The Best Books I Read in 2020
You’re probably inundated with “Top Books of 2020” lists on the Christian Blogosphere right now. To add to the mix, here is mine. Not all of these books were published in 2020, but I was able to finally read them this year. For some, they were long overdue. You won’t go wrong by adding any of these works to your last-minute Christmas gift list.
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers
Dane C. Ortlund
This one seems to be at the top of most people’s list this year, and for good reason. Ortlund has penned an extremely helpful book here, particularly in our hot-take age. Ortlund, through the words of Christ and relying heavily on the Puritans, helps us see a better way: The gentle and lowly way of Jesus. Read my fuller review here.
All the Light We Cannot See
Anthony Doerr
This book won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and it was more than deserved. Doerr’s style is readable and the unique way the book is set up takes readers on both a lyrical and aesthetic journey. Marie-Laure and Werner’s journeys will both encapsulate you and break your heart.
The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success
Ross Douthat
I know I am not the only one to feel discouraged by the cultural state in which we find ourselves today. Douthat argues that American society has reached decadence. It’s not the end of the road, but it’s not good. Douthat’s argument is apt and worth the read. Read my fuller review here.
Jayber Crow
Wendell Berry
I know, I know. I should’ve read Jayber Crow years ago. Berry’s already-classic work deals with dark times and great times. Jayber Crow continues Berry’s Port William stories, and is written so that we’ll slow down, think about our surroundings and loved ones, and take stock in what we’ve been given.
The Gathering Storm: Secularism, Culture, and the Church
R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Al Mohler’s popular podcast, The Briefing is his “daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.” I try to listen as often as I can, and am often edified. In The Gathering Storm, Mohler has taken many of his daily talking points and writes them in an accessible format. If you are discouraged by the rising secularism in our society, take up and read.
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Neil Postman
This is another classic, and one that has proven to be more prophetic than anyone might have imagined when it was originally published in 1985. Postman was shockingly correct in his observations of the culture, and you’ll walk away humored but aware of the frivolity of much of the “news.”
The American Puritans
Dustin Benge and Nate Pickowicz
While we’ve seen a great retrieval of the English Puritans (and thankfully so!), the American Puritans have not yet seen their deserved retrieval. Benge and Pickowicz have taken a great step in beginning this retrieval by offering short, accessible biographies of key figures in American Puritanism. Read my fuller review here.
Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball
George F. Will
As I’ve written on this website before, I am an unashamed baseball nerd. I’ll watch any team from any era. This has been a hard year for baseball fans, with the shortened season, rule changes, and many losses of baseball greats (including Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, and Tom Seaver). Men at Work, republished in 2010, is an analytical look at several aspects of the game, with deep dives into hitting, fielding, pitching, and managing. If you’re a fan of baseball, you’ll love this book.
Virgil Wander
Leif Enger
Over the last two years, I’ve voraciously read all of Leif Enger’s books. The latest is Virgil Wander. Enger’s folksy style encompasses Americana like no other living author. Virgil Wander is a Midwestern masterpiece that will both haunt and encourage you.