My 2022 Reading Wrapped

This year I spent time scouring the pages of genres ranging from memoir, self-help, theology, business, Church history, spiritual formation, and more. I still haven't ventured into fiction (although I bought one fiction book that I haven't opened yet- it's baby steps!). I read 21 books start to finish this year, far less than last year. You can blame it on my incessant need to attend concerts of obscure musicians. Just kidding. You can blame it on a very demanding summer App launch (check it out! LendHOPE worldwide). But these 21 books (plus the several that I am currently finishing) left their mark on me. I think that is one of the things that I love most about reading. Pick a good book, spend time with it, and it just might become a part of you.

Soooo here is my little anticipated and un-highlighly demanded (yes I make up words now), tiny list of my favorite reads this year. And as an important side note before I begin, I have read my Bible daily for over 15 years now and I do want to make note that it is the best book ever written. The more I read, the more I am amazed at the existence of such a cohesive book, with upwards of 40 authors. I know talking about the Bible in a list of books of various genres is kind of cheating, but the Bible is truly unparalleled, even just from a purely literary standpoint. Now that I am off my brief soapbox, let the list begin!

1. The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry Into the Old Testament by Sandra L. Richter

N.T. Wright has described books in the past as "solid scholarship made accessible," and I believe that his words apply perfectly to "The Epic of Eden". This book is filled to the brim with profound insight into the Biblical narrative/story. While much I learned was directly found within these pages (such as a description of the deeper meaning behind the tabernacle, cherubs, etc.), the connections this book helped me to make for myself have left a lifetime impression. Any discussion of the Old Testament that brings me back to the Gospel is compelling, and this book reminded me that God longs to be with us and has fought to meet with us back in the Garden since the beginning of time. 10/10 recommend for any and everyone.

2. Disappearing Church: From Cultural Relevance to Gospel Resilience by Mark Sayers

I became a fan of Mark Sayers after listening to the "This Cultural Moment" podcast. Mark's insight into the plights of our culture, the interplay between culture and Christianity, and the Christian defense in an age of the progress of secularism are grounded in truth. Mark is able to communicate his ideas with boldness and yet never sacrifices the observation of nuance. He has maintained such balance and has guarded himself against extremity. As we continue to navigate a post-Christian culture, Mark Sayer's work becomes increasingly important. His content is matched with a clear and concise writing style. I couldn't put this book down!

3. Four Views on Divine Providence, edited by Dennis Jowers

Four Views of Divine Providence is from the series Counterpoints: Bible and Theology. This series will take a controversial or highly debated subject and break down the common perspectives. Therefore, Four Views on Divine Providence walks through four distinct views on the providence of God. Four authors write essays on their viewpoint and then each of these authors gets a chance to rebuttal the other three essays. The heavy use of Scripture guided my own discovery and I walked away from this read feeling fairly firm in understanding on a topic that once deeply confused me. I would highly recommend this to anyone wrestling with providence and wanting a more scholarly read on the topic. Buyer beware: this one took me some major time to get through!

4. Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church by Katelyn Beaty

In her book, Katelyn Beaty writes on a very hot topic in the current larger Christian culture. I find that when someone writes critiquing aspects or exposing the plights of Christian culture, they often veer into sensationalism. However, Katelyn's writing was so fair and balanced, it made me love her and her work even more! "Celebrities for Jesus" is about the platforming of charismatic leaders in the evangelical movement. Her insights, telling of history, critiques, and warnings were all fair, warranted, and important. I loved this honest, hopeful read.

5. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depends on It by Chriss Voss with Tahl Raz

Another book I could not put down. Chris Voss recounts his experiences as a hostage negotiator and how these negotiation tactics apply to everyday life. It was simultaneously an entertaining and practical book. I'll be trying a few of these tactics out the next time American Airlines refuses to honor my flight credits and let you know how it goes. (Was that shade? I'll let you be the judge.)

6. God Has a Name by John Mark Comer

I have read several of John Mark Comer's books now and this is my favorite, no contest. God Has a Name systematically goes through Exodus 34:6-7 and how this verse reflects the character of God. To me, one of the most (if not the most) important aspects of my faith is my understanding of who God is. I believe one of Satan's most trusted and oldest tactics is to cause us to doubt or question the nature of God. And so I love books like "God Has a Name" as they give me a touchstone to go back to whenever I am attacked in this way. John Mark Comer's writings are stylistically so simple, but not without impact. "God Has a Name" will be revisited.

7. Where the Light Fell by Philip Yancey

A memoir is only as good as the greater point or impact it is trying to accomplish. Philip Yancey's memoir sheds light on the very real issues of "fake" or imperfect Christianity as he describes his faith journey despite much of the hypocrisy he witnessed growing up. If you are able to get through the highly dry chapter about his childhood pet, you will be rewarded by the content of the rest of the memoir. Philip Yancey's journey to faith and forgiveness can leave an impact on us all.

8. Elijah: A Man of Heroism and Humility by Charles R. Swindoll

I will be a Charles Swindoll stan until the day I die. His writing allows me to befriend the biblical character in question. Elijah was my buddy this year, and his life taught me a lot about my own. Charles Swindoll has this amazing way to lead you to conclusions without overtly stating them himself. If you want to get to know a biblical figure better, might I suggest you buy a Charles Swindoll book to accompany you on your journey? All that being said, the intro to this book was so horrifying that I ripped it from its bindings. Feel free to ask me why ;).

9. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

If you know me, you know I am obsessed with cults. 'Cult' is a term thrown around a lot, and Amanda Montell gets into the true definition. I will be honest with you all, I almost hated the chapter on workout and fitness cults. But the rest of the book kept me on the edge of my seat. One of my favorite parts of the book was Amanda's explanation of why we are so fascinated with cults. She discussed the dangers of "thought-terminating cliches" and other control tactics. And finally, she truly demystifies this topic. I'd recommend this read to anyone who is fascinated by cults, anyone who is interested in the sociology of religion and language, or anyone who simply loves to use the word 'cult' (LOL).

10. Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards & Brandon J. O'Brien

A lot of the information from this read wasn't new to me, but the information that was new left its mark. The chapter on time and Scripture alone makes this book worthy of recommendation. Understanding our culture and the culture of those to whom Biblical letters were addressed is so important to our accurate use of the Scriptures. For anyone wanting to get their feet wet with Scripture in its cultural context, I'd recommend this read.

11. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

What can I say to do any justice to the author that is C.S. Lewis? I was glad to be able to read this classic throughout the beginning of my year. C.S. Lewis will always require my undived attention for his points to stick. But when they stick, they STICK. You can now catch me throwing in a timely C.S. Lewis quote here and there during casual conversation.

12. Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This was my shortest read of the year. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie recounts her process of grief during the COVID-19 pandemic as she witnessed many of her family members pass from afar. Chimamanda shares the pain of her inability to be with her Nigerian family as she was stuck in the U.S. during this season of mourning. I think bearings of the soul like this are important for anyone suffering grief and loss. These are times of great loneliness and books like "Notes on Grief" can be a relateable companion during times of suffering.

13. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer

The hype is true. "Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" is a very needed dialogue on the necessity to slow in a culture that tells us to run. I do feel like a blog on this topic would've had just as much impact on me, personally. But overall, I love the call for slow in the busyness of life.

14. The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis

Dare I say this wasn't my favorite book? C.S. Lewis will always be one of the most admired authors in my book, but this particular read wasn't at the top of my C.S. Lewis list. Regardless, I really dug into the topic of providence this year and "The Problem of Pain" greatly added to my quest.

15. Joseph: A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness by Charles R. Swindoll

I repeat: I am overall just a huge fan of any of the books from Charles Swindol's The Great Lives Series. They are so simple and easy to read as they effortlessly guide you through the stories of many heroes of the faith. This book on Joseph was such a great reminder of how God truly is always working out the good in every circumstance. I have read Joseph's story more times than I can even count, but reading Swindol's commentary directed my eyes to nuances I had never seen before.

16. A Cloud by Day, a Fire by Night: Finding and Following God's Will for You by A.W. Tozer

The writing is a bit ancient, but the lessons were so simple and applicable. Sometimes an easy read like this with such straightforward points is better than any complex theological argument. A.W. Tozer takes the Old Testament journey through the wilderness and demonstrates how God's care and guidance never left the Israelites. He clearly communicates the application of this knowledge in our own lives. I don't think this read is for everyone because of the old English, the canned prayers, and the simplistic nature of the book overall. But for me, I read this when my brain was in quite a fog and it felt like a breath of fresh air.

17. Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe by Craig Groeschel

This was another simple read that helped me during a month when I felt like I just couldn't think. Craig Groeschel is the author of "Winning the War in Your Mind" (a book I could not more highly recommend). I didn't have any major profound takeaways from this book, but I know that it was light, easy, and directed by Scripture.

18. Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress by Bob Moesta

This book was such a mixed bag. The middle was very dry and monotonous. But the beginning and end sparked so many ideas for me as I continue to learn how to market the App and program I've been working on (here for another shameless plug: check out LendHOPE worldwide on the App Store or Google Play Store!). I think this book would be found highly useful for anyone in sales or marketing.

19. Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will by Kevin DeYoung

Yikes. I don't know that I've ever written "yikes" in a book so many times. I think I overall just disagreed with many of Kevin DeYoung's points and their application in "Just Do Something". I did love his outline of the Scriptures that clearly state God's will for us (1 Thess 4:3-8 as an example, it is God's will that we should be sanctified). But I didn't like the distance that this read could inevitably create between the reader and their Maker. After much reading and research this year, I have come to the personal conclusion that God does have plans for our lives, if we'd only listen! All that being said, I think it is highly important to read books that offer different perspectives than your own, so I have no regrets in reading this book. When reading other opinions than ones that confirm your own, you will either walk away more confident of your thoughts or maybe you will walk away with a changed mind. I pray that I have a mind and heart able to be moved and changed.

20. Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God by Mark Batterson

This is my second and last Mark Batterson book (Circle Maker being my first attempt). I feel like his writing borders prosperity gospel and very much trivializes the complexities of life, suffering, and faith. Maybe I am just a cynic, but I think books that rely too heavily on "look how it all worked out for me!" are very unrelatable. I would suggest Dallas Willard's book"Hearing God" for an in-depth and comprehensive read on the topic of hearing the voice of God. For a simpler read on this subject, I would recommend Priscilla Shrier's "Discerning the Voice of God". In my humble opinion, don't bother reading Whisper.

21. The Death of Christian Thought: The Deception of Humanism and How to Protect Yourself by Michael D. LeMay

Oof. This one was bad. The topic of humanism is highly interesting to me, but Michael D. LeMay didn't touch on humanism enough! This book was riddled with bias and extremism. It felt like I was reading someone's ranty soapbox. I didn't disagree with every point he made, but I so disagreed with the way he made them. This is a book I would not recommend.

22. Universal Studios Orlando

Yes, Universal Studios is not a book. I just felt that this park was so notably lame that it deserved to be cited at the end of some sort of list that I created this year. There are no rollercoasters here, only "rides" with weird storylines that are virtually impossible to follow. If you are planning on visiting Universal Studios anytime soon, might I suggest a good book instead?

If you've read this far, thank you! If you've read any of these books and disagree with my perspective, please let me know! I am all for dialogue. And if you have any book recommendations for me, by all means, send them my way! Here's to 2023 and many more good reads.

(Special shoutout and thanks to the many who gifted me these books this year!)