The Books I Loved in 2024

One of my favorite posts to write every single year.

In my dream life, I have an extra 3 hours a day just for uninterrupted reading in a sunlit hammock, with a tumbler full of freshly squeezed strawberry lemonade shakeup — the kind they make at the state fair, loaded with six pounds of sugar — by my side.

Instead, I sneak reading in wherever I can (usually while drinking highly sweetened “coffee”). You can nearly always find one or two books tucked into my purse or stashed in my glove compartment.

If I’ve got downtime, I will read rather than scroll. An unexpected gem of 20 minutes alone in the evenings or on weekends? I grab one of my easy-access books on the coffee table and dive in for as long as my family will allow it.

The lack of books in public life is one of the many downsides of this i-phone-sized existence. I relish seeing a fellow human out in the wild with a good hardback book cracked open while waiting for soccer or gymnastics practice to end. The other day, I saw a woman closing one thickly bound book and reaching into her tote bag for another — my kind of lady!

Like every good bibliophile, I’ve got multiple books going at a time. This is the usual line-up:

• One novel (hate to admit I usually only read really popular ones out of FOMO!)

• One Christian non-fiction (Love that I have friends that write these!)

• One data/research (Anxious Generation, anyone?)

• One parenting (a tough category — with a winner below!)

• One general non-fiction (currently: The Fix: How the 12 Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between by Ian Morgan Cron. I got an early copy!)

…Novels take precedence at bed and usually only then. I read anywhere from 30-60 minutes per night.

…Mornings include a rotation of Christian non-fiction, parenting, and data/research. If I’m lucky, I get a good 30 minutes of reading in the mornings.

…The extra non-fiction one slips in when I’m feeling drawn to it.

People often ask how I peel through books so quickly. Here are a few thoughts:

• I think I’m an ultra-fast reader (I’ve never compared myself to anyone)

• I read in the cracks of life (early morning, car, kid activities, etc. )

• Sometimes, I don’t read thoroughly 😬😬😬

• I can read through noise & distraction, so that adds opportunity.

• I rarely DNF a book, but I don’t start them unless I’m sure I’ll like them!

I DNF’d one book this past year: West With Giraffes by Lydia Rutledge. It has nearly 100,000 ratings and 4.5 stars on Amazon. I tried hard but only got through half and couldn’t continue! I don’t feel bad naming it since so many people love it.

Oh yeah, and I'm not too fond of digital or audiobooks. It’s all coffee-stained pages and ink smudges for me.

I read only one audiobook this year, Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, since multiple people said his voice makes the audio ten times better.
Note for the reader: They were correct.

Before we get to the good stuff, I will remind you that yours truly has written TWO books, so if you appreciate this list or any of my writing, it would be my greatest honor if you would consider buying my books and sharing them with others:

• Reason to Return: Why Women Need the Church & the Church Needs Women

• Leaving Cloud 9: The True Story of a Life Resurrected From the Ashes of Poverty, Trauma and Mental Illness

This is the first year I diligently added ALL the books I’ve read to Goodreads in real-time. I had been willy-nilly in the past, but I wanted to get serious, and I’ve read 60 books in 2024! I’m guessing I’ll finish a few more before year’s end :)

It’s *so* hard to pick favorites because I honestly liked something about every book I read this year. That said, here are some of my top picks:

1. How to Tell the Truth: The Story of How God Saved Me to Win Hearts — Not Just Arguments by Preston Perry
   Make evangelism great again — this was an incredible book. From Preston’s salvation story to the incredible call God put on his life to engage people of other faiths…I was inspired and encouraged by so much in this book. I want every Christian to read it!

2. Finding Me by Viola Davis
   I knew nothing about Viola Davis back story going into it. Extreme poverty, prejudice, neglect and so much more…Davis’ chances of becoming the A-lister she is today were slim to none. A beautiful and miraculous story that left me in awe of this woman.

3. In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park
   North Korea is as bad as you’ve heard and Yeonmi Park escaped. Her treacherous journey to freedom took extreme courage and today, she speaks out against the tyranny and abuse of one of the world’s darkest and most corrupt countries. It’s hard to believe people live under that kind of government today…a Handmaid’s Tale-ish existence, but worse.

4. Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up by Abigail Shrier
   I love love Abigail Shrier. Her previous book, Irreversible Damage, is also an absolute must-read. Bad Therapy deep dives into current parenting trends, troubling issues in public schools, within technology, and how obsessing over our feelings and so-called traumas is doing kids wrong (I’m not talking about actual traumas, okay…).

5. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
   A fascinating and analytical fiction read playing into everything from cancel culture, cultural appropriation, plagiarizing, social media fame and more. How do we begin to believe the lies we tell ourselves? This book shows you.

6. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
   The food writing in this book is good enough to get it on the list. Zauner is a top-notch wordsmith, and her descriptions of relationships, emotions, nostalgia and all things Korean comfort food are stellar. It was like a meal just reading this prose, and of course, being drawn into her complicated and very human story.

7. Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne
   I kept seeing this everywhere. It felt almost intrusive to read, but I was intrigued. Like most people, I’d never thought being a “sociopath” was a good thing. It was fascinating to read Patric’s experiences and see how she’s built a non-destructive life despite her condition. The writing is superb, engaging and readable.

8. Family Unfriendly: How Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be by Tim Carney
   Loved this practical and data-driven book about how we’ve made bigger families so much tougher. I wish I were contributing to the “bigger family” need, but alas, life hasn’t worked out that way for us. That said, I love what Tim writes about how we can begin to encourage it again, build cities around that goal and come together as actual neighbors again.

9. Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles that Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp
   Parenting books are tough for me, but this one was the best I’ve read. It balances true Biblical wisdom with real-life scenarios, helping readers think through this parenting thing long-term. Highly recommend!

10. Addiction & Virtue: Beyond the Models of Disease & Choice by Kent Dunnington
    I never expected this book to make the list when I bought it, strictly for research on my new book. However, once I started reading it, I was underlining and taking notes like crazy. A comprehensive, engaging and well-done look at addiction, sin, habit, and what it means to be “addicted.”

Some others I loved:

• The Artist’s Joy: A Guide to Getting Unstuck, Embracing Imperfection and Loving Your Creative Life by Meredith Estevez

• Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed Working Men & Women by Batya Ungar-Sargon

• Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism & Limitless Health by Casey Means

• Little Habits, Big Faith: How Simple Practices Help Your Family Grow in Jesus by Christie Thomas

• Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport

• Hungry Authors: The Indispensible Guide to Planning, Writing & Publishing a Non-Fiction Book by Ariel Curry & Liz Morrow

If you like Christian memoir, you’ve got to check out:

• Controlled Burn: Rising From the Ashes to Forge an Unshakeable Faith by Brooke Martin

• Nothing is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Purpose and Finding Forgiveness in Pain by Davey Blackburn

• Ghosted: An American Story by Nancy French

• Can I Say That? How Unsafe Questions Lead Us to the Real God by Brenna Blain

• The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever: Transcendence, Psychedelics, and Jesus Christ by Ashley Lande

I have stacks of TBR books around the house in various places, so no doubt some of those were *meant* to be on this list but haven’t been finished yet. It’s neverending!

I’m going to do a separate post with other favorites (or at least that’s the plan). Currently, I’m working on a big article due by 12/31 AND I’m on book deadline for January 15th, so I’m not sure where I think I’m going to invent the time. I strive!

»> Check out my favorite books of 2023 (last year!) here.

Want to stay up on my next book? It’s called Grace in the Glass: How Women of Faith Wrestle with Alcohol and coming out in early 2026! Jump on the email list here.