Yesterday, I received this text message from a member in our church:

"Hey Brad- wanted to thank you for the book recommendation about having “the talk” with [my son]. We are about 1/2 way thru and it has been very helpful 🙏 🙏"

This is one of the reasons I love to read.

By reading and recommending good books to others, we can impact lives for the better.

One of the best parts about my job is that I get paid to read. But for many years, I didn't take advantage of this perk. I used to complain (along with many of my pastor friends) that there wasn't enough time in my busy schedule to read. Too many meetings, emails, sermons to prep, tasks, emergencies, etc. But at the beginning of 2023, I made it a discipline to carve out one hour of my workday for reading.

As a teacher and preacher, I cannot pour out unless I am being filled up. I cannot lead others well if I myself am not being led well. While there were plenty of days I wasn't able to get to my 60-minutes of reading, I didn't allow those days to become my normal. At the beginning of each day, I would choose a 60-minute block for sometime that afternoon. Once that time came, I would force myself to grab a book, my highlighters, and sit in my reading chair (with my phone on the other side of the room).

Oftentimes, I would feel guilty about this–knowing there were emails that needed responses, tasks that needed completion, and people I could be meeting with. But then I would remind myself that my leadership, preaching, and pastoring is always healthier when I am learning, growing, and being fed myself. It also benefits others when I am able to wade through the mess of books out there, (i.e. reading 12 books on parenting), so I can recommend the one I think is most helpful. I tell people all the time: "Part of my job is to read bad books so you don't have to."

It was a joy for me to start sending out this monthly book list email in 2023. I hope it has benefited you. I look forward to more in 2024.

But first, the Top Books of 2023!

I broke up my recommendations into 3 main categories:

1. Top 5 Christian Books
2. Top 5 Secular Books
3. Top 5 Fiction Books

I have spent the last 18 months slowly working my way through the Gospel of Matthew in my morning time with Jesus. Frederick Dale Bruner has been an indispensable guide along the way. Each morning, I read a short passage in Matthew, and then Bruner's notes on that passage. I am just about to finish Vol. 2 and cannot recommend this commentary enough. It is the most pastoral, thought-provoking, and convicting, commentary I have ever read. While I don't always agree with everything, Bruner is constantly lifting my eyes to the beauty of Jesus and the call to joyful obedience.

I love when theologians make the gospel come alive in a fresh new way. Bates does just that in, Why the Gospel? Bates's abridged answer to that question is, "To recover glory. Humanity's glory and God's glory are interdependent." The only problem with this book is that I dog-eared nearly every other page and went through too many highlighters. It was that good. Chapter two, "Famous Somewhere," was about our desire for fame and Jesus's desire to "make us famous." It was the most enjoyable chapter of theology I read this year.

This book inspired me to take a 30-day digital detox in October, which became one of the highlights of my entire year. It also helped me set an all-time low of iPhone screen time use a couple weeks ago. I used to average 3-4 hours of screen time a day, but now I am averaging about 30 minutes. Our devices are destroying us. If you don't believe that, you definitely need to read this book. Samuel James does a great job showing us how the internet and our devices are shaping us-and if we aren't incredibly intentional, they are shaping us away from loving God and people.

All of us have bad habits. And January 1st is coming... In Your Future Self Will Thank You, Drew Dyck unpacks the main reasons we have bad habits and how to grow into a people who are self-controlled. It is gospel-drenched, humorous, practical, and filled with scientific studies. If you have any new habits you are hoping to adopt for the new year, this book will be a tremendous help.

If you have been receiving my monthly emails, you may have noticed I read quite a few books on the topic of women in church leadership (21 so far). While many of them are good, I think Bartlett's is the most compelling and comprehensive for the egalitarian position. His tone is gracious, his research is expansive, and he tackles the difficult passages faithfully.

"The odds are overwhelming that you will die as a result of one of the Four Horsemen: heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, or type 2 diabetes." But this doesn't have to be the case... In Outlive, Peter Attia, MD, gives compelling evidence and practical help on how to best increase, not only your lifespan, but also your healthspan. Our healthspan is the length of life when we are still healthy, active, and free of disease and disability. Who cares to live to 110 if you are sick and miserable for decades leading up to it? His last chapter on emotional health was worth the price of the entire book.

I am a sucker for books like these. When intelligent, non-Christians write books that expose the harm of our secular world, I am sold. In The Case Against the Sexual Revolution, Louise Perry argues that the sexual revolution has not helped women, but hurt them. She argues against hook-up culture, pornography, BDSM, and prostitution, while giving overwhelming evidence for the benefits of monogamous marriage and the distinctions between men and women. If a Christian wrote this book, it may be boring. But to hear all of this from a non-Christian feminist and journalist, it makes my top 5.

If you ever speak publicly, then you need to read this book. Maxwell does a tremendous job helping communicators understand their primary task is to add value to the listener. The temptation in public speaking is to look impressive, sound intelligent, and make it all about ourselves. But the most effective and enjoyable speakers prepare and deliver their content in a way that serves and helps their audience live better. And the key to doing this is through connection.

Bartlett is a young, secular entrepreneur from Botswana, now living in the UK. His podcast recently surpassed Joe Rogan's in monthly downloads, which is remarkable. The Diary of a CEO is filled with 33 laws of wisdom on life and business. His first law, "Fill Your Five Buckets in the Right Order" was brilliant. They are: (1) Knowledge (2) Skills (3) Network (4) Resources (5) Reputation. There are about 10 other laws in this book that put it in my top 5 for 2023.

The Wager reads like an implausible, fictional tale. But it is a true story. The Wager was a British warship that had a secret mission in 1740. But after a shipwreck on a deserted island, you discover one of the clearest pictures of human nature trying to survive. There is loyalty and courage balanced by the betrayal and chaos of men hoping to make it another day. If you can get through the first 50 pages, you will thank me. I know that isn't a way to sell someone on a book, but I almost quit on page 48 and am very glad I pushed through.

​ The Name of the Wind is a phenomenal tale about a man who becomes one of the greatest wizards (Kvothe) in the world. The book is primarily a narrative of Kvothe's life, starting with his humble beginnings and the tale of how he became a legend. It was both exhilarating and heart-breaking; filled with the ups and downs of love, friendship, and enemies. Two major highlights of the story were Kvothe's apprenticeship under Abenthy and his relationship with Denna. Both were wonderfully told! It has some similarities to Harry Potter, so if you enjoyed HP, I think you would enjoy this as well.

Red Rising is a science-fiction dystopian trilogy about a future caste-based society. People are born into different 'colors' (Reds are slaves, Greens are technicians, Golds rule the world, etc.) But when Darrow, a Red, is invited to lead a revolt to upend the whole system by becoming a Gold, things get wild. If you liked Hunger Games, I think you will enjoy this one! He followed up the trilogy with another 3 books in the same series and I am just about to dive into book 4.

If you would have told me two years ago that I would enjoy "Coming-of-age" novels, I would have laughed at you. But over the past year or so, I have grown to love some young adult fiction. This one is a story that spans a few decades and shares the tale of two friends who go through the highs and lows of life together. After creating a video game and becoming famous (not a spoiler) they have to navigate their friendship, romance, disability, and a broken world. This book was a treat and had me quite sentimental. I cried several times while reading, which, in my opinion, makes it great. Well done, Gabrielle Zevin!

I am a little late to the game on this one. The Martian was published in 2011, but I was a hater of science fiction back then... After Mark Watney, an American astronaut, gets stranded on Mars, he does everything he can to contact NASA, survive, and make it home safely. Books like these remind me of the beauty of life and help me not take things like oxygen, family, and food for granted. I read the whole thing in two days while sick at home, and then watched the movie right after. Usually, the book is always better than the movie, but I was very impressed with the movie. Hard not to love Matt Damon.

Little did I know, this book would create in me a love for psychological thrillers (and Freida McFadden). The Housemaid, is a gripping story of a woman who becomes a maid in an incredibly dysfunctional, rich family's home. I was new to the whole psychological thriller genre, so now I am more used to the turns and plot twists. But at one point while reading this one, I jumped off the couch, threw the book down and just started shouting, "No way! No way! What?! How?!" Then I went on to read 3 more of her books and enjoyed them all!

Top Quotes from 2023:

• "Why, I wonder, doesn't everybody carry a book around?" -Stephen King
• "Our love for the OT might increase if we occasionally called it 'Jesus' Bible' instead of the 'Old Testament.' For this book was Jesus' personal library; it was his shelf of books." -Frederick Dale Bruner
• “We are—or we become—what we pretend to be, so we must be very careful who we pretend to be.” -Loreth Anne White.
• "Ultimately, self-control isn't about you. It's about you surrendering to God's purposes for you. And it's not about getting success or money or power. In the end, it's about love." -Drew Dyck
• "You can predict someone's success in any area of their life by observing how willing and capable they are at dealing with uncomfortable conversations. Your personal progression is trapped behind an uncomfortable conversation." -Steven Bartlett
• "The commonest formula with which the prophets introduced their oracles, namely 'Thus says the Lord', is one Jesus never used. Instead, he would begin 'Truly I tell you', thus daring to speak in his own name and with his own authority, which he knew to be identical with the Father's." -John Stott
• "A lack of self-knowledge can construct false barriers between us and God." -A.J. Swoboda
• "I have a friend who is dean in a theological seminary where men and women are being trained to be pastors. Sometimes he calls one of these people into his office and says something like this: 'You have been around here for several months now and I have had an opportunity to observe you. You get good grades, seem to take your calling to ministry seriously, work hard and have clear goals. But I don't detect any joy. You don't seem to have any pleasure in what you are doing. And I wonder if you should not reconsider your calling into ministry. For if a pastor is not in touch with joy, it will be difficult to teach or preach convincingly that the news is good. If you do not convey joy in your demeanor and gestures and speech, you will not be an authentic witness for Jesus Christ. Delight in what God is doing is essential in our work.'" -Eugene Peterson
• "The task for practically minded feminists, then, is to deter men from [casual sex]. Our current sexual culture does not do that, but it could. In order to change the incentive structure, we would need a technology that discourages short-termism in male sexual behaviour, protects the economic interests of mothers, and creates a stable environment for the raising of children. And we do already have such a technology, even if it is old, clunky and prone to periodic failure. It's called monogamous marriage." Louise Perry
• "To repeat, there is little formation without repetition." -AJ Sherrill
• "Paul is teaching that the salient identity of all individuals in the church is that they are equal heirs with the same status, benefits, and obligations of membership. Those who restrict the meaning of Galatians 3:28 to an abstract or eschatological meaning tend to assume that gender is the salient identity in the church, rather than our identity in Christ, which goes against Paul's teaching on several counts." -Cynthia Long Westfall

Other Books Read in 2023:

*Books in bold were thoroughly enjoyed!*

• Repentance - Jack Miller
• Overcoming Apathy - Uche Anizor
• Insurgent - Veronica Roth
• Leadership and Self-Deception - Arbinger Institute
• Allegiant - Veronica Roth
• Timothy Keller: His Spiritual & Intellectual Formation - Collin Hansen
• Glorification - Graham Cole
• Beautiful Union - Joshua Ryan Butler
• The Plurality Principle - Dave Harvey
• Living in Union with Christ - Grant Mcaskill
• Preaching? - Alec J. Motyer
• Shrinking the Intergrity Gap - Jeff and Terra Mattson
• Savoring Scripture - Andrew Abernethy
• Parenting - Andy and Sandra Stanley
• Take Back Your Family - Jeffferson Bethke
• Raising Passionate Jesus Followers - Phil and Diane Comer
• The Talk - Luke Gilkerson
• Driven - Larry H. Miller
• Deacons - Matt Smethurst
• Stolen Focus - Johann Hari
• The Performance Factor - Pat MacMillan
• The Housemaid's Secret - Freida McFadden
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
• Never Lie - Freida McFaddden
• The Weary Leader's Guide to Burnout - Sean Nemecek
• Unwanted - Jay Stringer
• Divine Sex - Jonathan Grant
• Humility - Gavin Ortlund
• Dead Wake - Erik Larson
• Embodied - Preston Sprinkle
• Transgender - Vaughn Roberts
• Transforming - Austen Hartke
• God and the Transgender Debate - Andrew T. Walker
• The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
• Managing Leadership Anxiety - Steve Cuss
• A Very Punchable Face - Colin Jost
• All My Knotted-Up Life - Beth Moore
• The Art of Pastroring - David Hansen
• The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
• In the Garden of Beasts - Erik Larson
• No Two Person - Erica Mauermeister
• Humility - Andrew Murray
• Worthy - Sinclair Ferguson
• On Writing - Stephen King
• The Inmate - Freida McFadden
• The Perfect Son - Freida McFadden
• Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
• God and Money - John Cortines and Gregory Baumer
• I Will Teach You to be Rich - Ramit Sethi
• Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis
• Things My Son Needs to Know about the World - Frederik Backman
• Rock Paper Scissors - Alice Feeney
• The Maid's Diary - Loreth Anne White
• The Institute - Stephen King
• Small Preaching - Jonathan Pennington
• The Great Dechurching - Jim Davis, Michael Graham, & Ryan Burge
• Sermon on the Mount - Scot McKnight
• The Good and Beautiful Life - James Bryan Smith
• The Message of the Sermon on the Mount - John Stott
• Men and Women in the Church - Kevin DeYoung
• The Bible vs. Biblical Womanhood - Philip B. Payne
• Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian - Michelle Lee-Barnewall
• Paul, Women and Wives - Craig Keener
• Embracing Complementarianism - Graham Beynon and Jane Tooher
• The Brother's Hawthorne - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Impossible Christianity - Kevin DeYoung
• Tell Her Story - Nijay Gupta
• Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
• Cultural Apologetics - Paul M. Gould
• After Doubt - A.J. Swoboda
• Regenerate - Tony Scarcello
• Golden Son - Pierce Brown
• A World Without Email - Cal Newport
• How God Sees Women - Terran Williams
• Dopamine Nation - Anna Lembke
• Untangling Emotions - Alasdair J. Groves
• Why Emotions Matter - Tristen and Jonathan Collins
• Discovering Biblical Equality - Ronald Pierce & Cynthia Westfall
• How to Reach the West Again - Timothy Keller
• How to Read Genesis - Tremper Longman III
• Morning Star - Pierce Brown
• Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals - William J. Webb
• A Long Obedience in the Same Direction - Eugene Peterson
• Being With God - A.J. Sherrill
• Why I Love the Apostle Paul - John Piper

2023 Reading Goal:100 Books ✅

​If you have a Goodreads account, be sure to add me as your friend! @BradSarian​

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Catch up on previous Monthly Book Lists here: Archives​

*Just because I recommend a book does not mean I endorse everything in it. Like the biblical narrative, there is always brokenness in the midst of beauty.

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