My 2023 Reading List

Another year is in the books. As I shared recently, it was tough for our family (see: The Fierce Capacity to Endure). We didn't get to travel as much as I wanted to, but as my vision board for 2024 says, "That's the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet." Thankfully, the reading year was fantastic.

Below you can see the 102 books I read in 2023 with my rating for each of them (5 being the best) and a brief review. Most books get a three as an average and then I adjust from there. The author or publisher provided me with any book without a number rating.

Best theology books I read this year:

• The Forgotten Creed
• Curveball
• Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies
• The Death of Omnipotence and the Birth of Amipotence

Best fictional stories I read this year:

• Exhalation
• No One Goes Alone
• Heretics Anonymous
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Best general nonfiction I read this year:

• Rising Out of Hatred
• When Breath Becomes Air
• Blood From a Stone
• Edison's Ghosts

Click on any of the titles below for a link to buy it.

1. Rising Out of Hatred by Eli Saslow (5). This was a gripping read of the real-life transformation of Derek Black from the future face of White Nationalism to actively working against it. My favorite part of the book is how we see the power of treating our 'enemies' as fellow humans and how that opens doors for growth.
2. Rethinking Sex by Christine Emba (3). I agree with her premise that healthy sex must be based on more than a culture of consent. However, I found her solutions a bit ambiguous and was hoping for more tangible ideas about how to move forward.
3. Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler (3.5). This is an engaging perspective of the author's journey through the land of the first five books of the Bible. I particularly liked some of the Jewish insights he offers as ways that the early Israelites made sense of their world. 
4. The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts (3.5). This book is short but dense. Written in 1951, it has passed the elusive 50-year mark. I enjoyed the way the author made me think but I'd need a few more reads of this to grasp more of what he's saying. I most appreciated the way he helps you to be more present in the moment.
5. Signals of Transcendence by Os Guinness. Each chapter follows the journey of someone throughout history and illuminates the turning point that led them to faith in Jesus. Not only do you feel like you get a perspective of each of these fascinating lives, but you also feel like you are reading dozens of books at once as the author seamlessly weaves together his perspective with that of others. I loved it.
6. I'm Still a Ten-Year-Old Boy by Nancy Cartright (3.5). This audiobook is written and read by the voice of Bart Simpson. If you ever grew up watching the Simpsons, she will take you on a fun ride behind the scenes.
7. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy (4). This was a moving look into the spiritual awakening of Leo Tolstoy in his own words. His analogy of life in a pit involving a dragon (with other details) is worth reading the book for.
8. Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be by Steven Pressfield (2). This book is filled with comically short chapters and seems to try too hard to nuance a simple premise. The author has a proven library of writings he draws upon, which ultimately makes this work.
9. Phosphorescence by Julia Baird (4). This meandered around a bit and was tough to follow at times. Nonetheless, I feel I would really like the author and thoroughly enjoy a conversation with her. This wisdom and perspective of the book were so profound that I sometimes felt I was reading a classic from the past rather than something written in 2021.
10. Torture and Eucharist by William T. Cavanaugh (4). This is not an easy read, both for the academic style in which it's written as well as the heaviness of the subject matter. But it was an enlightening look at how the church in Chile found its voice in the midst of an oppressive regime.
11. Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin (3). This book compares and contrasts the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson. There was nothing profoundly new about any of them but it was a helpful perspective to compare them as she does.
12. Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday (4.5). Reading this book is like drinking a mental Red Bull. It will give you wings and motivate you to tackle the hard things in your life. Easy to read and yet lots to think about.
13. The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy (4). Despite the obviousness of the title, I did not anticipate the singularity of the narrative in advance. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again for greater appreciation. This is a thoughtful look at the process of dying that is equal parts beautiful and sad.
14. Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (3). I anticipated liking this more than I did. It was reflective and interesting but fell short of anything significantly moving for me. It's been around for more than 50 years so it's stood the test of time.
15. Curveball by Pete Enns. Enns is a Biblical Professor and scholar (and fellow Yankee fan!) and yet comes at his faith in a way that always feels refreshing and freeing to me. You realize early on in the book that he isn't your normal Bible scholar when he recounts the story of talking to his refrigerator about whether Abraham was a real person. This latest book may be my favorite of his yet.
16. Babylon by Paul Kriwaczek (4). I was surprised by how much I liked this book. It offers a great look at one of history's most significant early cultures and how it affects so much of history. The ways the book helps make sense of the Biblical narrative were also fascinating.
17. After Evangelicalism by David P. Gushee (4.5). This book is so good! It felt like I was hanging out with a longtime friend. I enjoyed how he offered a new way forward for the church in light of where we've been. 
18. Tombstone by Tom Clavin (4). I'm a junkie for Tombstone history and this one delivered. Strikes a great balance of telling the important parts of the story while also adding perspective to make it even more intriguing. It also doesn't get lost in some of the tedious backstories that sometimes happen in books like these.
19. Wine for Normal People by Elizabeth Schneider (2). I liked this book, but the title is misleading (it's her brand). I don't know any normal people who are interested in this level of detail when it comes to wine! Felt more like a wine textbook to save for future reference.
20. The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann (5). This was my 9th read of this book and the first one of the year.
21. Delta-V by Daniel Suarez (4). A sci-fi story that explores the merits of mining materials in space. You realize that if this became reality it could truly alter the future for humanity on earth.
22. Critical Mass by Daniel Suarez (4). This is the follow-up book to Delta-V. Both stories are incredible in themselves and they invite you to consider other options for humanity's future.
23. Robot Theology by Joshua K. Smith. Joshua offered to send me a copy of his book and I was stoked to work my way through it. It isn't a long book, but I realized early on that he is much smarter than me and I would need to go slow to process his arguments. While this may seem like a strange topic, I agree with his premise that "Robots serve as a new media to discuss the ancient questions of philosophy and theology."
24. And a Bottle of Rum by Wayne Curtis (3). This book explores the ways in which rum has been enjoyed and its cultural role over the years. This isn't a drink I regularly enjoy, but the book made me want to try!
25. Henry VIII by Tracy Borman (3.5). This focuses on the men in Henry's life and his relationship with them. This is one of the weirder periods of history, and this book shows how power can distort how a person treats those around him.
26. Exhalation by Ted Chiang (5). I was totally caught off guard by the brilliance of this book. It's a collection of fictional stories that sneakily challenge your thinking. If you're anything like me, you'll keep running these stories in your mind long after you've finished the book.
27. The Forgotten Creed by Stephen J. Patterson (5). This is an encouraging look at what might be the earliest creed of the Christian church. What if Paul quoted a creed when he mentions in Galatians 3 that there is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female?
28. Cattle Kingdom by Christopher Knowlton (3). I bought this as an overflow of my love for Tombstone previously mentioned. It's a bit broad, but it helped me understand some of the ways in which the west was made into what we know it as today.
29. Pasta, Pane, Vino by Matt Goulding (2.5). Matt is a great writer and I suspect he could make your mouth water for a kid's meal at your local restaurant. This was a bit hard to follow at times, but he definitely shows off some of the charms of dining in Italy.
30. Congo by Michael Crichton (3). This book had a ton of promise and intrigue but it fizzled out as it went. I have enjoyed most Crichton books I've read.
31. Blood from a Stone by Adam McHugh (5). Admittedly, I found much of my own journey in this book. Adam tells of his journey from being a counselor and chaplain and moving into the world of wine. 
32. The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek (3.5). I've heard Sinek speak on these ideas before and enjoyed how he explained them in the book. This book provides a helpful metaphor for evaluating many things we do.
33. God is a Black Woman by Christena Cleveland (3.5). Reading this book as a white male is a bit of a journey (which is the point). Cleveland helps you to see both God and the world through a different perspective. 
34. Metabolical by Robert Lustig (2). I enjoy learning more about nutrition, but this felt a bit too narrowly focused. Most of the book is about the need to avoid processed foods.
35. The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck (2). I had difficulty connecting with this one, but it might be my issue. Perhaps I'll revisit this in the years to come and see if I can get more out of it.
36. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (5). Ok, this book made me cry. A doctor writes about his life and his journey with cancer. This is a profound read that will cause you to reflect on many things.
37. Heaven's River by Dennis Taylor (3). This was part four in a series I read awhile back. Took me a bit to get back into the story but then it picked up steam toward the end.
38. The Wager by David Grann (4). This was a fun read of shipwrecks and mutiny and the history of empire. And it actually happened.
39. Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang (4). After reading Chiang's other book earlier this year I went back and read this one. Same format as before with short stories that make you think.
40. Life in Five Sense by Gretchen Rubin (2). I loved the premise of this book more than the book itself. I'm all for tuning into our senses more but this felt more of a surface-level application of the ideas.
41. Saints by Kat Armstrong. I was given an advance copy of this book to review. It is more of a Bible study and it would be ideal to go through it with a group.
42. The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith (4). This was the beginning of a creative trilogy in a world where wine is influenced by witches that help it grow. It's not as far-fetched as it might sound since so much of making wine tends to defy explanation.
43. The Glamourist by Luanne G. Smith (4). Part 2 of the Vine Witch series. Does a good job building on the first book.
44. The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith (4). Part 3 of the Vine Witch series. Does a good job closing all the storylines in the series.
45. Nobody Knows My Name by James Baldwin (3). I appreciate Baldwin's perspective, but this book sometimes felt like it got lost in tangents.
46. Bleak House by Charles Dickens (3). I have loved most novels by Dickens, but I found it hard to get into this one. There are a bazillion characters to remember, and the story seems to meander bizarrely around all of them.
47. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (5). Went through this with my older kids for their first time.
48. All My Knotted Up Life by Beth Moore (3). I became a big fan of Beth on Twitter, and hearing her life story was insightful. I have massive amounts of respect for how she has led.
49. To Hell on a Fast Horse by Mark Lee Gardner (3). If you've read my reading lists before you know I'm a sucker for westerns. This is the story of Billy the Kid and the man who took him down.
50. Can't Even by Anne Helen Petersen (3). This explores Millennials and how much life has sucked for us. More importantly, she offers ways to navigate the challenges we face.
51. Bacchus and Me by Jay McInerney (3). Picked up a used copy of this at Powell's. It's an exploration into the world of wine and is a bit dated at this point. But if you like wine it's a fun read.
52. Eating Salad Drunk by Gabe Henry (4). This was a quick and fun read. It is a collection of haiku poems written by comedians. 
53. How We Change by Ross Ellenhorn (2). I want to be the kind of person who always changes for the good, so I'm drawn to books like this. While there is much to learn here, it sometimes felt a little too "self-helpy" for me. 
54. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (4.5). Stumbled onto a copy of this book at Powell's and loved it. Orwell writes about poverty with such insight and experience, and it's something all of us would do better to understand, especially those of us following Jesus.
55. Shadows in the Vineyard by Maximillion Potter (5). This was a fascinating story made even better by a masterful storyteller. Unpacks a secret attack on one of the world's most famous wineries and the backstory behind it.
56. The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann (5). This was my 10th read of this book and the second time this year.
57. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (5). I finished listening to the series with my oldest returning from our summer road trip.
58. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (5). I finished listening to the series with my oldest returning from our summer road trip.
59. Jerusalem the Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore (4.5). I had read this years ago but I revisited it and it was even better the second time. I'm amazed at how much content and history the author packs into this book.
60. Million Dollar Speaking by Alan Weiss (2). It had a few helpful insights for those who speak for a living but I ultimately didn't resonate with the book's tone or the author's vibe.
61. Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain (3). This was a fun little time-travel story around wine and what might happen if a bottle from the past could transport you and others back in time.
62. Them by Ben Sasse (4). Admittedly, I'm not a Ben Sasse fan, and I'm reluctant to read much from political leaders, especially those who try to marry their faith with their political party. With that said, I did feel that Sasse points out some great cultural insights and I appreciate the way he restrains from villainizing those he disagrees with.
63. Siblings Without Rivalry by Adele Faber (3). Not sure the content lives up to the hype—the rivalry is still going strong with our kids—but it did offer some solid parenting nuggets to take away.
64. The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt (3). This was an enjoyable story about a man learning how to age well. 
65. The Civil War as a Theological Crisis by Mark A. Noll (4). This was fascinating (and a bit depressing) to see how Christians in both the north and south used the Civil War to shape people's Christian faith.
66. To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins (3.5). This was a great coming-of-age story from someone trying to make sense of who they are in light of the beliefs they were raised with.
67. Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You) by Justin McElroy (3). This was a fun and easy read on the ins and outs of podcasting. I read this in preparation for launching Cabernet and Pray.
68. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene (3.5). This is a primer on how the world really works. It's a bit like Machiavelli in that regard and it isn't necessarily an encouraging read.
69. Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry (4.5). I enjoyed this fictional story of an atheist attending a Catholic school and the like-minded friends he meets.
70. Bring Yourself by Mori Taheripour (2.5). This looks at how to bring more of who you are to the table when you are negotiating. 
71. Brag Better by Meredith Fineman (3.5). This was a helpful guide at how to get better at self-promotion without becoming sleazy or obnoxious. 
72. The Monk and the Riddle by Randy Komisar (3). First off, the title is super deceptive IMO, and the riddle illustration didn't even fit with the majority of the content. What the book does well is to get you to stop giving your life for a good paycheck and instead find work that is meaningful.
73. The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman (4.5). I was so stoked to get the latest book in the series and this one is the funniest yet. This is a super nerdy series, and I'm very much committed to it at this point (this is book six).
74. To Hell With the Hustle by Jefferson Bethke (1.5). I found this to be mostly cliche advice, but there were occasional gems in it that brought it up quite a bit.
75. No One Goes Alone by Erik Larson (5). I really enjoyed this fictional story from an author who's become a master at writing historical nonfiction. It's a ghost story that delivers well on intrigue and suspense without getting overly dark.
76. The Life We're Looking For by Andy Crouch (3.5). I've enjoyed the work of Crouch over the years and while this book was not revolutionary, it was a great perspective reset on a number of fronts. 
77. Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants by Garrett Ryan (4). How often do YOU think about the Roman Empire? This book tackles many bizarre things you may have wondered about at this time in history.
78. Edison's Ghosts by Katie Spalding (5). The subject matter was interesting enough (the idea that brilliant people in history were also brilliantly stupid), but what makes it fantastic is that Spalding writes the hell out of it.
79. The Mind-Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer (2). I enjoyed the book's premise (spoiler: your mind and gut ARE connected), but explaining it felt redundant. 
80. The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann (5). This was my 11th read of this book and the third time this year.
81. Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton (4). This is a nail-biting story of an antarctic voyage and how the crew handles their numerous challenges.
82. I Must Say by Martin Short (3). Definitely go with the audiobook on this one as the author reads it. This was a fun autobiography.
83. The Year 1000 by Valerie Hansen (3). Hansen makes the case for how much of the world changed around 1000. While it makes for an interesting angle, I ultimately didn't see any crazy connections. It was still a worthwhile history book though.
84. The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross by John Allegro (1). This is a book I had seen referenced a number of times, and I thought I might be blown away by it. The author was either brilliant or crazy, and I suspect the latter. Felt a bit Freudian to me.
85. The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr (2). As the title implies, this book explores the nature of a good story and includes numerous examples of storytellers who have mastered the craft.
86. Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies. I absolutely loved this book and also had the chance to do a podcast with the author to unpack the ideas further.
87. Revelation for the Rest of Us by Scot McKnight (2). I was expecting to love this book but was ultimately underwhelmed. I thought McKnight's other books packed a lot more punch.
88. The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus (1.5). This is another one I couldn't really get into it. This is considered a classic, so this issue may be entirely mine. Explores existentialist thought.
89. The Death of Omnipotence and the Birth of Amipotence by Thomas Jay Oord. This was another gem I loved this year, and I also got to do a podcast with the author to dive deeper into the material.
90. Whiskey Master Class by Lew Bryson (3). I've been trying to learn how to appreciate whiskey, and this book is a good primer on the subject.
91. Medusa's Head by Rand Mirante (4). A previous book I read referenced a man named Joseph Fouché, who lived and thrived under numerous regimes in France (before, during, and after Napoleon). I found this book to explore his life further.
92. Love People Use Things by Joshua Fields Millburn (2). Explores the minimalist perspective in how you live. Think Marie Kondo but for life advice.
93. Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever (3.5). I've been intrigued by Bourdain's life and this biography gets into many of the behind-the-scenes about his relationships through the words of the people closest to him.
94. The Streets of Paris by Susan Cahill (2). This was a strange but fun mashup of a book. It explores places of note with their historical significance while giving you a modern-day look at how to experience them the best way in your travels.
95. Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett (5). I read this book each Christmas season as a prelude to A Christmas Carol. I love how Bennett adds to the story.
96. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (4). This was a fun story of friends who make video games together and the story of their lives.
97. Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely (4). This book makes you practically smarter (and possibly more annoying to others when you find yourself explaining the concepts). A great look at how we make decisions.
98. Returning to Eden by Heather Hamilton. Heather looks at Scripture as myth and shows you how to draw deeper truth from it by reading it this way. This book will certainly challenge your understanding of the Bible and Christianity itself. I had the chance to do a podcast with Heather about the book (which will be posted later in January).
99. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (5). My favorite Dickens novel and one I read every December. I particularly enjoy the way Tim Curry reads it on audiobook.
100. Pappyland by Wright Thompson (4). Continuing in my whiskey education, this book puts many things in perspective. I really enjoyed the way the author tells the story of three generations of whiskey distillers.
101. Indigo by Jonathan Foster. Jonathan became a friend of mine this year after I did a podcast with him. This book is a quick but profound look at dealing with grief.
102. The Bible (5). I no longer try to read the entire Bible in a year but still love using my Jesus-centered version with the New Living Translation.

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