Lab Girl: A Memoir by Hope Jahren

Smart, funny, and well-written. Hope Jahren is a geobiologist and this is a book about geobiology. No, really. It is also a book about making a career in science … as a girl. The narrative of Jahren’s life is broken up by vignettes about plant life. No, really. In masterful style, she weaves together plant life and her life as a scientist.

The Last Sweet Mile by Allen Levi

When Gary was diagnosed with an inoperable brain cancer, Allen Levi canceled all of his gigs to take care of his brother. This memoir details the last 365 days of Gary‘s life. It is an ode to brotherhood and a life well-lived. The book is beautiful. Each page is reflective. Each page is purposeful. With each page Alan introduces us to his brother. By the time I turned the last page, I mourned Gary‘s death and I longed for deeper friendship.

Obit: Inspiring Stories of Ordinary People Who Led Extraordinary Lives by Jim Sheeler

As a pastor, I think about death more than most. I mention it in sermons and witness it firsthand. Beyond that, I think about my own death more than I should. I’ve witnessed people finish strong and I’ve witnessed people limp across the finish line. I want to sprint to the finish. I’ve also planned my own funeral service. I’ve sat through too many bad ones. I don’t want mine added to the number!

This is a book filled with beautiful writing and the story of beautiful lives. Sheeler began writing feature obituaries in 1997 for the Boulder Plant, a community weekly paper. In 1999 he started “A Colorado Life,” an obituary feature in the Sunday Denver Post. This is a collection of his work. There are no celebrities. Just stories of normal, extraordinary people. 

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by SC Gwynne

The book tells two stories. It gives a history of the rise and fall of the Comanches but it also provides the story of Quanah Parker. Cynthia Ann Parker was a pioneer woman kidnapped by Comanches as a nine-year-old girl. Her son, Quanah, became the last chief of the Comanches. The book contains a thousand subplots. This should be required reading for all Texans. Read it with a Texas map in hand.

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

This book tells a little-known story. Perhaps the book and the subsequent movie (I have not seen it) will help it be widely familiar. In the 1920s, the Osage Nation in Oklahoma became the richest people per capita in the world as oil was discovered on their land. White men began to marry Osage women. Then, slowly, Osage people began to mysteriously die. It is a story of strange “illnesses” and gunshot wounds.

The book belongs in the same category as Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”

Expositional Leadership: Shepherding God’s People from the Pulpit by R. Scott Pace and Jim Shaddix

This is a book on leadership but it has nothing to do with common fodder found in business books and church growth manuals. The focus is upon the pulpit. The book casts a vision for leadership through the preaching ministry. Pace and Shaddix provide chapters on scriptural leadership from the pulpit, spiritual leadership from the pulpit, strategic leadership from the pulpit, servant leadership from pulpit, situational leadership from the pulpit, and sensible leadership from the pulpit. The book is one of a kind. There should be more like it.

A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love by Milton Vincent

The book is a tool to preach the gospel to yourself each day. Vincent wrote it under the principle that God did not give us the gospel merely to be converted. Rather, God gave us the gospel in order for us to pursue godliness. The book comes in two parts. The first part provides pithy reflections that a reader can use to preach the gospel to themselves. The second part puts those primers into poetry. This book is right up my alley.

Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology by Kevin DeYoung

DeYoung is a Presbyterian. I disagree with him on many aspects of theology – to include Calvinism, infant baptism, and more. Yet, these 500 word entries are rich. Designed to make systematic theology accessible, this devotional walks through the most important topics with daily entries. Each month is broken into broad themes and each week is broken into smaller subsets. It can easily be read as a daily devotional or each subset could be read as an introduction to a theological theme.

The Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary (4-Volume Set) by Christopher Ash

I’ve completely read the first volume which covers introductory material. I’ve spent time in the other volumes via my favorite psalms. I’m a lover of commentaries and this set is a pure gem. It is scholarly – it deals with the original language and interacts with other scholarship. Yet, it is also beautiful – the writing is thoughtful and artful. On top of all that, it is also devotional – you can tell the author loves and seeks the Lord. The work helps the reader to do the same.

This set will be a constant companion. I love Psalms. I read a handful of psalms every day. I’d also recommend “In the Lord I Take Refuge: 150 Daily Devotionals” Through the Psalms by Dane Ortlund.