Best books of 2020, so far

I love books.  And I not only collect books, but I actually read them (well, not all of them, but I give it a good try).  I’m not a particularly fast reader, but I am a persistent reader, so I am able to read a pretty significant number of books every year.

My reading pace started a little bit slowly this year, and then COVID-19 hit and it slowed down more as I attempted to figure out what life and ministry would look like in this new paradigm. But in April, May, and June I regained my stride and am actually on pace to read more books this year than I think I have ever read in one year.

There have been a large number of “ok” books, a few “I can’t finish this one,” and quite a few really good books.  Below is a list of the books that I have found particularly well written, interesting, and/or helpful.  I have put them into a few broad categories.

Secular non-fiction (typically, history and biography):

• With the Old Breed (E. B. Sledge) — a classic, for good reason
• Sea Stories (William McRaven)
• The Bedford Boys (Alex Kershaw) — a sober account of the D-Day events
• Hal Moore on Leadership (Harold G. Moore and Mike Guardia )
• Destiny of the Republic (Candice Millard) — this might be my favorite book to read this year
• The Glory of Their Times (Lawrence Ritter)
• Hero of the Empire (Candice Millard)

Fiction:

• Sleep No More (P. D. James)
• The Pumpkin Rollers (Elmer Kelton)
• Many a River (Elmer Kelton)
• Texas Rifles (Elmer Kelton)
• This Tender Land (William Kent Krueger) — this was a surprisingly good read: a combination of Huckleberry Finn and The Odyssey

Biblical and theological:

• Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically (John MacArthur, ed.) — a must-read for biblical counselors
• The Heart of the Preacher (Rick Reed)
• Helping Your Family Through PTSD (Greg Gifford) — a short but really helpful resource
• The Book Your Pastor Wishes You Would Read (Christopher Ash)
• God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel (Costi Hinn) — the nephew of Benny Hinn repented and trusted Christ and in this book tells his story and the story of the prosperity gospel
• Sanctification (John MacArthur)
• Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons (John Piper)
• Redemptive Reversals (G. K. Beale) — a very helpful book about what God does in reversing the impact of our sin through redemption
• 31 Ways to Be a One Another Christian (Stuart Scott)
• Glorifying God in Your Body (Albert N. Martin)
• A Biblical Answer for Racial Unity (H. B. Charles, et al) — a good biblical overview of a complex topic
• Second Forgetting: Remembering the Power of the Gospel During Alzheimer’s Disease (Benjamin Mast) — a medical doctor writes about Alzheimer’s and uses Scripture to remind caregivers not to forget the sufficiency of God in the circumstance of caring for those who have lost their memories.
• Emotions:  Mirrors of the Heart (Catherine Haddow)