Unfortunately, it’s been too long since I have updated my book reviews, so I am consolidating the remaining titles I finished in 2024 into one post instead of individual posts. Scroll to the title you are looking for for reviews and links to purchase.

Strange Religion

Nijay Gupta’s Strange Religion is an in-depth look at the life and faith practices of Christianity’s earliest members in ancient Rome and the beliefs that set them apart. The picture Gupta paints of the system of the early church was the inspiration for my own series on neurodivergence within the American Evangelical church system. Gupta draws parallels to the religious system of ancient Rome and the pay-for-play philosophies seen in many of our churches today. The description of the early Roman Church’s beliefs, service to one another and their community, and family-style community is challenging and inspiring. This is a great book for people who love church history, theology, and religious philosophy.

Land of My Sojourn

In Land of My Sojourn, Mike Cosper details his ups and downs in the world of American church-planting. Cosper was the host of Christianity Today’s wildly popular podcast series, The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill; the story of the spiritual abuse hundreds experienced at the hands of pastor Mark Driscoll. By the end of the series, it was evident the stories of victims were taking their toll on Cosper as he began to open up about his own deconstruction struggles. Shortly after, he published Land of My Sojourn to tell his own story of the mess that comes with working in ministry alongside flawed humans and how he reconciles his faith with that mess. I loved this book for its relatability for anyone who has been a part of a church-plant team.

How the Bible Actually Works

If you have been a Christian for a while How the Bible Actually Works is bound to make you uncomfortable, but if you’re up for the mind challenge, in the best way. Dr. Pete Enns challenges readers to look at scripture as a source of wisdom that adapts to ever changing times and cultures as opposed to a book of hard-fast rules that paints God as a helicopter parent. I enjoyed the way he addressed the contradictions in scripture as a means of wisdom. I couldn’t help but think of the “Throw Ted in the lake” episode of Parks ‘N Rec when I read this book. This isn’t just a boring, academic theology book. Dr. Enns infuses the serious concepts with his own quirky personality and awkward jokes making it a very enjoyable read!

How to Know a Person

Once upon a time, undiagnosed autistic me was handed a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People by my boss who thought I could use some skill development in the corporate social game arena. I hated it. Something about it felt so disingenuous and slimy and I even joked with my husband by referring to it as “How to manipulate idiots”. Many years later, my now pastor recommended this title to me and I absolutely loved it! It felt like the honest, genuine, version of How-to that actually helped me step into the shoes and experiences of another person and create understanding of them from within. I can’t recommend this enough for people who want to engage with their fellow man better, but want it to come from a place of honesty and authenticity.

The Crucifixion of the King of Glory

Eugenia Scarvelis’ take on the story of the crucifixion is absolutely fascinating! For context: She is both an attorney and historian as well as an orthodox Christian, so her portrayal of the events of Holy Week and the crucifixion are researched and shared through all of those lenses. I learned so many interesting details from this book that I didn’t know even after nearly 30 years of Palm Sunday services, mostly about the ancient Jewish legal system, that kept me hooked. The only word of advice: If you are an audiobook listener like I am, I recommend 1.5x speed or higher as the recording is not great. If you’re a fun-fact nerd when it comes to gospel history, you’ll enjoy this title.

The Courage to be Disliked

I bought this book because the idea of being disliked destroys me. I am thinned skinned. But that wasn’t what this book was actually about. I’ve always had a hard time with growth philosophies in the “bootstraps” camp. Even though this book falls into that category, it hits different. The book is a conversation between an older philosopher and his young philosophy student and through the process of asking questions, the older teacher digs layer by layer down to the root of the young student’s decision-making motivations. Please take this philosophy with a grain of salt and remember that it is only one way of thinking of motivations, but I did find this reflection very helpful for myself.

Into the Heart of Romans

I picked up a copy of Into the Heart of Romans by N.T. Wright after hearing his interview on the Russell Moore Show podcast. I’ve always wanted a better understanding of Romans and have great respect for Dr. Wright so I was excited for the book. Unfortunately, it was a little above by head. I shelved the book for several months, and recently picked it back up after finishing my class on the Pentateuch. Listening to this book after having a better understanding of temple theology made a world of difference! Dr. Wright explains Paul’s understanding of the gospel, Christian life, glorification, and much more through the lens of temple theology. This is a great book for people who like a little more of the nerdy stuff.

~FICTION~

SERIES: Throne of Glass

The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas is one of the most popular book series in the fantasy, or “romantasy” genre, second only to her companion series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, or ACOTAR. I’m not a big romance novel person, but I do enjoy fantasy. I found this series to be very well developed with great pacing, character development, imagery, and outstanding battle/fight scenes. I appreciate the way the author deals with trauma healing, identity, and empowerment. My only criticism is that the dialogue at times didn’t seem to match the setting and felt too modern. I was warned about this author’s “spice” in her books but didn’t find this series to be disproportionately sexual. There’s debate over the order in which they should be read, and based off extensive research, I decided on the following order: Throne of glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Assassin’s Blade, Queen of Shadows, Tandem-read of Empire of Storms/ Tower of Dawn, and Kingdom of Ash.

The Shadows We Hide

Some of our favorite characters from The Life We Bury return in this sequel. Like book 1, this murder mystery didn’t miss, and even offered readers some emotional closure from a surprise character in the first book. Great writing from start to finish.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Oh man, where do I begin? I started this series because 1. I caved to peer pressure and 2. I enjoyed another similar series by the same author. This is book 1 in the ACOTAR series and Maas fans will tell you that this book is terrible, but you have to suffer through it to enjoy the rest of the series which is worth it. So I bit. Read book 1 and it was just okay. I was also told that this was the most “spicy” series and to prepare for graphic content. No worries, I thought, I enjoy Outlander and Game of Thrones, so I’ll be fine, I’m not a prude, and the sexual content in Throne of Glass didn’t bother me.

I was not prepared.

I made it half way through the second book before I decided it wasn’t for me. Maybe because I am an audiobook listener, but something about graphic details of the way their partner’s teeth feel inside of them coming through my car speakers while I’m trying to navigate traffic in downtown Austin just doesn’t work for me. My personal opinion? There is a time when the sexual content is added for shock’s sake and doesn’t add anything to the story or characters and that’s my line. For me, that’s the difference between story and porn. So I decided to end my Sarah J. Mass journey half-way through book 2 of the series.

Identity

My daughter and I love a good murder mystery, so we got this title for our road trip together. It wasn’t our favorite. Not because the writing isn’t good, but because it wasn’t our kind of book. The description was a bit misleading and can make potential readers think they’re in for a great murder thriller when what they get is more Eat-Pray-Love. The book focuses on small descriptive details and is really more about the main character rebuilding her life after tragedy. I found the ending to be anti-climatic and overall the book left us both unsatisfied.

SERIES: Mark of the Lion

This 3-book series is one of Francine River’s most popular works. I thought it was very good, but not great. Like much of Frank Paretti’s works, it’s a great read, but I would take the message and theology with a grain of salt, enjoying it purely for it’s entertainment value and not to build doctrine around. I enjoyed the well-researched glimpse into ancient Roman life and what the fall of Jerusalem may have been like for Jews who survived. Like The Scarlet Thread, Rivers attempts to normalize toxic and abusive male behavior here and even romanticize it, which I didn’t care for.

The Scarlet Letter

I know this is a book that is required reading for most high schoolers, but I didn’t start enjoying literature until my adult years. I had an idea of what this book was about but I was so blown away by both its style and message. Nathanial Hawthorne had a gift for painting an emotional picture rather than a physically descriptive one, and while I couldn’t picture the scenes like a movie like I can with most books, I could feel the character’s anguish and joy. It’s a beautiful work about judgement, grace, and forgiveness.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Wow! I can see why this book is a best-seller! The writing, the development, the way my heartstrings were played like a violin. This was a love story I was not expecting, but oh man it was great. I enjoyed it from start-to-finish. Keeping this review short so as not give any of the book’s surprises away.

Where the Crawdads Sing

My daughter-in-law bought me a copy of this book because it is one of her favorite reads and I thought it was excellent as well. I loved the way the author makes the reader see the swamplands almost as two different worlds: the way society sees it vs. the way the main character sees it. The story, pacing, and development are great, and I loved the twist at the end.

The Last Thing He Told Me

I hate to say it, but I enjoyed the TV adaptation more than the book. The book was good, just not great. I think this is because the writing is a little choppy and reads as if the author was telling you the story over a cup of coffee. Maybe that’s why it felt more natural seeing it play out on the screen. The mystery was great and the pacing stayed steady throughout.