It has been interesting to see how my book list has changed over the years. When I first started putting together my book list in 2010, it was essentially all Christian theology books, mostly of the Calvinist persuasion and now none of them fit that category. My top 10 also contains a mix of audiobooks and traditional books, something that would not have happened for me in 2010. I finished 85 books this year so far, which is lower than normal, but there were a number of really good books including some not mentioned on this list. Like last year, I chose not to rank order my list because there was no clear best book.

Star Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith by April Ajoy
Ajoy was all in on Christian nationalism. She campaigned for a Republican presidential candidate, traveled the country with her evangelist father on a bus that said, “America Say Jesus,” and even sang on the Jim Baker show. Eventually, she became concerned about how the faith she claimed often did not seem to be reflected in the Christians she witnessed. In a humorous way, she reflects on her own experiences and the changes in her thinking. Star Spangled Jesus is definitely worth reading if you are a Christian who has heard the term “Christian nationalism,” but have been uncertain what it is about. (audiobook; memoir)

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta
An accomplished journalist, having previously who worked for National Review, Politico, and The Atlantic, Alberta wrote this book out of his own personal experiences with Christian nationalism. Witnessing the toxicity of this movement in the church his father pastored, he set out to explore Christian nationalism in greater depth. From his website, “Evangelical Christians are perhaps the most polarizing—and least understood—people living in America today. In his seminal new book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, journalist Tim Alberta, himself a practicing Christian and the son of an evangelical pastor, paints an expansive and profoundly troubling portrait of the American evangelical movement. Through the eyes of televangelists and small-town preachers, celebrity revivalists and everyday churchgoers, Alberta tells the story of a faith cheapened by ephemeral fear, a promise corrupted by partisan subterfuge, and a reputation stained by perpetual scandal.” Less humorous and more widely researched, this book would be a great companion to Star Spangled Jesus. (audiobook; nonfiction)

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
I have been a Stephen King fan since I was in high school. I can still remember the first book of his that I read, a fantasy novel co-authored with Peter Straub titled The Talisman. (I actually found a first edition of The Talisman yesterday at a used bookstore). Full Dark, No Stars is everything that makes Stephen King great. It consists of four novellas. Although each of the four stories was excellent, I particularly loved A Good Marriage, where he tells the story of a wife who discovers something terrible. (Hardcover; Horror)

Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon
In some regards, Exvangelicals mirrors the books by Ajoy and Alberta mentioned above. Like Alberta, McCammon is a journalist. She currently works as a national correspondent for NPR. Like both Ajoy and Alberta, she grew up as an American evangelical. She writes about how during childhood, her whole existence seemed to be deeply religious including her friends, the books she read, and the movies she watched. As she grew older, however, she began to encounter situations that led to difficult questions about her faith. As was the case for many of us, the attack on the Capitol on January 6 intensified her concerns about sectors of the church in America. It is at the same time more personally reflective than Alberta’s book, but also well researched. (audiobook; memoir)

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy
You may not recognize the name Jeanette McCurdy, but you might remember the show I, Carly where McCurdy played Carly’s sidekick, Sam. With unflinching detail, she describes how her mother got her into show business as a child and kept her there even when she wanted out. She writes about her mother’s controlling, often abusive tendencies and the long-term impact on her mental health. Although funny at points, I would not describe this as a humorous book. It can be difficult to listen to at points, but her story is important nonetheless. (audiobook; memoir)

Know My Name by Chanel Miller
My friend Stephanie recommended this book to me. It tells the story of Chanel Miller, aka Emily Doe, who was sexually assaulted by Brock Turner at Stanford University in 2015. I remember when the story was in the news and the shock when Turner was sentenced to just six months in jail. Miller chose to share her victim impact statement on BuzzFeed and within four days, it had been viewed 11 million times. A very powerful, often difficult account about a victim reckoning with sexual assault. She also narrated her own book and at the end, reads her victim impact statement, her emotion coming through with every word. (audiobook; memoir)

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah has been a fixture in American comedy for a number of years with multiple comedy specials and having previously hosted The Daily Show for a number of years. His memoir had been on my shelf for a number of years, but I had not taken the time to read it. I am glad that I finally did. Born a Crime is simultaneously funny and humorous. I also learned a great deal about what it was like for him as a child in post-apartheid South Africa. (hardcover; memoir)

Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside by Nick Offerman
Like many people, I knew of Nick Offerman from his portrayal of Ron Swanson on the TV show Parks and Rec as well as his well-deserved Emmy for guest actor in a drama series for his role in the HBO series, The Last of Us. However, he’s also authored four books, including this excellent one. In Where the Deer and the Antelope Play, Offerman writes about conservation and getting outdoors, drawing on his own experiences and reflections. It is funny, wise, and thoughtful. (audiobook, memoir)

Remedy by John Roedel
I first encountered the poetry of John Roedel on Facebook this year. As he wrote about brokenness and healing, he touched my heart in a way that good poets are capable of doing. My immediate impulse was to buy all of his books and read them back-to-back, but I decided to get just one and savor it. I look forward to the rest of them when I get around to them. (paperback; poetry)

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Project Hail Mary is one of those books that seemed to show up every time I would look at my Audible page and apparently for good reason. It was number one on Audible. It was a New York Times bestseller. In 2022, it was audiobook of the year. However, it was when my friend Josh recommended it, I decided to give it a listen and I am so glad that I did. It tells the story of a science teacher who is sent into space on a hopeless mission (thus hail Mary). It is definitely science fiction, but it is equally humorous. Furthermore, it is one of the best audiobook narrations that I have ever heard. (audiobook; science fiction)