Every year, I like to look back on what I read and list out my favorite books.
Admittedly, I read fewer non-fiction books this past year. Part of that was the move across the country, and part of that was a desire to give my brain a break and enjoy more fiction and historical books.
Below is a photo of my favorite books of the year, with my favorite one on top. To see everything I read this year, go here.
If you’re curious about past years’ lists, click on the numbers: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
And yes, my wife took this photo and combined three of my favorite things in it: our backyard, one of my green eggs, and books!
Here are my favorite books from 2021 (#1 is on the far right and #10 is on the far left):
No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention. This is one of the best leadership books I have ever read. It is all about culture and how to build one. For churches coming out of covid, this is a must for pastors. As I started a new job this past year, I realized that my two main priorities are creating and clarifying culture and building the staff, elder, and volunteer teams. This book had so many nuggets and pushed me in many areas as a leader.
Every Pastor’s First 180 Days: How to Start and Stay Strong in a New Church Job. In the summer, I started a new job and moved my family across the country. I read many books about transitions, but this was the best and helped me create a 6-12 month plan for starting my new job, what I would focus on, preach on, etc. This is a must-read for you if you are starting a new ministry role.
Lessons in Leadership: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible. After I read my bible, I would read a chapter in this book for the last year. I’ve been doing it for years where I read a sermon or some devotional, which was fascinating and stirring. It looked at the first five books of the bible through the lens of leadership. I loved it and learned a ton about those books of the bible and the people in them.
A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message. This was just so good. I loved the memoir The Pastor, so this covered some of the same ground but then expanded on it. I loved how real and raw it was; it didn’t sugarcoat his life but honored what he did and accomplished and how he did it.
Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory. I love Tod Bolsinger’s stuff, and this was one I read years ago but pulled back out as I moved across the country and was thinking about leading a church through covid. There are tons of ideas here that are helpful for leaders in a covid world.
Searching for Grace: A Weary Leader, a Wise Mentor, and Seven Healing Conversations for a Parched Soul. This summer, I found myself tired. After leading a church through a merge in Arizona, living through covid, the interview processes at countless churches, and then moving, I was exhausted. This book was one I read a little bit of each day after we moved, and God used it to speak to my soul in some profound ways.
Future Church: Seven Laws of Real Church Growth. This is one of those books that I think pastors will be talking about in 20 years. It’s shaping what we are thinking about at our church and what the future might look like.
The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. As someone who led an Acts 29 church and held to a complementarian belief for a long time, this was a fascinating book to read. I learned so many things in it that I had never heard before and was honestly disheartened to read as it relates to church history, bible translations, etc. I’ve recommended this book to countless friends since I read it. It is one that pastors should read and wrestle with.
At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor. I am always looking to get better and be more productive, and this book was so helpful. The biggest takeaway was how many productive hours I have in a day and how to best use them.
Emotionally Healthy Discipleship: Moving from Shallow Christianity to Deep Transformation. I’ve waited for years for this book to come out and was not disappointed. Between this and Future Chruch, it is definitely where I am headed as a leader and where our church is going related to discipleship.
