If you are reading this blog, you are probably the kind of reader who likes book recommendations. I know I do. For five years I’ve been cataloguing my yearly reading and posting a blog with favorites to recommend. Here are some of the best books I read this year that I can heartily suggest to you.
Previous years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.
Christian Living
The Godly Man’s Picture, by Thomas Watson
I always enjoy Thomas Watson. For a book written hundreds of years ago, it is surprisingly easy to read and deeply impacting. Watson wants to help his readers understand what a godly life looks like so we can pursue it. To that end, he lays out 24 leading characteristics of what a godly life looks like. He is interested in true godliness, not pretended. I think you’ll find a lot that is enlightening and convicting if you read this book devotionally.
God’s Grace in Your Suffering, by David Powlinson
David Powlinson was a bright light in the biblical counseling world. This short book came out in 2018, the year before he died of pancreatic cancer. Powlinson does share some stories about his own experiences with suffering earlier in life, but his focus is on helping others see God’s grace in hard seasons. The beloved hymn ‘How Firm a Foundation’ serves as an outline for his chapters. Personal, practical, and useful, I think you’ll find it a worthwhile read.
Christianity in Culture
Life in the Negative World, by Aaron Renn
Two years ago Aaron Renn posted an article on First Things on how Evangelicalism’s influence has waned historically in America. Once being an evangelical Christian was a seen as beneficial in society (Positive World -pre-1994), then it began to be seen more as neutral, but not mainstream (Neutral World – 1994-2014), now, posits Renn, we are in the Negative World (2014-Present), where being a Christian is seen as a social negative. The church has responded with different evangelism and cultural strategies in different eras. His thesis is that we are in a new world and Christians still haven’t quite figured out how to live in it, and many are living out of strategies that worked in the past by no longer apply. This book flows from that article and offers some very interesting observations if not solutions. His original article made a lot of waves, you can find it here.
Fiction
Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen
It is good for Christians to read fiction, especially good fiction. We love a good story. It took me a long time to get to it, but I finally got around to reading Pride and Prejudice. It has stood the test of time for a reason. While it appeals to women more commonly than men, it is worthwhile for everyone to read. The characters are well-drawn, the dialogue is witty, the story unfolds at a fast clip. The reading experience is better than most of what you’ll find in the dramatic/romantic offerings today. Also, it has a great opening line.
Master & Commander, by Patrick O’Brian
I discovered this series this year and went through the first four of about 20 books. Jack Aubrey is a sailor who earns his first command in the British Royal Navy with a small ship, and is soon joined by a down and out doctor, Stephen Maturin. Thus begins a series of tales set during the Napoleonic wars. There is plenty of seafaring, exotic locations, naval battles, romance, political intrigue, and a classic male friendship. Two warnings: it is written as though it came from that era, though it was written at the end of the 20th century. He has been compared to Jane Austen in his style. Secondly, there is a lot of technical language about how sailing ships work that takes some getting used to. I think you’ll find the occasional rough seas are worth the voyage.
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