Here are the books I’ve read since January of 2013 with my rating for them (5 being the best) and a brief review. Make sure you also check out my lists from previous years, as well as my recommendations on how to become a better reader.
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- The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis (4). This starts the Chronicles of Narnia series and introduces us to Aslan and the magical world of Narnia.
- The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (4.5). Such a great story that brings to light the incredible sacrifice of Jesus through a fictional story of talking animals.
- The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (3). A look at a neighboring land of Narnia and how the kingdoms intersect.
- Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (3.5). A year later, the four children from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe return to Narnia to find that hundreds of years have passed in Narnian time since they were last there.
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (4.5). Might be my favorite one of the series. Prince Caspian (book 4) and two of the kids from books 2 and 3 sail to the end of the world and find incredible magical islands along the way.
- Intellectuals and Society by Thomas Sowell (2). Thomas brings up a lot of interesting points about the damage that the intelligentsia can do to society (mainly liberal intellectuals). However, he does not spend any time on potential solutions to this problem or how his stance on everything is any different than the people he is criticizing.
- The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (4). Two of the kids from book 5 return to save Prince Caspian’s son from an evil enchantress.
- The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (4.5). The end of Narnia. The is both the darkest and the richest of the entire series. I was shocked how bummed I was to end the series. Lewis is brilliant and the entire series is so good.
- The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain (4.5). Gives a great perspective of what the Holy Lands would have been like to experience 150 years ago. Twain writes with clarity of wit and insight. Allowed me to enjoy my experience all the more because of how much better it was than his!
- Start-Up Nation by Dan Senor and Saul Singer (3.5). A fascinating look at why Israel produces such great results economically amidst all of the conflict and turmoil. The book unpacks how this unique culture also creates and fosters the entrepreneurial spirit.
- The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan (2). A more relational look at the tension between Israelis and Palestinians over the land of Israel. It is told through a story that isn’t overly compelling yet it is helpful to walk through details of the struggle for the last fifty plus years.
- Pursued by Jud Wilhite (4). Technically I read this book at the end of last year but I forgot to put it in my list. Since it came out in 2013 I feel that it warrants a delayed mention on this year’s list. I loved this book so much I taught a message on it.
- The Blessed Life by Robert Morris (3). The biggest strength of this book is the stories that he tells of ways in which God has moved both in his life and in the lives of those around him. It left me realizing that I need to pray bigger prayers and look for ways in which God can supernaturally get involved in how I give.
- Jerusalem: The Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore (4). A detailed account of the power struggles for the land of Israel and especially this great city from the time of antiquity to modern day. While any reader will only retain a small fraction of the wealth of knowledge in this book, it serves as a great guide to give perspective on the last 4000 years.
- How Fantasy Sports Explains the World by A.J. Mass (4). This is half fantasy sports, half witty social commentary. As a writer for ESPN, Mass has first hand experience in all things fantasy sports and he displays his stellar writing ability and humor as he looks at life through this unique lens. One of the most truly enjoyable reads I’ve had in awhile.
- Deep and Wide by Andy Stanley (4). I’ve always liked Andy’s tendency to say things that are a bit aggressive in confronting the status quo, and this book delivers that in bundles. There are parts where I chuckled to myself when Andy would challenge the reader and then pause to reflect on how harsh he was being in the process. In addition, Andy delves deeper into his own story in this book and I found that particularly fascinating.
- The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris (4). I love how much this book challenges your thinking. Much of it was too extreme for my taste but even his extreme concepts challenge you to process why you do things the way you do. This is a great book for work perspective and it’s LOADED with specific tools to use like websites, books, and companies.
- The Naked Gospel by Andrew Farley (5). I first read this book more than three years ago but it remains one of the most transformational books on Christian faith that I’ve ever read. Just as good the second time. I strongly recommend that EVERY Christian read this.
- Unstuff Your Life by Andrew J. Mellen (2.5). While his concepts of “like with like” and “one home for everything” are solid, the book is more of a practical workbook than a philosophy of how to think differently about your stuff. I was hoping for more of the abstract but he gets way down into the weeds on how to implement it.
- Start by Jon Acuff (4.5). This is the third book I’ve read from Jon and I loved it maybe the most yet. What I love most about the book is how Jon inspires you to get off your butt and do something about those dreams you have lingering inside you. I’m convinced that we all have them but only a few of us ever do anything serious about them.
- The Sisters Brothers (4.5). This was a wildly entertaining fictional story set in the wild west. It follows two brothers who are hired killers yet have a way of really getting you to root for them and even feel sorry for them. The only part that kept it from being a five for me was the ending.
- Extra Virginity by Tom Mueller (3.5). I became interested in olive oil during my trip to Israel this year. This book explores the health benefits, historical significance, and commercial climate of olive oil today. Surprisingly interesting.
- The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (3.5). Obviously, I disagree with the thesis of this book but Dawkins argues his points well. It is insightful as a believer to hear his perspective. Most of all, it makes me sorry for all of the Christians who live their faith without any logic as to why.
- The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson (4). As becomes readily apparent in this book, Mark’s journey with God and his ministry career can be unpacked through moments of prayer. He certainly practices what he preaches. Prayer isn’t an area where I feel as disciplined as I want to be so there was much to chew on for me and much to encourage me.
- The Source by James Michener (4.5). I absolutely love the concept of this book and the depth in which the author explores the history of Israel and the Jews. My only issue is that his books are SUPER LONG and this one took me quite a bit of time and disciple to finish up.
- Excellence in Preaching by Simon Vibert (2). I had hoped that this would be a modern biography of great preachers and their habits but it looked namely at a sermon or two from each one and talked about style and content.
- All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin (4.5). I really liked this book. He focuses on how we are all telling stories and the importance of making sure that your story is a good one.
- The Essential Epicurus (1.5). I read this as research for my next book and for that purpose I’d give it a five. However, to a person who isn’t writing my next book I’d give it far less.
- Finding Ultra by Rich Roll (3.5). An inspiring look at a guy who went from couch potato to ultra marathoner. Stories of discipline like this one often do a good job of motivating us to look beyond our own sense of normal.
- An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin (2.5). A fictional story from the great comedian about the art world.
- Present Perfect by Greg Boyd (3.5). This book takes a break from the intellectual depth of Boyd’s other books and focuses on the practical. The concept is simple: how do we experience the presence of God in each and every moment?
- Blunder by Zachary Shore (4). Why do smart people sometimes make dumb decisions? This book explores a few reasons why and shows us what to look for lest we create our own blunders.
- What Money Can’t Buy by Michael J. Sandel (4). Sandel does a terrific job showing how much money can buy these days, but then explores the things it can’t buy and why it never can. A very interesting look at culture.
- What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell (4.5). One of my top two favorite Rob Bell books. I really enjoy the way he talks about God and how he challenges the reader to think about God in a fresh way. (It’s much better than Love Wins).
- Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris (3). Just as weird as the other book of his that I read. But somehow, through all the weirdness I still like his writing and his honesty. Some of his phrases are amazing. Weird guy but killer writer.
