Josiah DeGraaf

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Top Ten Books Read in 2020

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Well, what a year this has been. I’ll spare you the obligatory comments about the craziness of 2020. Needless to say: despite everything else, I’ve managed to continue my standard reading pace I’ve kept up these past four years, including a lot more re-reading than I have for a while! Most of my re-reads were of classical works of literature, but there were a few non-classics as well. Because I generally keep re-reads off this list (unless it dramatically changed my view of the book), those won’t be represented on this list. But without any further commentary, let’s dig into my favorite new reads I’ve done this past year. (As always, titles are linked to my longer reviews.)

10. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni

Khaled Hosseni was on my TBR list for a while before I finally got into him this year. I went back and forth on whether to include Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns in this slot, but ended up choosing Kite Runner since it was my first introduction to his beautiful prose and haunting themes.

9. Good & Angry by David Powlison

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this year about what it means to deal with injustice in biblical ways. I found this book quite helpful as I did so.

8. Breakwater by Catherine Jones Payne

An excellent example of the type of Christian-produced fantasy I’m ever searching to read: imaginative, thoughtful, surprising, relevant, and poignant.

7. Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian by Michelle Lee-Barnewall

Contrary to what some readers may expect, this book isn’t as tied to controversial issues as the title may suggest. But in the midst of a year in which my church’s denomination has gone through a lot of vicious debates about gender, I found this book to be a refreshing look at what it looks like for men & women to value the Kingdom of Heaven above all else.

6. Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson

One of the best memoirs I’ve read this year. This book challenged several beliefs I had before picking it up and led me to think more deeply about what true justice and mercy looks like in the midst of a fallen world. This was not an easy book to read because of the spotlight it shines on some of the horrific racist attitudes that still exist in the US, but I was glad to have read it.

5. Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

This is the fourth 1,000+ book in a projected series of ten (all of similar length), so the Stormlight Archive is quite the reading investment to get into at this point. But it’s a truly fine example of what strong character-based fantasy looks like, and I loved its various character arcs.

4. How to Be Unlucky by Joshua Gibbs

I almost considered making this my top book this year. Because it was the last book I read (finished yesterday), I may be biased due to its recency, so I’m not giving it the top slot. But as a reflection of what the good life looks like and what it means to find our happiness in virtue instead of the spinning wheels of fortune, this book was thought-provoking and truly excellent.

3. Children of Virtue & Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

There are some books you read that regularly shatter your expectations of what’s going to happen in the story. Children of Virtue & Vengeance is one of those books–and one that matches superb character twists with really powerful themes. The best new fictional work I read this year.

2. After Virtue by Alisdair MacIntyre

This is a more intense philosophical work than the others on this list. But after hearing so much about it from others, I finally got around to reading it this year, and while it took me a good six months to work my way through the book, it was rather excellent.

1. What Is a Girl Worth? by Rachael Denhollander

Denhollander is one of my personal heroes, so this book’s position as the top work I read this year may be somewhat influenced by my admiration for everything else she’s done over the past several years. But this is a powerful memoir about what it means to truly value the dignity and worth of human beings in the face of abuse, and on top of that, it’s just a beautiful picture about what true courage looks like. As a Christian, I want to see more people like Rachael Denhollander in our churches and communities today.

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Top Ten Books Read in 2019

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With the turning of the year, it’s about time for my annual post on my favorite books I read over the course of this past year. I’m posting it a bit later into the new year this time around due to living pretty internet-free over a couple weeks I spent in Greece (which was amazing!) during the holiday season. But without any further ado, here’s my favorite works I read this past year (book titles are hyperlinked to longer Goodreads reviews for interested parties).

10. Demon in Democracy by Ryszard Legutko

I got the privilege of reading this book for a book club, so the discussion may have biased me a little on this book and I’m not sure how much I agree with all of its points. But as a book questioning the sustainability of Enlightenment-era liberal democracies, it sparked a lot of thoughts on my end and was quite good, nit-pickings aside.

9. The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu

It was a toss-up between this book and the first in the trilogy, The Three-Body Problem. But there was a bunch to love about this series between its creative worldbuilding, thought-provoking themes, and superb plots. The characterization wasn’t phenomenal, but for idea-driven sci-fi, it was great!

8. Rhetoric of Love by Douglas Jones

This is a bit more textbook-y than the other works on the list and I probably wouldn’t have necessarily picked it up if I wasn’t a Rhetoric teacher (or a partial Rhetoric teacher at any rate). However, it fundamentally shifted several parts of my beliefs on how to best persuade others. Like with Demon in Democracy, even when I disagreed with the work, it made me think. It being written by an old high school teacher of mine was an added bonus.

7. The Burning White by Brent Weeks

You know when you’ve been following a long epic fantasy series for a while and when it finally wraps up, it does so phenomenally as a new high-point of the series? This was one of those books.

6. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

For the past five years, I’ve been telling myself that I should read more biographies than I otherwise do. I still don’t read as much of them as I want to. However, this was a very worthwhile choice for this year. I’d seen the movie before–but the book is far better!

5. Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

The Red Rising series is definitely one that’s gotten better and better with each proceeding book. If you’re in the mood for fast-paced sci-fi  with increasingly-complex themes and some well-done characters, I’d definitely recommend this series.

4. Real Artists Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins

This is one of the best books I’ve read about writing as a business and what the process of learning to write seriously and make a living off of it looks like. Highly recommended to the different writers that follow me here!

3. Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis

I originally read this book for research purposes for an article I was writing for Story Embers. But I should have picked up this book earlier. Lewis lays down a number of fundamental mindset-altering ideas that I’m still mulling over months after reading it!

2. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

I originally picked up this book because I was intrigued by its premise (a nearby future where people develop a “cure” for autism and several autistic main characters need to decide if they should take it or not). I wasn’t expecting to be so captivated by the rich, authentic voice the author wrote the story in. Between powerful themes, memorable characters, and some heartbreaking moments, this was very close to being my favorite story I read this year if not for…

1. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I’d never heard of this book before this year (a bit surprising given its popularity, as I’ve later discovered), but it did a number on me, well-earning the status of being the fourth book that’s brought me to actual tears as I’ve read it. There is a painful rawness to its characters, an atmospheric vividness to its fantastical elements, a beautiful simplicity to its prose, and a quiet ingenuity in its plot. It’s up there not just as my favorite book for this year, but also probably one of my favorite books of all time. Suffice to say, I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

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Like stories with interesting themes and surprising character choices?

My short story collection explores the nature of heroism when super-powered individuals need to choose between using their powers for themselves or others in a fantasy world.

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Short Story: A Wish Fulfilled

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This story is part of the Chronicles of Morshan short story series.

The god-blessed was hunched in the corner of the tavern again, his body shrouded by a gray cloak. His breeches disappeared underneath tall boots, and his tunic’s sleeves extended to the fingers of his gloved hands. Perfect garb for winter.

Yet, outside, oppressive summer heat drove travelers to the tavern in search of a drink.

“Nothing good can come of him being there,” Erich muttered as he sized the god-blessed up. “You don’t linger in another god-blessed’s town unless you’re a troublemaker.”

“You could report him.” His daughter Erin cleaned off a glass. “Tanner would send men pronto.”

“And if this god-blessed retaliates and ransacks our tavern?”

She shrugged and filled the glass with ale. “Better than facing Tanner’s wrath if he learns you housed a god-blessed.”

“He’s not lodging here.”

“He slept in the stalls the last couple nights. I doubt the authorities will care for nuances.”

Erich dug his fingernails into his palm as Erin left to bring ales to the patrons. She was right, of course. If Tanner found out, their livelihood would be at risk.

But he couldn’t just evict a god-blessed.

A crowd flowed into the tavern, so he busied himself with taking orders, assigning rooms, and pleasing customers. But the presence of the god-blessed weighed on him. How could he remove someone who might be able to burn his eyes to a crisp?

Finally, the string of customers at the counter evaporated, leaving the tables packed—all except for the five surrounding the god-blessed.

Erich rubbed his forehead. Patrons would gossip about the man with the turquoise eyes, and word would reach Tanner. To avoid a fight in his tavern, he needed to tactfully kick out the god-blessed.

He picked up a mug and poured in a stout from the tankard before slipping into the main room. Five hunters yelled and banged their table as they recounted the details of a hunt. He edged past them and a few other tables to approach the god-blessed.

Erich set down the mug and pushed it over to the god-blessed. “Can I help you, sir?”

The god-blessed raised his head, revealing a youthful face with barely any stubble. Beneath furrowed eyebrows, dark rings lined his unfocused eyes. “Am I causing a problem?” he asked in a gentle tone.

Erich’s gaze drifted to the young man’s dagger; he knew better than to trust an apologetic god-blessed. He plastered on a smile. “Of course not, sir. I noticed you didn’t order anything today or yesterday and wanted to make sure your needs were met.”

The crease in the god-blessed’s forehead deepened. “So you brought me a beer.”

“I’m eager to accommodate you in other ways, sir.”

“So you can make me comfortable, or so you can bribe me to leave?” [Read more…] about Short Story: A Wish Fulfilled

Top Ten Books Read in 2018

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Didn’t quite hit 100 books this year (ended in the eighty-something range). I suppose the older you get, the harder it becomes to find time to read. Working two part-time jobs on top of a full-time job probably doesn’t help things either…

Anyways, since I’ve made a tradition of doing this the last several years, here are the top ten books I read over the course of this past year (book titles linked to my longer Goodreads reviews). Got to say, issues with finding time to read aside, I got to read some pretty fantastic works over the course of this year.

10. Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

Christian fantasy is a mixed bag, and modern Christian allegory even more so. But Fawkes did a marvelous job of rising above the top with the first modern allegory I’ve actually enjoyed reading—and a dang good story along with that.

9. The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath

I don’t normally put business/marketing books on my Top 10 List, but this work is really half psychology in its exploration of what creates memories and what causes people to change the way they live over a short period of time. This book not only gave me a lot of valuable tips for running websites and teaching, but it left me with a better understanding of how people work.

8. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Post-apocalyptic fantasy wasn’t something I realized I wanted until I read this book, and man was it good. This was the best work of speculative fiction I read this year and between some innovative plot twists and imaginative worldbuilding, it more than earned that spot.

7. Ars Rhetorica by Aristotle

Similar to business/marketing books, textbooks don’t normally make my top ten list. But Aristotle’s classic textbook on writing & rhetoric doesn’t only teach readers how to communicate more persuasively—it deepens the reader’s understandings of philosophy and psychology as well. I’ll be taking the lessons I learned from Aristotle with me for a while.

6. Wisdom & Eloquence by Robert Littlejohn and Charles Evans

I read a lot of books on classical education this year in my effort to better understand the type of education I received (and now teach) analytically as well as practically. Of the seven or so books I read, this one was the most practical and helpful for thinking through how to better grow myself as a teacher.

5. The Promise of Jesse Woods by Chris Fabry

Perhaps one of the best works of recent Christian fiction I’ve read (despite an ending that was a bit mediocre in my estimation). This book asks tough, penetrating questions about what really motivates “heroic” actions and what it truly means to live as Christ lived. I’ve thought about this book a fair bit since reading it at the beginning of this year and will continue to do so for a while.

4. How to Think by Alan Jacobs

While this didn’t take top place for this year, if I were able to choose one book to have every American read, this may be it. Truly thinking rationally is hard and this book taught me how hard it is to truly pursue the truth, how many fallacies all of us naturally live by in pursuit of comfort, and what it truly means to seek to live as an intellectual.

3. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque

I read this book for the third time this year, and I try to avoid putting re-reads on my top books lists. However, this year, I really “got” the story’s message that the more we dehumanize others, the more we’re really just dehumanizing ourselves—and this is a lesson that’s just as applicable to normal, everyday lives as it is in the field of war. I’ve thought about the message of this book a lot over the course of this year.

2. The Vanishing American Adult by Ben Sasse

As someone who’s only transitioned into adulthood recently, this was a valuable book. As someone who’s also in the process of training others to transition into adulthood, this was doubly valuable. Sasse has an excellent understanding of the problems that plague twenty first century America and what steps ordinary people can practically take to recover the valuable things we’ve lost.

1. Me, Myself, and Bob by Phil Vischer

Out of all the books I read this year, this one had the most personal relevance to me. It’s easy for me to idolize doing great things for God, and as Vischer retells the outward “tragedy” of his life and the visions he saw crumble, he provides valuable insights and thoughts regarding Christ and success. He’s the sort of person with the sort of message I need to hear in my life more regularly. The hardest lessons are the ones learned through pain, and Vischer has valuable pain-learned lessons to impart to his readers.

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Like stories with interesting themes and surprising character choices?

My short story collection explores the nature of heroism when super-powered individuals need to choose between using their powers for themselves or others in a fantasy world.

Get instant access to the collection by filling out the form below.

What Fantasy Authors Can Learn from Marvel Studios

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I’m a huge fan of both Marvel movies and fantasy novels. One thing I’ve been considering lately, though, is the amount of genre-mixing that goes on in both spheres.

Marvel especially thrives at the box office because of how it mixes genres. But one thing that ended up surprising me as I researched the topic was the fact that, in fantasy, genre-mixing isn’t a new invention, but began with the master of the fantasy genre himself. (Yes; I’m talking about Tolkien).

Thanks to Thoughts on Fantasy for publishing my latest article!

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If you aren’t much of a superhero movie fan (or even if you are), the upcoming slate of movies Marvel alone is trying to push out may seem rather exhausting. 10 more films in the next three years with plans through 2027? It’s no wonder you have people like Spielberg predicting superhero films will go the way of the Western and burn out in the near future.

Yet, despite all the films churned out by Marvel and DC, moviegoers keep purchasing tickets without any signs of stopping. Superhero stories are a (relatively) narrow genre—and yet many viewers (such as myself) regularly see two to four superhero films a year, despite the criticisms Marvel’s received for weak villains and paint-by-number three-act stories.

How has Marvel been able to keep selling tickets without running into genre fatigue? There are multiple reasons, but there’s one I’d like to focus on: Marvel keeps the genre feeling fresh by mixing it with other genres. This is a skill that not only budding novelists can be taking advantage of—but a skill some of the best fantasy authors today are using to craft unique and brilliant stories.

Read the Rest of the Article Here.