I read 129 books in 2023 and picked my top 20 books from the year. Most were 5-star reads, which means I would highly recommend them or would want to buy them and put them on my bookshelf at home. For me, a 4-star read is a very good book, but just below that must-read status. The following books are all 5 stars for me unless noted.
If you’d like some tips on how to read more during 2024, I have a blog post with what helps me fit in more reading time: Find More Time to Read. I also have a list of books that should make you want to read more: 12 Books That Will Make You Want to Read.
Top Fiction Books
The Little Liar is another great book from Mitch Albom. I pre-ordered it knowing it would be worth owning. It’s set during and after WW2, starting in Greece. Nico is “recruited” by a Nazi to tell the people at the train station that they are going to homes and jobs. At 11, he had never told a lie before and even though these lies weren’t his fault, he can’t shake the guilt when his family is sent away instead of being kept safe. The book follows him in the years after as he tries to find himself and a way to atone and find justice. I highly, highly recommend this book.
If you’ve read Lord of the World, comment below so I can talk to you about it. I couldn’t believe the book was written in 1907 – it feels like it was written for today. It’s a dystopian novel about the return of Christ, but shows how the world falls for an anti-Christ figure. The imagery at the end is stunning and left me feeling encouraged as a Christian.
Our Missing Hearts is a fascinating dystopian tale set in modern-day America. A Crisis has taken place and the blame is put on China. Americans become suspicious of anyone who looks Asian and people are encouraged to report on their neighbors. Noah, or “Bird,” is a 12-year-old boy whose mother had to leave their family to keep him safe three years earlier. Now curious after meeting a girl who was removed from her parents for not being “American” enough, he seeks to find out the true story about his mother and how she is involved in the resistance. The book shows how easy it is to go along with a society that is not fair or equal when the threat of removing children is involved.
The ninth book in the Michael Vey series, The Traitor, takes the readers back to Peru, where the Electroclan have two missions: save Tara and save the unsuspecting people of a town where electric bats are about to be released. With twists and turns (and violence) along the way, the book brings the readers to a conclusion that, while isn’t a cliff-hanger, does set up the story for book 10. I don’t want to give anything away about The Traitor, but if you’re a Michael Vey fan, this book has a great storyline.
Jayber Crow is a narrative fiction story about the life of Jayber. He grows up in a small, small town, living with an older couple after his own parents pass away when he was a young child. When he’s 10, they pass away and he’s sent to an orphanage. After going to college and realizing he can’t be a preacher, he starts making a living as a barber. When the Louisville flood happens, his heart calls him back home and he makes his way by foot. Providentially, there is not barber in the town and the barber shop building is for sale with a room above it. The book recalls his life in this town and the characters in it. It was a very enjoyable read and had a really good message at the end.
Carrie Soto is the best tennis player in the world. However, five years into retirement, another player is about to take her title of having the most slams. She decides to come out of retirement to try to defend her record, asking her father to coach her. She’s given her whole life to tennis and really doesn’t know how to act in relationships. As she trains her body to get back in shape, she realizes that maybe tennis isn’t everything – maybe people are important, too. I really enjoyed reading Carrie Soto is Back. Tennis fans will love it.
I’ve read a few books by Henry now and saw a friend highly recommend Once Upon A Wardrobe on social media, so I checked it out. It’s a heartbreaking tale of a sister who wants to find answers for her dying younger brother who loves Narnia. She manages to get an audience with C.S. Lewis and asks him where Narnia came from. He meets with her several times to tell her of his life and all that led to the time and place where he wrote The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I was hoping it was historical fiction for the main characters, but it’s just about C.S. Lewis. I learned several new things about his life, though. I highly recommend Once Upon A Wardrobe.
Dune by Frank Herbert
(4 stars)
I’ve been wanting to read Dune for years (I played the video game on floppy disk in high school!) but finally picked it up after seeing my daughter’s friend reading it. I’ve been listening to the audio books and it’s nice that it’s various narrators and not just one. The story is futuristic and set on another planet. A new ruling family comes to the desert planet and they start fulfilling the locals’ religious prophecies. Sci-fi fans will enjoy this series. I’m going to watch the movies soon.
Captains and Kings by Taylor Caldwell
(4 stars)
A friend of mine was reading this book, so I looked to see if I could check out the ebook and read it, too. I didn’t realize how long it was until I was a few chapters in. However, Captains and the Kings kept my attention the entire time. Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh came to America at 13 with just his younger brother and baby sister. His mother died on the boat giving birth and his father died in America while they were at sea. He dedicates his life to giving his siblings a better future, but at what cost? His focus on money and power drive people to fear him. The book is both sad and scary and might be loosely based on JFK, Jr.’s story.
Cameron Winters is trying to face his demons in A Strange Habit of Mind . A former student of his commits suicide and he tries to find out why. In the midst of his research, he discovers a very evil man hidden behind a philanthropist. He has to wrestle not only with what to do about the evil man, but also what to do about finding someone else with his own training working for the bad man. I don’t want to give anything away, but I really enjoyed the story and would highly recommend to mystery lovers.
Top Non-Fiction Books
Jennifer Fulwiler recommended The War of Art on one of her podcasts so I checked it out from my local library. It focuses on following your life’s calling. While mainly talking about creative paths, especially writing, his lessons can be applied to anyone trying to go after a dream. Chapters are very short and powerful and the book can be read quickly. I highly recommend it.
I read The Imitation of Christ over several weeks, bit by bit, and slowly. There’s a lot to take in and I underlined many passages. I think it’s a book I will re-read several times during my devotional times. I highly recommend it as a religious read for anyone looking to deepen their faith.
The Reed of God is another religious book that I will be re-reading many times. There’s a depth to the writing that forces one to ponder God. I read it on Kindle and want to buy a copy so I can underline passages the next time I read it. It would make a great book study for a women’s religious group.
The Watchmaker’s Daughter is a companion to The Hiding Place – the story of the ten Boom family hiding Jews during WWII in the Netherlands. This book goes into more detail about all of the family members and friends who shared in this courageous story. I learned a lot more about what Corrie did and was thinking during this time. Anne Frank and Audrey Hepburn’s stories are also told since there were close by around the same time. It’s a 5-star book for me – I highly, highly recommend it!
Rise of the Fourth Reich is the most important book I’ve read in a while. It lays out with very specific cases of how people were wronged by the government’s decisions regarding COVID. From a family who lost their daughter with Down’s Syndrome unnecessarily to a military medical doctor not being able to get a prescription filled, the book is full of heartbreaking details. Justice must be found for these people somehow.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a key person who stood up against the Nazis in Germany during WW2. Letters and Papers from Prison is an important read as it shows his mindset after the Germans arrested him. He thought he’d be out quickly, but ended up dying after more than a year in prison. He never lost sight of his faith or what he was standing up for. I highly recommend everyone of faith read this book.
While Time Remains is Yeonmi Park’s second book and it’s a very important read. She talks about her life in college in America after escaping from North Korea. She warns about the dangers America is facing as she sees things happening here that she saw back in North Korea growing up. I would highly encourage everyone high school age and up to read both her books. Her first book is In Order To Live.
A friend recommended this book to me and while no one in my family is facing cancer, this book would be a go-to if we were. Chris Wark tells his story of how he did research and found out chemo does not really “cure” cancer, but only slightly increases life span. He treated his cancer with nutrition and supplements and went into complete remission for many, many years now. Chris Beat Cancer is a fascinating read for anyone who is open to holistic medicine.
After publishing a book on forgiveness, Lysa TerKeurst follows up the conversation about relationships with a book on boundaries. At this point, TerKeurst has gotten a divorce from her husband and is trying to spread the message of how women can love others without losing the best of who they are. Good Boundaries and Goodbyes is written from a Christian perspective and gives really good tips and scripts about how to set boundaries from a healthy standpoint. I would highly recommend this book to all women.
In The Devil in the White City, Larson takes the reader through two stories that interwine – Chicago setting up its World’s Fair and serial killer hiding in plain sight as an upstanding citizen. Henry H. Holmes builds a hotel in Chicago in preparation for all the visitors coming to the World’s Fair. However, he builds it with killing in mind. While the book is slow in a few parts describing how the fair came together, following the detectives on the trail of a murderer kept my interest. I also read this after visiting Chicago, so I could see parts of the city in my mind.