25 Good Books I Read in 2021

      It’s no secret – I’m a man of lists. I love making lists, whether shopping lists, to-do lists, book lists, running and biking lists, hiking lists, blood pressure and heartrate lists, and even list lists. I agree with the sentiments of Sheldon Cooper, from The Big Bang, who once said, “If there were a list of things that make me more comfortable, lists would be at the top of that list.”

      Way back in 1986 I followed the advice of motivational speaker Jim Rohn and started keeping a list of books I’d read. It wasn’t a hard decision. I love to read, and my reading habit precedes my list-making habit by decades.

      I don’t expect everyone to love reading as much as I do, or like the same books I like, but I know all of us would be better people if we read a book or two every year. And so, here are some suggestions. These are listed in the order I read them; I didn’t try to rank them by importance or enjoyment … that’s a paralyzing and pointless exercise. However, if you’re interested, give me your email address and I’ll send you my entire Excel reading list for 2020. In fact, I’ll send you my complete list going back to 1986 if you want, but it isn’t a quick glance. And send me your own list. I’m always searching for ideas.

      I read non-fiction almost exclusively. But my audio books are almost all fiction, and most likely spy thrillers and the like.

      This is my list of 20 Good Books I Read in 2020, the books that turned out to be the most meaningful for me over the past twelve months. Reviewing my spreadsheet to find these particular twenty books helps me remember God’s providence throughout the year. What was it I thought I needed to hear or to learn, or to remember, that caused me to choose that particular book? Sometimes these lists give me a clue.

      Should you choose to read one of these books, I’d love to hear from you. I enjoy hearing different takes on books that made my year better. And if you have any recommendations for me, I’d love to hear those, too.

      (By the way, this list is in the order I read these books. Trying to rank them by importance would freak me out, so I went with straight chronology. 

1.     Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: A George Smiley Novel, by John LeCarre … Ex British spy, George Smiley, searches for the Soviet mole buried within the highest level of British Intelligence. I enjoy the audible version of LeCarre’s books – The reader’s British accent matches the prose.

2.     Everything Happens For a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved, by Kate Bowler … A deep dive into the prosperity gospel and it’s conflict with the author’s diagnosis of stage IV colon cancer.

3.     Tribes: On Homecoming and Belonging, by Sebastian Junger … about the human instinct to belong to small groups defined by clear purpose and understanding.

4.     Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail, by Ben Montgomery … In 1955, Emma Gatewood hiked the 2,000+ mile Appalachian Trail at age 67.

5.     Running the World: Marathon Memoirs from the Seven Continents, by Nick Butter … In 2018-2019, the author ran 196 marathons in every one of the world’s 196 countries.

6.     Little Drummer Girl, by John LeCarre' … A young British actor is recruited to infiltrate a Palestinian terrorist group.

7.     Jesus is the Question: The 307 Questions Jesus Asked and the 3 He Answered, by Martin Copenhaver … considers the questions Jesus asked - what they tell us about Jesus and, more important, what our responses might say about what it means to follow Him.

8.     Ten Marathons: Searching for the Soft Ground in a Hard World, by Doug Schneider … a memoir of a mid-pack runner who tracks the ups and downs of his life with marathons.

9.     Fred Rogers: The Last Interview and Other Conversations, by David Bianculli … Demonstrates Rogers’ impact on us all even twenty years after his death.

10.  We Need to Hang Out: A Memoir of Making Friends, by Billy Baker … the author’s search to understand the modern loneliness epidemic.

11.  This Old Man: All In Pieces, by Roger Angell … a collection of the authors writings for the New Yorker.

12.  Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown, by Eric Brown … a biography of courage, persistence, redemption, and rescue.

13.  Being Gary Fisher: And the Bicycle Revolution, by Gary Fisher … The story of a maverick kid bike racer who went on to transform the cycling industry by selling mountains bikes to the world.

14.  King Richard: Nixon and Watergate: An American Tragedy, by Michael Dobbs … An excellent account of the events and characters of the Watergate scandal (the first national news story I paid attention to besides the Viet Nam War).

15.  The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction, by Eugene Peterson … words of wisdom and refreshment for pastors caught in the busyness of preaching, teaching, and running the church.

16.  The Optimist: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life, by David Coggins … makes a case for the skills and sensibility of fly fishing

17.  On The Road Bike: The Search for a Nation’s Cycling Soul, by Ned Boulting … A search asking how Britain become so obsessed with cycling.

18.  This Odd and Wondrous Calling: The Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers, by Lilian Daniel and Martin Copenhaver … An honest look at the challenges and joy of pastoring.

19.  Half a Life: A Memoir, by Darin Strauss … examines the far-reaching consequences of a tragic moment that shadowed the author’s whole life.

20.  The Illusion of Separateness: A Novel, by Simon Van Boy … How one man’s act of mercy during World War II changed the lives of strangers, and how they each discover the truth of their connections.

21.  The Genius of Jesus: The Man Who Changed Everything, by Erwin McManus … Examines the person of Jesus not simply through the lens of his divinity, but as a man who radically changed the possibility of what it means to be human.

22.  My Mother Was Nuts, by Penny Marshall … A memoir from the movie director and TV star who was funnier than all the rest.

23.  All the Places to Go … How Will You Know?: God Has Placed Before You an Open Door – What Will You Do?, by John Ortberg … Opens our eyes to the countless doors God places before us every day, teaches us how to recognize them, and gives us the encouragement to step out in faith and embrace all of the extraordinary opportunities that await.

24.  Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, by Ozan Varol

25.  The One Year Chronological Bible, published by Tyndale … I read through this every year, and nothing has influenced my relationship with God more.

“I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:32