2022 was a year of reading. This was despite the fact that I gave birth to my third baby in early January (before my first one turned three, might I add), that we moved to a whole new state, and a whole host of other would-be deterrents to a reading life. There are certainly times in my life where I don’t read as much, or where I centralize on different types of books, but this year reading kept me grounded. It launched me into depth of thought that was otherwise difficult to achieve. Most importantly, I think, it exposed me to ideas that helped me connect with the Lord in a more “Unveiled” manner.
One of the catalysts to this increase in reading is the app Scribd. It was recommended to me by a friend, and I resisted trying it for the better part of a year. Finally I did, and holy moly is it a gold mine. For one (LOW) monthly fee, I have had access to almost any book I’ve desired to read. It’s an ebook/audiobook (and more) platform, which I have resisted forever. I am a paper book girl, and I’ve struggled to really love reading ebooks. But I’ve also struggled with a library system that doesn’t carry the books I want to read, and the hesitation to buy a book before reading it (have you noticed inflation? I hesitate to buy milk these days.)
But with Scribd I am able to start reading a book, sometimes finish it, sometimes not. I am able to decide if the audio book is right for me, or if I actually need to hold the book in my hand. It’s easy to switch between devices, and I already mentioned the vast library available. No one is paying me to say these things to you, I don’t even have a referral code. I just want all of you people to know that there is a way to get your read on more efficiently in 2023 if you so desire.
I’ve already started to see the book lists flying into my inbox and Facebook feed, so perhaps you’re already going cross-eyed from reading book recommendations. That’s why I wanted to angle this one a little differently, in light of most of my reading being done in electronic-fashion lately.
The fact of the matter is this: I didn’t read a single bad book in 2022. I could recommend all 25(ish) of them for some reason or another. But, as many of the book lists I’ve skimmed in the last few days can attest, our reading styles may not match completely and so you may find yourself less than impressed with a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
Instead of just telling you about all the great books I read this year, I’m going to share with you the handful of books that I read this year that are worth buying in print. That, for me at least, means it’s a book I want to read and re-read. I want to have it next to my bedside table with a pen attached for taking notes and underlining. I want to share it with my friends, and reference it frequently. It means it’s worth spending money on in a season where finances are tight, and we are saying “no” to more than we’re saying “yes” to buying.
I hope this book list inspires your reading habits in the year to come, because each one of them was life-shaping for me in some small or large way. If you don’t trust me on the worthiness of buying it in print, or if you are more of an ebook person anyway, I definitely recommend checking out Scribd. I believe they still offer a 30-day free trial, which is extremely generous.
So, without further delay, here are my recommended books for 2022:
The Divine Conspiracy:
I read this book on accident. About 12 years ago, a friend of mine read and loved the Divine Romance. Upon recalling her description of one of the scenes in that book, and having recently been pouring over the contemplative works of Dallas Willard and his contemporaries, I mistakenly bought a copy of The Divine Conspiracy and my Christian walk has never been the same. It’s a bit of a dense read, but so full of incredible use of the scriptures that I would be happy to read it every year for the next several years. In it, Dallas Willard outlines the need for the gospel, and then takes the Sermon on the Mount section by section exposing it as a roadmap for spiritual formation. The density is offset by the profundity of truth, and this book definitely landed a spot on my living room bookshelf for quick referencing or loaning whenever it’s needed.
Key topics: The Kingdom of Heaven, Spiritual Formation
The Return of the Prodigal Son:
Despite this being one of my final reads of the year, it easily lands a spot at the top of my must-haves from 2022. In this book, Henri Nouwen effortlessly weaves the Biblical story with the painting done by Rembrandt to portray the story as well as the life of Rembrandt himself. The result is a breathtaking work that leaves the reader feeling utterly convinced of the abundant love of God. In addition, it’s an exploration into personal identification of the younger and older son in each one of us. I found it eye-opening, encouraging, convicting, and inspiring. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to listen to contemplative works on audiobook since I am often multitasking when listening to books, but this book was accessible enough that listening to it was not a problem. I did, however, already purchase two copies to have in print–one that will live next to the Divine Conspiracy on my living room shelf, and another to some friends who have been a strong picture of God’s love in my life. This book should be required reading for all believers.
Key Topics: God’s love, spiritual formation, repentance
Renovation of the Heart
I think most of you know that I am a therapist by trade. I read this book in conjunction with learning about the clinical modality known as Internal Family Systems, or IFS and wow was Dallas Willard before his time in understanding the complexity of the inner psyche. I love how this book breaks down spiritual formation with the acknowledgement that different parts of us are broken in different ways and therefore require different approaches to healing, growth, and repentance. I paired with with Jan Johnson’s daily reader version, called Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice with comes with some additional suggested spiritual practices. I'm glad to have this one in print and will be re-reading in 2023.
Key Topics: Inner life, spiritual formation, spiritual growth, psychology and neuroscience
When the Soul Listens
This book has become my go-to recommendation for anyone interested in dipping their toes into contemplative practices. Jan Johnson was a student of Dallas Willard’s, and writes with similar compassion but with a fun and quirky voice that is all her own. For those of us raised in a more conservative Christian tradition that inadvertently taught us a mistrust of all that comes from within, Jan Johnson de-mystifies the inner voice and helps draw out discernment of what we are experiencing in our inner worlds. This book is deep, practical, and one of my most favorites to reference when figuring out how to sort through the deep waters of my spirit-inhabited heart.
The Discerning Life
Like When the Soul Listens, The Discerning Life is a phenomenal read to dip your toes into a life of discernment. In this book, Steve Macchia beautifully makes the claim that discernment is a life of abiding with and coming to know the heart of the Father. Instead of being only a decision-making process, discernment is the discipline of knowing our Lord, and meeting with him daily. I read this book for the Abide certificate program in Spiritual Formation by Leadership Transformations, which is the organization Steve Macchia leads. I am in the first cohort of this new program and to say that it’s been transformative would be a gross understatement. If you’re interested in learning more about Abide, click here. It’s financially accessible, spiritually deep, and practical even for this mom of three young children.
Habits of the Household
I have a complicated relationship with parenting books. I wrote an article a while back for moms that outlined a need for what I termed “spirit-led parenting.” This was in response to a heightened sense of shame I felt (and heard expressed by my mom-friends) when my parenting style didn’t perfectly align with whatever style I was researching at the time. Spirit-led parenting, instead of following a strict model of parenting, advocates that we take in information about parenting, but also prayerfully consider the Spirit’s guidance as we raise our kids. Habits of the Household, in that light, will be at the top of my recommendation list of parenting books for the foreseeable future. In it, Justin Whitmel Earley argues that the habits of our daily lives in parents are liturgies that point our children forward to the kingdom. He then outlines several domains of living and advocates for intentional liturgies in each of these domains that prayerfully points the hearts of our children toward the Kingdom of Heaven. Christian and I already planned to review a couple chapters early in 2023 as we look forward to this next year of family life. This is a book that I keep by my bedside and refer to often, so definitely worth having in print!
How to Inhabit Time
This is a bit of a wildcard entry in that I haven’t actually read the entire book. In fact, I’ve read very little, but I will still 100% be purchasing it in print. Here’s why: the ideas set forth in this podcast James K. A. Smith did on the book with Jonathan Rogers on the Habit Podcast are some of the very thoughts that the Lord had been inviting me into when I listened to it. To imagine that our “when” has every bit to do with our spiritual journey as our “who” and “what” is a profound consideration in a culture that seeks to always be leveling the playing field and ignore the differentiating factors that set our experiences apart from those of others. I can’t help but think of the stories my mother has told me about “awakenings” she’s had since her very tumultuous childhood that set her life on a different course than it was previously going in. Though those awakenings didn’t land her in a church or in the waters of baptism, they had profound significance on my own seeking of the Lord as I grew into my teen years. If all this sounds strange, perhaps the book will strike you as a notch too philosophical. As for me, it’s the kind of thing that I need to marinate on slowly rather than listening to while doing dishes, so I’ll be unpacking it ever so slowly in 2023–who’s with me?
Asking Better Questions of the Bible
Marty Solomon is the host of the BEMA podcast, and one of my favorite Bible teachers I have ever encountered. His podcast is controversial in my circle of churches, but my experience is that he has taught me how to read the Bible more fully than I had ever been previously taught. He unravels questions that I’ve had for my entire 15 years as a Christian and doesn’t encourage his students or readers to settle for the pat answers we are used to. I am on the launch team for this book, and it is an extremely phenomenal read. Without the long commitment required by the podcast, a reader can pick up Asking Better Questions of the Bible and have their mind opened to the vast beauty and complexity that lives within the scriptures. This book with (probably) make you uncomfortable, stretch you, and draw you closer to the Lord than ever… if you let it. It hasn’t released yet, but you can preorder here.
Bound by Blood and Shadow
There’s an anxiety with comes as a fiction-reader when one of your best friends comes to you and tells you she’s writing a fantasy novel. You want to believe her, but something in you is secretly skeptical she is a story teller in the same class as your favorite fantasy writers… I am here to tell you that my dear friend, L. R. Bryant blew me out of the water with her debut novel. I’ve been reading it for quite some time–as she’s written, edited, dreamed, and pursued publishing–and every time I pick it up I’m simply amazed at the beauty of this story and the writing it’s housed in. I love this book so much that I am running her launch team for it in February, and I hope you will join us. The link to sign up for her email list is here, and the details for the launch team itself are here. This story has something in it for everyone–especially if you are not afraid to contemplate the messy path of redemption out of true darkness and brokenness.
Cloud Cuckoo Land
This book is on a great many “lists” from 2022, and for good reason. It is a read that is pretty far outside of my comfort zone, but the effortlessness of the woven storytelling is so compelling that I simply couldn’t put it down. It’s a long story, tracing the lives of 5 characters who live across 6 or more centuries and are bound by one narrative that encourages them through difficulty, trial, and confusion. It’s a book that is captivating, but also makes you ponder our interconnectedness as people, the common plight of humanity, and the way story carries us forward.
Tha ks for sharing your book list.