Hello friends! With the end of the year approaching, I decided to do something a little different and highlight some of my favorite new releases from the past year.
According to Goodreads, I read about 15,000 pages across 58 different books in 2024. For today’s purposes, I’ll focus only on new releases. Books that were released before late 2023, no matter how much I enjoyed them, are not eligible to participate.
What we read influences what and how we write, so as a student of wordcraft, I am often curious about what writers read. For those of you with similar curiosity, here are my favorites from 2024.
A Quick Aside
Before we get into the year-end countdowns, here is an update for those of you who are following my writing journey.
The first draft of The Widower and the Washer is complete as of late November. Since then, I’ve been tidying up the manuscript and filling in the space holders to prepare it for beta readers. If you are interested in being a beta reader, please leave a comment or contact me and we can connect about details.
If you were wondering why I’ve been so quiet, now you know. But don’t worry—as we get into the new year and the project progresses, I promise to drop by with more frequent updates. Now, let’s turn our attention to some other writers and their books.
Non-Fiction
When I read non-fiction, it is usually for research. As a writer and an occasional preacher, much of my non-fiction reading centers on material related to these endeavors. This year, I found that my leisure reading included more non-fiction titles than in years past. In part, I owe this trend to my part-time library job, which exposes me to a variety of new books. Some of them simply catch my eye.
5. Around the World in 80 Games
I learned to play chess at age four and I have been a lover of games ever since. So when I saw this book at the library in January, I had to check it out. It did not disappoint. Mathematician Marcus du Sautoy breaks down the history, science, and—yes—math, of 80 different games. His selections range from ancient games like checkers and go to modern games like Wordle.
The author’s trek around the world—a la Phileas Fogg—offers a useful organizational structure for the material (and extra geek points, not that anyone is counting …)
4. Over Ruled
Over the summer, I read several books by current and former US Supreme Court justices of varying ideologies. This book, by current justice Neil Gorsuch rose to the top.
Using examples from cases that the author has tried as a circuit court judge and a Supreme Court justice, Gorsuch puts on display the (often unintended) results of an abundance of regulation. No matter where the reader resides on the political spectrum, this book is informative and insightful.
3. The Year of Living Constitutionally
In this book, A. J. Jacobs reprises his approach from The Year of Living Biblically. With costumes, props, and gimmicks, the author acts out sometimes absurdly literal interpretations of the US Constitution.
Sometimes over-the-top, the absurdity is here by design and makes the premise work. More importantly, as the author draws out some obscure—and often mundane—nuggets from the text and history of our constitution, the humor makes it both enlightening and memorable. In other words, even though I picked this book up for a laugh, I learned a thing or two along the way.
2. Nothing is Wasted
In this powerful personal narrative, pastor and author Davey Blackburn recounts the tragedy of losing his wife in 2015 and his subsequent healing journey. From there, he describes how God used these events to steer him toward his current ministry.
I pre-ordered this book as soon as I heard about it. Walking alongside Davey in his tragedy helped me process my own grief after losing Angela earlier in the year. Plus, with an account of my own experience underway, reading Davey’s story helped me find the right voice for sharing my own journey. The Nothing is Wasted podcast has since become a staple in my weekly listening queue.
1. The Paradise King
In this book, author Blaine Eldredge delivers a vivid take on key Old Testament narratives in a way that instantly appeals to fans of historical—or even fantasy—fiction. The storytelling is so well-crafted that at times it is easy to forget that you’re reading a non-fiction piece.
The author uses well-researched historical details to paint a full-color picture of several kings and kingly figures from the Bible and bring their stories to three-dimensional life. If you never viewed men like Abraham or Adam as kings, you will after reading these accounts. Most of all, the author uses these stories to show us how each of these kings, prominent as they were, ultimately point us to the eternal King of Kings, Jesus of Nazareth.
Fiction
If my top-five fiction list looks like a random assortment, that is because I try to spread my reading across genres. I enjoy historical fiction and certain Star Wars series (though neither made this year’s top five). I also mix in thrillers, mysteries, and speculative fiction from both Christian and mainstream authors.
5. A Reckoning of Souls
I met author Harrison Edwards at a local event that our publisher had organized. After hearing his elevator pitch for his debut novel, I was sold. I am happy to report that the book was even better than the pitch.
The author uses the natural climate and wonders of Norway as a backdrop for a contemporary science-fiction novel. With visual storytelling, he blends quantum physics and police procedure with supernatural elements to explore a grand-scale version of the classic ethics quandary that we know as The Trolley Problem.
4. Victim
Some stories give the reader an ‘anti-hero’ protagonist someone who bends the rules toward a good outcome. In his debut novel, Andrew Boryga does the opposite: he delivers a protagonist that you want to root against in this satirical take on 21st-century American narratives.
We watch as Javi becomes more and more tangled in his own lies. He spins further along this path until not even he can distinguish truth from delusion—while the reader hopes for someone to put him in his place. Stick around to the end to find out if the consequences of Javi’s choices finally catch up to him.
3. The Puzzle Box
This fast-paced thriller incorporates on-page visuals of the puzzles used throughout the story (scoring extra geek points). Author Danielle Trussoni brings back hero Mike Brink, first introduced in The Puzzle Master, to solve a new challenge. Brink soon discovers that the ancient—and deadly—Japanese imperial puzzle box is only half the story.
The larger mystery unfolds in layers, often in an unanticipated manner. But most importantly, hero Mike Brink breaks from the classic nerdy-savant (a la Adrian Monk) trope to present a protagonist that is relatable while still being unique. And the ending … Let’s just say I’m ready for the next installment.
2. Seer
This is book five of Bill Myers’ six-part Rendezvous with God series. I previously shared my thoughts on the third book, and I am happy to say the latest episode is just as good. To be clear, this is not a standalone book. To make the most sense of the story, readers should start with Rendezvous with God and read the series in order.
Throughout the series, Will Thomas experiences spontaneous supernatural conversations with Jesus, during which he visits the first century and witnesses Jesus’ earthly ministry. Will then applies the lessons of these visits to his increasingly chaotic present-day challenges. In this installment, the author pulls back the veil to the spiritual world and gives the protagonist eyes to see even more of what is happening beyond what our natural senses detect.
1. Assassins Anonymous
This contemporary thriller by Rob Hart takes a common plot device (a protagonist fleeing from a killer) and delivers it in an unexpected vehicle: a twelve-step recovery program. Specifically, hero Mark has retired from the assassin’s life and has joined a support group for recovering hitmen. He is surrounded by a varied and eclectic cast of former killers and is making great progress until someone tries to take him out.
Can Mark uncover the identity of his hunter and bring him to justice? Perhaps, but his challenge is doing so without setting his yearlong recovery back to step one. Rather than the familiar kill-or-be-killed scenario, Mark has to work out the game of don’t-kill-and-don’t-be-killed.
Looking Ahead
What fun reads will I find in 2025? I plan to continue with the series noted above as new titles become available. Also, I ordered a fresh new devotional (Catching Whimsy, by Bob Goff) for 2025. I can fill in the rest with whatever eye-catching titles land on the library shelves.
Beyond that—I am open to suggestions. What is on your reading list? What are your recommendations? Leave a comment and let me know!