Last January I did something I’d never done before. I wrote a quick review of the best books I had read over the previous year.
I enjoyed the process greatly. Revisiting volumes that I’d spent so many joyful hours consuming helped them come alive again.
Then, to my even greater surprise, I kept hearing back from readers who had seen my list, then read those books and thanked me for my recommendations.
Since it went so well, I’m doing it, again.
Great Books
Again, I have two lists with ten books in each list that meet three criteria:
- They taught me (nonfiction) or made me feel something (fiction)
- They were very well written
- They stuck with me after I read them
The ones in this article are in my top twenty. They are listed in no particular order.
(Click here for me list of Top Ten books.)
Where the Light Fell: A Memoir
by Philip Yancey
One of three memoirs in my top 20 this year. Yancey is one of the great Christian writers on the subject of finding faith through pain and trauma. This memoir of a painful upbringing gives even more resonance to his previous titles, like Where Is God When It Hurts? and Disappointment with God.
The Lord Is My Courage: Stepping Through the Shadows of Fear Toward the Voice of Love
by K.J. Ramsey
An enlightening verse-by-verse walk through Psalm 23, made even more poignant by the spiritual trauma the author experienced in recent years.
Mudbound
by Hillary Jordan
An exhilarating, challenging novel of family, race, grace, and hope in 1940s Mississippi.
A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel
by Amor Towles
Probably the lightest read in this list, it’s a fun fictional account of an aristocrat who is sentenced in 1922 to spend the rest of his life in a hotel in downtown Moscow. From this unique vantage point, he sees the events of his country’s most years unfold. Yes, it’s an outlandish premise, but Towles makes it work.
American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper
by Daniel Stashower
We know Eliot Ness from his days in Chicago with the Untouchables, hunting down Al Capone. But that was just the beginning of Ness’ life in law enforcement. Soon after those events, Ness became the director of public safety in Cleveland just as a mass murderer was starting a horrifying spree.
The details of these crimes are not for queasy stomachs, but Stashower doesn’t dwell there unnecessarily. What we get is a new look into a man we think we know, and all the intrigue that happens when crime meets fame and politics.
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice
by Bill Browder
This is another true story that’s hard to believe. Bill Browder was a Wall Street financier who saw a chance to make a ton of money in Russia, only to uncover some of the most corrupt events in the world under the Putin regime. After his friend was tortured and murdered, he put his own life at risk to see the murderers come to justice.
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
by Chris Voss
The author spent years as the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator. His book is filled with fascinating stories and lessons about human behavior, plus we get to see how hostage negotiation tactics changed over the years as they learned from the highest-stakes situations imaginable.
The Small Church Advantage: Seven Powerful Worship Practices that Work Best in Small Settings
by Teresa Stewart
One of the best books I’ve ever read about small-church ministry, and definitely the best about the small-church worship experience. Stewart’s premise is that small churches are not stuck with lesser forms of worship, but that if we lean into small-church strengths, they can lead to an even deeper worship experience.
I’ll be interviewing the author soon for an upcoming episode of The Church Lobby podcast.
The Pastor’s Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry
by Austin Carty
When you love to read, you love books about reading. This is the best book I’ve ever read about the value of reading for pastors.
If you’re interested in knowing more, check out my podcast interview with the author, Why Reading Matters for Ministry, with Austin Carty (Ep 061).
Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale
by Ian Morgan Cron
A pastor walks through an emotional and spiritual crisis, literally, by spending time with a mentor who takes him to where Francis of Assisi lived, ministered, and changed lives.
It’s a novel that feels like a memoir.
What Did You Read This Year?
Did you read any of these?
Did you read any other books you loved?
Let me know on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Also, check out these articles to enhance your own reading journey.
(Disclosure: I will receive a small percent of the purchase price of any books you buy through clicking the Amazon links in the article.)
