve encountered. That might be because I absorbed it as an audiobook, and I think it was meant to be more of a workbook with discussion or introspection prompts.
Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Stock image purchased from iStockPhoto.com
