Favorite Books of 2024
Buckle up everyone. This is going to be a long one. I read 130 books in 2024 which is the most I’ve ever read in one year. So, I’m going to recommend 50 books. 10 that came out in years other than 2024 and 40 that came out this year. Let’s get to it.
10 Recommended Books That Came Out in Years Other Than 2024:
10. Divine Gravity by Meghan Larissa Good (Ep. 148 Meghan Larissa Good - Are We in the Middle of a New Reformation?)
9. Miracle and Wonder by Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam
8. How Far to the Promised Land by Esau McCaulley
7. How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told by Harrison Scott Key
6. Try Softer by Aundi Kolber (Ep. 224 Aundi Kolber - Embodied Resilience: Finding Safety and Moving Toward Risk)
5. How Not to Be Afraid: Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying by Gareth Higgins (Ep. 232 Gareth Higgins - Transformative Storytelling: Conflict, Fear, Love, and the Movies)
4. The Overstory by Richard Powers
3. The First Advent in Palestine by Kelley Nikondeha (Ep. 247 Kelley Nikondeha - The First Advent in Palestine)
2. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
1. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Favorite Books That Came Out in 2024:
40. The Hope in Our Scars by Aimee Byrd (Ep. 180 Aimee Byrd - Finding Hope in the Underground of Disillusionment)
39. The Cave, The Road, The Table, and The Fire by Karl Martin (Ep. 194 Karl Martin - Living and Leading From a Deeper Place)
38. The Narrow Path by Rich Villodas (Ep. 200 Rich Villodas - The Narrow Path)
37. De-Sizing the Church by Karl Vaters (Ep. 216 Karl Vaters - De-Sizing the Church)
36. Lunchroom Theology by Heather Gorman and Mark Nelson (Ep. 242 Heather Gorman & Mark Nelson - Pushing Tables Together in a Fractured World)
35. The God Story by Alain Emerson and Adam Cox
34. Reframing the Prophetic by Christine Westhoff (Ep. 221 Christine Westhoff - Reframing the Prophetic)
33. When the Church Harms God’s People by Diane Langberg (Ep. 244 Diane Langberg - When the Church Harms God's People)
32. Between Two Trailers by J. Dana Trent (Ep. 203 J. Dana Trent - Finding Your Way Through Trauma Towards a Life of Meaning and Belonging)
31. The Spirit of Justice by Jemar Tisby (Ep. 217 Jemar Tisby - The Spirit of Justice)
30. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
29. Need to Know by Danielle Strickland (Ep. 250 Danielle Strickland - Overcoming Patriarchy: Reclaiming the Mutual Flourishing of Men and Women)
28. Confessions of an Amateur Saint by Mandy Smith (Ep. 227 Mandy Smith Returns - The Power of Confession and Reliance on God's Spirit)
27. The Wood Between the Worlds – Brian Zahnd (Ep. 156 Brian Zahnd Returns - The Multi-Faceted Wonder of the Cross)
26. The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
25. Thirsting by Strahan Coleman (Ep. 228 Strahan Coleman - Quenching Our Soul's Deepest Desire)
24. Empowered to Repair by Brenda Salter McNeil (Ep. 186 Brenda Salter McNeil - The Repair of Broken Systems)
23. Your Jesus is Too American by Steve Bezner (Ep. 229 Steve Bezner - Is Your Jesus too American? Reclaiming a Kingdom Vision for Following Jesus)
22. A Whole Life in Twelve Movies by Gareth Higgins and Kathleen Norris (Ep. 232 Gareth Higgins - Transformative Storytelling: Conflict, Fear, Love, and the Movies)
21. Invisible Jesus – Scot McKnight and Tommy Preson Philips (Ep. 235 Scot McKnight - Is the Deconstruction Movement a Prophetic Work of the Spirit?)
20. Even After Everything by Stephanie Duncan Smith (Ep. 239 Stephanie Duncan Smith - Knowing the Risks and Loving Anyway)
19. A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings (Ep. 209 Tia Levings - Breaking Free from Patriarchal Control)
18. Healing What’s Within – Chuck DeGroat (Ep. 230 Chuck DeGroat - Healing What's Within)
17. Strange Religion by Nijay Gupta (Ep. 161 Nijay Gupta Returns - How the First Christians were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling)
16. Blessed Are the Rest of Us – Micah Boyett (Ep. 173 Micha Boyett - Embracing Limits and Longings: Disability, Parenting, and the Beatitudes)
15. The Atlas Factor – Lance Ford (Ep. 158 Lance Ford - Shifting Leadership Onto the Shoulders of Jesus)
14. Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
13. Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart by Russ Ramsey (Ep. 236 Russ Ramsey - Hope in the Face of Suffering: Art, Beauty, and the Glory of God)
12. The Shape of Joy by Richard Beck (Ep. 240 Richard Beck - The Shape of Joy)
11. Reckoning with Power by David Fitch (Ep. 149 David Fitch Returns - Reckoning with Power)
10. How to Walk Into a Room by Emily P. Freeman (Ep. 160 Emily P. Freeman - Discerning When to Stay and When to Go)
This one resonated with me deeply. It came at the right time as I was discerning whether to stay or enter a new space in my life. Emily writes as a deep spiritual guide that does what all great spiritual directors do: help us discern our life, where we fit, what brings meaning, where we find purpose, and how we connect with God and others. It’s a book that provides wisdom for any stage and place of life you find yourself in.
9. Journey to Eloheh by Randy and Edith Woodley (Ep. 231 Randy & Edith Woodley - Indigenous Wisdom and the Journey to Well-Being)
Randy and Edith share their story and helps us recognize the values of indigenous life that bring fulfillment and joy. I love Randy’s astute observation of worldview. It helps us see the world through fresh eyes as it removes some of the scales we have when it comes to our inherited worldviews.
8. I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger
This novel, set in the near future, tells a story of a man dealing with grief and loss. On the run, the main character finds people that show kindness and helps him not give into the despair of life. Longing for the love that was taken from him, he finds it again in unexpected places. A great adventure infused with the refusal to give up on love.
7. The Gift of Thorns – AJ Swoboda (Ep. 172 A.J. Swoboda Returns - Jesus, the Flesh, and the War for Our Wants)
The best book on desire I’ve read. AJ is a terrific writer. He dives into the importance of our desires and longings and points us to the fact that beneath every desire is a something greater than we long for. Ultimately our desire leads us to our connection with God and with one another.
6. The Understory by Lore Ferguson Wilbert (Ep. 184 Lore Ferguson Wilbert - An Invitation to Rootedness and Resilence from the Forest Floor)
What a gift this book is to the disillusioned among us. Lore looks to the forest floor and notices that in times of grief and lament there is still life to be had. It’s a book that feels magical. Full of compassion, it ultimately points us to hope. Hope for a life of connection and life even when there doesn’t seem to be much life to be had.
5. Fully Alive by Elizabeth Oldfield (Ep. 187 Elizabeth Oldfield - Becoming More Fully Alive)
Elizabeth Oldfield’s book addresses the Christian life and ethic through the lens of the seven deadly sins. I love her emphasis on connection and how disconnection is at the root of sin. It’s well written in the voice of someone that knows how to have a conversation with people she disagrees with – conversations that are full of grace, curiosity, and empathy.
4. Life After Doom by Brian McLaren (Ep. 181 Brian McLaren - Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart)
A lot of people were hesitant to dive into this one because it starts out apocalyptic. The end of the world is near. The world is seemingly falling apart. So what does Brian McLaren give us? Wisdom in how to live in this age. It’s a profound book that dives deep into the heart of what it means to live a human life with purpose and connection. I found the chapter on indigenous wisdom eye opening and so very helpful. If you can get through the first few chapters without being totally depressed about the state of the world, you are in for a rich experience.
3. The Church in Dark Times by Mike Cosper (Ep. 243 Mike Cosper - The Church in Dark Times: Resisting the Lure of Ideology)
I love this book. It makes you think deeply about temporal issues of the modern age through a cosmic lens that weaves in the lure of ideologies (which is about the powers and principalities that are at play) and the banality of evil. Cosper doesn’t just address the problem of power that has seduced the evangelical church, he helps provide alternatives that helps us live a better story. He dives into identity, rootlessness, and anxiety as issues that need a better answer than surface level ideologies.
2. Circle of Hope by Eliza Griswold (Ep. 208 Eliza Griswold - A Reckoning with Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church)
This book is a master class in immersion journalism. Spending four years with the church of Circle of Hope in Philadelphia, Eliza chronicles the life of the congregation through the lens of four pastors. A progressive evangelical church, Circle of Hope, started to move justice issues to the center of church life during the Covid pandemic. It’s a fascinating case study of what happens to the body when we both look inward to the detriment of neighbor love and when justice issues are more important than being a Jesus centered church that is concerned about justice. Eliza is one of the best writers we have. Well worth the read.
1. Field Notes for the Wilderness – Sarah Bessey (Ep. 159 Sarah Bessey - Practices for an Evolving Faith)
It’s a book that gives me the feeling of being led by a grace-filled guide. On sabbatical in the summer of 2023, I was led on a wilderness hike by a woman that made me slow down, take notice of the flowers that only grow at a certain altitude, and put me in a place of peace and calm. This book is like that. Sarah guides you through the wilderness of faith and gives permission to be curious and thoughtful about grace, love, forgiveness, and repentance. My favorite place to be is in a comfortable chair next to a roaring fire while it’s snowing outside. Reading this book transported me to my favorite place. This is Sarah’s best book and it very well be my favorite book of all time.