There are quite a few that I half-expected to love because their authors are among my favorites. No fiction made it on my top 10, but I've included some favorites under Honorable Mentions below. (Full disclosure: the titles are affiliate links to Amazon.)
I hope you will find this helpful.
1. None Greater by Matthew Barrett - another excellent book on the attributes of God. What makes this different from the others is its emphasis on the godness of God, i.e., those qualities that make God this transcendent, mysterious Being, who is beyond man's comprehension, yet has made Himself knowable to us, though not exhaustively. This book has to be read slowly and meditatively, and would make a great companion to one of my favorites last year, Gentle & Lowly.
2. Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman - this book is one of the most eye-opening works I've read in the last several years. Though written decades ago, the book's observations addressing the dangers of the television are fittingly applicable to today's problems with our society's dependence on our electronic devices. Consequently, the general population has a short attention span, cannot distinguish truth from lies, and are addicted to entertainment.
3. Surviving Religion 101 by Michael Kruger - this is not only good for parents to read with their teenagers, but I recommend adults who work in the secular field to read it also. It affirms why Christianity is not only true, but that it is rational. It is a firm ground to stand on no matter what ideologies we may face in the world.
4. The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson - the title refers to both the CRISPR gene and Dr Doudna who discovered how to manipulate it to change genetic codes for various reasons, both good and bad. It is a fascinating look at the history and science behind this new technology in gene editing, and the subsequent ethical issues we must now face from the use and abuse of this powerful tool.
5. Rescue at Los Banos by Bruce Henderson - this is about the perfectly executed raid in Los Banos, Philippines by US soldiers and Filipino guerrillas in WW2 to rescue over 2,000 civilians imprisoned by the Japanese. The author's previous works have appeared on my top list before.
6. Fault Lines by Voddie Baucham - this is another enlightening book for me. Though I have been aware of the problems of the Social Justice Movement and Critical Race Theory, this book covers the history of these ideologies and explains why they are problematic, especially as they infiltrate the church.
7. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Mark) by JC Ryle - I knew this would be in my favorite list before I even started reading it, just because it is a book that explains the Gospel of Mark by a beloved author. The ebook is free to download from Amazon and Monergism.
8. The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell - a riveting book on the inception of the Air Force from pre-WW2, and the group of pilots who had the dream and obsession to fight wars with precision bombing in order to lessen causalities. The book is all that, plus so much more. I read the Kindle and listened to the audio version as well. I definitely recommend the latter as it includes actual audio clips of the quotes in the book.
9. Anticipating the Advent by Will Varner - it unpacks the context surrounding the Nativity story. Dr Varner explains how the OT prophecies are fulfilled in Christ and brings characters to life, all the way from Adam and Eve. I highly recommend this book, not just for advent reading, but for a better understanding of the significance of the Incarnation of the Word for the world.
10. Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn - the author, despite some annoying writing flaws, has served Elliot fans by writing this biography. It includes facts about their life that I didn't know about. By talking about their frailty and weaknesses, the author made them more endearing to me who has been encouraged by their obedience to the Lord. I recommend it to those who have been blessed by Ms Elliot's life and works.
Honorable Mentions:
Untangling Emotions - my favorite Biblical Counseling book, especially helpful for me as a mom of 3 girls.
Mossad - real life action-packed stories of the most daring operations of the Israeli spy agency.
Project Hail Mary - my favorite fiction this year and it happens to be science fiction. It got slow in the middle, but I love how it ended!
I Am a Filipino - a cookbook that also talked about the history of the Filipino cuisine. It educated me about my own culture and cannot wait to give it away to my girls someday.
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