Books of 2023
Here’s a list (with short reviews) of the books I read in 2023. What did you read? What should I put on my list for 2024?
Farmer Boy & Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder - These were read-alouds with my son and we so enjoyed reading them together!
The Disciple-Making Parent by Chap Bettis - I have mixed feelings on this book that I can’t explain in a short review here. But I do think this is one of the more helpful parenting books out there for many Christian parents and is a worthwhile read.
The Green Ember by S.D. Smith - My daughter and I have been reading through this one together. We aren’t done with it yet, but we are getting there! We’ve enjoyed it, but admittedly haven’t been completely gripped by the story the way we expected to be. Still, we are looking forward to seeing where the story takes us.
Mama Bear Apologetics by Hillary Morgan Ferrer (and others) - This book should be required reading for all parents. It really breaks down the theology behind various ideologies that are prevalent in our society and how to help our kids think critically, spot what’s true and what isn’t, take the meat, and spit out the bones. I can’t recommend it enough.
Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley - This was one of the three best books I read all year. It was down-to-earth, and super practical… and yet somehow didn’t lose sight of the Big Picture. Daily habits are powerful ways to shape the heart, and this book helps us know how to realistically incorporate faith-building habits into regular daily life in such a way as to bear fruit over the long-term. Such a worthwhile read! Pick it up. You won’t regret it.
1-2 Peter: Living Hope in a Hard World Bible study by Lydia Brownback - I went through this study with women from my church. 1 Peter has long been my favorite book of the Bible and this study brought new insights and did not disappoint.
The Big Picture Family Devotional by David Helm - This family devotional was not interactive or “catchy” enough to keep the attention of my children (aged 4-9). Perhaps it will go over better when they are older. We put it away to try again at a later time.
I Am: 40 Reasons to Trust God, and the corresponding devotional book by Diane Stortz - The illustrations in this book are gorgeous, and perhaps that’s why this devotional book went over so well with the kids. It goes through 40 names/characteristics of God.
Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose - This autobiography is excellent, gripping, and inspiring. I’m still working my way through it, but I look forward to finishing it! Biographies of the great cloud of witnesses have a way of encouraging and spurring on, and this one is no exception.
The Measure of a Heart by Janette Oke - This story was a simple and easy read. I enjoyed seeing how the main character grew and developed as the story progressed. It wasn’t an epic tale, but more of a relaxing vacation read.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein - I’d seen the movies but this was my first time reading the book (and actually it was an audiobook). We listened on a family road trip and it was delightful!
None Like Him by Jen Wilkin - Admittedly, I’ve been working through this one for a few years and still am not finished with it. But it has been a wonderful help to me whenever I’ve taken the time to pick it up. Jen explains very well how God is different from us and why that’s such a good and beautiful thing.
Unoffendable by Brant Hansen - This one was a quick and easy read that packs a punch. The main premise is predictable, but the way he unpacks different facets of the topic was challenging and eye-opening. This book gives a lot of food for thought and ideas for growth in an area where we all could grow.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - It’s good to go back to old favorites and this time reading was as good as always! Austen’s brilliant character development always shines in this classic.
Extraordinary Hospitality for Ordinary People by Carolyn Lacey - This book is a quick and straightforward read. It’s very applicable and discusses the reality that hospitality is a posture of our hearts more than it is any particular method or action. All Christians can and should be hospitable people in our own contexts: home, neighborhoods, church, work, school, etc. Jesus didn’t even have a house yet managed to be the most hospitable person who ever lived — proving it’s our hearts and not our houses that make us hospitable people.
Spurgeon’s Sorrows by Zack Eswine - This book was gifted to me by a friend and it was immensely helpful. Not enough Christian conversations leave room for lament. I appreciated Eswine’s empathy and acknowledgement that, “In this fallen world, sadness is an act of sanity, our tears the testimony of the sane… It is an act of faith and wisdom to be sad about sad things.” As someone who can lean toward melancholy, this book encouraged me that there is room for me in the Church.
Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle - I read the whole thing in 20 minutes. Nathan Pyle makes great comics and I picked this one up from the library just for the pure fun of it.
A Jesus Christmas by Barbara Reaoch - This is a great family devotional book that we did in the days leading up to Christmas. It has space for journaling and drawing, and, as a result, was more captivating of the kids’ attention than other devotional books.
The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper - This book contains a short devotional each day for the 25 days of December leading up to Christmas. They were always insightful and often the timely message I needed each day.
Here are a few books I’ve started and would like to finish in 2024:
Gentle & Lowly by Dane Ortlund
None Like Him by Jen Wilkin
Wild Things by Stephen James & David Thomas
Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose
And here are a few books I’m considering picking up in 2024:
The Accidental Feminist by Courtney Reissig
Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham
When God Weeps by Joni Eareckson Tada
The Scars That Have Shaped Me by Vaneetha Rendall Risner
Gold by Moonlight by Amy Carmichael
The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot
Has God Failed You? by Michael Brown
Return to Red River series by Lauraine Snelling
Daughters of Blessing series by Lauraine Snelling
A Blessing to Cherish by Lauraine Snelling
Mama Bear Apologetics Guide to Sexuality by Hillary Morgan Ferrer
Devoted by Tim Challies
Let me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot
Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry
Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield
Risen Motherhood by Emily Jensen & Laura Wifler
The Logic of the Body by Matthew LaPine
A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot
How to Be Free From Bitterness by Jim Wilson
Seven Women by Eric Metaxas
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
The Wingfeather Saga (re-read) by Andrew Peterson
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (re-read)
Have you read any of these? What do you want to read in 2024?