Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. – Ecclesiastes 12:12
Each year at this time I let you know some of my top picks for books. So, I’ll get right to it.
1. You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News by Kelly Kapic. I like Kelly Kapic, he is a solid theologian and writer but tends to write shorter, very accessible books. This one is no exception. A nice look at why none of us have all the answers, or all the gifts we wish we could have. He also wrote an excellent little book entitled, appropriately: A Little Book for New Theologians: How and Why to Study Theology. I recommend both highly.
2. The Book That Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization by Vishal Mangalwadi. A look at how the Bible became the backbone and tool used to shape our world as we know it.
3. Being Elisabeth Elliot: The Authorized Biography by Ellen Vaughn. Elisabeth Elliot was a woman of extraordinary strength, courage, and faith. Ellen Vaughn shares her life with us with beautiful writing and in-depth research. The second volume which covers her later life is now also available. Haven’t read it (yet), but it is undoubtedly as good.
4. Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story) by Daniel Nayeri. Loved this novel/autobiography by Nayeri. So very well written and compelling. About a little boy who immigrates to the United States in the 1980’s with his mother (a religious refugee who had to flee Iran because she had become a Christian). Funny, sad, heartwarming, and informative.
5. Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World by Larry Hurtado. A nice historical look at how Christianity and its practice eventually changed the Roman Empire.
6. C.S. Lewis: Letters to Children by C.S. Lewis, edited by Lyle Dorsett and Marjorie Lamp Mead. Just what it sounds like, a short book of compiled letters from C.S. Lewis to children who had written him about his books. Takes about an hour to read, but reveals a wonderful side to the great writer and scholar.
7. Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible by John Mead & Peter Gurry. Excellent account about the writing and formation of the Christian Scriptures.
8. Return of the God Hypothesis by Dr. Stephen C. Meyer. An in-depth look at three scientific discoveries that reveal the mind behind our universe. A very nice apologetic work by a brilliant scientist. Not an easy read, but worth the effort.
9. Lincoln and Churchill: Statesmen at War by Lewi E. Lehrman. Yep, you knew there had to be a book about Abe Lincoln somewhere in my top ten this year. This book is brilliant. A comparison of these two outstanding statesmen and how they navigated their nations during war. An excellent novel.
10. West Like Lightning: The Brief, Legendary Ride of the Pony Express by Jim DeFelice. A fascinating look at how the Pony Express originated, what it was like to ride, and why it was so short lived. Really nice American history for fans of that kind of history. Not just about the Pony Express either, but a look at America around 1860. A fun and fast read.
There you have it. Keep reading everyone, it’s better than movies, and cheaper too. The only downside is eating popcorn while reading leads to messy books (and wider bottoms).
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jym