Best Books I Read in 2022
It’s time for my third annual Best Books I’ve Read list. If you’re so inclined, you can read about 2021’s list and 2020’s list. I read a lot this year (for me, at least). Once again, the genres varied: sports, mystery, biographies, Christian ministry, fiction, and sci-fi. Let me know what I should read in 2023.
On to the list!
Project Hail Mary: A Novel by Andy Weir
Andy Weir’s first novel, The Martian, was one of my favorite fiction reads ever so I was eager to read another one of his books. The Martian was full of science yet pithy and accessible. The science was always there but the plot moved the story along nicely. In Project Hail Mary, I felt the opposite. The science entirely bloated this story. I was still able to follow along but I found myself bogged down with the nerdery. The story is compelling and I’m sure this will be made into a movie one day. If you loved The Martian, I think you will at least like Project Hail Mary.
Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries by Greg Melville
Here’s a little known fact about me: I love cemeteries. I like walking around, reading tombstones, and observing history. The story behind our country’s earliest cemeteries often tell tragic tales of oppression, racism, and injustice. “All graveyards reflect — both above and below the surface — how the people who created and populated them approached death, and life. There’s an honesty to these places, if you’re willing to look, because the dead don’t have a deceitful bone in their bodies.”
Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original by Howard Bryant
Like Bo Jackson (see below), Rickey Henderson was another larger-than-life sports hero from my childhood. He talked in the third person, he was fast, and he hit for power. And he had some super cool baseball cards. I don’t feel like I got to know what made Rickey tick from reading this biography (maybe nobody knows) but there were so many great stories. I’ve always loved this one: “By leading the AL in steals in 1987 and breaking Rickey’s seven-year stranglehold on the top spot, [Harold] Reynolds experienced one of the most famous Rickey moments. After winning his first stolen-base title, Reynolds was home one day when the phone rang. He picked up and heard a voice. No hello. No identification. The voice, however, was unmistakable. It was Rickey. ‘Sixty bases?’ Rickey said to Reynolds. ‘Man, Rickey got 60 by the All-Star break.’ Then he hung up.”
The Lincoln Highway: A Novel by Amor Towles
I was eager to read this since A Gentleman in Moscow (by the same author) was one of my favorite reads in 2021. This is a stylish, readable story with endlessly interesting characters set in the 1950s. Amor is an excellent writer and I enjoyed this novel but not quite nearly as much as the previous. The ending was a surprise and darker than I anticipated. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read. “Spanning just ten days and told from multiple points of view, Towles’s third novel will satisfy fans of his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings, characters, and themes.”
R.C. Sproul: A Life by Stephen J. Nichols
Reading Sproul’s biography reminded me of Charles Spurgeon’s biography. Both Spurgeon and Sproul had magnificent recall and an encyclopedic memory. They were also both highly skilled communicators. R.C. was a rare mixture of missionary, pastor, and equipper. He was well versed in philosophy, language, church history, and theology. Given these unique gifts, he could speak to skeptics, seekers, mature believers, and clergy alike. And, he was humble. He found every human being interesting. His legacy will most likely be his passion to preach the word. His advice on preaching is this “Find the drama in the text, then preach the drama. Preaching is an art form. The medium is words. The argument for that is the Bible itself. The Bible is full of beautiful, compelling, stunning, persuasive drama.” I’m thankful to this brother who pointed so well to this beautiful drama.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I was so impressed by the first Agatha Christie novel I read (see below) that I had to read another. The Mysterious Affair at Styles was her first novel and introduced some recurring characters in future novels so I thought this would be a good way to continue reading her work. The storyline here features a country estate with suspicious characters all staying under one roof with a genius detective solving a murder case. Did Christie create this mystery archetype or is she continuing a long tradition of mystery tropes? I’m not enough of a scholar to know but I enjoyed this page-turner even if some of the clues and storylines were hard to follow.
God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson
I’m not sure what the genre is for a meandering memoir that also doubles as a tree apologetic…but here it is! If you love nature, history, and Wendell Berry — then you’ll definitely adore this book. I especially appreciated the theological reflection on the geography of a community and the jarring observations on western city-planning. “Are we meant to live so much of our lives in automobiles? Are we meant to mainly consume food that was grown or processed a thousand miles away? Are we meant to only experience the wonder of creation in a national park, once a year, after a four-hour drive on holiday, or could we perhaps experience it on a walk after lunch thanks to the discovery of a field of wild violets? Are we meant to spend more time in the bonus room with the flat-screen than the front garden?” Haunting questions with easy but difficult-to-execute solutions.
Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life by Colin Duriez
All I knew of Schaeffer before reading this book was that he had a distinct goatee and talked about Jesus a good bit. I wasn’t wrong. Of course, there’s much more to the story. I learned about a man who was strong in his convictions and also gracious in his love for people. He had a heart for children, the disabled, the college student, the artist, the skeptic, and so many more. Additionally, Schaeffer gave Evangelicals an example of how to not just inject our faith into our worldview but rather how to integrate our faith into it. In fact, all of the “Christian worldview” conversation for the past 30 years may not exist without Schaeffer. My lasting impression of this man is one who brilliantly balanced passionate orthodoxy with winsome apologetics. The church in 2022 could use a lot more of this.
Intentional Father: A Practical Guide to Raise Sons of Courage and Character by Jon Tyson
Frederick Douglas once said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Part of the work of a parent is to prepare their children for adulthood. As the father of three boys, this is something I think about quite a bit but have planned very little for. The author of this book shares how he walked his son through this initiation into manhood/adulthood via an extremely diligent discipleship pathway. I have no doubts the plan he shares in this book will be completely overwhelming to 99% of fathers. Nonetheless, I appreciated his perspective and it provoked a handful of ideas for me in how will help lead my boys into manhood.
The Ascension of Christ: Recovering a Neglected Doctrine by Patrick Shreiner
The ascension of Christ is a peculiar part of the story, right? We understand how the life of Jesus is good news: He modeled obedience and righteousness for us. We understand how the death of Jesus is good news — His death was a substitute death. And we understand how His resurrection is good news — we too will be resurrected. But, how is ascension good news? This book gives us the answer. It’s refreshing to read a theological book that is readable, accessible, and practical. “The ascension revealed the Messiah’s exaltation and triumph, finished his work on the earth, guaranteed his current sovereignty, broke the barrier between heaven and earth, thus pouring out the Spirit, and pledged his return. New Testament authors employ the event to comfort their readers, call them to holiness, and help them to endure suffering. Without the ascent of Christ, Christianity would not exist.”
Is Christianity a white man’s religion? Is it a lingering relic of colonization? Is it an oppressive religion? These are honest questions people wrestle with. Esau’s book is a great apologetic in discussing the answer to those questions — and more specifically — how is the gospel good news to an African American? “Reading While Black eagerly examines hard questions at the intersection of being both black and also Christian — it examines how Scripture speaks to core concerns of black Christians, charting a fresh route on the old path of black interpretation that avoids the ditches of both progressivism and fundamentalism. (link)” This book is refreshingly biblical, historical, and culturally aware. I especially appreciated the chapter on the Bible and slavery.
Lore is a fantastic writer. I’ve followed her from afar on the Twitters for a while now and she’s incredibly honest, articulate, and winsome. That’s rare these days, if you haven’t noticed. I was long overdue to read one of her books and the subject matter made it even more appealing. I’ve been a long-time doubter-curious-seeker-pastor-extraordinaire and I’ve always found that God met me in the questions. Yet, broader Evangelicalsim hasn’t done a good job with doubters. We’re too quick to give a pat answer. Don’t get me wrong: I’m all for truth but quickly dispensing answers can dismiss the question (and the questioner) and rob some of the power of the process. I’ve been telling folks lately: honor your questions, probe your doubts, and pursue your curiosity. If that sort of thing doesn’t intimidate you, you’re going to love Lore’s book. What I’ve said above, she says some more eloquently in this book. “Asking a question is an act of faith: faith that we could be answered, or that we won’t be refused, or that we will like the answer, or, if we don’t, that it will lead to a better question. To ask a question is to hope that what we currently know isn’t the whole story. It’s a gamble that we deep down want to win.”
The Mortification of Sin by John Owen and Aaron Renn
This Puritan classic has been translated from its 1656 text into modern English…and I’m so glad! I like reading the classics but can easily be bogged down in antiquated language. Owen says, “Anyone who isn’t feeling himself opposed and oppressed by sin, and who isn’t doing everything possible to kill it, is someone who is at peace with sin, not dying to it.” These are haunting words…but true words. To be human is to be in a battle. And to fight this battle, Owen expertly prescribes what the Bible does: our regenerated willpower and the work of the Holy Spirit. They are not mutually exclusive and I appreciated Owen’s harmony of the two.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stephenson
I was pleasantly surprised how welcoming this book was: easy to read, engaging, and suspenseful. The last two-thirds of the book slowed in its pace. I was a bit lost in some of the language and terminology. Nonetheless, it’s easy to see why this book has stood the test of time. Treasure, pirates, adventure — all wrapped into a coming-of-age story. What kid or adult is not going to like that? It’s amazing to see how most of the modern treasure stories borrow from the characters, plot devices, and language used in this book. Treasure Island is truly the pirate source book. It’s the story in which all other adventure stories are shaped by.
The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson by Jeff Pearlman
Every child and sports fan of the late 80s/early 90s was contractually obligated to behold Bo Jackson as their hero and I was no different. I may or may not still have a growing Bo Jackson card collection including that majestic 1987 Topps Future Stars card (chef’s kiss). I knew most of the folklore — witnessed some of it as a kid — and I watched the 30 for 30 documentary but I still wanted more Bo in my life. This biography gave me that and then some. I did not know of Bo’s tragic childhood: growing up impoverished, fatherless, and with a stutter. Truly heartbreaking. This history helped me have sympathy for Bo as he moved into adulthood as an angry bully (and still somewhat remains). Add fame and fortune into this mix and what results is a wild mix of dignity and depravity. He undoubtedly was one of the most gifted athletes in sports history. He was also a complex character. They say you should never meet your heroes. I have “met” Bo in this book and “they” are probably right. Nonetheless, the mythical Bo Jackson still evokes the warm nostalgia of my childhood. I’ll just try and not think about the rest.
Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Ministry by Eugene Peterson
No one has been more helpful to me from afar in church planting and pastoring than Eugene Peterson. His vision of pastoring is inspiring but increasingly rare in the church growth landscape of the Evangelical industrial complex. “The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeeper’s concerns — how to keep the customers happy, how to lure customers away from competitors down the street, how to package the goods so that the customers will lay out more money.” In this book, Peterson offers up an alternate view — a biblical view — of the work of the pastor: prayer, reading Scripture, and offering spiritual direction. This work is modest work — hard work — but it is the good work God has called us to.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
This is a book about survival, purpose, and what it means to be alive. Of course, this is especially fascinating because the main character is a dog and there’s very little human dialogue! Nonetheless, Jack London’s story of “the wild” hits very close to home. “Mercy did not exist in the primordial life. It was misunderstood for fear, and such misunderstandings made for death. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, was the law; and this mandate, down out of the depths of Time, he obeyed.” Yet, when mercy and kindness was shown in the story, it shined like a powerful light in a vast darkness. I suppose that was the point. I was gladly surprised how a book from 1903 could be so easy to read, fresh, and yet deep.
Recursion: A Novel by Blake Crouch
I’m kind of a sucker for time travel books/films. I saw this was well-reviewed and I was eager to jump in. There is a well-established canon when it comes to time travel theory in pop culture. Within that canon, there is some freedom to bend and push the boundaries and remain orthodox. The time travel theory behind this book is completely heretical. It’s absurd and I’m surprised how little time and space is dedicated to even defending the science (or lack thereof) behind it. Yet, the concept of this story is incredibly unique. I applaud the ambition and look forward to reading more from the author. Behind all the science and wonky time travel theory, is a meditation on pain, suffering, memory, and meaning: “Life with a cheat code isn’t life. Our existence isn’t something to be engineered or optimized for the avoidance of pain. That’s what it is to be human — the beauty and the pain, each meaningless without the other.”
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
To date, I haven’t read much in the mystery genre but I knew the film Knives Out was an ode to Agathe Christie and I loved that movie. In light of that, I thought I should probably give the best-selling novelist of all-time a try. I was not disappointed. This was a true page-turner that keeps you guessing. And then, when the book ends, there is no answer! Who was the murderer? Thankfully, there’s an epilogue that helps explain. Here’s what the author had to say about the writing process, “Ten people had to die without it becoming ridiculous or the murderer being obvious. I wrote the book after a tremendous amount of planning, and I was pleased with what I had made of it. It was clear, straightforward, baffling, and yet had a perfectly reasonable explanation…I do think in some ways that it is a better piece of craftsmanship than anything else I have written.” It’s hard to imagine a better mystery/thriller than this book…but I have so many other Christie’s novels to read!
Remembering: A Novel by Wendell Berry
The highest compliment I can give Wendell Berry is that when I read his fiction, I start to seriously wrestle with whether or not I’m pursuing the good life. I’ve read three of Berry’s novels now and they all serve as rebellious apologetics against the view of American prosperity and flourishing. “He writes about the loss of community, the breakup of families, the deadening ways of consumerism, the way wonder is poisoned by a materialistic view of life, and he does it with quiet, logical eloquence, demanding that we value the old ways again. He speaks what we all feel, but have no idea how to say. (link)” I admire, and perhaps envy, the sense of community rootedness he so charmingly recounts in this novel. What Berry refers to as “membership” is the very thing I long for and am trying to create in church planting. I wonder: is it possible? Or, is this way of life gone like that of the horse and plow? Maybe. But even a dimmer version of it must be better than the bludgeoning, industrialized, isolating slow death of the American dream.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
Published in 1845, seven years after his escape from Frederick’s espace from slavery, this book became a best-seller and helped shape the nation’s understanding of the evils of slavery. Frederick’s personal account is as hard to read as you might think. He experienced incredible violence, cruelty, and despair. Yet, his spirit was never defeated. He was ever aware that the people inflicting this great evil upon him were “Christians.” He was discerning enough to see a difference between what he called the Christianity of Christ and the Christianity of the south. “To be the friend of the one, is of necessity to be the enemy of the other. I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity.” His oratory, writing, and grace was used in a mighty way to alter the trajectory of our country.
