The Books I Read This Year (and How I’d Grade Them)

Each year, my reading list tells a story - not just about what I learned, but about what I was wrestling with. This year’s books pressed into theology, pastoral leadership, masculinity, productivity, cultural discernment, and spiritual formation. Some strengthened long-held convictions. Others clarified what I’m not persuaded by. All of them, in one way or another, forced me to think more carefully about truth, faithfulness, and formation.

Below is a brief reflection on the books I read this year, along with the grade I’d assign each one. These grades aren’t declarations of worth so much as indicators of fruitfulness - how helpful, faithful, and formative each book proved to be for me in this season.

Theology, Scripture, and Worship

Several books this year helped anchor me again in the sufficiency of Christ, the authority of Scripture, and the beauty of God-centered worship.

• Come Lord Jesus by John Piper — Grade: A+

• Everything Is Meaningless (Ecclesiastes) by Mark Driscoll — Grade: A

• Flawed but Faithful by Mark Driscoll — Grade: B-

• The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes — Grade: C

• The Singing God by Sam Storms — Grade: A

• Practicing the Power by Sam Storms — Grade: B+

• Reformed Worship by Jonty Rhodes — Grade: C

• Pour Your Heart Out by Jeremy Linneman — Grade: A+

• Wiser with Jesus by Zack Eswine — Grade: A+

These books reminded me that theology is not opposed to pastoral warmth. When rightly handled, doctrine doesn’t harden us, it humbles us and tunes our hearts toward worship.

Pastoral Leadership and Ministry Health

As someone who serves both a local church and a wider network of pastors, I’m always reading with leaders in mind - especially when it comes to faithfulness, discernment, and longevity.

• Finding the Right Hills to Die On by Gavin Ortlund — Grade: A+

• The 10 Key Roles of a Pastor by Gary L. McIntosh — Grade: B

• Evangelical Heritage — Grade: A+

These were especially helpful in reinforcing the need for clarity without combativeness, conviction without quarrelsomeness, and leadership shaped more by character than charisma.

Formation, Productivity, and the Inner Life

A few books this year pressed into how we live, work, and endure, especially in a distracted, anxious, and hurried age.

• Slow Productivity by Cal Newport — Grade: A

• Range by David Epstein — Grade: B-

• The Wisdom of Anxiety by Sheryl Paul — Grade: F

• On the Shortness of Life by Seneca — Grade: B

Not all of these approach life from the same worldview, but each one offered insight worth weighing carefully through a biblical lens, especially when it comes to time, limits, and attentiveness.

Men, Masculinity, and Cultural Discernment

Questions about manhood, empathy, strength, and responsibility surfaced repeatedly this year - both in culture and in pastoral conversations.

• Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves — Grade: D

• The Men We Need by Brant Hansen — Grade: A+

• Lies Men Believe by Robert Wolgemuth — Grade: B

• The Sin of Empathy by Joe Rigney — Grade: B+

These books didn’t all agree with one another and that was part of their value. They forced me to slow down, define terms carefully, and think biblically about courage, compassion, and faithfulness in a confused moment.

Story, History, and Biography

A few reads this year reminded me of the power of story, both true and imagined, to shape moral imagination.

• Pontius Pilate by Ann Wroe — Grade: C+

• It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis — Grade: C-

These weren’t light reads, but they were clarifying ones, especially when it comes to authority, fear, and the slow erosion of moral courage.

Dogs, Discipline, and Unexpected Joy

And then there were the books that surprised me, grounded, human, and quietly profound.

• Let Dogs Be Dogs by The Monks of New Skete — Grade: A-

• No Ordinary Dog: My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Laden Raid by Will Chesney — Grade: A

Sometimes wisdom shows up in places you don’t expect - through loyalty, discipline, and the bond between a man and a dog.

Final Reflections

Reading is never neutral. Every book is a conversation partner, and not all of them deserve equal trust. This year reminded me again of the importance of reading widely, carefully, and biblically, holding fast to what is good, testing everything, and always returning to Scripture as the final authority.

Some books shaped me deeply. Others clarified boundaries. A few simply helped me rest my mind. I’m grateful for all of them and for the slow, steady formation that comes from reading with discernment and prayer.