A New Year’s Tradition…ish
Last night, as we were talking about the past year with our kids, and discussing things we want to learn and ways we want to grow in the New Year, my five year old daughter laid out a brilliant reading plan for me: “first you read, then you sleep, then you get up, then you read, then you eat, then you read, then you eat, then you read.” Thank you, Juna.
If you, too, are interested in the eat/sleep/read plan for 2025, then perhaps this post will be of at least mild interest to you.
This is always one of the most fun things to write every year. I love books. I love reading. I love thinking about what I’ve read. I love telling other people what to read.
Annual caveat as to the peculiarities of my particular list: I never count re-reads in my top 10 (or 7). Those books I re-read and much enjoyed land in the definitely worth the time section. They are denoted by an asterisk*. Also: I only give each author one slot in the top group, and the ordering is arbitrary.
You can read previous editions here: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2012
Top 7
* Shopclass as Soulcraft, Matthew Crawford
One of the best books I’ve ever read. Crawford is a gifted writer and a clear thinker. His argument for the value of manual labor in a world where white-collar jobs are given far more cultural prestige is insightful, at times cutting, and a joyous ride. The book is slightly dated in a few points, but those areas do not bear heavily upon on the central thesis. They may, in fact, strengthen it.
* Scattered Minds, Gabor Mate
A really interesting book. I promised on Goodreads that I was working for a review for this newsletter - that still hasn’t happened. I need a long-form space to really wrestle through some of his ideas, and I’m not sure how best to tackle them. This dive into the origins and cure of ADD is fascinating.
* Leaving Home, Garrison Keillor
Keillor is fun. Lake Wobegon is so relatable and true.
* Ordering Your Private World, Gordon MacDonald
This book probably had the biggest impact of any that I read this year. As someone whose private world has often been characterized by disorder, and this book was both challenging and helpful. Especially the last chapter, which was on Sabbath.
* The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien
I had made some half-hearted attempts to read LOTR in the past, but late in 2023 I decided I was actually going to read through in 2024. So glad I did. Far better than I imagined. Return has always been by far my least favorite of the movies, so what a pleasant surprise to be blown away again and again by the genius and joy of the book. The final line has become of my favorite book endings ever.
* Life in the Negative World, Aaron Renn
This book is based on Renn’s viral article in First Things, “The Three Worlds of Evangelicalism.” If you are intrigued after reading the article, you should definitely pick up the book. An analyst by trade, Renn offers a framework for helping believers understand the world we now live in, and has some helpful suggestions for individuals and churches as we move into the future. One of those books that leaders should read, and probably anyone could benefit from.
* The Surprising Genius of Jesus, Peter J. Williams
Williams, a New Testament scholar on faculty at Cambridge, does something very unusual in this book: he walks through the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, showing that Jesus’ parables were not simply quaint little stories he pulled off the cuff, but rather demonstrate a mastery of Israel’s history, the Old Testament Scriptures, and the art of narrative teaching. Really good.
Definitely worth the time
Father Hunger*, Douglas Wilson
The Lord’s Service, Jeffery Myers
Dispensationalism*, Michael J. Vlach
Well Met, Joffre Swait
Painting as Pastime, Winston Churchill
A World Without Email, Cal Newport
Ploductivity*, Douglas Wilson
A Son to Me*, Peter J. Leithart
Jesus The Son of God, D.A. Carson
A Primer on Worship, Douglas Wilson
The Two Towers*, J.R.R. Tolkien
Orthodoxy*, G.K. Chesterton
An Intelligent Person's Guide to Philosophy, Roger Scruton
The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Monsters from the Id, Michael Jones
It’s Good to Be a Man, Michael Foster and Bnonn Tennant
To a Thousand Generations*, Douglas Wilson
Black and Tan*, Douglas Wilson
The Household and the War for the Cosmos*, C.R. Wiley
Expositional Preaching, David Helm
Mere Christendom, Douglas Wilson
Made in the Image*, Joffre Swait
Untune the Sky, Douglas Wilson
Leadership and Emotional Sabotage, Joe Rigney
Becoming Your Own Banker, Nelson Nash
The Taste of Sabbath, Stuart Bryan
Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible*, Robert Stein
Green Ember Archer Series, S.D. Smith
One to One Bible Reading*, David Helm
Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors, Voddie Bauchumm
Wild Life, Jackson Whitman
How to Read a Book*, Mortimer Adler
Theology in the Democracy of the Dead, Matthew Jenson
Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Entre Leadership, Dave Ramsey
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If you want to see everything I read, you can check out my year in books over on Goodreads. My goal this year is more modest than last, in terms of total books, but that’s because I’m taking a stiffer course of reading material. Hopefully more on that in a later newsletter.
What are you reading right now? Did you have a book your particularly enjoyed in the past year? Anything you’re looking forward to reading in the coming year? I’m opening comments up on this post for all readers — I’d love to hear what books you recommend!
