It’s always fun to look back over the past year at the books I’ve read. This past year, I’ve read some classics, some new books, some fiction, non-fiction, and Christian/theology.
I’d love to hear what you’ve read in the last year, so post in the comments and give me your recommendations.
Here’s what I’ve read (and as always, these book summaries are mostly copied right from Amazon or Christian Book Distributors):
Fiction
That Hideous Strength, C. S. Lewis
The final book in CS Lewis’s acclaimed Space Trilogy, this book concludes the adventures of the matchless Dr. Ransom. Finding himself in a world of superior alien beings and scientific experiments run amok, Dr. Ransom struggles with questions of ethics and morality, applying age-old wisdom to a brave new universe dominated by science. His quest for truth is a journey filled with intrigue and suspense.
Moby Dick, Herman Melville
Yes, that Moby Dick. I’d never read it! It’s the classic story of how Capt. Ahab leads his crew in reckless pursuit of the great white whale. Will he succeed in killing the whale, or will Moby Dick lure Ahab and his crew to destruction?
The Charlemagne Pursuit, Steve Berry
As a child, former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone was told that his father died in a submarine disaster in the North Atlantic. But what he now learns stuns him: His father’s sub was a secret nuclear vessel lost on a highly classified mission beneath the ice shelves of Antarctica.
As Malone embarks on a dangerous quest to find the missing sub, he will finally confront the shocking truth of his father’s death and the distinct possibility of his own.
The Alexandria Link, Steve Berry
Cotton Malone retired from the high-risk world of elite operatives for the US Justice Department to lead the low-key life of a rare-book dealer. But his quiet existence is shattered when he receives an anonymous e-mail: “You have something I want. You’ re the only person on earth who knows where to find it. Go get it. You have 72 hours. If I don’t hear from you, you will be childless.” His horrified ex-wife confirms that the threat is real: Their teenage son has been kidnapped.
The First Men in the Moon, H. G. Wells
Another classic! When penniless businessman Mr. Bedford retreats to the Kent coast to write a play, he meets by chance the brilliant Dr. Cavor, an absent-minded scientist on the brink of developing a material that blocks gravity. Cavor soon succeeds in his experiments, only to tell a stunned Bedford the invention makes possible one of the oldest dreams of humanity: a journey to the moon. With Bedford motivated by money, and Cavor by the desire for knowledge, the two embark on the expedition. But neither are prepared for what they find.
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Like I said, I’m into classics. Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.
Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir
This is pure old-school science fiction and I loved it! Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.
Non-Fiction
The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom
The true story of Corrie ten Boom, the first licensed female watchmaker in the Netherlands who became a heroine of the Resistance, a survivor of Hitler’s concentration camps, and one of the most remarkable ministers of hope in the twentieth century. In World War II she and her family risked their lives to help Jews and underground workers escape from the Nazis. In 1944 their lives were forever altered when they were betrayed, arrested, and thrown into the infamous Nazi death camps. Only Corrie among her family survived.
The Watchmaker’s Daughter, Larry Loftis
This is a biography of Corrie ten Boom, who stopped at nothing to face down the evils of her time and overcame unbelievable obstacles and odds. She persevered despite the loss of most of her family and relied on her faith to survive the horrors of a notorious concentration camp. But even more remarkable than her heroism and survival was Corrie’s attitude when she was released. Miraculously, she was able to eschew bitterness and embrace forgiveness as she ministered to people in need around the globe. Corrie’s ability to forgive is just one of the myriad lessons that her life story holds for readers today.
The Middle Kingdoms, Martyn Rady
I love history, so when I heard about this book, I had to read it. Central Europe has long been infamous as a region beset by war, a place where empires clashed and world wars began. In The Middle Kingdoms, Martyn Rady offers the definitive history of the region, demonstrating that Central Europe has always been more than merely the fault line between West and East. Even as Central European powers warred with their neighbors, the region developed its own cohesive identity and produced tremendous accomplishments in politics, society, and culture. Central Europeans launched the Reformation and Romanticism, developed the philosophy of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, and advanced some of the twentieth century’s most important artistic movements.
With the Old Breed, E. B. Sledge
An Alabama boy steeped in American history and enamored of such heroes as George Washington and Daniel Boone, Eugene B. Sledge became part of the war’s famous 1st Marine Division—3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Even after intense training, he was shocked to be thrown into the battle of Peleliu, where “the world was a nightmare of flashes, explosions, and snapping bullets.” By the time Sledge hit the hell of Okinawa, he was a combat vet, still filled with fear but no longer with panic. Based on notes Sledge secretly kept in a copy of the New Testament, With the Old Breed captures with utter simplicity and searing honesty the experience of a soldier in the fierce Pacific Theater.
The Boy from Block 66, Limor Regev
January 1945: 14-year-old Moshe Kessler steps off the train at Buchenwald concentration camp. Having endured the horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau, lost touch with his entire family, and survived the death march in the freezing European winter, he has seen more than his share of tragedy. Moshe knows only one thing about Buchenwald. Everyone knows it. If you want to survive, you have to get to Block 66. This is the incredible true story of Moshe Kessler and Block 66 – the children’s block that was at the forefront of one of the most shocking and inspiring stories of Holocaust survival.
Theology/Christian
The Holy Spirit, Allison and Kostenberger
I devoured this book when working on the series on the Holy Spirit. This edition of the Theology for the People of God series studies the Holy Spirit through the lens of both biblical and systematic theology. It provides a comprehensive look at the third person of the Trinity as revealed by Scripture, focusing on eight central themes and assumptions.
The Race Set Before Us, Schreiner and Caneday
Discipline. Endurance. Perseverance. The New Testament often describes the Christian life as a marathon, a race set before us. But what exactly is the prize? Do all those completing the race share in it? And can the prize be lost? Tackling these and other vexing questions, Thomas Schreiner and Ardel Caneday offer in this book a serious, exegetical wrestling with the biblical understanding of the nature of saving faith and its implications for the people of God. (This is some fairly deep theology, so take that as a warning before buying a copy. If you love theology like I do, you’ll like it!)
Rediscovering Holiness, J. I. Packer
The more books I read by J. I. Packer, the more I love him and wish I’d read his books a long time ago. In this book, Packer encourages us to make the Lord the center of our lives! The late theologian Packer walks you through the steps needed to live wholly dedicated to God, following the example of our Savior and focusing on worship, service, and witness. Explore salvation, holiness, repentance, empowerment, discipline, endurance, and more, and then consider the case of Mother Teresa.
God the Trinity, Malcolm Yarnell
Okay, this one is super deep. Several times I had to read the same page twice, but it was worth it. Many Christians, including most evangelicals, either relegate the Son of God to creaturely status or repudiate the personhood of the Holy Spirit. In addition, numerous scholars affirm that the doctrine of the Trinity is not clearly revealed in Scripture. Is the Trinity merely a philosophical construction, or is it essential to orthodox Christianity? Drawing on hermeneutics and biblical and historical theology, Malcolm Yarnell crafts a careful and clear response to these issues through exegesis of pivotal texts from both testaments.
Impossible Christianity, DeYoung
(I highly recommend this short little book.) How do we live a joy-filled, God-pleasing life while trying to meet crushing expectations that create anxiety? Through wisdom and engaging stories, DeYoung reassures believers that an ordinary Christian walk shouldn’t include navigating the obstacle course of past guilts and present societal problems. Find rest in simple obedience by learning what Christ actually taught about discipleship.
Bible Translations for Everyone, Tim Wildsmith
This is a fun little book you can read in 1-2 sittings. Have you ever wondered why there are so many translations of the Bible? It can be overwhelming and challenging to make sense of the differences, similarities, strengths, and weaknesses of each. This book is here to help. Chapter by chapter, it tells the story of many different versions of the Bible, including information about their historical context, the people who translated them, and what makes them unique. Tim does a great job on his YouTube channel as well, so be sure to check it out!
How to Study the Bible, Kay Arthur
This is one of those special books I had long ago that somehow walked out of my church office. I recently found an original copy in used bookstore and snatched it up. It’s Kay Arthur’s helpful book on inductive Bible study. Here’s what Christianbook.com says: Want to dive deeper into Scripture? Learn to cultivate the skills of observation, interpretation, and application – and become an active participant in God’s Word! This dynamic guide presents a systematic approach that includes keywords, context studies, comparisons and contrasts, topical studies, and more. A life-changing resource to help you live boldly in God’s truths!
The Cross and the Switchblade, David Wilkerson
They were the toughest, most hopeless kids that New York City had to offer—gang members, drug addicts, runaways, and prostitutes. Until a young rural pastor from Pennsylvania arrived on their turf and started preaching the message of God’s love and forgiveness on the street corners. Introduce a new generation to this timeless bestseller!