My Favorite Books of 2016

I have to confess that a good deal of my reading the past couple of years has been given to historical biographies and trying to read more fiction. The amount of Christian books I read has gotten less and less. I still love the Puritans and works of history but I find it so rare to find a really good Christian book that isn’t saying the same thing that is being said ad nauseum.

Here is my list of top 10 books I read in 2016. That doesn’t mean they were necessarily published in 2016 but I read them this year.

10. Do More Better by Tim Challies. I’m still having such a difficult time putting some of these suggestions into my routine—that’s more a fault with me than it is Tim’s system. For me the section on why we care about time management has been immensely helpful. It’s also why this book makes my top

9. Under the Unpredictable Plant by Eugene Peterson. This is an older book (1994) but I just now discovered it. I preached through Jonah in November and found Peterson’s book on Jonah related to the pastoral ministry refreshing to my soul. I don’t necessarily agree with all of his conclusions from the book and wish he had went in a few different directions but this book was shaping and encouraging.

8. Heroes and Monsters by Josh Riebock. I don’t believe there is one single rule of writing that Riebock didn’t break in this. (One chapters has zero periods). But it was engaging. It worked. It made me think. It stirred my soul. It had me excited to read each chapter.

7. Designed to Lead by Eric Geiger and Kevin Peck. I will confess I have not finished this book. That might mean that it moves up the list or gets booted. Everything I have read thus far, though, is helpful. I’ve been focusing on developing a culture of leadership development and I’m hoping this book gives a few pointers. So far it hasn’t disappointed. It’s likely one I’ll finish before 2017, which says that I’m having trouble putting it down.

6. Biblical Church Revitalization by Brian Croft. I read this book in a weekend. I found it immensely helpful and practical. There really isn’t a ton of new information in here. It’s not a book of tips. It’s really just an encouragement from a guy who has been there and done it with some measure of success. A faithful reminder to keep plodding along.

5. A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte. This book has a combination of so many things I love; namely, history, theology, and writing. If a book inspires me to write I know that it’s a good one. This one was phenomenal.

4. Disappearing Church by Mark Sayers. Sayers is one of my favorite authors. This book did not disappoint. This book reminded me of Jared Wilson’s The Prodigal Church that I read in 2015. But this one really reinforced my belief that we must embrace our counter-cultural witness. I might dust this one off and read it again in 2017.

3. The President and the Assassin by Scott Miller. I read this one early in 2016 but was captivated by this book. I had never heard much about the McKinley assassination. The mark of a good historical biography is whether or not it makes you want to learn more about the period. I found myself looking at the turn of the century with new eyes and wanting to read more.

2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance. This one maybe should be number 1 on my list. Its one of those rare books which comes along on occasion and gives words to many of the random thoughts rolling around in your head. It’s one of the few books I’d say you must read. I will warn you, though, that the language in the book is reflective of the culture/perspective from which it is written.

1. The Whole Christ by Sinclair Ferguson. I dedicated the first part of 2016 to studying the doctrine of our union with Christ. You wouldn’t think that a book on The Marrow Controversy would be so captivating and informative but this one was. This book really brought to my attention the importance of our union with Christ and how this is the foundation of our Christian life.

I feel like Bad Religion by Ross Douthat and The Millionaire and the Bard by Andrea Mays should have made the list too because they were both informative and enjoyable to read. Do You Feel Called by God? may also prove to be a life-shaping book that I read. And Wisdom in Leadership (I’m only a third of the way through) might end up being one of the better books I started in 2016.

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