2023 Year in Review: Books
It’s that time of year again, when you can barely open social media without being assaulted by every wanna-be’s top ten list. Because I fancy myself a wanna-be wanna-be (that’s an entirely different level of wanna-be), earlier this week I shared the top ten most-read and / or personal favorite blog posts of 2023. Today we turn our attention to every wanna-be’s favorite list: the top ten reads of ’23.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I set a time goal for reading: a minimum of thirty minutes per day. If you want to know more about that process and read more in ’24, here’s a post on that.
But for now: my favorite books of the last 12 months. See ’em all on Amazon (and use up that Christmas gift card that’s burnin’ a hole in your pocket!), and check my commentary after the jump.
All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir
(Beth Moore) Simply put, this is one of the best autobiographies I’ve ever read. I’ve been told that the audiobook is even better. Whichever format you get, get.
The Children
(David Halberstam) A fascinating look at the civil rights movement as it launched at Nashville lunch counters. It’s an incredibly detailed book at 748 pages, but you’ll be eager to turn every one of them.
The Culture Code
(Daniel Coyle) For whatever reason, this was a surprise hit that’s just been sitting on my Kindle shelf. Great stories, deep insights…it’ll help you strengthen the team you lead!
From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life
(Arthur Brooks) By no means a Christian book, Brooks nevertheless helps those of us of a certain age navigate what’s next.
Lead With Hospitality: Be Human. Emotionally Connect. Serve Selflessly.
(Taylor Scott) I loved Scott’s take on leadership, and how our humanity and kindness should translate into the way we show up with others.
Lost in the Taiga: One Russian Family’s Fifty-Year Struggle For Survival and Religious Freedom in The Siberian Wilderness
(Vasily Peskov) There’s no hyperlink for this out-of-print book, but do what it takes to find it (I used an interlibrary loan). It’s the fascinating story of a family who lived in near-isolation for half a century.
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11
(Garrett M. Graff) The audiobook is the only way to go with this one. Haunting, real, and simply an incredible summary of a horrible day.
Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith
(Russ Ramsey) I am by no means an artist (or even a fan of art), but this book was recommended by enough people that I gave it a whirl. Spoiler: it was worth the whirl.
The Screwtape Letters
(C.S. Lewis) Somehow I’ve made it through life without reading this classic. Don’t make my same mistake. It’s an exquisite piece of satire with a spiritual gut punch.
Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life
(Ozan Varol) Much like The Culture Code mentioned above, Varol uses compelling stories to communicate great new ways of thinking about…thinking.
