As much as I love reading, I wasn’t able to read as many books as I would have liked this past year. Life just got in the way a little bit. When I did read, I went old school, reaching back to read some older books, some which I read years ago. Some are classics, but a few are new, and there’s a mixture of fiction, non-fiction, and Christian books.
Here are the books that I read and enjoyed from October 2023 to now. (I’m currently reading a great little book, but that will have to wait until next year’s post!)
Also, I’d love to hear what you’ve read in the past year, so please feel free to put those in the comments.
One more thing, these book summaries are mostly copied right off of Amazon or Christian Book Distributors. Why re-invent the wheel?
Fiction
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
Respectable, comfort-loving Bilbo Baggins has no use for adventures — until Gandalf the Wizard “volunteers” him to lead a dragon-defying, cross-country treasure hunt! The beloved prequel to The Lord of the Rings.
The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
The story of the creation of the world and of the First Age, this is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back and in whose events some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took part.
Out of the Silent Planet, C. S. Lewis
This book begins the adventures of the remarkable Dr. Ransom. In this first book in the Space Trilogy, Dr. Ransom is kidnapped and taken to the planet Malacandra where he learns the meaning of divine providence and gains new insight into the organization of our universe.
Perelandra, C. S. Lewis
The second book in the Space Trilogy continues the adventures of the extraordinary Dr. Ransom. Pitted against the most destructive of human weaknesses, temptation, the great man must battle evil on a new planet – Perelandra – when it is invaded by a dark force.
The Patriot Threat, Steve Berry
The 16th Amendment to the Constitution legalized the federal income tax, but what if there were problems with the 1913 ratification of that amendment? Problems that call into question decades of tax collecting, and could even bring down the US economy. There is a surprising truth to this possibility – a truth wholly entertained by author Steve Berry. Former intelligence agent Cotton Malone must track down a rogue North Korean who has obtained some top secret Treasury Department files that threaten the downfall of the United States.
The Jefferson Key, Steve Berry
Four presidents of the United States have been assassinated—in 1865, 1881, 1901, and 1963—each murder seemingly unrelated. But what if those presidents were all killed for the shocking same reason: a clause contained in the United States Constitution? This is the question faced by former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone, who must break a secret cipher originally possessed by Thomas Jefferson, unravel a mystery concocted by Andrew Jackson, and unearth a document forged by the Founding Fathers themselves.
Non-Fiction
Road to Surrender, Evan Thomas
A riveting, immersive account of the agonizing decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan—a crucial turning point in World War II and geopolitical history. This is the true story of three men, two Americans and one Japanese, who were intimately involved with America’s decision to drop the atomic bomb—and Japan’s decision to surrender.
River of Doubt, Candice Millard
After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.
The Aquariums of Pyongyang, Chol-hwan Kang and Pierre Rigoulot
Amid escalating nuclear tensions, Kim Jong-un and North Korea’s other leaders have kept a tight grasp on their one-party state, quashing any nascent opposition movements and sending all suspected dissidents to its brutal concentration camps for “re-education.” Kang Chol-Hwan is the first survivor of one of these camps to escape and tell his story to the world, documenting the extreme conditions in these gulags and providing a personal insight into life in North Korea. Part horror story, part historical document, part memoir, part political tract, this book brings together unassailable firsthand experience, setting one young man’s personal suffering in the wider context of modern history, giving eyewitness proof to the abuses perpetrated by the North Korean regime.
Theology/Christian
Keep in Step with the Spirit, J. I. Packer
The Holy Spirit is often the most misunderstood member of the Trinity — and has come into greater focus in today’s church revivals. In this updated edition of his classic, Packer explores the merits and shortcomings of the current charismatic movement and how to make sure Christ is always at the center of true Spirit-led ministry.
The revised edition of A Theology for the Church retains its original structure, organized under these traditional theological categories: revelation, God, humanity, Christ, the Holy Spirit, salvation, the church, and last things. This is a thorough systematic theology by Baptists. Each chapter within these sections contains answers to the following four questions: What does the Bible say? What has the church believed? How does it all fit together? How does this doctrine impact the church today?
Eternity Changes Everything, Stephen Witmer
Our view of the future affects how we feel and act in the present. Stephen Witmer excites us about where the world is heading, gives certainty about where we as individuals are heading, and thrills us about how eternity really does change everything in our daily lives.
Historical Novel
Rise to Rebellion, Jeff Shaara
Jeff Shaara brilliantly brings to life the American Revolution, creating a superb saga of the men who helped to forge the destiny of a nation. Beginning in 1770 with the fateful command — “Fire!” — and following the dramatic events that led to George Washington leading the new American army, this book brings our Founding Fathers to life, where we can see their struggles, concerns, and beliefs as they realize the need to make a stand.