These our of favorites from fiction, general non-fiction, and more devotional writings. For our annual list of top theology books, click here.
Fiction
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
Garnering apt comparisons to Lewis and Tolkien, Rundell is the rising star of British children’s literature, who just so happens to also be the world’s foremost expert on John Donne. Impossible Creatures is an engrossing fantasy tale of magic and adventure and of the bravery of children in their quest to save the Archipelago, a collection of islands with mythical creatures hidden from the outside world. (And the beautiful illustrations throughout the book are a surprising bonus.) Majestic storytelling of the highest order.
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
A short fable set at Christmas, The Wood at Midwinter may have you scratching your head at first, but it reveals its depths on multiple readings. The pen behind Piranesi (and Jonathan Strange) has gifted us a beautiful meditation on saintliness and the expansive mystery of love. The afterword, which pays moving tribute to Kate Bush, is worth the price of admission alone.
I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger
Dystopian, and with the sweetest protagonist ever. Much collapse has happened in the world, but the bereaved musician Rainy sails on in pursuit of hope. He’s weak and he’s sad and he’s not afraid to show it.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
A tale of two brothers reckoning with grief and love in present-day Ireland. With a substantial amount of conversation around faith and God, Intermezzo proves that the religious concerns of its predecessor Beautiful World Where Are You were not a one-off for Rooney. In the post-belief landscape of the novels’ settings, you can sense that something important has been lost, if not quite found (though romantic love comes strikingly close!).
Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
The story of the Fletcher family, how they all dealt with (or didn’t deal with) the kidnapping of their wealthy polystyrene-factory-owner father when they were children, and about the repercussions of that event into their adulthood. It’s also about inheritance — of money, of trauma, and more. I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re squeamish about sex, drugs, language, or if you need “admirable” characters who undergo a lot of moral growth. None of these characters has it all together—and what a breath of fresh air that is! Brodesser-Akner’s books are very funny, not least because they have an accurate understanding of human nature.
(General) Nonfiction
The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt
Perhaps the most important nonfiction book this year (or decade), especially for parents and educators. If parents today are relatively laissez faire when it comes to what their kids explore in online world and hyper-protective of them in the real world, this book argues for the exact opposite tact. With loads of statistics to back it up, Haidt calls for a revolution in how we think about freedom and safety while making compelling case for a phone-free childhood that encourages unsupervised play and creativity.
Meditations for Mortals Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts by Oliver Burkeman
As far as secular devotionals go, this is as gospel-adjacent as it gets — more so, in fact, than many of its outwardly religious counterparts. The author of 4000 Weeks (and former Mbird conference speaker) distills some of that book’s many insights into daily readings that will have you giving thanks for your creatureliness.
Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People by Tiya Miles
You could hardly find a more sympathetic deep dive into the faith life — such as it can be known — of one of the most impressive figures in all of American history, Harriet Tubman. For Tubman, God was not simply a distant law-giver, but powerfully alive within her, “an ever-present help in trouble,” and the engine for so much of what she did. In Miles’ hands, it’s an inspiring story that simultaneously undercuts some of the cultural mythology around Tubman while offering an extraordinary example of what the Spirit can do with a single lowly human.
No Judgment by Lauren Oyler
Only for those with a tolerance for a caustic tone and seriously high literary standards, viral critic Lauren Oyler covers topics as varied as gossip, Goodreads, and the corporatization of “vulnerability.” “There is never no judgment,” she disclaims, bringing to bear the full weight of law.
Somehow: Thoughts on Love by Anne Lamott
Sitting down with a cup of tea and a new Anne Lamott book is one of the treasures of this life. In this collection of essays all about love, the warm-hearted Lamott continues to be as sharp, funny, and grace-filled as ever.
Devotional
Junk Drawer Jesus: Discarding Your Spiritual Clutter and Rediscovering the Supremacy of Grace by Matt Popovits
A fresh and illuminating take on the burdens we accumulate as contemporary people, often without realizing it – and the cluttering effect this can have on our souls. Popovits has given us not only a vital tool for taking spiritual inventory, but a highly readable invitation to faith itself.
Land of My Sojourn: The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found by Mike Cosper
For those who loved his NYC Conference talk, here’s the full behind-the-scenes narration of Cosper’s tumultuous life in the church. But for all the grim details of betrayal and loss, the wisdom of hindsight affords a more gracious retelling of God’s provision in the midst of hardship. This is a book brimming with hope that testifies of a gracious God who raises the dead back to life.
The Almost Daily Devotional by Paul N. Walker
Mockingbird’s latest devotional has been hard to keep stocked, if that tells you anything. Something about it meets readers where they’re at. Might be the combination of good quality and low pressure; carefully arranged yet easily digested.
[…] a novel — it’s turned out to be a great year in books! For a more general book list click here, and for last year’s theology list, click […]
Helpful list. But I wish you had a separate category for history