As expected, history/biography books dominated my favorite list in 2020. Out of the 90 books I read, 33 were history/biography and a handful of them were about Winston Churchill. It seemed I was drawn to more fiction in 2020 than previous years. From the 33 fiction books, 11 were classics. Sadly, the modern fiction choices were mostly disappointing; some I didn’t even bother to finish.
The books about current events/culture study were all excellent. And under the Christian category, a few were outstanding and life-changing, but some fell short. Here are my top books of the 2020, arranged by genre. I've added affiliate links to Amazon.
Knowing Christ - as a sequel to an old favorite, Knowing Jesus, this is a modern classic. I especially enjoyed reading it with my book club and discussing our Savior with my sisters in the Lord.
Gentle and Lowly - this made it to the top lists of many Christian authors and bloggers I follow, understandably so. I read it slowly and meditatively throughout the year. The truths found here about the heart of Christ, my Savior, for sinners and sufferers, have been a great reminder what a treasure we have in Him.
Parenting with Words of Grace - a book I didn’t think I needed to read, this offered not only parental advice, but a constant reminder of the glorious gospel, and how it applies to parenting and discipleship.
The Splendid and the Vile - the historical account of the Blitzkrieg attack on London by Germany in World War 2. What struck me about this book is how the Brits kept their lives as normal as possible, despite the constant danger.
Sons and Soldiers - the story of a group of young men who fled persecution in Europe to America, then later returned to Europe to fight the Nazis. I had not heard of them before and their amazing contribution to win the war with their language skills and familiarity with the habits and worldview of their enemies.
Franklin and Winston - the historical account of the friendship between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill during WW2. I do not envy these two great men who made difficult decisions to make that resulted in the deaths of their people; but make them, they had to do. This book made me appreciate and wish for principled men who would lead their people with integrity and courage.
Churchill: Walking With Destiny - though a little long, it is an excellent biography of Churchill. I have read a few other books about him, but this is my favorite so far as it provides a fresh and insightful look into the character of the most admired (and hated at the same time) man in the 20th century.
Destiny of the Republic - this is the story of President Garfield’s assassination attempt and our nation’s rallying together as doctors, inventors and scientists tried to save his life. It covers a short biography of Garfield, the history of germ theory and the science to apply it.
The Thirteenth Tale - It’s a gothic novel, not a typical genre I’m drawn to, reminiscent of Jane Eyre. The author is now one of my current favorites. Her storytelling skills just grabbed me by the heart. I just want to have tea with her characters and give them a hug.
Black Rednecks and White Liberals - after reading Mr Sowell’s engrossing book, I questioned myself why I waited this long to read his works. He taught me new things and made me think differently of current events, history and the possible solutions to our current societal problems.
The Madness of Crowds - This timely, brilliant book was written by a gay atheistic conservative journalist. It is a great assessment of the irrationality of our society. If you are like I am, who have been scratching my head at the banality of the cancel culture, intersectionality and identity politics, you would find this book helpful.
Dominion - I learned so much just reading the Preface. The author is far from being a Christian apologist, but he affirmed so much of the truth that Christian authors like Francis Schaeffer and Charles Taylor have made famous in their own works. Mr. Holland wrote an honest look at the universal good influence Christian principles have had on our society.
