Lots and Lots of Book Reviews
Looking for a good book? I read nearly 100 books a year, so here are hundreds of mini-reviews that might help.
Click the links and you’ll either find my personal review or it will take you to the Amazon page. And reviews from previous years are in links at the bottom of the page.
And remember, I have written a couple of books myself! My latest, Junkyard Wisdom Advent, is now available.
Here are the 2024 books:
Forty Autumns, by Nina Willner. Amazing Cold War story about a family split between East and West Germany.
We Solve Murders, by Richard Osman. A great new series from a wonderful author. Love the characters he creates.
Halloween Party, by Agatha Christie. Not the author’s best work, but still fun.
Revenge of the Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell. Even when the author is wrong, he’s still fascinating. A good read with interesting insights.
The Last Escaper, by Peter Turnstall. Great autobiography of a British prisoner of war in the Nazi prisons. Definitely worth reading if you are a history buff.
The House Sitter, by Peter Lovesey. Most interesting and best written detective mystery of the series (so far).
Death of a Charming Man, by M.C. Beaton. Why do I keep reading these predictable books? Probably because I like the main character. Still, this one was weak enough to make me question whether to read the next one.
The Hidden Ways, by Alistair Moffat. This might require me to create the category of, “Best Book I Didn’t Finish.” Great stuff here, but I didn’t need to read about ALL the byways of historical Scotland.
Edinburgh – Picturesque Notes, by Robert Louis Stevenson. A bit of history and a bit of cultural perspective from the famed author.
The Black Count, by Tom Reiss. The little told story of the father of Alexandre Dumas. What an amazing life he lived.
The 39 Steps, by John Buchan. An early spy story. Feels a bit dated of course but still fun and a great insight into how the genre evolved.
Skye: The Island and Its Legends, by Otta Swire. A must read for anyone heading to the famous island. Great stories.
Democracy and Solidarity, by James Davison Hunter. The author, a favorite of mine, is entirely too sophisticated to title the book “How the heck did we get into this mess?” But he answers the questions in a historical, cultural, and sociological way that makes a ton of sense.
Telling the Truth: the Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale, by Frederick Buechner. Holy freaking awesome! Loved this book. The premise is brilliant. The opening imagery of Pilate as chain smoking curmudgeon just trying to get through a tough situation is wildly engaging.
How the Scots Invented the Modern World, by Arthur Herman. Not quite the compelling case as made in How the Irish Saved Civilization, but the same idea. Good history, if entirely too long.
Evanly Choirs, by Rhys Bowen. Book three in the series. Good mysteries but stupid character development.
Macbeth, by Shakespeare. You might’ve heard of it.
History of Scotland, by Billy Wellman. A short overview of a few thousand years. It is naturally confusing at times, with the years flying by so fast. But great for me as I prepare for a trip.
An Altar in the World, by Barbara Brown Taylor. A little dated but that’s my fault for not reading it years ago! Good book.
Hearing God, by Dallas Willard. A classic.
Death of a Traveling Man, by M.C. Beaton. Book #9 in the series, and a very happy ending for everyone but the dead guy.
A Refiner’s Fire, by Donna Leon. Not her best work.
Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, by Giles Milton. Wonderful book but probably too detailed for most readers. Glad the story is recorded though.
Reykjavik, by Ragnar Jonasson. Brilliant book. Lots of good elements here — a believable and well structured mystery, history, heroes and heroines, believable characters.
The Cornish Village Murder, by Fiona Leitch. It’s the second in a series of seven books, but it’s the last one I’ll read. It was free, so there’s that.
Diamond Dust, by Peter Lovesey. Book #7 in the series, a sad one this time, but of course the hero gets the bad guy.
Holy Envy, by Barbara Brown Taylor. Great stuff. Forewarning, though, it’s going to push the buttons of a lot of Christians.
The Queen of Poisons, by Robert Thorogood. Third in the series, definitely a fun cast of characters, should be a fun TV show.
The Light Over Lake Como, by Roland Merullo. The author is one of my favorites but this book had characters that seemed to fit stereotypes.
The Bible According to Mark Twain, edited by Howard Baetzhold and Joseph McCullough. A fun collection of readings that will make you laugh, cringe, and think.
Just the Good Stuff, by Jim VandeHei. He’s right — the book is filled with good stuff, mostly lessons learned in leadership. But it’s also nothing new. This gets my “meh” rating.
The Brave In-Between, by Amy Low. Wow. Great book. I don’t typically read books about people battling health issues because they are too depressing. Amy takes the genre to whole new heights. One of the best books of the year.
Murder on the Vine, by Camilla Trinchieri. Third in a series, the character development improves each time.
The Call to Serve, by Jon Meacham. A brief version (with lots of pictures) of Meacham’s previous biography of George H.W. Bush.
A Harvest of Secrets, by Roland Merullo. Fun book about Italy in 1943. A rich family with a famous vineyard. Add in the farm workers, spies, murders, war, heroes, and several love stories. Fun.
Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told, by Jeff Silverman. Well, they aren’t the greatest stories, and they might not be the best written stories. Meh.
Vatican Waltz, by Roland Merullo. Loved this book until the last couple of pages, which seemed contrived. But the rest was great.
Evan Help Us, by Rhys Bowen. These are fun books.
Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt. Readers LOVE this book. I found it predictable, overly wordy, with stereotypical characters, and weak dialogue. But hey, I could be wrong.
Evans Above, by Rhys Bowen. It was a freebie so figured it was worth reading.
Death of a Greedy Woman, by M.C. Beaton. Why do I keep reading this silly series? Oh, wait, because it’s simple fun.
The Spy Coast, by Tess Gerritsen. A fun book. Good summer read. If you are looking for a perfect spy book, this isn’t it. If you are looking for entertainment and relatable characters, it is.
Murder Most Royal, by SJ Bennett. Third in a clever series. Nothing really grand in this, and parts are too unrealistic, but still fun entertainment.
Thoughts on Love, Anne Lamott. As with all of her books, the author has a great way of finding just the right phrase to stick in your head.
Age of Revolutions, by Fareed Zaharia. He’s a great writer and an insightful thinker. But I’m not a fan of extrapolating from massive eras of change and comparing it to today.
Death of a Prankster, by M.C. Beaton. I’ve enjoyed this series but it’s starting to get silly. And repetitive.
The Cornish Wedding Murder, by Fiona Leitch. First in a series. Jury is still out but has the potential to be a fun one.
The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams, by Stacy Schiff. The writing style didn’t work for me. All the facts are there, but the flow is stunted and disjointed.
The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict. Historical fiction built on a true story. It didn’t grab me, but I listened to the audiobook and the narrator may have been too dramatic for my taste. Could be my irritation with that didn’t give the book a fair chance.
Think Remarkable, by Guy Kawasaki. Based on insights gleaned from his podcast.
England: From the Fall of Roman to the Norman Conquest, by Jennifer Paxton. One of those Great Courses lectures, and this is indeed a great one.
That Bear At My Pants, by Tony James Slater. A memoir of a guy who volunteered at a variety of international animal rescue centers. Sometimes funny, often naive, and just “meh” at keeping my attention.
The Beginning, by H. Claire Taylor. If I’m going to read a book of cliches, then at least make it funny. Or wildly creative. This book didn’t impress me.
The Charity Shop Detective Agency, by Peter Boland. One of those cozy mystery books set in England with a bunch of retirees. It didn’t work for me.
The Great Horned Owl, by Scott Rashid. We have a lot of owls on our property so just reading up to better understand them!
All My Knotted Up Life, by Beth Moore. I admire the author, I just don’t get much from her books.
The Only Rule is it Has to Work, by Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller. Two baseball nerds with a passion for stats take over a minor league team to see how their theories play out. If you enjoy baseball, you’ll love this book.
The Wall, by Adrian Goldsworthy. The final (maybe?) book in the series about a Roman centurion of British birth. This series is basically historical fiction for guys who liked the movie Gladiator. Fun and interesting.
The Wizard of the Kremlin, by Giuliano da Empoli. Brilliant, extremely well written, fascinating, and frightening as hell.
How to Know a Person, by David Brooks. More brilliant insight from a great writer. This rises to the top of my list for the year.
Tiny Tales, by Alexander McCall Smith. When you become a writing icon, you can search your files for unfinished stories and little snippets, then put them together as a book. To my surprise, it was actually fun.
Barn Owl, by David Chandler. Good overview of a fascinating creature (that we have several of on our Ranch).
The Bitter Taste of Murder, by Camilla Trinchieri. There’s a lot to enjoy about these books. Sadly for me, there are also a lot of characters I can’t keep track of. But I’ll read one more in the series.
Let Your Life Speak, by Parker J. Palmer. Absolutely worth reading.
What an Owl Knows, by Jennifer Ackerman. We have several owl boxes around our properties and these amazing animals have always fascinated me. This book is fantastic.
Three Days in January, by Bret Baier. Love how this book is structured, using Eisenhower’s last speech as a way to review his Presidency. Well worth your time.
A Radiant Birth, edited by Paul Willis. A collection of Advent readings that should be on your radar. Brilliant stuff.
The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, by Tim Alberta. Amazing book, wish every Evangelical would read it and take it seriously. But damn it’s depressing.
Hand Drawn Jokes For Smart Attractive People, by Matthew Diffee. A few dull ones but mostly funny.
The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman. I loved the first three in the Thursday Murder Club series, and was thrilled that this fourth one was the best yet.
Enzo Ferrari, by Brock Yates. A classic that is now a movie.
The 2023 books:
Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver. This is both a great novel and an overused cliche.
Cave of Bones, by Lee Berger. Interesting story about the fossil remains of an extinct species of humanoids. Well, some people think of them that way.
The Clementine Complex, by Bob Mortimer. Fun if sometimes predictable.
Driving Jesus to Little Rock, by Roland Merullo. Maddeningly frustrating to anyone with an ounce of theological training in the Christian tradition. Which is why every Christian should read it and explore the questions it brings up.
Normal Rules Don’t Apply, by Kate Atkinson. Brilliant idea, but it just didn’t work for me. I found some of the chapters to be dull.
Death of a Snob, by M.C. Beaton. Bubble gum for the brain. Still a lot of fun.
Hidden Christmas, by Timothy Keller. Thought now was the appropriate time to read this book.
Ghosts of Honolulu, by Mark Harmon. How did NCIS begin? Mark Harmon the television star tells a fascinating story of Naval espionage in Hawaii during World War II.
The City, by Adrian Goldsworthy. Fun book, historical fiction, by a historian.
Hidden Potential, by Adam Grant. Part research paper, part storytelling, part pep talk. Great book.
Keeping Watch, an Advent Journal. Produced by the staff at the Fuller De Pree Center.
The Vault, by Peter Lovesey. My favorite of this series so far.
City on a Hill: A History of American Exceptionalism, by Abram C. Van Engen. Most of us have heard the quote that America is a city on a hill. But what was meant by it when it was originally written?
Alexander the Great: A Captivating Guide to the King Who Conquered the Persian Empire, by Amazon. Another in their collection of short historical books.
The Case of the Case of Kilcladdich, by P.J. Fitzsimmons. Silly fun.
Wrecker, by Carl Hiaasen. Sure, it’s a kids book. But still fun.
Ireland, by Frank Delaney. What a brilliant book. Wish I’d read it before my trip to the green isle. Thank you, Mark, for the recommendation.
The Barbary Wars. One in a huge list of history books Amazon came out with. It’s generic history, nothing special, but if you come across a topic you know nothing about it’s a good primer. I’ll read one or two more.
The Discreet Charm of the Big Bad Wolf, by Alexander McCall Smith. Another in the series, this one feels more like the authors misc insights than a cohesive plot.
Mystics, by Murray Bodo. I wanted to like this book, but it just didn’t resonate for me.
Unexpectedly, Milo. By Matthew Dicks. The author is brilliant at creating quirky characters. He does it again with this book. The plot is unimportant; it’s all about the characters.
Trying to Remember, by Anne Crossman. Beautiful poems, a tribute to her grandmother who had Alzheimers.
Dog on It, by Spencer Quinn. A detective story told through the voice of the detectives faithful dog. Fun idea, has some limitations, but I’m glad I read it. Probably won’t read more in the series though (famous last words of a compulsive reader).
Freeing Jesus, by Diana Butler Bass. Another one of my college classmates publishes a first rate book. Even if you don’t agree with it all, you’ll be challenged to think more deeply about Jesus.
The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel. I had not heard this story and it was riveting. Loved it.
Drop Dead Bread, by Victoria Kazarian. The first in a series, written by a fellow college classmate. Fun “cozy” mystery.
Death of a Hussy, by M.C. Beaton. Another in a series, this one wasn’t believable.
Passenger to Frankfurt, by Agatha Christie. Easily the worst book by AC that I’ve read.
Reckoning at the Riviera Royale, by PJ Fitzsimmons. A silly story with unlikeable characters. Other than the valet, who is great.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde. Depressing, sad, and brilliant.
Jesus’ Alternative Plan, by Richard Rohr. Simply brilliant. It says a lot of things I’ve believed for a long time, but it says them remarkably well.
Death of a Perfect Wife, by M.C. Beaton. Another in the series, and great “read by the lake” fun.
Trust, by Herman Diaz. Pulitzer Prize and fantastic praise, but I’m still trying to get my brain around it.
Horse, by Geraldine Brooks. There is the race … and there is race. Great writing about a fascinating story.
Killers of a Certain Age, by Deanna Raybourn. Forty years ago, four women are recruited to be professional assassins. Now they are ready to retire, but the firm they work for want them dead. The results are a good story. A fun book!
His Name is George Floyd, by Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa. The Pulitzer Prize winning review of how his life was shaped and led to his tragic end. Impressive book, sad story, and a legacy America needs to remember.
Upon a Dark Night, by Peter Lovesey. Mediocre tale but fun characters.
The Wager, by David Grann. An author on Facebook mentioned their friend wrote this book, and it’s great. Loved how he took a true story and made it read like a book of fiction. It is definitely a true to life Robinson Crusoe type story.
Death Comes to Marlow, by Robert Thorogood. These are basically “bubble gum for the brain” books, and I enjoy them.
Death of an Outsider, by M.C. Beaton. Book #3 in the series. Dated of course, and a bit contrived, but still fun.
The Last Slave Ship, by Ben Raines. Fascinating history of the last ship to bring slaves into the United States. Author was the person who discovered it’s wreck.
The Exquisite Art of Getting Even, by Alexander McCall Smith. Just so-so.
So Shall You Reap, by Donna Leon. Another in her long series about Venice detectives.
A Fever in the Heartland, by Timothy Egan. Disturbing look at the rise of the Klan in Indiana during the 1920’s.
Death of a Gossip, by M.C. Beaton. The launch of a fun series.
The Fort, by Adrian Goldsworthy. Another in his series on a Roman centurion. Historical fiction, but still fun.
Cuba: An American History, by Ada Ferrer. Pulitzer Prize winning book, well worth reading if you are interested in Cuba and/or Caribbean history.
The Complete Father Brown Stories, by G.K. Chesterton. Such a fun series.
Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, by Anderson Cooper. Personal and well researched story of the Vanderbilts. Maybe it’s more than most of us care to know, but it’s definitely an amazing story.
Code Name: Lise, by Larry Loftus. A pet peeve of mine are the fictional accounts of women doing great things in World War II. Why are we not telling the TRUE stories of amazing women? This book is a GREAT example of the stories that could be told. More please!
Death of a Laird, by M.C. Beaton. Fun short book in a great series.
Et tu, Brute? by Harry Mount and John Davie. Fun book about the influence of the Latin language on our culture. If you are interested, try the audiobook.
The Private Life of Spies, by Alexander McCall Smith. Fun collection of short stories.
Black Flags, Blue Waters, by Eric Jay Dolin. Interesting history of piracy in North America.
The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse, by PJ Fitzsimmons. Mediocre at best, basically bubble gum for the brain.
Unreasonable Hospitality, by Will Guidara. He knows more about hospitality and fine dining than I do, but the book comes across as narcissistic and predictable at times.
The Sum of Us, by Heather McGhee. At the risk of commenting on something I’m no expert on, I completely agree with the premise of the book but found the argument lacking.
Pedro Paramo, by Juan Rulfo. I needed a guide for this book — it’s magical, mysterious, perplexing, brilliant, and hell if I knew what was happening half the time. But a classic.
The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros. Yeah, I know, it was released 25-years ago. So I’m slow, okay? Finally read it, and wow what a great book.
Bloodhounds, by Peter Lovesey. Another Peter Diamond mystery. These are fun.
Up from Slavery, by Booker T. Washington. His autobiography, which has some interesting anecdotes.
American Demon, by Daniel Stashower. A look at Eliot Ness and his work in Cleveland.
Maureen, by Rachel Joyce. From the author of Harold Fry, we now get the story from his wife. Just excellent. A bit sappy, but hey, it made me pause and think, so maybe a little sappy is a good thing.
Coffin Corner Boys, by Carole Engle Avriett. An amazing, touching, wonderful true story.
The Summons, by Peter Lovesey. Another Peter Diamond mystery. These are fun.
A Grand Theory of Everything, by James McGirk. What a complete waste of time. Stupid and dull.
Rethinking Life, by Shane Claiborne. Shane has such a winsome way of sharing controversial perspectives. Love the guy.
Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism, by Bob Edwards. A short, simple overview of Murrow’s work and legacy. Includes some of his original broadcasts.
Band of Angels, by Kate Cooper. What a fascinating book. Subtitle says it all: The Forgotten World of Early Christian Women.
Butler to the World, by Oliver Bullough. An amazing book about Britain being the harbor/host of all kinds of shady financial dealings.
The Winemaker’s Wife, by Kristin Harmel. A book that fits the formula of the times: World War II from the perspective of women (which is great to see) aimed directly at women with more taste than to read romance novels. The characters are boring and predictable, almost cliches. Good twist at the end but not worth all the other crap to get there.
American Sirens, by Kevin Hazzard. What the heck? I had no idea about the truth in this surprising book.
A Murder of Crows, by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett. Uninteresting characters.
The Bookshop Murder, by Merryn Allingham. Boring. But hey, it was free on Amazon Prime.
Prisoners of the Castle, by Ben Macintyre. Fascinating look at a Nazi run POW camp (castle, actually).
Do Open, by David Hieatt. Excellent book about the power of newsletters. A must for anyone in marketing.
Give Unto Others, by Donna Leon. Another in the long series. Hidden bonus — it includes a mystery with a Belize connection.
Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. Short, simple children’s book that deals with very adult issues.
The 2022 books
The Narrative of Sojourner Truth, by Sojourner Truth. A classic.
Diamond Solitaire, by Peter Lovesey. This older book (early 90’s) still entertains. I’m enjoying this series.
A Dozen Disappointing Disciples, by Tom French. Written with humor, but ultimately nothing new here I didn’t already know. Even so, I’m glad someone is trying to amuse us in the midst of teaching us!
Humility, by Andrew Murray. A classic. Desperately needed in our age.
Night, by Elie Wiesel. Such a powerful book. Worth reading every decade or so.
Racing the Light, by Robert Crais. Another in the Elvis Cole detective series, and this one gets back to the old original wisecracking private eye.
The Crocodile, by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Short book that made me laugh, shake my head, and think more deeply about the authors meaning.
The President and the Freedom Fighter, by Brian Kilmeade. This feels like a book that didn’t need to be written. I’m not sure I learned anything new about this moment in history or about these two amazing men.
Less, by Andrew Sean Greer. Just could not get into it. For me at least, the characters are boring.
A Spirituality of Fundraising, by Henri Nouwen. I eagerly read this little book every few years. A classic.
The Bullet That Missed, by Richard Osman. The third in the Thursday Murder Club series, with several special guests (who I hope become regulars). Such a fun series.
Learning Humility, by Richard Foster. A favorite of mine tackles the exact opposite of what the world values. In an age of pride, we need humility. Read this book to be a better person (and to get to know an amazing person).
The Mosquito Bowl, by Buzz Bissinger. Interesting story about Marines organizing a football game at the height of World War II in the South Pacific.
Something Missing, by Matthew Dicks. A quirky, fun book. Maybe too much description and detail for my taste, but the story (when it finally moves forward) is engaging.
Running With Sherman, by Christopher McDougall. Oh my, this is a fun book!
And There Was Light, by Jon Meacham. A biography of Lincoln by a great historian. Meacham looks at how Lincoln’s unwavering focus on making the just decision even against the expedient one, but always balanced to look at the long game. This book has amazing parallels to the social and democratic challenges we face in our nation today.
Smart Brevity. Written by the three founders of Axios, it’s a great guide to shorten and sharpen your writing.
Noir, by Christopher Moore. One of the only Moore books that bored me.
To Love and Be Loved, by Jim Towey. A biography of Mother Teresa from a friend and admirer.
All the Queen’s Men, by SJ Bennett. I read the first book in this series, and figured I’d read this one since the Queen recently passed. It’s … okay. Way too many characters to keep track of though.
The Stupidest Angel, by Christopher Moore. Dumb plot, dump people, but incredible snarky. I enjoyed it.
Surrender to Love, by David Benner. A wonderful work. So many tidbits of wisdom in the book.
Murderous Mistral, by Cay Rademacher. Murder mystery set in Provence. Just okay.
Murder at the Tea Party, by Sonia Parin. Second book in the series, and it was even dumber than the first. I barely finished.
Atlas of the Heart, by Brene Brown. Two things are equally true: this is a very good book, and it’s a little too angsty for me.
The Last Detective, by Peter Lovesey. An actual detective book with a plot that makes sense!
Death and Fromage, by Ian Moore. The second in a series, and even worse than the first one. Why do I keep reading these?
House Party Murder Rap, by Sonia Parin. A silly book, filled with stereotypes, that never really goes anywhere interesting. But hey, it’s free on Amazon.
Celebrities for Jesus, by Katelyn Beaty. My favorite book of the year.
Path Lit by Lightning, by David Maraniss. The remarkable story of Jim Thorpe. Such an amazing person.
The Power of Crisis, by Ian Bremmer. The theme of the book (that a crisis can move us forward) is overshadowed by the opinions. Just so happens I agreed with most of the opinions, so liked the book.
Dignity in a Digital Age, by Ro Khanna. It has all the feel of a politician preparing for higher office.
West With Giraffes, by Lynda Rutledge. What a sweet, wonderful, creative novel! Loved every page of this book. Definitely worth reading.
River of the Gods, by Candice Millard. The story of the English explorers searching for the source of the Nile. What’s interesting (for me) is that nobody in the book is truly a hero, in fact most are unlikeable. Yet the story is still fascinating.
Black Boy, by Richard Wright. Powerful, sad, sometimes a touch surreal. A classic, but a disturbing one.
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, by Christopher Moore. Not my favorite of Moore’s books — because at some point you have to have at least one foot in reality. But still funny.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving. Just needed to read a classic.
The Church of Baseball, by Ron Shelton. The guy who gave us the movie Bull Durham tells the story of how it all came together. I enjoy the movie, but I read this book mainly because Ron attended my alma mater. The first part of the book is about his life in minor league baseball and it’s really fun. Second half is about movie making and it’s fine.
Murder in Chianti, by Camilla Trinchiere. I wanted to love this mystery, but it was slow moving and I found it hard to like the main character.
Squeeze Me, by Carl Hiaasen. Typical over the top novel with cartoon like characters set in all the seediest parts of Florida with a ridiculous plot. In other words, a fun summer read.
The Color of Money, by Mehrsa Baradaran. The subtitle sums up the book: black banks and the racial wealth gap. Brilliant and thorough review of black banks in America throughout our history, and the unfulfilled hope they represent.
Hearts Touched With Fire, by David Gergen. Great leadership book by someone who worked with dozens of great leaders.
Letters to a Young Pastor. Eugene Peterson wrote a series of letters to his son, Eric. Even though little of it is relevant to me, there is a ton of wisdom here.
Faces at the Bottom of the Well, by Derrick Bell. Want to understand CRT? Start here. Not gonna be what you expect.
Trace Elements, by Donna Leon. Another fun mystery/detective story set in Venice.
Faith After Doubt, by Brian McLaren. Great book is you are in the deconstruction phase. Honestly, doubt has been a cornerstone of my faith for 40-years, so not sure it was written for me. But it’s well done.
Broncho Billy and the Essanay Film Company, by David Kiehn. If you enjoy early film history, and especially if you live in the San Francisco East Bay, this is a must-read.
The True Power of Endurance, by Robert Jones. I met Robert in New Orleans; amazing life story, and amazing to see how he lives by grace.
Forest Bathing, by Dr. Qing Li. To be honest it’s not a very convincing book. I believe the concept, just don’t think the book uses solid analytics.
Brigantia, by Adrian Goldsworthy. Third in a series of historical fiction.
Letters to a Young Poet, by Rainer Maria Rilke. Brilliant poet, brilliant letters. Fascinating look into Rilke’s heart.
Forget the Alamo, by Bryan Burrough. A touch of myth busting, a touch of revisionist history, a touch of truth, a touch of what feels like frustration.
Amateurs Without Borders, by Allison Schnable. There’s a lot of truth in this book, but it feels poorly interpreted or applied.
Raising Financially Fit Kids, by Joline Godfrey. Nice book. I read this as background research for a teaching project.
A Wealth of Possibilities, by Ellen Perry. More research.
The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin. Wow. Other than some political references, you’d never know the ideas in this book are 60-years old.
The Other America, by Martin Luther King, Jr. A classic speech worth listening to.
Manual for Living, by Epictetus. Always fun to hear ancient wisdom. Okay, so maybe “fun” isn’t the right word. Let’s go with interesting.
Be the Bridge, by Latasha Morrison. Powerful and thoughtful. I only wish it had more realistic action items.
The Short Novels of John Steinbeck. This has been on my desk for a couple of years. Finally finished all the books within it. Most were my third or fourth time through, but Steinbeck’s writing still amazes me.
How the Word is Passed, by Clint Smith. Powerful, well researched, deeply emotional. This really is a great book.
The Tale of the Tenpenny Tontine, by PJ Fitzsimmons. Silly, meaningless, overly wordy, but ultimately engaging. I can’t believe I read the entire trilogy.
Wholehearted Faith, by Rachel Held Evans. Her tragic death at a young age makes her an icon. And thank God for her bravery in overcoming her religious background. But honestly, all her books seem to have the exact same story and message.
Liturgy of the Ordinary, by Tish Harrison Warren. If you think liturgical traditions are too stale, check out this book and see how you might develop liturgies for ordinary things.
Stewards of Eden, by Sandra Richter. The deep dive into the theology creation care is the strength. Other parts were just okay.
Subversive Witness, by Dominique DuBois. Excellent content, but nothing I hadn’t heard before.
The Power of Regret, by Daniel Pink. Best book of the year so far. By a mile. Read this one.
The Case of the Ghost of Christmas Morning, by PJ Fitzsimmons. Wildly overcomplicated.
Saving Us, by Katharine Hayhoe. Where the heck was Katharine in the late 80’s and early 90’s when we were preaching this stuff? Damn she’s good. Read this book, people. The world needs to take heed.
Harlem Shuffle, by Colson Whitehead. The storyline is engaging and the writing is superb. The only weakness is how tough it was for me to understand Harlem in the early 60’s! But that’s not a fault of the book.
Fortune, by Lisa Sharon Harper. Great book. The style is like listening to a gifted preacher, which grows tiresome. But that shouldn’t take away from this simple fact: it’s a great book.
The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett. Such a classic; lost count how many times I’ve read it, and enjoy it every time.
Practical Demonkeeping, by Christopher Moore. Silly, zany, borderline ludicrous . . . and at times skirting with evil. Enjoyed the story, though really would prefer less flippancy about demons.
Murder in the Caribbean, by Robert Thorogood. Fun detective mystery with some quirky characters. This is the fourth in the series; all fun.
The Art of Community, by Charles Vogl. A good book about the importance of community, but he becomes too prescriptive and analytical on the “how” of community.
The Power of Fun, by Catherine Price. The first part of this book is great because it explains why we need to intentionally include fun in our lives. Stop there and you’ll enjoy it. But continue and the book explains a process to create that fun, which I found unhelpful and prescriptive. The author also weaves in her warnings about smartphones, which was the focus of her first book, and thus felt like a repeat.
Cast, in Order of Disappearance, by Simon Brett. Interesting premise for a mystery but it hasn’t aged well.
Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Mortality, by Richard Beck. Very interesting book about the tension between mercy and sacrifice, and how we get it all mixed up.
The Case of the Canterfell Codicil, by PJ Fitzsimmons. I’m on the fence about this murder mystery set in England during the 1920’s (or so). It can be funny, unpredictable, and the main character is snarky in a fun way. But hasn’t all that already been done? I’m going to read the second in the series, so that’s a positive. But I’m still on the fence.
Reading Buechner, by Jeffrey Munroe. There’s nothing wrong with this book except one thing: Buechner’s writings and insights are far more interesting than his actual life. So a biography — which is basically what this book feels like — comes across as flat.
Travels with George, by Nathaniel Philbrick. It’s hard to make a history book fun for the average reader, but the author pulls it off. He travels the same routes as George Washington as the first President tried to create a national identity. Interspersed with the history stories are the authors accounts of traveling across the Eastern States. Very fun.
Empire of Pain, by Patrick Radden Keefe. So depressing. What a greedy, evil family the Sackler’s are/were.
Meditations of the Heart, by Howard Thurman. A collection of his writings edited into devotions. There is brilliance here, but sometimes density that made me read things two, even three times to fully understand.
Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann. The (sadly) true story of a murder spree among Native Americans in Oklahoma. What a surprise, oil and money had something to do with it. Thank you, Mr. Grann, for telling this story. Long overdue.
How to Become a Federal Criminal, by Mike Chase. The author has a podcast focusing on crazy federal laws, and this books pulls it together into an entertaining narrative. Some parts aren’t that great. But overall a fun book.
Fierce Love, by Jacqui Lewis. Enjoyed it.
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