2020 Reading List
This wasn’t a great year, but I did get a lot of reading done. Here’s the list.
The Power Paradox, by Dacher Keltner. Excellent book about how power should not be viewed through the prism of Machiavelli, but through the prism of empathy, generosity, and a host of other virtues. The authors research essentially confirms what the authors of the Old Testament wisdom books knew several thousand years ago.
Messy, by Tim Harford. YES!!! This is a book everyone needs to read. It echoes so much of what I’ve tried to say in my writings, but is so much better. Take all the lessons from this book and apply them to spiritual life, and you’ve got an all time classic.
The Innovative Church, by Scott Cormode. I love the chapter “How the Church Is Calibrated for a World That No Longer Exists.” Well said, Scott.
The Richest Man in Babylon, by George Clason. The first time I read this book it felt contrived. I know it’s a classic, but it still feels that way to me.
The Psychology of Money, by Morgan Housel. Brilliant. I wish everyone struggling with finances — or wanting to avoid those struggles — would read this book.
Clouds of Witness, by Dorothy Sayers. Clever mystery set in 1920’s England.
Atomic Habits, by James Clear. Very good self-help book, which is extremely rare for me to say.
Shadow and Light, by Tsh Oxenreider. First part of the book explains advent, then readings. It didn’t resonate with me but that’s just me.
Low, An Honest Advent Devotional, by John Pavlovitz. The opening hooked me — raw, gritty, honest. The rest felt pedestrian. Still good, just a let down after a great opening.
Light Upon Light, compiled by Sarah Arthur. An advent reader for those who love poetry. I read it. I still can’t get excited by it. Happy now Paul?
At the Still Point, compiled by Sarah Arthur. My friend Paul said it was great. I tried. It is. But it’s not my kind of thing.
One Blood, by John Perkins. Probably the last great book from the author. What a deep thinker, a man of God, a great man of faith.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever, by John “Chick” Donohue. This is a fantastic book. Seriously, if the topic interests you, read it. It’s funny, poignant, adventurous, and historical.
Charlemagne, by Captivating History. I didn’t know much about Charlemagne. It was worth the time, though not a great book.
Wise Blood, by Flannery O’Connor. She’s a great writer, obviously, but dang her stories are dark.
Real Characters: A Tip of the Hat to Nonconformity, by David Lyle Jeffrey. Fun stories of the interesting people and their stories that the author has met over the years. Brilliantly written.
Yes, and … by Richard Rohr. Fantastic collection of his writings. I used it as a daily devotional since each entry is about a page long.
The Red Pony, by John Steinbeck. Not sure how I never read this one before. Begins so wonderfully, but is so filled with angst and sadness. One of those books that never truly resolves itself into a simple beginning, middle, and end.
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World, by Fareed Zakaria. I agreed with most everything in this book, but still disliked the partisan tone. Fareed would say it’s just truth and good journalism. I wouldn’t disagree. Just not sure what it added.
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. Obviously a brilliant book. So many insightful lines.
Whose Body? By Dorothy Sayers. The first of her mysteries. It’s a great book, but it really felt dated.
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. A nice warm cuddly tale of the benevolence of mankind. Oh wait, no, it’s not that at all.
Jesus and the Disinherited, by Howard Thurman. A classic in understanding the importance of Jesus in the lives of the oppressed and disinherited of the world, and especially in America.
Langston Hughes: The Value of Contradiction, by Bonnie Greer. Short biography of a fascinating man.
The Harlem Renaissance, by Jonathan Gross. A one hour audio blend of poetry, history, and jazz.
Love is the Way, by Bishop Michael Curry. Great book. Really enjoyed this message, though it does feel a very long sermon at times!
The Uncommon Reader, by Alan Bennett. Fun simple (fictional) story about the Queen and her reading addiction.
Tortilla Flat, by John Steinbeck. Read this years ago and it’s fun to return.
Gracias, by Henri Nouwen. My third or fourth timing reading this amazing book.
A Spirituality of Fundraising, by Henri Nouwen. More brilliance.
In the Hands of the People, by Jon Meacham. Great collection of quotes from Thomas Jefferson on key current topics. It comes together to define the American idea of democracy.
Humanocracy, by Gary Hamel. This is a good book to read if you work in a big bureaucracy. Since I don’t, this book wasn’t helpful. I tend to like the author’s books so I was disappointed so little here was relevant for me.
His Truth is Marching On, by Jon Meacham. Amazing biography of the late John Lewis. Wow.
All in a Garden Green, by Paul Willis. Fun time travel book written by someone I really admire, so highly suggested! It’s an interesting story and a good Covid escapism book.
“Thou, Dear God”, by Martin Luther King, Jr. A collection of MLK Jr’s best prayers. Short and simple, this makes for a great daily devotional.
The Color of Compromise, by Jemar Tisby. If you are in church leadership, you absolutely must read this book. And then do something about it.
Napoleon’s Hemorrhoids, by Phil Mason. A few amusing anecdotes but mostly a waste of time.
The Way of Chuang Tzu, by Thomas Merton. So fascinating. One of those books I read more than once.
Emancipation Still Comin’, by Kortright Davis. A bit dated, but if you want to understand the religious climate of the Caribbean, it’s a must read.
Augustine and the Pelagian Controversy, by Benjamin B. Warfield. Really only for theology geeks.
Doughnut Economics, by Kate Raworth. A progressive vision of how we need to rethink the assumptions of economics.
Becoming Brave, by Brenda Salter-McNeil. Brenda tells a powerful story of becoming brave enough to speak out about racial injustice. Using the story of Esther as a backdrop for her own journey, this is a brilliant book.
Lou Gehrig: The Lost Memoir, by Alan Gaff. Half the book reprints the articles Lou wrote for newspapers in the 1920’s. They are fun, but not sure if justifies this book. The actual biography covers known ground.
Celtic Mythology, by Philip Freeman. Wow, how can they take something so amazing and turn it into something so boring?
Across That Bridge, by John Lewis. Inspiring, beautifully written, idealistic …. all the things you’d expect from John Lewis.
Faster, by Neal Bascomb. How could I not enjoy a book about upstarts in racing taking on the Nazi’s? True history at its best.
Neither Jew Nor Gentile, by George Yancey. An academic work specifically focused on diversity in Christian higher education. If the topic interests you, it’s a must read. Otherwise, maybe not.
Lights on a Ground of Darkness, by Ted Kooser. Brilliant descriptions of life in the mid-West in a different era.
Upstream, by Dan Heath. A great book about solving problems before they become problems. I know, sounds obvious. But Heath shares insights worth understanding.
Frederick Douglass, by David Blight. A Pulitzer Prize winning biography, brilliantly done.
The Talented Mr Varg, by Alexander McCall Smith. Why do I keep going back to these books? They really aren’t that good. I guess it’s just a longing for simplicity.
Dream Big, by Bob Goff. Bob does it again with a fun book. Keep them coming, Bob!
A Monstrous Regiment of Women, by Laurie R. King. A follow up to her first Sherlock Holmes book, this one meanders too much. Felt like we had to get through the entire first half of the book before knowing what the mystery was.
I’m Still Here, by Austin Channing Brown. Best read of the year for me. Challenging, even annoying at times, but exactly what this white guy needs to better understand.
The Murder on the Links, by Agatha Christie. Another fun — if somewhat scattered — murder mystery.
A Stand-Up Comic Sits Down with Jesus: A Devotional?, by Rich Praytor. The jokes are funny. The devotional stuff is predictable and, in my opinion, sometimes misplaced.
A Gentle Answer, by Scott Sauls. A timely book seeking to diffuse so much of our “us against them” mentality.
Writing Creative Nonfiction, by Tilar J J. Mazzeo. I guess it’s not really a book — it’s an Audible special lecture. Helpful.
A Dangerous Man, by Robert Crais. Action packed detective mystery. The sort of silly thing one reads on vacation. And yeah, I wish I was on vacation.
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, by Laurie King. Such a great book.
In Search of the Celtic Saints, by Simon Webb. Good overview.
Vexed, by James Mumford. Why must we buy into a single political narrative? For instance, why can’t we be pro-gun AND pro criminal system reform? Sadly, our political structures do not allow a variety of opinions within them. Good book if you are interested in exploring this concept.
The World, by Richard Haass. Well written overview of how the world came to be the way it is today, the structures that are driving change, and the risks involved. Should be required reading for everyone, especially before they start ranting about world issues they know little about.
Leadership for a Time of Pandemic, by Tod Bolsinger. Nicely condensed version of Tod’s great book Canoeing the Mountains, updated for today’s unique situation.
The Final Solution, by Michael Chabon. Still not sure why this receives so much praise. Interesting, but ultimately predictable.
The Stranger, by Albert Camus. Wow. Nihilism was never so stark. Or so interesting.
The Splendid and the Vile, by Erik Larson. Great look at Churchill, his family, and the Blitz. If the topic interests you, it’s a must-read.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie. One of the few AC books I’ve not read. Fun story.
The Storm Before the Calm, by George Friedman. The author writes about long term trends and predictions, and this book look at the next decade (which he predicts to be tumultuous).
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote. Much to my surprise, I had never read this book. Great writing.
Return of the Thin Man, by Dashiell Hammett. Always love the authors crisp dialogue and fun stories.
The Taste of Many Mountains, by Bruce Wydick. Interesting novel (sorta) about whether free trade coffee is indeed helpful to the farmer.
A Craftsman’s Legacy, by Eric Gorges. I grew around people who worked with their hands, so this resonated with me. Loved it.
Once Night Falls, by Roland Merullo. If you enjoy historical fiction set in World War II, check this book out. It’s set in Italy, includes a love story, has partisans fighting the Nazis, and a well developed cast of characters.
The Love Song of Queenie Hennessy, by Rachel Joyce. Holy crap this is a good book. You don’t expect such greatness from a follow-up novel, but this is as good or better than The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
The Book of Joy, by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Carlton Abrams. A conversation between two great faith leaders. Interesting to see how their perspectives overlap most of the time, but not always.
The Death of Politics, by Peter Wehner. Must reading for any conservative who is frustrated by Trumpian politics.
The Hope of Glory, by Jon Meacham. If you read one book for Lent, this is the one. Wow. Great stuff.
Breathing Under Water, by Richard Rohr. I gave up underlining great lines in this book and just highlighted everything. Or so it seems. Great insights.
Trade is Not a Four-Letter Word, by Fred Hochberg. More of us, especially in government, need to read this book and learn how trade between countries makes us wealthier, safer, and more competitive.
A Murder of Quality, by John le Carre’. Another George Smiley murder mystery. Fun.
Caffeine, by Michael Pollan. Short, simple audiobook about the power of caffeine.
Our Man in Havana, by Graham Greene. Fun, insightful, sometimes silly book.
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. Hadn’t read this book since my daughter was a little girl, but wanted to after seeing the movie. So good.
Lumberjack Jesus, by Bruce Kirkpatrick. A personal story of unconditional love.
Thou Shalt Not Be A Jerk, by Eugene Cho. Balanced and thought guide for people of faith engaging in politics.
Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss. Wow, this is a great book. If you do business with me, please don’t read it. Everyone else should.
Tightrope, by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn. A depressing, sad, frustrating book. Everyone should read it.
On the Road with Saint Augustine, by James K.A. Smith. Viewing Augustinian philosophy through this lens was helpful for me. I’ve struggled with Augustine before but this was a great platform to explain his ideas.
On the Road, by Jack Kerouac. I read this because I wanted to better understand the book above. Glad I did.
A Good Provider is One Who Leaves, by Jason DeParle. What a fascinating book. Follows the life of a family in the Philippines from the 80’s to today as they immigrate. Great insights.
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. What can I say? It’s a classic. Enjoyed listening to it on Audible.
Why Leadership Sucks, by Miles Smith. Sorry, but didn’t do anything for me.
Pastrix, by Nadia Bolz-Weber. Her books always strike me as her trying too hard to be hip. Her theology doesn’t bother me, but then I’m not picky. Heard her on a few podcasts and think I will stick to those in the future.
Spitfire: A Very British Love Story, by John Nichol. Not a love story — this is a wonderful book about all the men and women who flew, worked on, and beat the Nazi’s with the Spitfire.
The American Story. This is a wonderful collection of interviews with some of the great American historians. Definitely get the Audible version of this.
The Last Resort, by Douglas Rogers. A memoir about the challenges in Zimbabwe the last few decades. Powerful but sometimes a bit too into the weeds for me.
The Parker Ranch of Hawaii, by Joseph Brennan. A Christmas gift so I read it. Meh.
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