Each year, I often find myself (whether intentionally or not) circling around some different themes or particular sub-genres in my fiction and nonfiction reading. My fiction choices this year have had me re-reading several fantasy series in preparation for some anticipated sequels, which you might spot in the list below. My nonfiction books have largely been focused on business management (everyone’s most exciting reading topic), digital technologies, and hermeneutics (how to study the Bible).
I had an easier time choosing my top five nonfiction books this year than my fiction choices. There were a lot of options for that list that made it hard to separate the top ten from the top fifteen. But after making some hard calls, of the ninety books I read this past year, here were my top ten. (Titles are linked to my Goodreads reviews.)
Fiction
I appreciate fiction that tackles difficult topics and questions that can’t really be answered in the context of the novel–yet exploring them provides insight. This contemporary novel offered one of those stories.
I grew up loving Adventures in Odyssey. So I’ve been eager to explore the novels of one of that series’ most prolific writers. This novel did not disappoint, and I read it during a season where I perhaps most needed to reflect on its characters and themes.
This series is delightfully entertaining. And it’s one of those fantasy series that does a fantastic job of setting up hard moral questions where half the fun of the book is seeing what answers the characters end up landing on. It’s one of those books completely worthy of its gorgeous cover.
One of my favorite tropes in fiction is watching pairs of masterminds go up against each other in a genuine duel of intellect and strategy. This novel featured plenty of that in its grand narrative of two foxy generals seeking to outwit each other.
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson
I probably read this book too fast (that’s what happens when you’ve been waiting four years for its release). But I’ve realized this year how much I just enjoy the experience of spending time in the world of the Stormlight Archive. “Journey before destination” as they might say. And in addition to re-reading a lot of this series in 2024, I enjoyed the time spent in this fifth book.
Nonfiction
While parts of this book were more helpful than others, I found myself re-reading large sections of it after finishing in order to better grasp the paradigm shift the author was proposing. It provided a lot of insight into how to better understand those around me.
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart
I really enjoyed this book on how to best read and interpret the different genres of Scripture. While I didn’t agree with all of their claims (particularly how they read narrative), the parts that hit me really stuck with me, and I’ve found myself using several of the tools recommended in this book during my daily devotions.
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
This book has received a lot of press this year, and for good reason. Haidt’s analysis of how social media has affected the rising generation is quite rigorous and tracks with several of the trends I noticed as a classroom teacher. Recommended to parents and teachers.
Digital Liturgies by Samuel James
This is one of those books I read that kept coming back to me throughout the year. It helped me to think more deeply about the ways in which technologies want to shape my soul–and in how to form habits that enable me to better develop the kind of person I want to be. Really good stuff.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
This book has been on my TBR for close to ten years now, and it shouldn’t have taken me this long to come around to it. Frankl’s reflections on what enabled him to psychologically survive the Holocaust are deeply profound and moving. Highly recommended.
