Let’s talk about books, during the year of 2023 I kept a record of every book I read, over 80 in total, and now I’m going to talk about every single one to hopefully entertain and possibly inspire your own future reading material. Full disclosure I read printed books, digital books , graphic novels and listen to audio books. During this review I will only be making a distinction if the medium impacted my experience in some way. Also this project was heavily inspired by a similar project by YouTube creator Austin McConnell, so thanks for the inspiration! Also also for the sake of continuity and convenience I will be breaking this up by genre, okay…let’s go. FictionGeneral: And now for the most vague category that I can put books I’ve read into. I consider this anything that’s generally set in modern times (or at least some time in the past 100 years) and just involves normal people dealing with some kind of plot. I know super descriptive and you could argue that some of these titles belong in other categories but you know what it’s my list so here we go. The Next Person You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Alborn A sequel to “The first five people you meet in heaven” (which I had just finished at the end of 2022) this book feels like it was made for a hallmark feature film adaptation. With that said this story of a young women dying and seeing what her life has been worth through the eyes of other people does have its moments and while certainly sappy at points that doesn’t keep the story itself from being interesting and memorable. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelter One of my favorite new finds of the year this book tells the intersecting story of a young man stumbling into a small town looking for his long lost father (or at least the money he can get from said father), an elderly woman who lost her son to a tragic accident some 20 odd years earlier, and an octopus at the local aquarium counting down the days till he dies. I’m a sucker for these small town type stories and this book scratches that itch for me and I look forward to reading it again at some point. I Will Not Die Alone by Dera White and Joe Bennett Part absurdist comedy, part existential poetry. This brief graphic novel is quirky for sure as it shows a community of anthropomorphic animals all coming to terms with an extinction level event that will soon wipe all life on earth. Levels of enjoyment will vary from person to person but it’s certainly unique if nothing else. Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks A fell down a minor graphic novel rabbit hole this past year and this book was one of my favorites. For anyone who loves the season of fall, apple cider, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and young love. This graphic novel is a nostalgic piece of comfort food. Archie: A Rock N Roll Romance by Dan Parent I grew up reading Archie comics which generally have all the creative juice of a piece of white bread. But with that said they are a total comfort read for me and something I just come back to time and time again when I want to relax. I ended up reading three Archie graphic novels last year and this particular novel tells a hypothetical story of Archie marrying Valerie, the bass player for the in universe band “Josie and the Pussycats”. As I previously said I really love these small town character stories and while this story deteriorates a little as it reaches its end, it’s a mostly fun ride. Archie Volume One (The New Archie) by Mark Waid In 2015 after over 70 years of existence Archie comics decided to try something new and create a brand new continuity for their characters that actually had continuity. The result was an interesting take on the characters that certainly showed promise. Sadly writer turnovers and general disinterest in the project led to its eventual and still ongoing hiatus. This first volume was a lot of fun and made me a little sad we may never get to see the end of the stories being told. Jughead Volume One (The New Archie) by Chip Dzeasky and Erica Henderson This companion series to the above mentioned Archie reboot series is a denser and wackier take on the characters of Riverdale starring my personal favorite character from the Archie universe, Jughead Jones. Pretty much everything I said about the previous novel applies here. After The End by Clare Mackintosh Something I truly love in fiction is playing with the concept of time. Whether it’s time loops, alternative universes, or wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff, it’s all a good time for me. So when I read the premise of this book about exploring two alternate timelines after some kind of tragedy hits a husband and wife I was on board. What I was not expecting was for that tragedy to revolve around their sick child and the decision of rather or not to take him off of life support. Needless to say this book gets pretty depressing in spots, it was good but not necessarily fun. Lottery by Patricia Wood Who doesn’t love fantasizing about what they would do if they won the lottery? The premise of this book is what if a character who wasn’t mentally disabled per se but just had a low IQ (think forest gump) won the lottery. The book itself is fairly well written and has some fun characters. However I couldn’t help but notice some icky implications with certain characters dating other characters. Their ages are never given outright but the implication was that the girl was somewhere around 17 and the guy was in his 40’s, and it just rubbed me the wrong way. That along with some questionable morals given make me a little less likely to come back to this story in the future. 100 Days Of Happiness by Fausto Brizzi A book I picked up from my work break room on a whim that I ended up speed reading through. After a man finds out he has 100 days left to live due to a cancer diagnosis he determines to wrap up any and all loose threads in his life before shedding the mortal coil. One interesting aspect of this book is the main character is not necessarily a good person, sympathetic for sure but not necessarily the most morally upright person I’ve ever read. The fact that the book makes me so invested in his journey even when I don’t agree with his decisions is a testament to the strength of the writing. Mystery/Thriller: While I know that “mystery” and “thriller” are technically two different sub genres, for me they carry a lot of the same vibes. Often dark, mysterious, and brooding these are the books that left me feeling just the slightest bit uneasy in the middle as I tried to figure out where they were going. Turtles All The Way Down by John Green This celebrated young adult author takes the mystery story for a spin. Full disclosure I picked this up from a book shop owner who was selling it as a mystery book, that is to say it was wrapped up and the author and title were not revealed until after I bought it. The story itself really isn’t half bad dealing with a teenage girl who has the most realistic depiction of OCD I’ve ever seen and her best friend as they try to unravel the mystery of an acquaintances missing father. Really though its that core friendship that’s stuck with me the most from this book. Bonus points for the book taking place in my native Indiana where I actually recognized some of the streets being described. 1984 (Graphic Novel) by George Orwell and Fido Nesti I read 1984 when I was probably 17 or so and I remember it being one of the first “important” books that I ever read in full. The story itself is as depressing as ever even though I do have to concede that it’s a celebrated classic for a reason. The artwork by Fido Nesti on the other hand, while good on a technical level, didn’t really add or take away from the experience, but rather just served as a new medium for the story. Abiding Darkness by John Aubrey Anderson I decided to try a little experiment for myself inspired by the Tik Tok series “roll for sandwich” and rolled for a book. The result was a novel that felt very similar to author Frank Paretti. Dealing with themes of spiritual warfare and racial prejudice from the point of view of characters in 1940’s Mississippi. The story itself is fine but falls a little short of some of it’s lofty ambitions, especially when it comes to the characters themselves. The Mystery.doc by Matthew McIntosh I was at my local libraries book sale and saw a super thick blue book at the top of the shelf and was instantly curious. After looking at the cover and recognizing a screen grab from my favorite movie of all time “It’s a wonderful life” and reading the synopsis promising a mystery from the point of view of a man with amnesia I was even more intrigued. However this highly experimental book gets crushed under the weight of its own lofty ambitions. It’s like the author didn’t so much want to tell a story as try out a whole bunch of ideas he’d saved up from his college creative writing class. The result is a book that can feel like gibberish at points and so far as I could tell lacks a satisfying conclusion. Maybe I wasn’t in the right head space to enjoy this book and maybe it was just bad writing, the world may never know. Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz and Thomas Pitilli This graphic novel re imagines batman as a high school mystery/drama where Bruce Wayne never once dons the cape and cowl. It’s an interesting enough read with half the fun being trying to figure out which characters are counterparts to a batman villain or ally. However I can’t honestly see someone who’s not already a batman fan getting super into this. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz A genuinely well written mystery with an ending I honestly did not see coming. When a college professor uses the plot of a deceased student for his book and then gets wildly rich and famous, it’s only a matter of time before his own guilt ridden conscience and a mysterious figure catch up to him and try to take it all away. This book was a fast paced thrill ride that was a lot of fun, if you’re in the mood for a little intrigue you could certainly do worse. Fantasy: Okay here we are in our first batch of genre fiction. Fantasy is any story that either has a fairy tale aesthetic or where technobabble doesn’t fully explain the rules of the universe. I have eight books in this category so strap on your saddle. Eight Billion Genies by Charles Soule and Ryan Browne So nice I had to read it twice. But seriously this graphic novel was so much fun and while I initially rented it from my digital library my phone screen could not do the artwork and story justice. So I went and bought the full size hardback edition and I have no regrets. I have always loved the idea of having a genie wish so when every person on earth gets one I’m going to of course be on board for that story. Content warning for sensitive viewers (language, some blood and violence, etc.) but I greatly enjoyed this book. Spells, Swords, & Stealth Series, Books 1-5 (NPC, Split The Party, Going Rogue, Siege Tactics, Noble Roots) by Drew Hayes Drew Hayes is an interesting author that I will talk about more in other parts of this list but for now just know he has 5 of the books in my fantasy category. I figured since they are one (unfinished) series it would be easier to talk about them all at once. What happens when the NPCs (Non playable characters) in a Dungeons and Dragons spoof suddenly find themselves the main characters of the story? This meta take on the genre attempts to answer that question while being an entertaining story filled to the brim with world building and great characters. In fact it’s the characters that keep drawing me back Drew’s writing time and time again. I will give a content warning for similar reasons to Drew’s other books on this list that including coarse language. Legends And Lattes by Travis Baldree A slice of life story set in the world of ogres, gnomes, and succubus’ we see a retired adventurer attempting to start her own coffee shop and the trials and tribulations she endures along with the friends she makes along the way. This is the book equivalent of a warm cup of coffee on a chilly autumn day. Eragon by Christopher Paolini A book series I have come back to multiple times in my life. The first book certainly has its flaws but at the same time is such a fun adventure story the flaws are pretty easy to ignore. If you haven’t checked out this series yet I would recommend it. Sci-Fi: Confession time in case someone hasn’t figured it out yet, I am a huge nerd who grew up on star trek the next generation. So of course this genre was going to be one of my most read with eighteen books total filling out this category. The Last Shadow by Orson Scott Card My wife introduced me to Enders game some 12 years ago and I’ve been a fan of the series ever since. This book promised to be the last one in the series wrapping up all the loose threads and I was excited to see what it had to offer. Sadly endings rarely live up to ones expectations and this one certainly felt a little lackluster. It wasn’t bad per se but I couldn’t help feeling that it should have been great. Oh well there’s always the rest of the series. The Game by Terry Schott I decided to revisit this book I read some seven years ago or so after randomly thinking about it. The story of a boy and his love interest inside a matrix like simulation where they have to try and “win” is certainly an interesting premise but the book can suffer ever so slightly from some of its plot details being a bit nonsensical if you think about them too hard. However with all that said it’s still a fairly enjoyable read and some day I will read the whole series which admittedly would be a lot easier to do if it was available through my library app. Unity by Christopher Paolini This spin of Christopher Paolini’s “To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars” is a really short and fun read, with the website version of the book actually being an interactive choose your own adventure style story. A space cop has to travel through a space station in order to investigate a murder and deal with his own prejudice towards a recently discovered alien species. It’s all pretty standard sci-fi stuff but Paolini’s writing has greatly improved since he wrote Eragon and this novelette is a showcase of his strengths and worldbuilding. The Legends Of Luke Skywalker by Ken Lou A book I received as a Christmas gift, I’ve always enjoyed Star Wars even if Star Trek is my preferred comfort show. This young adult novel is an interesting spin on the idea of stories being told not necessarily having to be factually true to still be inspiring and worth telling. The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August by Clair North Admittedly this book veers closer to fantasy than to sci-fi but the aesthetic still felt more star trek than hobbit so this is where it ended up. Harry August’s life “loops”, every time he is reborn as his infant self and around the age of three all his memories of his previous lives return. As mentioned earlier I’m a fan of any kind of time shenanigans plot and for the most part this book met my expectations. Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale by Josee Whedon, Zack Whedon, and Chris Samnee A graphic novel spin off of the cult classic tv series “Firefly” this book is dedicated to the character of Sheperd Book, a space preacher and moral center of the Serenity crew. Since the show only got one season and a movie it’s really fun to see projects like this that further flesh out the story and characters and show us what could have been done had the series been given more seasons. This project succeeded in the fact that I really want to track down more spin off projects from this franchise. Skyward Vol. 1-3 by Joe Henderson, Lee Garnett, and Rick Lopez Jr. As previously mentioned I fell down a bit of a graphic novel rabbit hold this last year and this series is by far my favorite find of the lot. What happens when earths gravity suddenly stops working and everyone starts floating? This super interesting premise is explored through the eyes of a teenage girl who grew up in this world. The result is a super fun roller coaster ride of a story that takes full advantage of both it’s premise and the medium of comic panels. I also really appreciate how the story actually has a beginning, middle and end, something rarely seen in the medium of comic books. Ender’s Game Battle School Graphic Novel by Orson Scott Card I mentioned earlier that I’ve been a fan of the Enders Game franchise for over a decade now, so I was really curious to see what this graphic novel adaptation brought to the table. Sadly this adaptation just ended being a stripped down take on its source material with the artwork not adding nearly as much to the world building as I would have liked. See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon Have I mentioned I like time travel stories yet? In this story a girl gets stuck in a time loop after a rough first day of college. Time loops are such a fun premise and this book takes full advantage to let the main character get into all kinds of hijinks and interesting situations. With that said a fairly graphic sex scene near the end was a bit off putting for what had up to that point been a fairly fun and interesting read. Additional content warning for coarse language if anyone’s still interested in reading. Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes A fairly famous book about a mentally disabled man in the 60’s who’s IQ suddenly starts skyrocketing after an experimental surgery. The story is told through the use of journal entries by the main character which serves as an interesting device to both show his gradual increase in intelligence and help us empathize with him. With that said the book ended up being really kind of sad, first because of the way the main character is treated while he is still mentally disabled and then later through some other plot points that I don’t want to spoil. Needless to say if you're looking for an uplifting read you may want to look elsewhere, but if your looking for something that will make you think then this could be what you’re looking for. The Time Lottery and Second Time Around by Nancy Moser An interesting take on the time travel genre with unexpected Christian undertones. When a company discovers a form of time travel by way of alternate universes a lottery is put into effect to choose who will get to use the new technology. These books are less concerned with the technobabble aspects of the premise and more concerned with showing the importance of the decisions we make every day. I can’t say it’s a perfect set of books but for anyone intrigued you could certainly do worse. The God Hater by Bill Myers Bill Myers is an author I grew up with and as an adult I have still found books by him that I enjoy so I went into this book with strong expectations. The premise is after a simulated reality gets infected with a virus; a man has to send an avatar of himself into the program in order to cure its inhabitants. This Jesus analogy really struggles to get it’s feet off the ground and I get the feeling that Sci-Fi is not a genre that Bill Myers is totally comfortable writing. By the end of the story the interesting premise unravels under the weight of itself and the plot and characters just aren’t strong enough to hold the story together. I really hope future Bill Myers reads hold up better than this one. Five First Chances by Sarah Jost Similar to “The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August” this book can lean a little closer to fantasy than sci-fi but it still fits the aesthetic enough for me to justify putting it under this category. When a girl finds herself reliving the same year over and over again she learns to appreciate the power of her decisions and the weight of the way she treats those around her. It’s a possibility I was getting a bit burned out on all the time travel fiction I’d been reading by the time I got to this book but for whatever reason this one just did not land. Now don’t get me wrong it was still good and fairly well written it just didn’t hit me the same way as some of the other books on this list. Operation Do-Over by Gordon Korman A book written for middle schoolers and I promise the last time travel book in this list. When a kid manages to get himself kicked out of high school he traces the root cause of all his woes to six years earlier when he ruined his friendship with his best friend. The characters and overall plot in this book feels very thin with a lot of the decisions made and logic used not holding up very well in my humble opinion. This could be a case of not being the target demographic but I can’t help but feel better books aimed at middle schoolers have been written and this book suffers as a result. Animorphs 1: The Invasion by K. A. Applegate Speaking of better written books aimed at the middle school demographic this is the first of a 62 book series written by husband and wife writing team Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant. This book is a fine introduction to the series even if it’s only a taste of what’s to come. I look forward to attempting to read the rest of the series in the coming year. Comic Strips: Next up we have collections of Comic Strips of which I read seven in 2023. I’m a very big fan of the comic strip art form, particularly the old newspaper comic strips where so much story and humor could be packed into just six panels. So without further ado. The Awkward Yeti Presents: Heart and Brain/Gut Instinct by Nick Seluk This is one of the newer strips I’ve found and so far as I’m aware is only available as a webcomic (outside of the paperback collections that is). The basic premise of the comics is the anthropomorphizing of body parts like the brain, heart, lungs, etc. and all the misadventures they get into while trying to keep their body functioning both physically and emotionally. It’s a great bit of millennial humor and a fun time all around. Zitz: Extra Cheesy by Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman I grew up reading the misadventures of Jeremy and his family in the comics section of the newspaper, so I was curious to see what the more modern comics looked like. This 2023 collection gives you more of the same, so if you already love this series, you’ll find plenty like here, and if you find the series a bit stale and formulaic, you probably won’t much care for this collection. Let My People Laugh by Various This is a collection of Christian humor strips by a variety of creators. Sadly this collection suffers from the lack of a specific artists creative vision, and some of the worst aspects of Christian media as a genre such the target demographic being too niche, or some of the strips being overly derivative. With that said I did manage to get a couple chuckles out of this read and if you are at all familiar with Christian pop culture from the past 20 years you may too. It’s A Magical World: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Watter Waterson I actually read a few different Calvin and Hobbes collections this past year as has become somewhat of a tradition for me in recent history, however this collection is the only one I bothered to write down. With all that said if you haven’t read Calvin and Hobbes before stop reading this right now and go look up a few strips online, I’ll be here when you get back. The series is hilarious, thoughtful, and oddly nostalgic (especially odd for someone like me who did not grow up with this particular comic strip). This collection keeps on being just as fantastic with additional commentary from Bill Watterson only adding to the charm and entertainment value. Weirdos From Another Planet by Bill Watterson I lied, I actually wrote down two Calvin and Hobbes collections that I read this year. Seriously this comic strip is so good and a true work of art, I cannot recommend it enough. Valley Of The Far Side by Gary Larson I’ve always been intrigued by the Far Side comics and this 1985 collection (the first if I remember correctly) seemed like a good jumping off point. While the comics certainly had their moments, in other places they seemed rather cynical and the absurdist humor didn’t always land with me. All in all not a bad collection but maybe not my favorite comic strip. Super Hero I know what you’re thinking, why don’t I just call this section comic books like a normal person? Well that wouldn’t necessarily be fair to the other graphic novels I read this last year, plus not every super hero story I read was a comic. So let’s hop in! Super Powereds Year One-Three and Corpies by Drew Hayes I fell in love with this series a few years ago and have listened to the audio book version of it every year since. This year me and my wife discovered a graphic audio version of the series (think like a radio theater production) and listened to the first 4 out of 5 books in the series. The basic premise of this series is super hero college which kind of tells you everything you need to know about the plot. But what really keeps me coming back to this series is the characters which Drew seems to have an uncanny ability to write. For those sensitive there is a good deal of swearing, drinking, and (non-graphic) sexual situations to navigate but if your willing to dig a little deeper you’ll find a story about friendship and self-sacrifice that I personally find very satisfying. Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer This widely talked about take on DC Comics The Justice League has been in my “I should really get around to reading that” list for a hot minute now. After all the hype I was pleased to discover the story mostly held up. I know certain character decisions were not everyone’s cup of tea and the ending could have definitely used some polish but at it’s heart this is a gripping mystery that takes a hard look at several tropes of the genre and puts them in a new light. Spider-Man/Spider-Gwen Sitting In A Tree by Bendis/Latour/Pichelli/Rodriguez A fun run of stories that explores the relationship between the Spider-Man characters Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy (the one who didn’t die, look comics are confusing). I’ve enjoyed Miles Morales since he debuted in the Marvel ultimate comics line back in the day and I love a good romance story so of course this story was a good time all around for me. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I have thoroughly enjoyed Boom Studios’ take on the Power Ranger franchise and IDW’s take on the Ninja Turtles so of course this crossover comic was going to be rip roarin good time. It’s not perfect but its certainly fun and pretty much everything I could ask for from a crossover like this. Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonenen I’ve read this 4 part mini series before but I was really blown away at how much I enjoyed it on this read through. The premise is what if a guy in our world gained superman’s powers? The central premise is certainly a lot of fun but the real joy in this comic is watching the main character grow and change as we see for the most part their complete life story. The artwork is magnificent and this is easily my favorite piece of superman media. Spider-Man Life Story by Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley Similar to the superman comic this comic attempts to answer the question “What if Spider-Man aged in real time?”. The result is a compressed rewind and re-imagining of Spider-Man’s greatest hits that for the most part manages to be fairly satisfying. With that said I did find this take on Peter Parker and other Marvel characters to be a little cynical and mean Spirited at times which did detract from my enjoyment a little. Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader? By Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert I greatly respect Neil Gaiman as one of the great modern storytellers and a master of the fantasy genre (albeit with a heavy emphasis on the fairy tale aesthetic of the genre). With that said I was curious to see what he would do with an iconic character like Batman, specifically Batman’s “final” story. As it turns out he uses the setting as a springboard to tell a series of vignettes all set against the meta narrative of Batman’s funeral. I can’t say it was the best Batman story I’ve ever read, but it was certainly interesting. Marvel 1601 by Neil Gaiman Another Neil Gaiman comic that this time attempts to ask the question “What if the Marvel Universe took place in the year 1602 AD”. Similar to the Batman story above this story wasn’t bad by any means but it didn’t grab the way I was hoping it would. I can certainly see why Neil Gaiman is such a celebrated author but maybe he’s not the author for me at this moment in my life. Non-Fiction Biography/Memoirs: In my adult life I have become a big fan of the biography/memoir genre. The true (at least as they involve real people) stories of individuals fascinates me and books in this genre can run the gambit from inspirational, to educational, to funny. I read five books this year that fall into this general categorization so without further ado let’s get into it. Please Stop Laughing At Me by Jose Blanco This book can be super depressing at times but if your someone who has ever dealt with bullying, is currently dealing with bullying in any capacity, or even someone who wants to help prevent such needless cruelty, this book can be a great jumping off point. Robin by Dave Itzkoff The life of actor Robin Williams is both fascinating and tragic. Serving as a kind of end all be all guide this book is great for anyone interested in Robin Williams’ work and legacy. Jack White by Nick Hasted On the other end of the spectrum is this biography of musician Jack White, probably most famous as the front man for The White Stripes. This book can feel little less “official” than the Williams biography. Probably aided by the fact that Jack White is as of this writing still alive, and so far as I could tell he had no direct involvement in the production of this book. With all that said this book is still great resource for anyone interested The White Stripes or even the garage rock boom of the early 2000’s. How Not To Be A Boy by Robert Webb Robert Webb is an English comedian/actor I’ve quite honestly never heard of. I picked up this memoir thinking it would be an attack/deconstruction of toxic masculinity, which it was to a degree. But mostly it’s the life story of Robert Webb and his interpersonal struggles dealing with other people, namely his dad, though there are plenty of other characters he has to figure out how to deal with/relate to. I can’t say it was what I was expecting and I can’t honestly say I loved this read, but anyone who happens to be a fan of Robert Webb may find some enjoyment. Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart One of the last books I read in the year and honestly one of the most fun as well. I’ve been a fan of Patrick Stewart ever since watching Star Trek The Next Generation as a young lad. His memoir written at the age of 83 is a wonderful glimpse into the life of a stage actor (particularly a Shakespearean actor) and a modern celebrity. Filled with wit and great storytelling this was easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Self Help: I am always looking to improve myself and while I know the term “self help book” has a lot of cultural baggage I almost always find these reads to be rewarding. How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie I avoided this one for years, with just the title alone just not setting well with me for some reason. However after finally give it a proper chance I do have to appreciate how much practical advice this book gives. The book was originally released in 1936 and the scenarios and skill sets given in the book are still applicable almost 80 years later. I can definitely see myself reading this again in the future. Control The Beast by Ed & Gayle Snyder I don’t generally find myself struggling with anger issues but I can definitely see how having the skill set to recognize and deal with those emotions could be useful. Sadly I wouldn’t recommend this book as a starting point. While some of the observations and suggestions weren’t bad the vast majority of the book felt incomplete. This may just be a case of someone’s professional skill set not necessarily translating to the written word and I would be curious to see what this couple could do with a co-writer and a solid editor. The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman A book I’ve read before but I decided to read this time with my wife. The advice in here is honestly great for any relationship and if you’ve never read any kind of marriage counseling book this is a great starting point. Breaking The Stronghold Of Food by Michael and Nancy Brown This may not be my favorite book I read in 2023 but I can say it was the most important for me as a person. The book is part memoir, part self-help, about the journey of Michael and Nancy Brown and their struggles with weight loss. Now books about weight loss are obviously a dime a dozen but I appreciated this books approach to food as an addiction, both physical and spiritual, rather than preaching a specific miracle diet as a cure all. It sincerely changed the way I thought about food and my health and helped set me on a path to better myself that I’m unsure I could have found by myself. The End Of Dieting by Joel Fuhrman A book I decided to read after finished “Breaking The Stronghold of Food”, this is a kind of 101 crash course into eating a plant based diet. Now let me say up front this eating lifestyle is not for everyone and there are certain parts of the book that get a little overzealous in their claims of what this diet can do or when denouncing other diets. With all that said it’s still a good starting point for anyone interested and helped get me moving forward on my own health journey. Your Money Or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez A book I saw recommended a couple times on the subject of personal finances. It’s very well written and certainly gave me some food for thought about my own personal finances. Now at the end of the day every finance book ever will tell you “spend less than you make” but if you want to see a slightly different spin on the topic I would recommend this book. Educational: I only had three reads total that fell under this umbrella. Think of this as nonfiction stuff that gives information of some sort. Under Qualified Advice by Drew Hayes I grew to appreciate independent author Drew Hayes and his unique brand of humor through his Super Powerds series (which I talk about elsewhere). This book, however, is as far as I’m aware his first work of non-fiction (mostly) as he gives generally good and reliable advice about writing and getting in the indie publishing world. However in between each chapter of “real” advice are short stories that range from mildly entertaining to outright bizarre. If your familiar with Drew’s other works then the humor, coarse language and frequent mentions of alcohol won’t surprise you, but for everyone else just be warned this is not your average writing advice book. You Are Not Special by David McCullough Jr. This book is honestly a good example of the dangers of taking a really good 12 minute speech and attempting to stretch it out into a 300 page book. While the advice given is generally good, especially for high school students and their parents I couldn’t shake the feeling that this book felt really sterile and bland in some parts, edging closer to a college paper then a readable, enjoyable book. Hyper-Capitalism by Larry Gonick and Tim Kasser Part graphic novel, part educational text book, I ended up enjoying this book way more than I thought I would. While I’m not an overly political person I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that as a western society our economics are just a little out of whack. This book finally put words (and pictures) to these thoughts I was having and gave me the language to talk about some of the parts of our society that just never quite sat right with me. If you’re at all curious about the effects of the economy on society as a whole, I highly recommend this book. History: I only have three books in this category, and while none of them would be mistaken for a text book they do all give the history of something. The Sabbath World by Judith Shulevitz This book tells the history of the Jewish sabbath (A day of rest on Saturday of every week for those curious) but it is also the personal story of Judith as she traces her own history with the sabbath and her own faith. An interesting read for those interested. Out Of The Flames by Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone Another one of my favorites from this past year; this books traces the history of 16th century theologian and physician Michael Servetus. The only reason why this falls under the umbrella of history instead of biography is because Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone go to great lengths to specifically track a book he wrote named Christianismi Restitutio or The Restoration of Christianity throughout history up through the present day. Michael Servetus’ story is fascinating and full of twists and turns. From butting heads with the Catholic church, to discovering pulmonary circulation, to his continual conflicts over his defense of one God theology. It is a really good read and I highly recommend it. The Beatles In Comics by Various And for the other end of the spectrum we have a little comic giving a brief overview of the life and career of the famous rock band. The best part of this comic is that every time a new “era” of the Beatles is discussed a different artists will put their spin on the comic panels. The result is artwork that ranges from pretty standard to psychedelic. The history itself can read a little like a Wikipedia entry but the sum of this one is greater than its parts. Theology: I am always eager to discover new things about my faith and one my favorite ways to do that is through the reading of books. These are the books I read on the subject in 2023. Death To Deconstruction by Josh Porter Another favorite from this past year (I hope I’m not overusing that sentence), but seriously I liked this so much that I listened to an audio version after I read my physical copy. Who knew that the former leader singer of a Christian punk band would have so much insight into the tension of living a Christian life in modern culture and even more specifically dealing with the deconstruction movement that has become very popular in certain corners of pop culture. I may not agree with every point of theology in this book but it gave me enough to chew on that I haven’t stopped thinking about it or quoting it almost a year later. To Hell With The Hustle by Jefferson Bethke Something I have grown increasingly frustrated with as I get older is the exhaustive demands on time and energy from everything. Specifically the hustle culture that says if you’re not grinding away at something you must be failing. This book seeks to remedy that mindset and points towards slowing down and focusing on God and family. It all seems fairly obvious but sometimes you need something to tell you the things you already know. The Ruthless Elimination Of Hurry by John Mark Comer An interesting counterpart to the previous entry this book covers a lot of the same ground with an emphasis on finding a sabbath time for yourself, that is to say a time of rest where you’re not actually working on anything. It was certainly thought provoking and paired with the last book set me on my own path towards trying to slow down and appreciate life more. Loveology by John Mark Comer Another great entry from Mr. Comer, this book attempts to cover the very broad and personal topics of love and sexuality from a Biblical perspective. For the most part he does a great job answering specific questions and delving into several relevant topics. Once again it’s a book that I’ve thought about quite a bit in the past year. The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis From the master of theology for the layman himself I give you C.S. Lewis. I’ll admit that like a lot of people I’m mostly familiar with Lewis through the Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters, both works of fiction. This non-fiction book on the different types of love humans can have for each other is certainly informative and interesting but I must admit that the dry delivery does make certain sections drag a little. I suspect this is more of a generational disconnect than an issue with the writing itself and I would still highly recommend this book to anyone looking to better connect with the people around you. There we go that is the end of my list. I hope you all enjoyed it and may this inspire you to do even more reading yourself over this current year. Also be on the lookout for my next list, every album I listened to in 2023. I’ll give you a hint, it was a lot (like so much).
1 Comment
Msmpt
1/26/2024 05:03:03 am
Came here from reddit— love your synopsis and have put several new books in my queue! Thanks
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