Best Books 2023: Non-Fiction
Reading provides many opportunities for growth. Last year, I again read books which challenged and encouraged me. Those which stick with me long after the cover is closed, however, make it on to my “best” list.
Below are my best nonfiction reads of 2023, in no particular order. Check out my top fiction reads of last year, too.
This is not a blanket endorsement of all views in each book.
The Knowledge of the Holy (A. W. Tozer)
Tozer’s presentation of God’s attributes left me both in wonder of God and in shame of my own sin. Apart from the Bible itself, this was the most convicting read of the year for me. But it also didn’t leave me beaten down. It made me yearn for closer fellowship with God.
River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey (Candice Millard)
I read this in January. Later in the fall, it took on new relevance.
It’s a tale of Roosevelt’s very physical odyssey in the wake of a great political defeat. I was fascinated by his Amazonian adventures, as well as deeply disturbed by one particular creature his band encountered (here’s looking at you, candiru fish).
Last fall, when Ohio voted in favor of a radical pro-abortion amendment, I remembered Roosevelt and wished that I, too, could go on an adventure (minus that terrifying fish attracted to…oh, well, never mind).
No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green (Melody Green and David Hazard)
I’d heard excerpts of Green’s story, but I was still unprepared for how moved I would be by his wife’s retelling of his life. Green and I might have some differences of secondary doctrine, but his devotion to God was evident.
A bonus was reading the book inspired a renaissance of blasting Keith Green hits in the Drayer house.
As the subtitle of the book implies, the Apostles’ Creed is handy for dividing true believers from those who claim to follow God while rejecting biblical revelation of who He is. Mohler does a solid job walking through the lines of the creed to make this a very accessible read.
I know, I know. As with Green’s biography, I was late to the party on this one. I was familiar (or so I thought) with Qureshi’s story. Reading this, I realized how very little I knew.
His intense pursuit of God with very limited access to special revelation made me ashamed of how I’ve taken for granted the unlimited access I’ve had my entire life to the Bible.
Bruchko (Bruce Olson)
I guess it was a year of biographies and autobiographies for me (insofar as the “best reads” were representative, that is).
While studying at Biola a few years ago, one of my professors noted that if you’re struggling with closeness to God, you should read stories of those who intensely rely on Him. This book tells such a story.
The Watchmaker’s Daughter (Larry Loftis)
Here’s another story I thought I knew: that of the ten Boom family. Biographer Loftis, however, tells much more of the story you won’t read in The Hiding Place. For example, did you know Corrie helped to coordinate a rescue of children from the clutches of the Nazis? I didn’t, either.
I picked this up because I was interested in the then upcoming movie version. Then I found myself gripped by the shocking homelife of Joe, the boy in the boat from whose perspective the tale is mostly told. But in the end, it was the final paragraph underscoring the sucker punch these boys (and others to follow them) gave to Hitler that made this one of my top reads of the year.
I’m adding books to my list for 2024. Any non-fiction reads you love that I should add?