Top 12 Books of 2024

Each year I write a short post highlighting the top twelve books I read that year, plus a few honorable mentions. I do this because I want to honor those worthy of honor, and also in the hopes that some of you might see a title or two that interests you. (Those who know me well know I love to get others reading excellent books!) So without further ado, here are the twelve best books I read in 20234, in no particular order.

1. Reformed Dogmatics (vols. 1-4), Herman Bavinck. This is a theological tour de force, one of the truly great works of Christian theology. Despite the length, Bavinck is very readable. His irenic tone and engagement with the culture of his day serve as examples to all who attempt theology.
2. The Sacred Anointing, Tony Sargent. An in-depth examination of the preaching of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, especially regarding the unction required to preach truly Christian sermons. An invaluable read for preachers.
3. The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, Jonathan Pennington. I read a great many works on the Sermon on the Mount while preaching through it (including the excellent Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by the aforementioned Lloyd-Jones), but this was my favorite. Careful analysis, deep scholarship, and lively engagement with the text meet here.
4. The Yearling, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. A classic work for young adults which I read on the recommendation of my daughter and Andrew Peterson. A heart-rending tale of a young boy’s journey into adulthood.
5. The Spirit and Sacrament, Andrew Wilson. I always enjoy Wilson, and this was no exception. He argues for a wedding of head and heart, orthodoxy and charismata, seriousness and joy, old and new in our worship services. I’m sure some would disagree with where he lands (I do not), but he’s worth reading just the same.
6. Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis. Lewis’ Christian reimagining of the myth of Narcissus. He’s such an engaging storyteller that one would enjoy it regardless of the metaphysical depth and nuance, but there’s plenty of that too. The last few pages are truly transcendent.
7. Canoeing the Mountains, Tod Bolsinger. Drawing on the lessons Lewis and Clark had to learn when they reached the Rockies, Bolsinger instructs pastors especially in the need for and practice of adaptive leadership.
8. The Gospel Waltz, Bob Flayhart. We’ve been using the Gospel Waltz at Cityview for almost a decade now, so it was great to get the book-length treatment at last. A thrilling encounter with the almost unimaginably (even unbearably) good goodness of the grace of God.
9. Just Listen, Mark Goulston. A hostage negotiator, counselor, and coach to CEOs of major corporations, Goulston brings all his expertise together in this short, punchy (and humorous!) book on the power of listening well and asking good questions. Lots of practical value here.
10. What It Means to Be Protestant, Gavin Ortlund. This was my first time reading a Protestant apologetic, so I wasn’t sure what I was in for exactly. I learned a lot about Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, and so appreciated Ortlund’s charitable tone throughout. At the same time, I came away more convinced than ever of the truth of (and need for) sola Scriptura.
11. Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan. A novella set during Christmas in 1980s Ireland addressing the Magdalen laundry scandal (about which I’d heard nothing prior to reading). Bittersweet, poignant, and eloquently phrased.
12. You Are Not Your Own, Alan Noble. It’s rare that I know in January what will make my year-end list, but that was the case with this book. I picked it up expecting to nod my head in agreement while skimming quickly; after all, I’m already convinced we belong to God! However, I was not expecting such an insightful dive into the inhumanity of the world today, and the joy of turning from self and finding rest in God as a result.
13. (Bonus!) Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton. This was not my first time through Chesterton’s classic work, which is why it didn’t make the Top 12, but I enjoyed every minute of the re-read. His wit is unmatched, as is his clarity of thought regarding the absolute essentiality of the Christian message.

Honorable Mentions: The Whole Armour of God, Ian Duguid. The Evangelical Imagination, Karen Swallow Prior. Reading the Times, Jeffrey Bilbro. The Technological Society, Jacques Ellul. A Quiet Mind to Suffer With, John Andrew Bryant. Remaking the World, Andrew Wilson. The Augustine Way, Joshua Chatraw. Note to Self, Joe Thorn. Signposts in a Strange Land, Walker Percy. Surprised by Oxford, Carolyn Weber. Embodied, Gregg Allison. What Are Christians For? Jake Meador. Letters to Father Christmas, J.R.R. Tolkien. How the Irish Saved Civilization, Thomas Cahill. Harry Potter (7 vols.), J.K. Rowling. A Land Remembered, Patrick Smith.