My Favorite Books of 2022, So Far
15 books that made me think, laugh, cry, and worship during the first half of 2022.
I enjoy sharing my favorite books of the year each December. Unfortunately, narrowing the list down gets more difficult with each passing year. This year I decided to post two lists– one for the first half of the year and one for the second half of the year.
This year I have been following the best reading advice I ever ran across–fill every empty moment you can with a book. I have made sure I have a book with me everywhere I go and try to read during those moments I would usually steal a glimpse at Facebook or Twitter. Following this advice, as well as setting aside some longer stretches for reading, has helped me get through a good number of helpful books this year.
While it was difficult to narrow this list down as well, these are the best books I read during the first half of 2022. (These are not necessarily books that have been published this year, but books that I have read and enjoyed this year.)
Theology
The Trinity: An Introduction by Scott Swain
Mention the Trinity and many Christians’ eyes glaze over. They simply don’t understand the relationships between the Father, Son, and Spirit or why grasping these truths is so important. Scott Swain does an outstanding job introducing the basics of the Trinity, as well as defining some basic terms and concepts.
This book is part of the “Short Studies in Systematic Theology” series. I also read Steven Wellum’s The Person of Christ in this series and it is extremely helpful as well.
Simply Trinity by Matthew Barrett
Matthew Barrett’s Simply Trinity is a more in-depth study of the Trinity than Swain’s The Trinity, though both are helpful in their own way. Barrett wades into many modern debates about the Trinity by going all the way back to the Bible and the historic creeds. He helpfully debunks some popular misunderstands of the Trinity.
While I appreciated the entire book, I found the chapters on the eternal generation of the Son to be especially enlightening. I walked away from these chapters with a much clearer conception of this fundamental doctrine.
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman
If you want to understand how we got to our current cultural moment, Carl Trueman’s epic walk through the last four hundred years of philosophy, psychology, and literature will enlighten you. Many of the names he discusses may not be familiar to you, but their ideas have become essential elements in the air we breathe. You will never hear the phrases “be true to myself,” “my truth,” or “live authentically” the same way again.
If the size of this book is intimidating, Trueman released a slimmed down version of this work called Strange New World.
History
The Civil War by Shelby Foote
If you have ever seen Ken Burns’s documentary on the Civil War, then the Southern drawl of Shelby Foote will be familiar to you. He spent nearly two decades researching and writing this three-volume treasure. Through his lively prose and attention to detail, you can hear the cannon fire and feel the terror of every battle. By the time you are done reading, you feel like you know many of the major players and walked in the shoes of the privates.
TR: The Last Romantic by H.W. Brands
Here’s a good rule of thumb–if H.W. Brands wrote it, you want to read it. Here, he takes one of my favorite historical figures–Teddy Roosevelt–and examines his life through the lens of his Romantic worldview. He shows he the Romantic movement shaped TR’s view of the world and his role in it. It explains so much about his willingness to risk his life and his retreat to nature after his hardships.
Churchill: Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts
While we are on the subject of historians that you need to read, add Andrew Roberts to the list. He interprets the life of this larger than life figure through the subject’s conviction that he was destined to save Great Britain during a time of great crisis. Roberts manages to show what made Churchill a once in a lifetime leader while also being honest about his many shortcomings. This book doesn’t blindly worship Churchill nor does it seek to tear down his place in history.
Literature
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Neyeri
My goodness. Fifty pages in, I struggled to understand why so many people loved this book. By page 100, I struggled to put it down and go to sleep. Daniel Neyeri was born in Iran, but raised as the son of a first-generation Christian refugee in Oklahoma. From the story of his mother’s sacrifice for her faith and for her family to the travails of a young boy mistreated by his peers, every page of this book drips both sorrow and hope. What a stunning reminder of the pain and the beauty of this world.
The Blandings Castle Novels by P.G. Wodehouse
I want to find the people who told me to read P.G. Wodehouse and hug them. Wodehouse was a British author who published novels and short stories from 1905 until his death in the 1970s. He created memorable characters and placed them in hilarious situations. Wodehouse possessed the ability to craft English sentences unlike anyone I have ever read. He can turn a phrase that takes ordinary moments and fill them with life.
The Blandings Castle novels follow Lord Emsworth and the cast of characters who spend their days enjoying his hospitality at Blandings Castle. So far in this series, I have read Something Fresh, Leave it to PSmith, Heavy Weather, Summer Lightning, Blandings Castle, and Lord Emsworth and Others. Each one of them were entertaining page-turners. (If you have never read Wodehouse, Carry On, Jeeves is a great place to start. It’s a collection of short stories about his two most memorable characters–Bertie Wooster and his resourceful butler Jeeves.)