Fred Sanders on the Trinity

Today, I had a 4 hour road trip on my hands, and I improved the time by listening to these stimulating talks from the EFCA Theology Pre-Conference "God In Three Persons, Blessed Trinity" by BIOLA professor Fred Sanders.

The talks are connected to Sanders 2010 book The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything which I reviewed for the Biblical Counseling Coalition. I also coordinated reviews of this book for EFCA Today.

I really enjoyed listening to Sanders teach (first time for me). His mind is awake and nimble, and when he talks, he makes learning about the deep things of God fun. I commend these (FREE!) talks to you.

Introduction by Greg Strand

1. God in Three Persons Blessed Trinity, Framing the Issue (Audio)

Fred Sanders

2. Approaching the Doctrine of the Trinity, pre-conference session (Audio) (Notebook outline)

3. God According to the Gospel, pre-conference session (Audio) (Notebook outline)

4. Tacit Trinitarianism and Q & A, pre-conference session (Audio) (Notebook outline)

5. The Truth and Reality of the Trinity Affects Everything, pre-conference breakout session (Audio)

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Books I Read in 2017

This week, I've been posting about my top books and other really good books that I read in 2017.

Today, I'm posting the full list of books I completed* this year.

1. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

2. Quick Service by P.G. Wodehouse

3. Sister Pelagia and the Red Cockerel by Boris Akunin

4. Dr. Doctrine’s Christian Comix on the Christian Life by Fred Sanders

5. The Triune God by Fred Sanders

6. The Mistletoe Murder by P.D. James

7. Talking About Detective Fiction by P.D. James

8. Dr. Doctrine’s Christian Comix on Biblical Images by Fred Sanders

9. Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

10. Christian History Made Easy by Timothy Paul Jones

11. Something New by P.G. Wodehouse

12. The Promise of Jesse Woods by Chris Fabry

13. 2 Kings: The Power and the Fury by Dale Ralph Davis

14. 1 & 2 Kings (NIBC) by Iain W. Provan

15. 1 & 2 Kings (NAC Vol. 8) by Paul R. House

16. 1 & 2 Kings (NIVAC) by August H. Konkel

17. 1 & 2 Kings (Brazos TCOTB) by Peter Leithart

18. On Being a Theologian of the Cross by Gerhard O. Forde

19. Dogwood by Chris Fabry

20. The Whistler by John Grisham

21. Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers

22. American Evangelicals and Modern Israel: A Plea for Tough Love by Frederic Martin

23. Between Heaven and the Real World by Steven Curtis Chapman

24. Gluten Freedom by Alessio Fasano

25. Twelve Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke

26. Death Comes for the Deconstructionist by Daniel Taylor

27. Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves 

28. Hot Water by P.G. Wodehouse

29. From Church to Church by Benjamin Vrbicek

30. The Boy Who Invented the Bubble Gun by Paul Gallico (2x)

31. Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov

32. The Storytelling God by Jared Wilson

33. Dandelion Fire by N.D. Wilson

34. The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey

35. A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey

36. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers

37. Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey

38. How to Be an Atheist by Mitch Stokes

39. Strong and Weak by Andy Crouch

40. Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey

41. You Are What You Love by James K.A. Smith

42. The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey

43. To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey

44. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

45. The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey

46. Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel by Ray Ortlund

47. The Vanishing American Adult by Ben Sasse

48. A Small Book about a Big Problem by Ed Welch

49. Thick As Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner

50. Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

51. Onward by Russell Moore

52. Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia by John Dunlop

53. The Rooster Bar by John Grisham

54. Galatians (NAC) by Timothy George

55. Galatians (BECNT) by Douglas Moo

56. Be Free by Warren Wiersbe

57. Galatians (ZECNT) by Thomas Schreiner

58. The Message of Galatians (BST), by John Stott

59. Traveling Light by Eugene Peterson

60. The Girl on the Boat by P.G. Wodehouse

61. A World Lost by Wendell Berry

62. The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch

63. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi

64. Andy Catlett Early Travels by Wendell Berry

65. Pass It On by Champ Thornton

66. A Legacy of Spies by John LeCarre  

67. The Wild Man Fable by Zeke Pipher

68. Descriptions and Prescriptions by Mike Emlet

69. Murder in the Dispensary by Jolyon Carr (early pen-name for Edith Pargeter)

* These are books I finished reading in 2017, not the ones I started or the ones I didn't get done. That list is a LOT longer! I read a bunch of them for escapist fun, a few for/with my family, and a lot of them just to learn and grow. They aren't listed (perfectly) in the order I read them. Some of them I am reading for a second or third time (or more!).

As I say each and every year--I'm not endorsing these books just because they are listed here. Some of them are really good and some are really bad. Most are somewhere in between. Read with discernment.

Here's the article where I explain why I post these.

Lists from previous years:

2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008 (first half, second half)
2007 (first half, second half)
2006 (first half, second half)
2005 (first half, second half)

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My Top Books of 2024

In the realm of reading, this last year was very much like previous years* for me.

It turns out that I even completed the exact same number of books (64) as I had in 2023. I continued to mine similar quarries and read in the same veins–authors, genres, subjects. I actually re-read about a dozen books from previous years, some for the fifth time!

All the same, I never felt like I was spinning my wheels in a rut. The “more of the same” is simply just more of the same blessing. It felt like forward progress. I’m still regaining some of the ground I had lost from more productive pre-pandemic years gone by and maintaining what I had attained through my restorative sabbatical. My reading goals have been more modest and right-sized so I feel good about what I’ve accomplished.

In 2024, I was exposed to some pretty terrific books!

More to the Story by Jennifer M. Kvamme

This book was the happiest surprise of 2024. As I said in my incandescent review, “I have been searching for a book like More to the Story for a very long time. As a Christian pastor, I want the young people I care for to have really good answers to the difficult questions they are all asking about sexuality these days. And to be really good answers for today’s teens, they have to be realistic, biblical, confident, joyful, hopeful, comprehensive, concise, and readable. That’s a tall order!

How pleasant it was for me to discover that one of my EFCA friends had written such a book.”

Jennifer’s book is well-deserving of the various accolades it has received, including the award of merit from Christianity Today. It is simply excellent and just what the church needs in our day.

The Holy Spirit: An Introduction by Fred Sanders

Fred Sanders’ latest book is the one I most needed in 2024. He introduced me to Someone I already know intimately but often don’t understand. It is chock-ful of “aha” paragraphs. As you might expect from his previous work, Fred hasn’t just written a book about One Person of the Trinity but the entire Trinity in relation to the Third Person of the Trinity. The appendix with “27 Rules for Thinking Well About the Holy Spirit” distills the whole book and is worth the proverbial price of it. 

Sanders’ writing is robust, rich, deep, and erudite and yet, at the same time, concise, clear, and even playful. It’s the not most hardest theological book I read in 2024, but the best. I will be re-reading The Holy Spirit: An Introduction again very soon.

The Mythmakers by John Hendrix

Most people (not just Christians) have heard of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien because of the tremendous reach of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. But many people do not know that these two Oxford-scholars-turned-popular-authors were close friends or how their fellowship spurred on the creation and publication of their fantastical stories.

In The Mythmakers, New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator John Hendrix has beautifully crafted a unique way of spreading the story of their collaborative friendship. I knew the outline of the story and had even gotten to visit some of the key locations where it all happened during our sabbatical in 2023 (The Kilns, Addison’s Walk, The Eagle and Child), but I still learned a lot, especially how all of the different parts were connected, and I thoroughly enjoyed how Hendrix wove his tale with both words and images. There is nothing quite like it.

I really enjoyed listening to Hendrix talk about the book at The Habit Podcast and The Wade Center Podcast.

Depression: Finding Christ in the Darkness by Ed Welch

Ed Welch has the gift of saying just the thing (and everything!) you need to hear in just a few well-chosen words. 

Ed’s book speaks light in a way that someone experiencing the stubborn darkness can actually hear. Depressed people often can’t read more than a few words at a time. These thirty-one short readings are apples of gold in settings of silver for those who are under the heavy weight of depression (Proverbs 25:11).

Depression: Finding Christ in the Darkness is a good book to read if you love people who live with depression, even if you don’t experience it yourself. Ed knows how to talk about it without mixing in shame while at the same time illuminating a new path that sinner/sufferer/saints are called to walk.

Parenting Without Panic In an LGBT Affirming World by Rachel Gilson

Here is another extremely timely book. When I recommended it in The Family Table, our weekly newsletter for parents at Lanse Free Church, I said, “Every Christian parent with young children should read this book right away. Parenting Without Panic in an LGBT-Affirming World should be required reading for raising a little kid in today’s culture. Given her own story, Rachel Gilson is a perfect person to write it. Her earlier memoir Born Again This Way was one of my top books of 2020, and I’m very glad that she’s now giving out this practical, well-written, insightful, realistic, and biblically balanced advice. I wish it was written earlier! I especially appreciate how Gilson counters all the big fears we all feel. These fears are not baseless, but they should not define or drive us. Read this, soak in the principles, prepare your kids, and fear not!”

It turns out that I read several books on this and related subjects this year in addition to Kvamme and Gilson which were really good. Purposeful Sexuality by Ed Shaw explains what sex is actually for in a few concise and pages. In the same series, Andrew Bunt’s Finding Your Best Identity, helpfully explores the question of who or what gets to define who you are. In Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?, Rebecca McLaughlin responds to the ten strongest arguments from those who claim the Bible affirms (or doesn't teach about) same-sex romantic/sexual relationships. Written by a woman herself who experiences persistent same-sex attraction. McLaughlin is a treasure, well-read, and an excellent communicator. In 2024, I also read her No Greater Love which covers the concept of biblical friendship.

I am very grateful for the blessing of having so many great books in my life. 

***

* This is my eleventh time sharing a list like this! (I didn't get one out in 2019.)

As I’ve said for over a decade [2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023], this list is not necessarily the best books that were published that particular year or the most enjoyable either. I intend it to be a list of the fairly new Christian nonfiction books I read:

- that had the most personal impact on me, my thinking, my heart.
- that I was the most consistently enthusiastic about.
- that I kept coming back to again and again.
- that I couldn't help recommending to others (and recommend without reservations and significant caveats).

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My Top Books of 2022

For me, 2022 was not a good year for finishing books. I read at and from books, but I didn’t read through very many of them. I read fewer books to the very end than I can remember in recent decades (18 fewer than the previous year!), and I didn't publish any full book reviews. I’m not completely sure why the paucity. It’s definitely a holdover from the mental pressures of the pandemic and also a simple sign of the particular season of life I’m in–I have listened to many more podcasts as I’ve walked the streets of Lanse than I have sat in my chair and turned pages. A lot of my reading time in 2022 has been focused on studying the Prophesy of Jeremiah–a worthy effort, and those books will be on the 2023 list, Lord-willing!

Of the ones I did finish in 2022, these were books* that impressed and taught me the most:

I Have a Psychiatric Diagnosis: What Does the Bible Say? by Edward T. Welch

Count on Ed Welch to cut right through the fog with the gentlest and most succinct choice of words. How do should we think about psychiatric diagnoses like anxiety and panic disorders, trauma, depression, and narcissism? In just 85 compact pages of careful and care-filled wisdom, Ed shows us the way. 

After 25 years of reading his writing, I keep expecting to know what he's going to say, but instead I should be expecting to be surprised and learn something new. Highly recommended.

Fountain of Salvation: Trinity and Soteriology by Fred Sanders 

I read everything I can read (and follow) by Fred Sanders when he's writing on the tri-unity of God. This collection of essays coordinating the doctrines of the Trinity and Soteriology (salvation) were incredibly rich and characteristically delightful to read. At times, I had to read parts of it out loud to Heather just because it was so insightful and well-constructed!

An added bonus was that in the Spring I got to take a class on this book with Fred through the Greystone Theological Institute online and on site--the richest theological learning experience I have had in long time.

Evangelism As Exiles: Life on Mission as Strangers in Our Own Land by Elliot Clark

Last winter I was preaching through 1 Peter, and I kept Evangelism as Exiles at my elbow the whole time. Elliot Clark caught the lightning of Peter's first epistle in a bottle and gives it to you to drink! Even though it was my second time to preach through 1 Peter (even at times the same passage 20 years to the day!), I never have understood what it means or how to apply it to our current situation like I did after digesting Clark's little book.

I'm really glad that The Gospel Coalition has made it available for FREE as a download from their website. Take up and read!

LEAD: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church by Paul David Tripp

My pastor, Kerry Doyal, convenes a monthly book-discussion group on Zoom of district pastors, and Paul Tripp's LEAD was our book for half of 2022. At times Tripp made me uncomfortable because he was stepping on my toes!

I recommend LEAD for leadership teams, especially for challenging conversations about how healthy your team is and how truly transparent you are with one another. 

Gender: A Conversation Guide for Parents and Pastors by Brian Seagraves and Hunter Leavine

I have been doing a lot of reading on gender and identity this year to better understand and respond in our current cultural moment, and I thought this 77 page book was a really helpful starting place. 

Seagraves and Leavine give parents and church leaders foundational truths and insightful conversation starters appropriate for kids of different ages. This isn't the last word, but it's a good first one.

[Similar (and free!) resources come from Andrew Bunt of LivingOut: Quick Guides on Gender Identity and Trans Identification as well as Josh Glaser and Paul Rhinehart at The Gospel Coalition: How to Talk with Your Kids About Transgender Ideology.]

I'm grateful that my life is full of good books even when I don't get them read to the last page. Our church has granted me a generous three month sabbatical next year, so I hope to read (and finish!) a lot more books in 2023. 

***

* As I’ve said before [2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 2018, 2020, 2021], this list is not necessarily the best books that were published that particular year or the most enjoyable either. I intend it to be a list of the fairly new Christian nonfiction books I read:

- that had the most personal impact on me, my thinking, my heart.
- that I was the most consistently enthusiastic about.
- that I kept coming back to again and again.
- that I couldn't help recommending to others (and recommend without reservations and significant caveats).

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Books I Read in 2016

This week, I've been posting about my top books and other really good books that I read in 2016.

Today, I'm posting the full list of books I completed* this year.

1. Settlers or Sojourners? by Marty Schoenleber, Jr. [Review]

2. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

3. Understanding Gender Dysphoria by Mark Yarhouse [EFCA Now Review]

4. Lost Children by Edith Pargeter

5. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

6. Jesus and the Land by Gary Burge

7. Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham

8. The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT) by Douglas Moo

9. The Epistle to the Romans (BNCT) by Thomas Schreiner

10. A Passion for God by Raymond Ortlund, Jr.

11. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

12. Holiday with Violence by Ellis Peters

13. Good Master by Kate Seredy

14. Jesus and the Jihadis by Craig Evans and Jeremiah Johnston

15. Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig

16. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan

17. As for Me and My House by Walter Wangerin, Jr. [Review]

18. The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin

19. The Breath of Peace by Penelope Wilcock

20. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris and Mrs. Harris Goes to New York by Paul Gallico

21. Murder on the Leviathan by Boris Akunin

22. The Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin

23. Going Public by Bobby Jamieson [EFCA Now Review]

24. The Green Ember by S.D. Smith

25. Anna and the King by Margaret Landon

26. Death of Achilles by Boris Akunin

27. Do Ask, Do Tell, Let’s Talk by Brad Hambrick [EFCA Now Review]

28. The Assize of the Dying by Ellis Peters

29. The Way of the Righteous in the Muck of Life by Dale Ralph Davis

30. Special Assignments by Boris Akunin

31. The Man with Two Left Feet by P.G. Wodehouse

32. The State Counselor by Boris Akunin

33. The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales by Rudyard Kipling

34. Bear Is Broken by Lachlan Smith

35. Answering Jihad by Nabeel Qureshi 

36. Meet Mr. Mulliner by P.G. Wodehouse

37. Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

38. Beating the College Debt Trap by Alex Chediak [Review]

39. She Lover of Death by Boris Akunin

40. How to Survive the Apocalypse by Robert Joustra and Alissa Wilkinson [EFCA Now Review]

41. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

42. Playing Saint by Zachary Bartels

43. 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

45. 1 Kings: The Wisdom and the Folly by Dale Ralph Davis

46. He Lover of Death by Boris Akunin

47. Mulliner Nights by P.G. Wodehouse

48. The Diamond Chariot by Boris Akunin

49. The Last Con by Zachary Bartels

50. The Affinities by Robert Charles Wilson

51. A Few Quick Ones by P.G. Wodehouse

52. Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog by Boris Akunin

53. Sister Pelagia and the Black Monk by Boris Akunin

54. More People to Love by Jason Abbott, and Benjamin Vrbicek [Review]

55. The Guns of Navarone by Alistair Macintyre

56. Good and Angry by David Powlison [Review]

57. Doctor Doctrine’s Christian Comix: The Word of God by Fred Sanders

58. Doctor Doctrine’s Christian Comix: On the Trinity by Fred Sanders

59. No God But One by Nabeel Qureshi [Review]

60. Uncle Fred in the Springtime by P.G. Wodehouse

61. The Imperfect Pastor by Zach Eswine [Review]

62. The Radical Book for Kids by Champ Thornton [My Interview with the Author]

63. God The Son Incarnate by Stephen Wellum [Top Book of 2016]

64. Expositional Preaching by David Helm [Review]

65. Hungry by Rondi Lauterbach


* These are books I finished reading in 2016, not the ones I started or the ones I didn't get done. I read a bunch of them for escapist fun, some for/with my kids, and a lot of them just to learn and grow. They aren't listed (perfectly) in the order I read them. Some of them I am reading for a second or third time. I read fewer books in 2016 than in previous years--it was a busy year with life going in several directions at once, and I hope to get into better habits again in 2017. 

As I say each and ever year--I'm not endorsing these books just because they are listed here. Some of them are really good and some are really bad. Most are somewhere in between. Read with discernment.

Here's the article where I explain why I post these.

Lists from previous years:

2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008 (first half, second half)
2007 (first half, second half)
2006 (first half, second half)
2005 (first half, second half)

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Books I Read in 2019

I've had a tremendous year for reading books.

If I get a chance (no time this week!), I'll write more about the good stuff I got to read, list my "top books of 2019," and share some of the things I've been learning, but here's the full list and a few links to short reviews I produced along the way.

Matt’s Books Completed* in 2019:

1. Palace Council by Stephen L. Carter

2. The Civil War As a Theological Crisis by Mark Noll

3. Creation and Doxology edited by Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson

4. The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie

5. Don’t Just Send a Resume by Benjamin Vrbicek [my review]

6. The Way of the Righteous in the Muck of Life by Dale Ralph Davis

7. The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby

8. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers

9. Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

10. Slogging Along in the Paths of Righteousness by Dale Ralph Davis [my review]

11. The Reckoning by John Grisham

12. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

13. Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie

14. Jesus and the Future by Andreas Kostenberger, Alexander Stewart, and Apollo Makara

15. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

16. The Souls of Black Folk of W.E.B. Du Bois

17. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

18. The Grass Widow’s Tale by Ellis Peters

19. Contemporary Theology by Kirk MacGregor [my review]

20. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler

21. Point Man by Steve Farrar

22. Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop [a sremon this year inspired by reading this book]

23. Unstuck by Tim Lane [my review]

24. The High Window by Raymond Chandler

25. So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger

26. Black City by Boris Akunin

27. Anger: Calming Your Heart by Robert D. Jones [my review]

28. None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God by Matthew Barrett

29. The House of Green Turf by Ellis Peters

30. Feels Like Home by Lee Eclov

31. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers

32. Psalms 1-72 by Derek Kidner

33. Mourning Raga by Ellis Peters

34. Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin

35. Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammet

36. God Is by Mark Jones

37. Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry

38. 7 Myths About Singleness by Sam Allberry [a big help with this sermon]

39. Interpreting Scripture with the Great Tradition by Craig Carter

40. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

41. God and the Transgender Debate by Andrew Walker

42. A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh

43. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon

44. The Pacific and Other Stories by Mark Helprin

45. Quietly While They Sleep by Donna Leon

46. In Sunlight and Shadow by Mark Helprin

47. A Sea of Troubles by Donna Leon

48. The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh

49. Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie

50. Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

51. J-Curve: Rising and Dying with Jesus in Everyday Life by Paul E. Miller [my initial thoughts, my final evaluation]

52. Fearing Others: Putting God First by Zach Schlegel

53. Death and Judgment by Donna Leon

54. Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace by Paul Tautges [my review]

55. The Eighteen-Carat Kid and Other Stories by P.G. Wodehouse

56. Acqua Alta by Donna Leon

57. The Knocker on Death’s Door by Ellis Peters

58. A Noble Radiance by Donna Leon

59. Safe and Sound: Standing Firm in Spiritual Battles by David Powlison

60. Welcoming the Stranger by Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang

61. God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel by Costi Hinn

62. Fatal Remedies by Donna Leon

63. Beyond Authority and Submission by Rachel Green Miller

64. God Without Measure: Working Papers in Christian Theology (Vol 1. God and the Works of God) by John Webster

65. Radically Different by Champ Thornton [my review]

66. Friends in High Places by Donna Leon

67. The Mating Season by P.G. Wodehouse

68. Psalm 119 for Life by Hwyel R. Jones

69. Openness Unhindered by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

70. The Blessed Hope by George Ladd

71. The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon

72. Pornography: Fighting for Purity by Deepak Reju

73. Suffering and the Heart of God by Diane Langberg

74. Open Season by C.J. Box

75. The Art of Rest by Adam Mabry [pungent quote and evaluation]

76. Wesley on the Christian Life by Fred Sanders

77. The Best Gift Ever by Ronnie Martin

78. The Triune God by Fred Sanders [second reading, one of my top books of 2017]

79. Uniform Justice by Donna Leon

80. The Notting Hill Mystery by Charles Warren Adams

81. The Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller

82. Psalms 73-150 by Derek Kidner

83. Psalms (Tyndale Old Testatment Commentaries) by Tremper Longman

***

* As in previous years, these are books I finished reading (or had read to me in Audible) in 2019, not the ones I started or the ones I didn't get done. That list would be a LOT longer! I read a bunch of them for escapist fun, a few for/with my family, and a lot of them just to learn and grow. They aren't listed (perfectly) in the order I read them. Some of them I am reading for a second or third time (or more!).

As I say each and every year--I'm not endorsing these books just because they are listed here. Some of them are really good and some are really bad. Most are somewhere in between. Read with discernment.

Here's the article where I explain why I post these.

Lists from previous years:

2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008 (first half, second half)
2007 (first half, second half)
2006 (first half, second half)
2005 (first half, second half)

Read More

My Top Books of 2017

The flood-tide of 2017 events has crested (I sure hope), and it's time again to share some of the good things I've had the privilege of reading this year.

It's been a great year for reading for me though I haven't gotten to write about it much. I didn't read very many books (less than 70 and a bunch of them were escapist fiction), but a goodly percentage were great books that really challenged me. In fact, if I had to name a theme for the year, it was that I read great books that strongly pushed me in directions I needed to go.

What I Mean By "Top Books"

As in past years [2013, 2014, 2015, 2016], my "Top Books" list is not necessarily the best books that were published that particular year or the most enjoyable either. I intend it to be a list of the Christian nonfiction books I read:

- that had the most personal impact on me, my thinking, my heart.
- that I was the most consistently enthusiastic about.
- that I kept coming back to again and again.
- that I couldn't help recommending to others (and recommend without reservations and significant caveats).

Choosing which books to name as "the top" ones was really hard this year. I think that most years I've named five. This year I barely whittled it down to seven (and that by sneaking in some "honorable mentions"). Tune in tomorrow for even more great books.

My Top Books Read in 2017

1. The Triune God by Fred Sanders

Sander's newest book on the Trinity in the "New Studies in Dogmatics" series from Zondervan pushed me in a whole lot of directions not the least of which was stretching my mind to read on an higher academic level.

As for the content, this is what I said to LifeWay Pastors when they asked about it:

I want to understand, as much as I can, the deepest mysteries of Who God is, and what is more mysterious than the Tri-Personal-Unity of God? Sanders is taking me deeper than I’ve ever gone without rabbit-trailing into unhealthy and unhelpful speculation.

I have also spent several hours watching the video course companion to the book. There is still so much I don't understand about this fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith, but I feel that, with Fred's help (and other good books such as Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves), I'm making progress. I need to read it again.

2. How to Be an Atheist by Mitch Stokes

Stokes' book was also a bit beyond my intellectual abilities to fully comprehend, but I still thoroughly enjoyed  watching his mind work. In How To Be An Atheist, Mitch Stokes shines a skeptical light on skepticism. After taking on David Hume and showing the limits of skepticism, he turns to science (which has not disproven God, perhaps quite the opposite) and then morality (making the moral argument--which I have always found so compelling since I was introduced to it by C.S. Lewis--in new sophisticated ways in the current climate of militant atheist skepticism).

Stokes is well qualified to write this book with his PhD in philosophy and his MS in engineering and his clever and mischievous sense of humor. He does a wonderful job of presenting the best arguments for the other side and then interacting respectfully but sharply with them. I need to read it again soon.

Speaking of presenting the best arguments of the other side, I finally got to finish the series of apologetic books by Nabeel Qureshi by reading Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus which turned out to be my favorite of them all. Qureshi is the most sympathetic apologist I've ever been exposed to. It was strange to start reading a book while the author was living and then, sadly, to finish it after he had passed. I pray that his books stay in print for a very long time and reach many people for Christ.

3. Twelve Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke

This book was no fun to read. Reinke pushed me to reevaluate my use of technology (the smartphone being just the pinnacle of personal tech in our day) in significant ways.

Reinke is no enemy of technology. He does a wonderful job of celebrating it as a gift of God. But he is a shrewd observer of how our sinful hearts twist around any technology and take it in unhealthy directions. [See these EFCA Now reviews I got to coordinate for more.] I need to read it again soon and will be handing it to my kids as they get phones of their own.

In a very similar vein, Andy Crouch's The Tech-Wise Family was a very good short read on how to put technology in its proper place (hint: not the center).

4. A Small Book about a Big Problem by Ed Welch

My one sentence review:

This book is small like a "ghost pepper" is small.

I published a longer review this Fall when I ran a contest giving away a copy. This book pushed me to identify my anger problem when it isn't coming out as rage.

I love how Ed has gotten really good at packing pungent thoughts into short conversational meditations. My only criticism is that the title doesn't say what the book is about! I need to read it again soon.

5. Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel by Ray Ortlund

This book pushed me towards beauty.

Ortlund's book wasn't an academically challenging read nor did it challenge me to love Heather in a different way, but it did sweetly remind me of what I know about marriage--marriage has always been a beautiful picture of the gospel.

Ray uses carefully chosen words to pull together and powerfully present how marriage fits into the grand storyline of the Bible. It's imminently quotable (Tweetable!) and rich. It encouraged me to continue to love my wife as I've been learning to do for the last 24 years and to love her for the glory of Jesus. I need to read it again.

6. The Vanishing American Adult by Ben Sasse

I expected to be challenged by Sasse's book (and I was), but I was surprised by how encouraged I was by reading it.

The challenge is that Senator Sasse is an uber-talented intellectual who sets a rigorously high bar for raising up the next generation of American citizens. I can't relate to his achievements (aside from getting jealous) and could feel like many of his illustrative examples are unattainable. I also expected to be depressed by some of the trends he was observing (vanishing adulthood is not a positive thing!)

But I was actually encouraged. My biggest encouragement was that I recognized the broad outlines of his philosophy of parenting as being the same as Heather and mine. "Yes! That's what we're trying to do with our kids!" was the thought that regularly reoccurred as I read it. I enjoyed reading his engaging (often humorous) prose. I dog-eared a bunch of pages, especially the ones with list-like practical suggestions and began loaning it out to other parents.

7. Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia by John Dunlop

Dunlop's book pushed me to love people more skillfully and to face my impending mortality. 

Interestingly, Dr. Dunlop used to be our physician when I was a young seminarian. I'm glad he's focused on geriatrics now because he's shown a deep understanding of what it feels like to grow weak with age and infirmity.

The greatest strength of this book was describing what dementia is like from the perspective of both the person suffering from it and a person caring for someone who has it. Everyone who reads it (and I've read multiple reviews of it as the book review coordinator for EFCA Now) says the same thing.

So many people are affected by this that a book like this needed written. Our copy is getting passed all the way around our little church. I'm glad that this one is so rich with theological insight and practical counsel.

It was hard to read because just as there is a good chance Dr. Dunlop will eventually suffer from dementia himself (and his letter to his family at the end is a beautiful meditation on such), there is a good chance that either Heather or I or both of us will suffer similarly as we get old. As a preview of coming attractions, it was a difficult but salutary harbinger to consider. I need to read it again.

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The Shack Movie - Resource Round-Up

"The Shack" movie comes out this weekend, an adaptation of the uber-popular book The Shack by William P. Young. A whole lot of people are talking about it online right now.

I read the book in 2009 and registered my cautions and concerns about it then, and today, as none of my concerns have gone away, my cautions also remain. Set your discernment-level to "high" if you chose to watch this one.

Here are some of the best things I've read about the book (and a few about the movie):

1. Pastor and author Timothy Keller wrote about it in 2010.  He says, "At the heart of the book is a noble effort—to help modern people understand why God allows suffering, using a narrative form." I agree that this is the driving purpose of the book, and I know that many have resonated with that part of the book and comforted by it. However, Keller goes on to caution:

Anyone who is strongly influenced by the imaginative world of The Shack will be totally unprepared for the far more multi-dimensional and complex God that you actually meet when you read the Bible. . . . The God of The Shack has none of the balance and complexity of the Biblical God. Half a God is not God at all.

2. Blogger and author Tim Challies wrote a thorough review of the theology of the book in 2008 that has been read by many.  His conclusion:

Because of the sheer volume of error and because of the importance of the doctrines reinvented by the author, I would encourage Christians, and especially young Christians, to decline this invitation to meet with God in The Shack. It is not worth reading for the story and certainly not worth reading for the theology.

Tim also has written recently on his concerns about watching any movie where God is portrayed in human form, especially God the Father and God the Spirit. While I don't share his concerns in the same way, I thought his follow-up article about the differences between Aslan of Narnia and "Papa" of The Shack had a lot of merit to it.

3. Author Randy Alcorn, who also writes fiction to teach theology and has met with the author, urges discernment about watching the movie (and previously wrote about concerns about the book's content).

4. Plugged In and World Magazine both posted reviews which try to provide balancing opinions. In its typical skewering satirical fashion, The Babylon Bee was a little less balanced.

5. David Mathis of Desiring God compares and contrasts The Shack with the biblical book of Job. I think this is a wonderful comparison to make because the book is not primarily about the Trinity (though it is definitely teaching a poor theology proper, too) so much as it is about suffering. I'm with Mathis in finding the Book of Job's answer much more satisfying than Young's, even if it does not conform to my wishes.

6. My all-time favorite review of The Shack book is actually five reviews at once by Fred Sanders, one of the smartest theologians we have in current evangelicalism. He adopts five different personas to attack The Shack from different directions, some with his tongue firmly placed in his cheek. It's fun to read out loud. For example, Sanders' Haiku artist puts it this way:

Eugene Peterson

Said it was good as Bunyan.

He must have meant Paul.

We’ve all got a shack:

That dark place deep inside us

Where we keep our crap.

“I’m thinking that bird

Probably understands that

Better than I do” (p. 98)

That Jewish guy said

Papa baked me some cookies

‘Cuz she is so sweet.

Whose problem is it

That I feel weird with this God

Like Aunt Jemima?

Wacky Trinity

Is not what you expected

And that’s the whole point.

“I’m sorry, but those

Are just words to me. They don’t

Make much sense,” Mack shrugged. (p. 98)

My copy was free

But I almost lost my mind

Inside of the Shack.

All of that to say, read and watch with discernment. And if you don't know how to do that, give this book and its movie a pass. There's a lot better stuff out there for you to ingest.

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Book Review: The Deep Things of God

My book review connecting the dots between the Trinity and counseling is now available at the Biblical Counseling Coalition website.

Here's how it begins:

Is it possible that there is something more glorious than the gospel of grace?

Biola professor, Fred Sanders, thinks that there is one thing greater than the gospel itself, and that is the Triune God of the gospel. In his book, The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything, Sanders argues that gospel-centered Christians should embrace and cherish the doctrine of the Trinity because the biblical gospel is thoroughly Trinitarian.

Read the whole thing.

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Matt's Books - 2012

Matt’s Books Completed in 2012:

1. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
2. The Bait of Satan by John Bevere
3. Checkmate by Dorothy Dunnett
4. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
5. Folly, Grace, and Power by John Koessler
6. Sunrise in the West by Edith Pargeter
7. The Dragon at Noonday by Edith Pargeter
8. Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
9. The Hounds of Sunset by Edith Pargeter
10. Man Alive by Patrick Morley
11. CrossTalk by Michael Emlet
12. Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie
13. The Fields of Home by Ralph Moody
14. Afterglow and Nightfall by Edith Pargeter
15. Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit by Joseph Epstein
16. Marriage Matters by Winston Smith
17. Showdown by Ted Dekker
18. The Message of Acts by John Stott
19. Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry
20. Created for Work by Bob Schultz
21. N or M? by Agatha Christie
21. Acts by Darrell L. Bock
22. 42 Months Dry by Zach Bartels
23. Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright
24. The Last Enemy by Michael E. Wittmer  [Review]
25. The Hawk and the Dove by Penelope Wilcock
26. The Wounds of God by Penelope Wilcock
27. The Long Fall by Penelope Wilcock
28. The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
29. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp  [Heather's Review]
30. The Hardest Thing to Do by Penelope Wilcock
31. Man on the Run by Zeke Pipher
32. Sherlock Holmes and the Star of India by Carole Bugge
33. By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie
34. The Hour Before Dawn by Penelope Wilcock
35. The Gift by Bryan Litfin
36. The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson
37. Work Matters by Tom Nelson
38. The Summons by John Grisham
39. Getting A Way With Murder by Ralph McInerny
40. Requiem For A Realtor by Ralph McInerny
41. Jungle Doctor Meets a Lion by Paul White
42. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
43. The Widow’s Mate by Ralph McInerny
44. Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson
45. Last Things by Ralph McInerny
46. Curtain by Agatha Christie
47. Murder in Baker Street ed. by Martin Greenberg et al
48. Jungle Doctor’s Tug-Of-War by Paul White
49. Seabird by Holling Clancy Holling
50. Tales of a Korean Grandmother by Frances Carpenter
51. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
52. The Tears of Things by Ralph McInerny
53. Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie
54. The Litigators by John Grisham
55. The Ouija Board: A Doorway to the Occult by Edmond Gruss
56. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
57. As Good As Dead by Ralph McInerny
58. Thrift and Generosity: The Joy of Giving by John M. Templeton Jr., MD
59. Platform by Michael Hyatt
60. The Last Juror by John Grisham
61. Pastoral Graces by Lee Eclov  [My review]
62. Loving Well (Even If You Haven’t Been) by William Smith  [My review]
63. Thicker Than Water by Ralph McInerny
64. Triple Pursuit by Ralph McInerny
65. The Deep Things of God by Fred Sanders  [My review]
66. Jungle Doctor Looks for Trouble by Paul White
67. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
68. Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis
69. Remember Me by Penelope Wilcock
70. Post Captain by Patrick O’Brian
71. Do Butlers Burgle Banks? by P.G. Wodehouse
72. H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O’Brian
73. The Mauritius Command by Patrick O’Brian
74. Wrestling with an Angel Greg Lucas  [My review]
75. Right In Their Eyes by George M. Schwab
76. Judges: Such a Great Salvation by Dale Ralph Davis
77. Stained Glass by Ralph McInerny
78. Desolation Island by Patrick O’Brian
79. The Fortune of War by Patrick O’Brian
80. Avalon Falls by L.B. Graham  [My review]
81. The Surgeon’s Mate by Patrick O’Brian
82. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
83. The Kingdom by Bryan Litfin [My review]
84. David Livingstone: Africa’s Trailblazer by Janet & Geoff Benge
85. The Ionian Mission by Patrick O’Brian
86. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher  [My review]
87. From Famine to Fullness: The Gospel According to Ruth by Dean Ulrich
88. New American Commentary: Judges, Ruth by Daniel I. Block
89. The NIV Application Commentary: Judges, Ruth by K. Lawson Younger, Jr.
90. Overcoming Gossip by Mark Michael
91. The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert Dejong
92. The Confessions of Augustine
93. The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan
94. Treason’s Harbour by Patrick O’Brian
95. The Far Side of the World by Patrick O’Brian
96. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
97. The Surprising Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart
98. Killer Dolphin by Ngaio Marsh
99. The Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O’Brian
100. So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger
101. Reverberation by Jonathan Leeman
102. The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
103. The Icebound Land by John Flanagan
104. The Letter of Marque by Patrick O’Brian
105. A Child’s History of the World by Virgil M. Hillyer
106. The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan
107. The Thirteen Gun Salute by Patrick O’Brian
108. Wired That Way by Marita Littauer
109. Grieving with Hope by Samuel Hodges & Kathy Leonard
110. The Nutmeg of Consolation by Patrick O’Brian
111. The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan
112. The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan
113. Torches of Joy by John Dekker with Lois Neely
114. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie King
115. Red Sails to Capri by Ann Weil
116. The Unlikely Remnant by Tracey Lewis-Giggets
117. The Truelove by Patrick O’Brian
118. Undiscovered Country by Lin Enger
119. The Wine-Dark Sea by Patrick O’Brian
120. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie King
121. Erak’s Ransom by John Flanagan
122. For the Love of God: Vol 2 by D.A. Carson
123. The Holy Bible, New International Version (2011)

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Books I Read in 2020

Matt’s Books Completed* in 2020:

1. A Big Gospel in Small Places by Stephen Witmer [Most Affirming of 2020]
2. Recursion by Blake Crouch
3. Willful Behavior by Donna Leon
4. Plum Pie by P.G. Wodehouse
5. Sex, Dating, and Relationships by Gerald Hiestand and Jay Thomas
6. How Much Is a Girl Worth? by Rachael Denhollander [Most Haunting of 2020]
7. Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin [Completed a second time with my small group from church. So good I wrote a Small Group Discussion Guide and posted it online.]
8. Not Saying Goodbye by Boris Akunin
9. Doctored Evidence by Donna Leon
10. The Memory of Old Jack by Wendell Berry
11. Single, Dating, Engaged, Married by Ben Stuart
12. Respect the Image by Timothy Shorey [A new friend! Interview here.]
13. Light from Distant Stars by Shawn Smucker
14. The Fool and the Heretic by Todd Charles Wood and Darrel R. Falk
15. Created to Draw Near by Edward Welch [Most Intriguing of 2020]
16. “He Descended to the Dead” by Matthew Emerson
17. Blood from a Stone by Donna Leon
18. Why Does God Care Who I Sleep With? by Sam Allberry [Most Accessible of 2020]
19. Remember Death by Matthew J. McCullough [Most Sobering of 2020]
20. Born Again This Way by Rachel Gilson [Most Counter-Cultural of 2020]
21. Younique by Will Mancini, Dave Rhodes, and Cory Hartman 
22. Relationslips by Jason Drapeau
23. Earthly Remains by Donna Leon
24. Where Is God in a Coronavirus World? by John Lennox
25. Coronavirus and Christ by John Piper
26. The Final Days of Jesus by Andreas Kostenberger & Justin Taylor
27. Matthew (IVPNTC) by Craig Keener
28. Matthew (EBC) by D.A. Carson
29. Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and Earth (PWC) by Douglas O’Donnell
30. Matthew (ZECNT) by Grant Osborne
31. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
32. The Possibility of Prayer by John Starke
33. Beartown by Fredrik Backman
34. Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals by Gavin Ortlund [Read twice! Most Constructive of 2020]
35. Death to the Landlords by Ellis Peters
36. Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian
37. The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi by Kathie Lee Gifford and Jason Sobel
38. Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund [Most Heart-Strengthening of 2020]
39. Post Captain by Patrick O’Brian
40. Loving Your Community by Stephen Viars
41. Suffer the Little Children by Donna Leon
42. Can Science Explain Everything? by John Lennox
43. Am I Just My Brain? by Sharon Dircx
44. H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O’Brian
45. The Mauritius Command by Patrick O’Brian
46. Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
47. Unto Us a Son is Given by Donna Leon
48. A Small Book for the Anxious Heart by Edward Welch
49. City of Gold and Shadows by Ellis Peters
50. The Temptation of Forgiveness by Donna Leon
51. God In Himself by Steven Duby [Most Mind-Stretching of 2020]
52. Desolation Island by Patrick O’Brian
53. Philippians (BECNT, 2nd Edition) by Moises Silva
54. The Fortune of War by Patrick O’Brian
55. Basics for Believers by D.A. Carson
56. Retrieving Eternal Generation edited by Fred Sanders & Scott Swain
57. Why Is My Teenager Feeling Like This? by David Murray
58. The Surgeon’s Mate by Patrick O’Brian
59. Compassion & Conviction by Justin Giboney, Michael Wear, and Chris Butler [Most Hopeful of 2020]
60. The Ionian Mission by Patrick O’Brian
61. The Girl of His Dreams by Donna Leon
62. Free at Last? by Carl Ellis, Jr.
63. Jack by Marilynne Robinson
64. Treason’s Harbour by Patrick O’Brian
65. Before You Vote by David Platt
66. About Face by Donna Leon
67. The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald
68. No Day Wasted: The Adam Settle Story by Susan Stallings
69. The Far Side of the World by Patrick O’Brian
70. The Reverse of the Medal by Patrick O’Brian
71. The Letter of Marque by Patrick O’Brian
72. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
73. Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley
74. The Ascension of Christ by Patrick Schreiner
75. Is Jesus History? by John Dickson
76. The Gospel by Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr.
77. For the Love of God, Vol. 1 by D.A. Carson
78. Christian Standard Bible, Mc’Cheyene Bible Reading Plan

***

* As in previous years, these are books I finished reading (or had read to me in Audible) in 2020, not the ones I started or the ones I didn't get done. That list would be a LOT longer! I read a bunch of them for escapist fun, a few for/with my family, and a lot of them just to learn and grow. They aren't listed (perfectly) in the order I read them. Some of them I am reading for a second or third time (or more!).

As I say each and every year--I'm not endorsing these books just because they are listed here. Some of them are really good and some are really bad. Most are somewhere in between. Read with discernment.

Here's the article where I explain why I post these.


Lists from previous years:

2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008 (first half, second half)
2007 (first half, second half)
2006 (first half, second half)
2005 (first half, second half)

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EFCA Today Reviews: The Deep Things of God

EFCA Today has published a set of review of Fred Sanders' The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything.

I have the privilege of being the book review coordinator. It's always a joy to be a part of getting good reviews online. I love working with EFCA leaders.

I have also written a review of The Deep Things of God that I hope to see online soon. I'll let you know when it is available. It is a very good, very important book--one of the best things I've read all year. Life-changing, but in a surprising way--it showed me what I already know...about absolutely everything.  Read more here.

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Books I Read in 2022

Matt’s Books Completed* in 2022:

1. The Groote Park Murder by Freeman Wills Crofts

2. Taking Charge of ADHD by Russell A. Barkley

3. Taking Charge of Adult ADHD by Russell A. Barkley

4. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman [Audible]

5. Murder on the Railways edited by Peter Haining

6. The Late Scholar by Jill Paton Walsh

7. The Judge’s List by John Grisham

8. Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon

9. Fountain of Salvation by Fred Sanders [A Top Book!]

10. Subversive by Crystal Downing

11. Evangelism As Exiles by Elliot Clark [A Top Book!]

12. Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers

13. Agent Running in the Field by John LeCarre 

14. Transient Desires by Donna Leon

15. 1 Peter for You by Juan R. Sanchez

16. 1 Peter Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament by Karen Jobes

17. 1 Peter New American Commentary by Thomas Schreiner

18. The Golden Egg by Donna Leon

19. Dorothy and Jack by Gina Dalfonzo

20. LEAD by Paul David Tripp [A Top Book!]

21. Furious Hours by Casey Cep [Audible] 

22. White Nights by Ann Cleeves

23. The Theology of Jeremiah by John Goldingay

24. The Cask by Freeman Wills Crofts

25. Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie

26. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers

27. Fidelity by Wendell Berry

28. The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie

29. The Memory of Old Jack by Wendell Berry

30. Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry

31. Gender: A Conversation Guide for Parents and Pastors by Brian Seagraves and Hunter Leavine [A Top Book!]

32. Inspector French’s Greatest Case by Freeman Wills Crofts

33. Abortion Rights: For and Against by Kate Greasley and Christopher Kaczor

34. Tearing Us Apart by Ryan T. Anderson and Alexandra DeSanctis

35. The Cheyne Mystery by Freeman Wills Crofts

36. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

37. Mystery in the Channel by Freeman Wills Crofts

38. The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie

39. Silverview by John Le Carre

40. The 12:30 from Croydon by Freeman Wills Crofts

41. Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow by Daniel Nayeri

42. Lord Peter by Dorothy L. Sayers

43. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr 

44. The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

45. I Have a Psychiatric Diagnosis by Edward T. Welch [A Top Book!]

46. The Christian Standard Bible, M’Cheyne Reading Plan 

Last book of the Bible in the last month of the year.

---

* As I say every year--these are books I finished reading (or had read to me in Audible) this year, not the ones I started or the ones I didn't get done. That list would be a LOT longer (and kind of depressing)! I read a bunch of them for escapist fun, a few for/with my family, and a lot of them just to learn and grow. They aren't listed (perfectly) in the order I read them. Some of them I am reading for a second or third time (or more!).

And as I also say each and every year--I'm not endorsing these books just because they are listed here. Some of them are really good and some are really bad. Most are somewhere in between. Read with discernment.

Here's the article where I explain why I post these.


Lists from previous years:

2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008 (first half, second half)
2007 (first half, second half)
2006 (first half, second half)
2005 (first half, second half)

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