Pastor Rich’sTop 10 Booksfrom 2020
With our rhythms still so very different from normal life, Pastor Rich shares his top ten favorite books list from 2020. Maybe some of these titles will inspire you to binge-watch fewer shows from Netflix and pick up a book to read by the fire.
Common Grace Books
(History/Fiction/Social Studies/Business)
An epic page-turning history of the 1918 pandemic. This put a lot in perspective for me this year.
A Time to Build by Yuval LevinChronicles the loss of trust in our American Society and what we can do about it.
Anxious People by Fredrik BackmanA poignant, laugh-out-loud novel about how things can spiral out of control and yet pull us together.
Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. BrooksBrooks gave the National Prayer Breakfast talk this year in February right before the start of the pandemic. If only we had listened to him and put this into practice.
Veritas by Ariel Sabar The unbelievable story of a Harvard professor duped by a forgery which exposes the confirmation bias in all of us.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah I cried because I was laughing so hard at times. A fantastic and haunting memoir about race and South Africa.
The Evening and the Morning by Ken FollettFollett’s Pillars of the Earth was (and is) one of my favorite novels of all time. This prequel is his second best.
Upstream by Dan HeathMy favorite business book of the year about getting to the root of a problem.
Educated by Tara WestoverVividly written and so heart-breaking. This is a great warning of misguided theology and spiritual abuse.
The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert IgerAnyone who knows me recognizes what a Disney fan I am. Great stories and insights beyond a normal business memoir.
Special Grace Books
(Christian/Ministry)
How to Find God: On Birth; On Marriage; On Death by Timothy KellerI read these short books right after I heard of Keller’s prostate cancer diagnosis. The one on death could be the finest eulogy on the resurrection I’ve ever heard.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark ComerBefore we go back to being as busy as we were before March 2020, we should read this to make sure we know what it means to be still before God.
Reading While Black by Esau McCaulleyA faithful, challenging, convicting book about Scripture from the African American perspective.
Broken Signposts by N.T. WrightA creative foray into the Gospel of John through the lens of those things that point us to God.
Beautiful Resistance by Jon TysonMy favorite Christian Living book of the year from a NYC pastor.
Shaped by Suffering by Kenneth BoaKen Boa’s depiction of the impact of Suffering through Peter’s letter continues to give me strength through the Pandemic.
Gentle Answer by Scott SaulsOne of the best portrayals of our value of Gentle Reverence.
Run with the Horses by Eugene H. Peterson One of the few Eugene Peterson books I hadn’t read from long ago and now cherish. The prophet Jeremiah comes to life here through the lens of vocation.
Unbelievers by Alec Ryrie A chronicle of unbelief from a remarkable historian.