I am looking back on books I’ve read this year. It’s been awhile! I don’t have any particular order of preference, but here are some books that stood out to me:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I listened to this one on Audible and the narrator was incredible. The story is deeply moving. When we tend to offer up our white middle class responses of, “Why doesn’t he just…” to bring quick solutions, this book offers up the struggles of why that “just doesn’t happen” at the snap of a finger. If you don’t have time to read or prefer a visual version of similar circumstances, watch “Maid” on Netflix. It’s a short series and immensely powerful.

The Aryan Jesus by Susanna Heschel. This was recommended to us in Israel and is worth reading. In a day of rising Christian Nationalism and antisemitism, this should be read. The complicity on the far right and the far left in refusing to understand the history of the Jews is giving rise to ugliness we simply should not have in our culture.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. A fictional depiction of a real person, Bella de Costa Green, who was the personal librarian of J.P. Morgan. A black woman working for one of the richest men on the planet handling his most valued collection and working deals with white men all over the world. It is a phenomenal read.

All My Knotted Up Life by Beth Moore and Losing Our Religion by Russell Moore (not related). Two memoirs this year that ring so true to my own journey, so, yes, it’s personal. The abuse of fundamentalist Christianity in the U.S. eats up and spits out good people. Their stories are moving. I didn’t know much about Beth Moore and her story is more powerful than I realized.

The Color of Water by James McBride. Part memoir, part biography, it’s the beautiful story of McBride’s mother, a Jewish white woman finding home in a black world. Full of grace and power.

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. I re-read this to prepare for the movie. When people usually say, “The book is better,” it’s generally true. In this case, it is MASSIVELY true. For all the powerhouse actors and director, the movie couldn’t even scratch the surface of what the actual story is in this book.

Into the Heart of Romans by N.T. Wright. This one will be with me for quite some time as I plow through it several more times. This is to me what The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard was for me 20 plus years ago. It is a fundamental shift I’ve tried to describe but Wright lays out beautifully.

How to Know a Person by David Brooks. My wife and I listened to this on Audible on a recent trip (after I bought the book, so now I can go through it again) and it was deeply moving. In a time where we are more in need of each other we are choosing to wall ourselves off and be angry. We need to reconnect and it always starts small. Brooks has been on a journey over several decades. I am a huge fan of his body of work and this is magnificent writing.

What has touched you this year in your reading?