Category: Book Reviews

The 10 Best Books I Read in 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

2025 was an excellent year of reading for me. I was able to finish 70 books and I am thankful to God for books and for writers and for the ability to read and for the easy access I have to books of all kinds.

Here is a list of the 10 BEST Books I Read in 2025, plus a few honorable mentions.

If you are interested in taking a look at brief reviews of almost all of the books I read this year, you can find them under my monthly Reading Roundups.

10. Hideki Smith and the Omukade by A.J. Hartley

Look, I enjoy Hartley’s writing across the board. This author is creative, eclectic, original, and just fun to read, but this book in his Hideki Smith series is some next level writing. The first book in the series was good. This is better. And you don’t see that often enough in sequels.

Instead of recycling scenes, jokes, twists, and plot points that worked for him in book 1, Hartley masterfully builds on that book and gives his readers something that is familiar and yet brand new. This page-turner kept me so engaged I felt irritated if my reading got interrupted. And I stayed up past my bedtime more than once so I could finish “just one, two, three more chapters.”

*Note: This book is not pictured above because I loaned out my copy and it hasn’t made it’s way back to me in time for this post.

9. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

This was my first Clarke novel. It won’t be my last. The world Clarke created in this novel is fresh and exciting and fascinating. Her writing can take your breath away with its beauty and make your soul ache because of the connection you have with her principle character. This is a fascinating tale and so original it sticks with you. I imagine that there will be books that will be along the same lines as this one and people will think, “Oh, that reminds me of Piranesi!” If you haven’t read Clarke before, I cannot recommend this book as an introduction to her work highly enough.

8. LEAD by Paul David Tripp

I haven’t always liked Tripp’s writing. In fact, I don’t think I would have read this one had it not been required by the leadership team I am a part of in my church. But this book was revelatory and powerful and has found its way onto my annual reading list. Not necessarily because it is fascinating and well-written, which it is, but because the lessons in this book are absolutely necessary for me to be reminded of and to internalize and live out and that is going to require repeated readings.

LEAD strikes that delicate balance between deeply convicting and encouraging. Tripp pulls no punches and some of them land squarely in your gut, but then he is quick to point you to the glorious truth of the gospel. It’s like every page is shouting, “Yes, you really are a mess! AND Jesus loves you and desires to work through you in the church.”

7. Philippians: Rejoicing and Thanksgiving by David Chapman

I know it seems strange to see a commentary on a top ten list, but this was just so good. This is the first commentary I’ve read from the Focus on the Bible series but if the rest are even half as good as this one, I want the entire series in my library.

This excellent exploration of Paul’s letter to his beloved friends is easily accessible by anyone–no seminary degree required–and yet the depth of scholarship underlying it will satisfy any biblical studies wonk. You don’t need to be working on a sermon or academic paper to enjoy this book. Grab a copy, your Bible, a journal, and a pen or pencil and just walk through Philippians with Chapman as your guide and you will blessed.

6. Through a Screen Darkly by Jeffrey Overstreet

I love movies and I loved this book about movies. You know how when you read a book you enjoy so much, you start slowing down as you get to the end because you don’t want the experience to be over? I’ve only ever done that with novels. Until this book. I seriously did not want Overstreet’s “cinematic memoir” to end. It is just too good.

Overstreet is a writer, film critic, and college professor and he writes with a love for God and for art that shows up on every page. I have always loved movies and I think about them deeply and, honestly, have often been made fun of by others for doing that. With this book, I felt seen. I felt less like an odd ball and more like there were others like me. There are people who take movies seriously as art and Overstreet is speaking to us as one of us.

At the same time, he is writing to anyone who enjoys movies. He writes from a Christian worldview, but I think anyone can learn to think about and enjoy films on a deeper level by reading this book. Oh, and my “To Be Viewed” list grew A LOT as I read.

5. The Evangelical Imagination by Karen Swallow Prior

The author masterfully builds a case piece by piece that reveals how much of the Evangelical faith we take at face value without considering where some of our most closely held beliefs come from and without realizing how many of these beliefs are built, not from Scripture, but from a shared social imaginary. This imaginary is comprised of the stories we tell, the images we absorb, and the metaphors we use to describe and understand our world.

Swallow Prior picks up a magnified mirror, holds it up to Evangelicalism, and says, “Look closely right here.” And when we do, we might find ourselves shocked, even a bit horrified, but if we are paying attention, we won’t be offended. The author is not holding up her mirror with an attitude of disgust or judgment, but with a heart of love and all she’s asking us to do is pay attention and think.

Let’s stop taking everything at face value. Let’s stop absorbing sound bites and spitting them in the faces of others. Instead, let’s ask questions, pray, discuss, and just think.

I found as I read the book that I was asking many questions about my own beliefs and their origins and in those questions, I was drawn to a deeper faith in Christ. If that doesn’t make it worth reading, I don’t know what does.

4. Lest We Drift by Jared Wilson

I wrote a longer review on this book after I read it so I will only repeat a few pieces of that here.

Jared Wilson has written many gospel-centered books. This is not his first, and God willing it won’t be his last. But out of all the ones I’ve read so far, and they have all been good, this one in particular stands out.

Wilson writes with the mind of a theologian, the heart of a pastor, and the passion of someone who knows he is a great sinner in need of a great Savior. In fact, he is very open and honest about his own weaknesses and the ways he has drifted from the gospel and the consequences that came with that and how the gospel of Jesus Christ was and is good news to him.

As Wilson shows us in this book, it’s so tragically easy to drift away from the good news of Jesus into other things, even important and good things, and point to them and say, “this thing is of first importance” and when we do that, we are missing it. We are missing where true life really is and we are pointing others away from Jesus too.

Wilson’s writing in LEST WE DRIFT packs some punch in a lot of places. But while Wilson writes strongly, there is no harshness in the way he writes it. The strength of his words are based in love for Jesus and for the people of God. You may feel convicted but you won’t feel condemned.

I think, LEST WE DRIFT is a timely and beautiful book. I was more in love with Jesus after I read it, and I also felt more aware of the ways I have often drifted away from the gospel in my own life. But I didn’t feel ashamed. I felt invited back to the heart of God.

3. The Affections of Christ Jesus by Nijay Gupta

Gupta is another “new to me” writer this year and I loved this rich and powerful book on the love of Christ in the writings of the Apostle Paul. My copy is LOADED with underlining and little flags and marginalia. I have set it aside for a bit and then I am going back to it and making notes in a learning journal because there is so much here you can’t just read it and throw it on your shelf.

Gupta writes with a depth of knowledge of the Scriptures and he also writes with a depth of love for God and His Word. He is one of those rare subject matter experts that understands that not everyone is an expert so while his writing is challenging, it is accessible. I found no trouble at all following him.

I also loved that this is not just a book of scholarship, although it is certainly that. It is also a book with encouragement, implications, and applications throughout. In that sense, it is richly pastoral.

2. Foster AND Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Okay, I know this is cheating a little, but I really could NOT pick one over the other. Both of these books are wonderful and as a result of reading them I am in love with Claire Keegan’s writing and will faithfully read everything she writes from now on. There is so much beauty and simplicity and excellence in these stories that I felt like a richer and better person for having read them. Keegan is a true master of the craft of writing. She’s the kind of writer that readers love AND the kind of writer that other writers admire. You don’t often find that in the same person.

If you haven’t read Keegan’s work yet, just do it. Both of these books are a wonderful place to start. Pick one and read it. Then come back here and leave your appreciative comments on this post.

And I will just offer a preemptive, “you’re welcome.”

1. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Duh.

I mean, can this book appear on any top ten list and NOT be in the number one spot?

When Robert Duvall accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, he highlighted the Western as America’s unique cultural contribution with this quote:

The English have Shakespeare. The French have Moliere. What do we (Americans) have…the Western!” 

Of course, Duvall played Gus McCrae in the TV miniseries of this book and when I read Lonesome Dove, I could hear Duvall’s voice in my head.

When has this not been a famous and continuously read epic?

After reading this book, I had to set it aside for a moment and mourn the loss of a group of characters I had fallen in love with over the course of 858 pages. I was sad that my journey with them was over. And what a journey it was!

I absolutely love Western novels and the history of the American West and read both frequently. But this one is not only my favorite Western, it is one of my top 5 favorite novels. The rich characters, the converging plotlines, the high stakes, the adventure, the sheer scope of the novel is just incredible.

Honorable Mentions

Here are few titles that nearly made the top 10 this year.

  • Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls by Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite
  • The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
  • A Burning in My Bones by Winn Collier
  • Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
  • The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilberg Clark
  • A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Links to Favorite Reads Lists in 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the release of so many “Best Books” and “Favorite Reads” lists! I will do my own of course, but here are some links to some good lists.

My Favorite Reads of 2025 by Trevin Wax

Books of the Year 2025 by Andrew Wilson at Think Theology

My Favorite Books of 2025 by Aaron Armstrong

Russell Moore’s Ten Favorite Books of 2025

The New York Public Library’s List of Best Books for 2025. This list can also be filtered by genre.

The Christian Blogger OG Tim Challies offers his list of Noteworthy New Commentaries for 2025.

From Lit Hub: The 29 Best OLD Books We Read in 2025

Another one from Lit Hub: 43 Favorite Books of 2025

Books We Enjoyed in 2025 from the TGC Editorial Staff

NPRs Books We Love from 2025. There are also links from previous years.

Dash House has his list of favorite reads in 2025 and at the end of the post, there are links to other lists for you to explore.

All the Award-Winning Novels of 2025.

If you were to create your list, what books would be on it? They don’t have to be published this year, only read this year.

Reading Roundup for November 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I finished 11 books in November for a total of 64 so far this year so it was an excellent month in the stacks!

Lead by Paul David Tripp is a book I have been discussing with a group of guys from my church. It strikes that delicate balance between deeply convicting and encouraging. Tripp pulls no punches and some of them land squarely in your gut, but then he is quick to point you to the glorious truth of the gospel. It’s like every page is shouting, “Yes, you really are a mess! And Jesus loves you and desires to work through you in the church.” As we have discussed this book, there have been some tears and a deeper desire to stay close to Jesus as we work to serve His people. This book is going on my annual reading list.

Spiritual Direction for the Care of Souls edited by Gary Moon was more academic than I anticipated and I got a lot out of it. This book covers the major traditions like Catholic, Orthodox, Methodist, Reformed, and Pentecostal and explores how they approach the ministry of spiritual direction in soul care. Each chapter provides an overview of that tradition’s approach, highlights some practices within the approach, and discusses its interactions with psychotherapy. It was an interesting read and while a couple of the approaches aligned far more with my theology, there were others that resonated with me at least in part and I was grateful to learn from them.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I cannot believe I’ve never read this before! I think it must be because I approached it with a child’s mind of, “This is going to be dull!” It was anything but. I was moved to tears when I read about the redemption of Scrooge and the clear and immediate evidence of his transformation and how the joy he experienced was only made complete when it was shared with others. All Biblical stuff. I read this one for book club but I am adding it to my list to read each December.

Hideki Smith and the Omukade. Welcome back to Portersville, the sleepy town in the mountains of North Carolina and home to Hideki Smith and his sister Em, and to a prison under a mountain filled with monsters from Japanese folklore. Oh, and some have escaped!

A.J. Hartley brings us back to the heroics of the “loser” Hideki, his newly discovered powers, and his sister’s ability to transform herself into a fox as they are once again called upon to perform the thankless job of saving the lives of everyone they know!

I enjoyed the first book in this series and this one is even better. Hartley is able to do more with the cast of interesting characters he established in Hideki Smith: Demon Queller, and the writing itself feels richer and deeper and even personal. Not just for Hartley, but for us as readers too. We know these people. We ARE these people.

This is not just an adventure story with battles, monsters, magical beings, mystery, thrills, and quite a few chills. And it has plenty of that.

It is also a story about love and family and rejection and loss and community and connection and trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in and all the things that make up rich, full, and challenging lives.

Don’t be surprised if you lose some sleep staying up reading this and don’t be surprised if you laugh out loud, shed a few tears, and even shout in triumph and terror.

This is a “just one more chapter” page-turner of a book. It’s one you can get lost in and it’s one you’re thinking about days after you’re done.

The Steadfast Love of God by Sam Storms was not what I was hoping for and I think that may warp my opinion a bit. It read like a series of transcribed sermons, which is fine, but I am used to far more theological meat from Storm’s books. This one was more pastoral. There are a few chapters where I have massive amounts of underlined passages and others that looked like I skipped over them.

Foster by Claire Keegan was fantastic. I read this one for book club and have fallen in love with Keegan’s writing. I will faithfully read everything she writes for as long she practices her craft. The depth she can go to with such economy of words is a massive gift that so few possess. And it seems to me that her writing is crafted with a love for language and story and for her readers. Keegan is the kind of writer you celebrate.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is another one I loved for all the reasons I loved FOSTER and more besides. There is a weight to this book and it grows on you as the story advances. You can feel an inevitability in it. You know it is working toward an ending that you will carry away with you. I am going to read this again. In fact, I am going to study it. Keegan’s writing is a master class in craft.

The Singer Trilogy by Calvin Miller is collection of poetry in the tradition of C.S. Lewis, or so the book blurb goes. I can see how it was inspired by Lewis, but this is something different. The trilogy is a retelling of the New Testament with the first volume being about Jesus, the second is about the growth of the church, and the third is about the end of all things. It felt a little heavy handed in places and in others there was far more depth. I don’t know if I would call this “good” but it was interesting. And I enjoyed the art work.

The Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller is a year-long devotional through the Psalms, in which Keller constantly points to Jesus, which of course, I loved.

On the TBR Stack

Here is what I am reading as I finish out the year:

  • On the Incarnation by Saint Athanasius
  • Multiply by Francis Chan
  • The Last Gunfight by Jeff Guin
  • The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
  • The Affections of Christ Jesus by Nijay Gupta
  • The Complete Short Stories by Flannery O’Connor
  • Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (this will probably carry over into January)
  • The Complete Poems by Langston Hughes (ditto on this one)

Reading Roundup for October 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I finished 7 books this month for a total of 53 so far this year.

I’ve had the honor of preaching some of the sermons in our series at church on Paul’s letter to the Philippians so I finished reading 4 commentaries on that beautiful letter.

The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians by R.P. Martin is from the Tyndale series. The very first commentary I ever owned was from Tyndale and I have always appreciated their concise and accessible format and writing style and this one was no exception. No matter what book of the Bible I am studying, you will likely find one of the Tyndale commentaries in my stack of study materials. I find them to be an excellent resource for personal Bible study as well as sermon prep.

Philippians: Rejoicing and Thanksgiving by David Chapman is from the Focus on the Bible Series and I thought it was excellent. I had not heard of the FOTB series of commentaries before I picked this up, but I will be adding all of them to my library if they are all this thorough and easy to read and understand. This volume was a cross between scholarship and devotional. You don’t need training in ancient Greek to understand it and yet the scholarship in it is rich. I highly recommend this one.

Philippians by Frank Thielman is from the NIV Application Commentary. It has been my experience that some of the NIV Application commentaries are better than others and this is one of the better ones. I like the way the whole series attempts to bridge the gap between what the Scriptures meant to the original readers and what they mean to us today. This one was more devotional than scholarship, and that’s fine. The only downside to this one was that it was sometimes hard to follow which verse the author was expounding on. Still, though, a solid resource.

Philippians by Dennis E. Johnson is from the Reformed Expository Commentary series. I love every volume of this series I have in my library. They are all excellent and Johnson’s volume on Philippians is right on track with all the others. This one is also a robust blend of Biblical scholarship and devotional literature. You can sit down and read these books straight through and be encouraged and convicted and walk away with a deeper understanding of God’s Word. I haven’t read them all, of course, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of them.

Encouragement: The Unexpected Power of Building Others Up by Larry Crabb and Dan Allender was a nice little book that was…well, encouraging. As Christians we are missing out if we are not seeking ways to encourage and build up our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a way we can serve others, be active members of the church, and receive blessings ourselves. There are great blessings for those who encourage others, as well as those who are being encouraged. This book is a slim and helpful volume of inspiration and instruction on this kind of “every member a minster” work.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. I think I want to write a longer review of this one. I have a lot of thoughts on it. This was my second reading of this book and it lands differently in a second reading. The writing is excellent and the story is captivating and the characters, every single one of them, are fully realized and stay with you long after you finish the last page. What interested me the most was the constant theme of the guiding hand of Providence even in those who do not believe.

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. Okay, I want to be so careful here. I read this for my book club and many of them, and SO many others, absolutely love this book. I am not one of those people. I respect Levi for the work he put into this self-published novel, and apparently it has struck a chord with many people because it is hugely popular. In fact, I started to wonder what I was missing just based on its popularity but it just did not strike that same chord with me. I didn’t think it was well written or plotted and it was so sugary sweet I felt manipulated instead of moved. And I found the ending unsatisfying and a bit forced. I’m sorry to those who love this book and I wish the author all the best. This kind of thing just isn’t for me.

On My TBR for November

Here are some of the books I hope to finish next month.

  • The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maas
  • The Affections of Christ Jesus by Nijay K. Gupta
  • Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls edited by Gary W. Moon and David G. Benner
  • Hideki Smith and the Omukade by A.J. Hartley
  • LEAD by Paul David Tripp
  • A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
  • Foster by Claire Keegan

Reading Roundup for September 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I only finished 1 book in the month of September for a total of 46 books this year.

It wasn’t a great month for reading, but here’s why that doesn’t bother me:

  • It’s NOT about quantity. I like to keep track because I enjoy it. That’s the same reason I set reading targets and goals, but I don’t feel like I have “failed” if I don’t reach those targets or achieve those goals. I just love to read and I enjoy keeping track of my reading. I’m weird like that.
  • I had the joy and privilege of preaching multiple times this month and so much of the time I would have spent reading I spent studying for and writing sermons. There is ZERO regret in that.

So, here is my one single book for September 2025…

RED SIDE STORY by Jasper Fforde.

Fforde is one of my favorite authors. I will read absolutely any novel he writes, and I have. His creativity, originality, and general oddity make his books nearly impossible to categorize and that’s part of their irresistible charm.

This book is a long-awaited sequel to SHADES OF GREY. It is a dystopian novel that takes place in the Land of OZ, and that’s about as much as I can really tell you about them both.

The world Fforde created in these two books is so complex it makes them difficult to explain. Basically the characters that populate this world live in a society that is based on a class system where your class is determined by what you can see on the color spectrum. Purples occupy that highest level and Grays (who can see no color at all) occupy the lowest. And no, I did not misspell the title of the first book.

Like all of his books, the prose here is imaginative, humorous, and engaging. Once you’re in, you don’t want to stop reading.

If you want to start reading Fforde, the Thursday Next series, specifically THE EYRE AFFAIR is the best place to begin. I have recommended this book to MANY people and anyone who has ever read it has enjoyed it.

I love finding a writer whose work I enjoy so much, I would read everything they ever wrote. That’s a short list for me, but Jasper Fforde is near the top and he has never failed to delight.

Reading List for October

I’d like to finish the year strong, so I will ramp up my reading for October.

  • A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is a book I am re-reading for the book club I am a part of.
  • Lead by Paul David Tripp is for another book club I am in.
  • Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls edited by Gary W. Moon is one I have been reading through slowly, because it’s that kind of book.
  • The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass I am reading to help my craft for the novel I am SLOWLY writing.
  • Hideki Smith and the Omuhade by A.J. Hartley is a sequel to one I enjoyed earlier this year.
  • Encouragement by Larry Crabb is nearly finished, but I didn’t want to rush it just so I could add it to this month’s list.

Reading Roundup: August 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I finished 5 books in August for a total of 45 so far this year.

There was some good stuff in this stack and I am excited to share them with you in the August Reading Roundup.

I’ll start with the one that was a bit of a disappointment. A Powerful Mind : The Self-Education of George Washington by Adrienne M. Harrison read like a dumbed-down doctoral dissertation. I am fascinated with self-education in general and self-education through books in particular.

That’s what I was expecting in this book. What I got was a list of the books in Washington’s library and the same stories I’ve read in multiple Washington biographies. There was a nice chapter about the first President’s reading habits and their utilitarian nature but I probably should have stopped reading after that. I’m not suggesting that no one should read this book. It’s well-written and thoroughly researched. It just wasn’t for me.

The Last Class: Your Guide to 401(k) Plans, Health Insurance, Taxes, and More! was written by an online buddy of mine, Karen Nicholas and…Wow. I truly wish this book had existed when I started my career. This is the stuff we all should have been taught in high school before we got out into the “real world.”

Writing with humor and kindness, Karen Nicholas gives you the information you need to navigate some of the complexities of life. Whether it’s working with different generations, managing your credit, understanding your health plans, or the skills you need to thrive on the job, This slim volume has the information you need. I HIGHLY recommend this as a gift to every graduate you know. If you are a homeschool parent, make this part of your students’ curriculum. 

I read Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung over the course of several months. Its designed to be read as a five day a week devotional. I like DeYoung’s writing and agree with much of his theology. There were several points where I completely disagree with him and Sam Storms writes quite thoroughly and eloquently on his points of disagreement, which I share so I will simply direct you to his blog if you’d like to know more about that.

That being said, this book is an excellent systematic theology in bite-sized chunks and written in such a way that you don’t need a graduate degree in the subject to understand it. DeYoung writes with the mind of a theologian and the heart of a pastor. His love for God and His people comes through in page after page.

I had never heard of William Kent Krueger before I joined a book club recently but This Tender Land was their selection for August so I grabbed it and read it to prepare for my first meeting/discussion. I can honestly say that if it were not for the book club, I never would have read it and I am so glad I did because it’s just good.

Krueger wrestles with God in this book. And while I find sadness in where he ends up in his wrestling, I respect his efforts. The characters in this story are vivid and fully realized, even those that are in and out in just a few pages. The setting is delightfully descriptive without being tiresome. The story is engaging with moments of tension, terror, wonder, and joy. It’s just a good read and it left me wanting to read more by this writer.

The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis by Karen Swallow Prior is the best book I read in August. It was also the most challenging and thought-provoking one.

The author masterfully builds a case piece by piece that reveals how much of the Evangelical faith we take at face value without considering where some of our most closely held beliefs come from and without realizing how many of these beliefs are built, not from Scripture, but from a shared social imaginary. This imaginary is comprised of the stories we tell, the images we absorb, and the metaphors we use to describe and understand our world.

Swallow Prior picks up a magnified mirror, holds it up to Evangelicalism, and says, “Look closely right here.” And when we do, we might find ourselves shocked, even a bit horrified, but if we are paying attention, we won’t be offended. The author is not holding up her mirror with an attitude of disgust or judgment, but with a heart of love and all she’s asking us to do is think.

Stop taking everything at face value. Stop absorbing sound bites and spitting them in the faces of others. Instead, ask questions, pray, discuss, and just think.

I found as I read the book that I was asking many questions about my own beliefs and their origins and in those questions, I was drawn to a deeper faith in Christ.

Reading Roundup: July 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I only finished 5 books in July for a total of 40 so far this year. But there were some EXCELLENT ones in this stack and I am excited to share them with you in this month’s Reading Roundup!

I am a big fan of John Steinbeck and have a goal to read his complete works. I devoured The Moon is Down in a single day and I loved it. Steinbeck describes this slim novel as a “celebration of the durability of democracy”. It was originally published when Nazi Germany was at the height of its power and it looked as if Hitler may not be stopped by anyone.

In this novel, a small community is invaded by a larger, more powerful force and comes face-to-face with evil imposed on them and it wears a smile and claims it only wants to coexist. The mayor, as the spokesperson for the town, claims he does not know how his people will respond to the invaders. Their response is a slow burn at first, but the unjust death of one of their own fans their anger into a bonfire that cannot be contained.

This book reads like a play and I was delighted to discover that it was originally written as one until Steinbeck converted it into a novel. I would love to see this play staged. Certainly it was relevant in its time, and I think it has relevance even now. I also discovered that it became a movie in 1943. I added that to my watchlist.

How amazing is Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove?! It seems to be popping up in all the “influencers” feeds on social media and is enjoying a bit of resurgence in popularity, but come on, when has this not been a famous and continuously read epic?

After reading this book, I had to set it aside for a moment and mourn the loss of a group of characters I had fallen in love with over the course of 858 pages. I was sad that my journey with them was over. And what a journey it was!

I absolutely love Western novels and the history of the American West and read both frequently. But this one is not only my favorite Western, it is one of my top 5 favorite novels. The rich characters, the converging plotlines, the high stakes, the adventure, the sheer scope of the novel is just incredible. I read Sin Killer by McMurtry and hated it, but this, I loved and will return to again. In fact, I could see this becoming a sort of continual read for me, much like The Lord of the Rings series.

Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls by Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Wilhite is rich and beautiful. In a time when many pastors are feeling pressured to entertain and “tickle the ears” of those in their churches to keep attendance and financial numbers up, this book serves as a quiet reminder that pastors are the shepherds of souls.

Using the writings and lives of the Early Church Fathers, the authors call pastors today to holy, spiritual, skilled, and Christ-centered ministries. It is a call to walk with people through the joys and trials of their lives, always pointing to Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I found this book both convicting (in the best sense) and comforting.

Speaking of pastors, A Burning in My Bones by Winn Collier is about Eugene Peterson, who always saw himself as exactly that, a pastor. At first, I thought this was going to be like many Christian biographies, loaded with hero worship. I was wrong. Collier does not shy away from Peterson’s foibles and weaknesses and failures at all. He clearly loved and admired his subject, but also understood that he was a sinful person, just like the rest of us.

It is Peterson’s lifelong quest to love and honor God and to serve God’s people that is so inspiring. Yes, he was the translator of The Message. Yes he wrote numerous best-selling books. Yes, there was controversy toward the end of his life (something the author handles honestly and honorably). But through it all, this book is a gripping story about a man who loved Jesus.

I liked Dan B Allender’s book Sabbath very much. The Healing Path I did not like near as much. In fact, there were times I found it tedious and melodramatic. For Allender, it seems like every disappointment in his life becomes soul crushing. There were times when I felt contempt for his weakness. But I came to realize that my contempt says more about me than it does the author. And it doesn’t say good things about me.

If I’m honest, there are things that feel soul crushing to me that others would laugh at me for taking so seriously. And, there are things that break us all like betrayal and abuse and loss and pain. They hurt us no matter who we are and Allender is pointing to a path of healing from those things and it takes us to Jesus, of course.

So while I struggled with this book, I’m glad I did. It was worth reading and it was helpful in pointing the way for some healing I still need.

Currently Reading

Here are a few books I am reading now.

  • To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink is one I am reading for work.
  • The Evangelical Imagination by Karen Swallow Prior is coming along bit by bit because it is rich and heavy stuff.
  • Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde is fun and funny.
  • This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger is for a book club I recently joined.

Reading Roundup: June 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

I finished 5 books in June for a total of 35 so far this year. That’s behind my goal, but I set a reading goal just to have a target. As long as I am reading and reading good books, I don’t worry about it.

I also made some good progress on my outrageous Summer Reading Goal by making it 340 pages into LONESOME DOVE. Between you and me, I had hoped to finish the thing by the end of the month, but, I fell short…by 518 pages!

I started Chernow’s massive biography (does he write anything else?) on Grant and I was immediately drawn in, but my progress is the proverbial drop in the bucket.

Here is a quick tour of what I did finish this month.

Let me begin by telling you how much and why I love Jeffrey Overstreet’s book, THROUGH A SCREEN DARKLY. You know how when you read a book you enjoy so much, you start slowing down as you get to the end because you don’t want the experience to be over? I’ve only ever done that with novels. Until this book. I seriously did not want Overstreet’s “cinematic memoir” to end. It is just too good.

Overstreet is a writer, film critic, and college professor and he writes with a love for God and for art that shows up on every page. I have always loved movies and I think about them deeply and, honestly, have often been made fun of by others for doing that. With this book, I felt seen. I felt less like an odd ball and more like there were others like me. There are people who take movies seriously as art and Overstreet is speaking to us as one of us.

At the same time, he is writing to anyone who enjoys movies. He writes from a Christian worldview, but I think anyone can learn to think about and enjoy films on a deeper level by reading this book. Oh, and my “To Be Viewed” list grew A LOT as I read. Excellent subject matter for my series on Films Christians Should Watch.

Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier’s First Gunfighter by Tom Clavin is engaging and fun. Clavin is an excellent writer and he brings deep research and investigation to his writing in ways that build your fascination with the subject matter. I knew about Wild Bill, but I did not KNOW Wild Bill and now I feel like I do. Clavin portrays the gunslinger as a product of his times in many ways and sets straight many of the legends/myths that surround him. But that doesn’t make him any less exciting or less imposing as a fixture of the Old West. The truth is, in many ways, better than the fiction.

I struggled with The Practice of Piety. In fact, I almost set it aside multiple times, but it’s a thin enough volume that I thought I should power through it and I did. I don’t think the book itself is “bad” I just found it a bit tedious and heavy handed. I know what you’re thinking, “What do you expect from a Puritan writer?!” But I have often found books from Puritans to be filled with joy. Maybe I am not reading this at the right time in my life. I’m going to keep it on my shelf. I may visit it again someday.

If you are a leader in any capacity and in any context, or if you want to be, the The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier should be on your TBR pile. Preferably somewhere near the top. Stanier’s rule for writing is to make his books as short as possible while still being helpful and he delivers here. Every page is packed. Not a paragraph is wasted. Even if you’ve been coaching for years, you’ll get something, probably A LOT of things that will make you more effective. The members of your team will be grateful to you for reading and applying what you learn here.

I love Henri Nouwen’s books and Spiritual Formation is no exception. But this one does need to be read carefully. By that I mean, his Catholic theology is far more prevalent here than in some of his other writing, and there were points where he crossed into universalism. There are things in this book that can be received as is, some that can be redeemed, but there are also things I believe must be rejected. So, while I can recommend it, I recommend it with caution.

Currently Reading

Here are some books I am currently reading that will hopefully find their way into July 2025’s Reading Roundup.

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. The fact that McMurtry can fascinate me for five pages about a wooden sign is astonishing. Readers of this book know what I am talking about here.

A Burning in My Bones by Winn Collier. This is the biography of Eugene Peterson. I am already fully engaged with this one.

The Healing Path by Dan Allender. Allender and Crabb are two of my favorite writers about the soul.

Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls by Coleman M. Ford and Shawn J. Whilhite. I am getting so much out of this book on classical pastoral ministry.

To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink. This one is for work. I must admit I am getting a little sick of business books. I try to read at least one a month so I can keep developing in my professional life, but I may put these aside for a while. Maybe until the end of the year.

Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde, who is one of my favorite writers. I will quite literally buy all of his books in hardcover and read them ASAP.

Grant by Ron Chernow. Wow. This thing is HUGE and already fascinating.

The Christian Faith by Michael Horton is my next systematic theology book. This one will be on my currently reading list for quite some time.

Going to Great Links: June 21, 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ Leave a comment

Here are 7 links to things I liked this week.

I am preparing to lead a night of prayer and worship for the men at our church and I found this article about Three Gifts We Are Guaranteed in Prayer helpful.

I’ve been thinking a lot (as usual) about church and as i often say, “the church should be the church” and part of that is maintaining the “churchiness” of church, which is hard to define depending on your cultural background. But I was delighted to see that Churchiness is Back…apparently.

I wrote on my weekly feature “Films Christians Should Watch” about movie love, Perfect Days. As preparation for that post, I enjoyed this review from the Criterion Collection.

I look forward to receiving Ryan Holiday’s monthly reading list email and I recommend it to anyone interested in good book recommendations from a smart and deep reader. You can register for it here.

If you’d like to take a look at back issues, you can see a whole host of his recommendations on the website for his bookstore, The Painted Porch.

I like to use cacao in my morning coffee, it’s really good for you. My preferred brand is from Terrasoul Superfoods. They have a lot of other tasty stuff too.

This is my new writing instrument of choice and I love it. The Pilot Varsity, a disposable fountain pen.

That’s your 7!

Reading Roundup: May 2025

~ Joseph McBee ~ 2 Comments

I finished 7 books in May including the New Living Translation of the Bible. That is a total of 29 books for the year so far, which seems rather low to me. My goal is to make this Summer a big time of reading and I even have an OUTRAGEOUS reading goal, which I will share later in this post.

But first, the May 2025 Reading Roundup!

I read Noah Kagan’s Million Dollar Weekend: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours, which is a shortish book with a long title. Full disclosure, I have read too many of these books thinking they will serve as a magic wand to POOF make a successful business appear. That’s dumb, I know, but this is the LAST book I will read of this sort. I am either going to start a business this year–a small side hustle thing–or I’m not. I know what I need to know and reading about it is now just a waste of time.

That does NOT mean Kagan’s book was a waste. It wasn’t. In fact, I learned a lot. It’s equal parts inspiring and practical and it’s written by a guy that has actually built a business (many in fact) that is not a business on teaching other people how to build businesses, which the internet seems to be bursting with. So, if you’re going to have a last book on this topic, this is a good one.

Speaking of last books…I read The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About by Mel Robbins and it is absolutely the LAST self-help book I will ever read in whatever time remains in my life. I did a longer post on this, you can read if you like, but I have come to the belief after far too many hours wasted in this kind of stuff, that self-help books are garbage. You probably already knew that, which means you are also probably smarter and/or less stubborn than I.

One of my favorite writers and thinkers, Jessica Hooten-Wilson, suggested that Christians should read the entire Bible every year and read it in a different version each time. While I have read the Bible through many times, I usually stick to the ESV. This year I went with the New Living Translation. I wanted to read it in the first 90 days and then spend the rest of the year in a deep dive of Ecclesiastes and 1 and 2 Peter, but it took five months to complete, not three. That still gives me 7 months for my deep dives and I did appreciate the NLT, although I remain a member of the ESV faithful. It’s still, in my opinion, the strongest version we have available to us.

I’ve been trying to read more novels this year and I love books about books and reading so The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald was perfect for me. I wrote a longer review on this well-written, amusing, and yet sad book. I recommend it for the excellent prose and the unique and yet familiar cast of characters.

And speaking of books about books, 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff was a fun one to read. It is a collection of letters from Hanff to a little bookshop in London. I thought this was a novel, but the letters are real and a delight to read. You can finish this one in a single reading session and it’s worth the time.

Gospel Eldership: Equipping a New Generation of Servant Leaders by Robert Thune is excellent. I am going through this with some men from my church. You know how some books that say they are supposed to be used in discussion groups only have a few unhelpful discussion questions tacked to the end of each chapter? This is NOT that. This book truly was designed to be discussed with others. It has well-written, convicting, and inspiring articles followed by discussion questions and personal exploration questions that take you much deeper into the subject matter and open up a lot of excellent discussion that facilitates growth both personally and as a group. The real beauty of this book is that it is Biblical and gospel rich content.

I’ve saved the best for last and that is Lest We Drift: Five Departure Dangers from the One True Gospel by Jared Wilson. Again, I wrote a longer review on this one, but this is the best book (not including the Bible of course) that I read this month. Wilson has written a lot of excellent gospel-centered books and this one may be his best one yet. If you are in ministry in any capacity, I would add this to your TBR immediately but it is really a book every Christian could benefit from.

My Outrageous Summer Reading Goal

As promised, here is my Outrageous Summer Reading Goal. I want to finish these three monster books in 90 days (June – August). They represent a grand total of 2,366 pages. This is in addition to other books I am reading, not in the place of.

That many pages seems like a lot, but it’s really around 27 pages a day when you break it down. That’s doable.