In the year 2020, I read 41 books.
I’m blown away by how much I’ve grown in the discipline of reading (for reference, I had read 4 books in 2018 and only 1 in 2017… I’ve been keeping a list of books I read for a while and it’s only recently gotten to the numbers it is now).
I’ve really enjoyed listening to these books on library audio apps like Overdrive and Hoopla, and it’s the only way I have been able to “read” as many as I have.
That said, I LOVE reading and learning so I thought I’d pass on my favorite books from this past year in case you would like to read any of them as well.
Please note, these aren’t in any particular order, though I put them into categories in case you’re looking for a specific type of book:
Bible Commentaries:
- Judges For You by Tim Keller
- Galatians For You by Tim Keller
Tim Keller has written a few books in a Bible study/commentary format that are very simple to read. He has a few, but the two I read are listed above. The one on the book of Judges is incredible and I think you should check it out if you’re even vaguely interested.
Christian Living:
- Experiencing God by Henry and Richard Blackaby // Such an incredible book to consider how God might want to work in you and through you.
- Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko // An awesome book to get our eyes back on the truth of God’s Word. Heart-wrenching at times, but totally worth it.
- Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster // A very simple book that unearths spiritual disciplines in a way that most gloss over. If spiritual disciplines have ever been confusing or difficult, this is an amazing book.
- The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence // a great book reminding us to slow down and simply be present with God wherever we are.
Church Leadership/Ministry:
- A Tale Of Three Kings by Gene Edwards // Simply showing the differences between King Saul, David and Absalom. A great book reminding us what it truly looks like to live a life (and lead a ministry) that reflects God’s heart even when it’s difficult.
- Purpose Driven Youth Ministry by Doug Fields // A very in depth book from one of the most experienced youth pastors around and is definitely applicable to other areas of ministry as well.
- Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer // We certainly don’t create simple things naturally, they have to be sought out. And this book helps you think through how to truly make ministry simple
Fiction:
The Mistborn series! I read the first trilogy and I just finished the first book in the second trilogy. It’s an incredible series. If you like fantasy like Lord of the Rings, I’m pretty sure you’ll love this.
Productivity:
- Getting Things Done by David Allen // I’ve always been facinated by productivity books, blogs and podcasts and although I had read lots of people’s thoughts and applications of David Allen’s book, I finally got around to actually reading it! It’s a great book that you should definitely check out.
- Do More Better by Tim Challies // This is the first productivity book I’ve ever read specifically from a Christian worldview/perspective on focusing specifically on what God has called you to do over other things and how that can be flushed out in a productive way.
- The Bullet Journal by Ryder Carroll // The Bullet Journal is probably the most famed way of organizing a physical notebook and although I’m not interested in starting a physical notebook, I still got a lot of good takeaways when it comes to organizing information and keeping productive.
- How to Win at College by Cal Newport // I thought this might be good for a youth pastor, such as myself, to read as potential suggestion for high schoolers and I also hoped he would have principles that could translate to the average adult’s life – and it does. It’s a great and simple book, though there is a section on finding your identity and such that I extremely disagree with. The areas focused on productivity, building key relationships, etc are great.
I hope that helps you find a book or two that will be useful for you to check out in this coming year!