Most people like to do all kinds of year-end reflections at the end of the calendar year, which works, I guess, but why not change it up a little and take some time to reflect every year around your birthday. You have just finished another whole year of life, and it seems like a great time to sit down and reflect on the previous year. Also, I did not want to overload my site with another year in review post like my reading list post. Thus, a new tradition is born. In the days right around my birthday each year, I want to share the compilation of 1-second videos from the previous year (see above) and share a few highlights and things I have been learning over the year.

Highlights
-My first return trip to Italy since COVID knocked out the last few years. We had a smaller group of students, but the trip was still incredible and life-changing for many of the kids.
-Our long-awaited family trip to California to do Disneyland and Legoland with an extended time of exploration around Galaxy's Edge and building a lightsaber.
-Our youngest growing out of the difficult first year of life and into the much more fun toddler phase.
-Lots of board gaming and miniature painting.
-Closing out the past decade with a great weekend of friends and fun activities.

​Lessons
-Having a third child is more difficult than I expected in a different way than I expected. The third child is not as difficult from a straight parenting perspective as much as a general managing of life perspective.
-I have great friends who care about me and who value my voice in their lives. I will not ever take that for granted again.
-The American church will continue down a path of decline if we privilege the voices of white men only. Some of the reading I have been doing this year has further opened my eyes to the importance of elevating voices of Christians from the rest of the world.
-Hobbies are a lifeline for me in the midst of a busy family and work schedule, but I have so many that I sometimes get stuck on which to do when I have time. I need a system to better use my free time when I have it.

I am looking forward to year 40 and the excitement of a new decade of life!

2022 has come and gone, and so it is time to finish recapping my reading list for this year! My goal for the year was 24 books, which I missed by two, unfortunately. The second half of the year saw a massive slowdown in my reading rate thanks to the school schedule and a full load of three children around my house. So, starting with July and working through the end of the year, here is what I read and a few thoughts for each.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken
I am always down for an interesting retelling of Greek myth, and this one did not disappoint. Set in modern New York City, this is Percy Jackson for a more mature audience. Definitely enjoyed this one.

The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold
I kind of forgot I read this book until I made this list, if that says anything, but this was a unique take on the dystopian genre through the lens of childlike hope and wonder at the world.

The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right by Lisa Sharon Harper
Lisa Sharon Harper has a beautiful and much needed voice for the Christian community. This book was a fresh reminder of the importance of the gosepl for ALL and how the gospel can influence and make change in every aspect of our private and public lives.

Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher
The first Star Wars novel on the list, and also one of my biggest disappointments for the year. When I heard there would be a novel about Luke and Lando having an adventure together, which would tie in some elements from the sequel trilogy, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the book was less than intriguing.

Love Matters More: How Fighting to be Right Keeps us from Loving Like Jesus by Jared Byas
I have long been listening to Jared on the Bible for Normal People Podcast, but this was the first book of his I have read. This book was a great reminder about the HOW of our theology far outweighing the WHAT of our theology.

Path of Deceit by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland
As the first book in the new phase of the Star Wars High Republic publishing initiative, it did a great job of piquing my interest for the direction of the story. Interesting characters and a new way to think about the Force.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
I loved The Martian, but this book was very different in a great way. While The Martian dives deep into science and math for survival, this story reminds us of the importance of relationship and cooperation, making it far more human (with lots of math and science stuff too, which I kind of glossed over).

The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 by Phil Szostak
The Star Wars art books are always amazing, and I love to see the evolution of the design process in visual creative efforts.

Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church by Eric Costanzo, Daniel Yang, and Matthew Soerens
A great book to finish the year on, this fairly short but densely packed book summed up what I have been learning about and thinking about for the last couple of years. The American church will not survive without the voice of global Christians and marginalized communities in prominent leadership and discipleship roles.

What have you been reading that has been fun, challenging, or educational?

As summer comes to a close, I could not wrap it up without sharing some of the highlights from one of my bucket list destinations, Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, also known as Galaxy's Edge at the Disney Parks. The first week of June my whole family took a much delayed and much anticipated trip to California, including two days at the Disney Parks. Now that I have had some time to process the trip and reminisce fondly, I want to share some of the highlights, thoughts, and experiences from that trip.

It is one of my favorite days of the year because I take a few minutes to sit down and share thoughts about all the books I have read so far. My reading goal for this year is 24 books, and I am on decent track right now to finish, sitting at about halfway to my goal. Starting back in January and up until today, here are the books I have read and a few thoughts about each.

1. Babylon's Ashes by James S.A. Corey
The Expanse is my favorite sci-fi book series right now, but this was probably my least favorite in the series so far. The ending was tense and fantastic, but the rest felt a little like it was stalling to fill the book.

2. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
I did not watch the miniseries adaptation of this book, but I thought the book was excellent. If you are up for a novel about a pandemic that wipes out most of human population, this is an excellent read. I found it incredibly hopeful in a sea of hopeless sci-fi/dystopia.

3. The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray
The last novel in the current phase of Star Wars High Republic books, I found this novel thrilling, suspenseful, and sad. I continue to say that some of the most exciting storytelling in Star Wars right now is happening in the publishing world.

4. How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
This was a required read for work this year, but one I willingly chose out of several options. I learned a lot and found a lot to ponder about how race intersects with so many different parts of society. Definitely not a book to breeze through without processing.

5. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Within the Young Adult sci-fi genre there are a lot of tropes that are somewhat tiring at this point, but I am happy to say that this book weaves an interesting and compelling story without relying heavily on the standard tropes.

6. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Thanks to our school library's Lit Loot box initiative, I got my first taste of Faerie fantasy this year. I will say that I generally am not a fan, although I appreciated reading stories from the perspective of female characters, as it gave me a different flavor of fantasy than I am used to.

7. Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans, Jeff Chu
I have been a fan of Rachel Held Evans' books for a while, and her tragic death was a blow to Christianity. This book was published posthumously, and while there was not a lot of new material or ideas here, it was nice to have a refresh of some of Evans' thoughts.

8. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
I will echo my thoughts from #6 above. I did like this one slightly more than The Cruel Prince, however.

9. Midnight Horizon by Daniel Jose Older
This Young Adult Star Wars novel had a few great moments, but I overall found the book just average, without adding much to the ongoing storyline of the High Republic.

10. Queen's Hope by E.K. Johnston
I really enjoyed the first two Padme Amidala novels by Johnston and had high expectations for this novel set in the middle of the Clone Wars, but the main storyline was mostly uninteresting. The side plot about Anakin and Padme's marriage was far more interesting and could have made for a more unique entry into Star Wars canon.

11. How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice by Jemar Tisby
Really the main thing I need to say about this book is that Jemar Tisby is a treasure and should be required reading for everyone who considers themselves part of the Christian faith. For that matter, it doesn't matter what faith you are, this book is so practical and helpful that it is a must read.

12. Brotherhood by Mike Chen
I read a lot of Star Wars novels, and most of them are good with flashes of greatness, but I loved this brand new novel set during the Clone Wars and exploring Obi-Wan and Anakin's friendship after Anakin's promotion to Jedi Knight. The novel explores the ethics of war and the nature of human relationships all while telling a really great story.

13. Parenting Forward: How to Raise Children with Justice, Mercy, and Kindness by Cindy Wang Brandt
This book is a great intro to some ways to approach parenting in our current complex world. I thought the book was a great, basic overview of a lot of ideas, but I would have loved a deeper dive into some of them.

What have you been reading so far this year? I would love to hear your recommendations!

It's time again to recap everything I read for the last six months! I honestly look forward to these posts because I love to share reading recommendations and spread the word about good (or less than good) books. This year I made a goal on Goodreads (my reading list app of choice) to read 24 books. This was one more than I read in 2019, and I try to up my goal by one book every year. 2020 was an anomaly because of the pandemic, so I read an unusually high amount of books. I came about 100 pages short of finishing my 24th book, but I am not too disappointed because I spent last night playing Zelda on our new Nintendo Switch instead of reading...

So, here are the books from I read in order from July-December 2021 with a few thoughts about each.

Golden Son by Pierce Brown
The second book in the Red Rising series, Golden Son was excellent. I enjoyed the first book quite a bit but found a lot of similarities with other popular dystopian literature. This second book in the series was even better and took the series to new, exciting places. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott
The next two books are the obligatory Star Wars reads, which will be present on every reading list I make. I did not enjoy this book as much as some of the previous High Republic novels, but it did set up some really interesting storylines for the future.

Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland
When I was looking back through my reading list, I actually forgot I read this, so I am not sure what that says about its quality. I believe I listened to this as an audiobook, and I enjoyed it, but nothing super memorable about it.

Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
I could probably write an entire blog post about this book, and maybe I will, but I would argue that this book is essential reading for anyone who considers themselves part of the evangelical church. What I will say is, at the end of this book I cried, because of the ways it touched on a definition of masculinity that I have found damaging over the course of my life.
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Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
Thanks to a very cool program started by the library at the school where I work, the next two books on the list were given to me by our librarians. This title was a graphic novel about a self-proclaimed nerd (computer science teacher) who gets wrapped up in something he never expected, the school's basketball program. As a fellow self-proclaimed nerd teacher and casual sports fan, I very much related to the author's story.

Educated by Tara Westover
Another book I would never have picked out if not for the school librarians' recommendation, this book tells the unbelievable story of a woman raised in a crazy family in the middle of nowhere Idaho. The stories of her family are insane, but the throughline of her desire to better herself humanizes her experience.

Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott
By far the most unusual entry on this list, this book is not a book in the traditional sense. Tempest Runner will be published as a book, but for now it is a Star Wars audio drama. Highly produced with excellent voice acting, I enjoyed learning more about one of the more intriguing villains of the High Republic era.

The Star Wars Book by Cole Horton, Pablo Hidalgo, and Dan Zehr
Not a lot to say about this book other than that is a fun compilation of Star Wars trivia and info that will make a great reference book.

What did you read this year? Leave a comment with some of your favorites.

Earlier this year when I started a series of travel posts, I had one last post in mind. Then, our new baby was born in June and time has slipped away, just like travel over the past year-and-a-half...

This one last travel post (for now, at least) just kept creeping back up into my mind, however, so I could not let it die. In fact, this post is probably the one I have been most looking forward to writing about since I started a series of travel posts.

So, to finish off my series of travel blogs, here are the top five locations I would like to visit, in ascending order.

5. Galaxy's Edge
As a massive Star Wars nerd (see any number of past posts), Galaxy's Edge/Batuu is a must visit. I have watched just about every video tour of the themed land and researched everything I can about what to do, where to go, and what to eat. The only thing I refuse to watch are videos of the rides, so that I do not have the surprise ruined. As of now, this is the only place on my Top 5 list that is a planned trip (June 2022, Disneyland, California). I will probably shed some tears and have no shame about it.

4. Western USA National Parks
I admit that this "location" is a bit of a cheat because there are several locations grouped into one generic label here, but it is my website, and I will make my own rules. I would love to visit any of the national parks in the western United States, but a few that are particularly high on the list are Redwood National Forest, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Yosemite. If I am honest, there are a couple of Star Wars (Redwoods) and Indiana Jones (Arches) connections that make some of these sites extra appealing, but mostly they are such iconic parts of the US I have yet to visit, and I want to experience their grandeur.

3. Egypt
For the top three locations on my list, I have to leave the United States and start to tap into my love for Ancient History as well as my love for movie-related destinations. Egypt is a no-brainer when it comes to bucket list sites to visit. For someone who considered a career in Egyptology for a brief minute, I would be sad to never have a chance to visit. Not only would I love to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx, but I would love to explore Thebes and Roman Alexandria, as well. I am still undecided on the appeal of riding a camel, however...

2. Petra
Petra is the perfect melding of historical and movie-related sites. Long before I even knew Petra was a real place, I watched Indiana Jones discover the Holy Grail here, and I was immediately hooked. Now, after studying more about ancient history and the site of Petra, my desire to visit has only increased. I look forward to seeing the amazing stonework and architecture, and also probably bringing my own personal Raiders March soundtrack as I head out the narrow canyon away from the Treasury building.

1. New Zealand
I do not honestly know whether New Zealand would have made this list before the Lord of the Rings movies happened, but once those masterpieces of modern cinema graced our collective consciousness, New Zealand immediately skyrocketed onto my bucket list. Then, once I found out that the Hobbiton film set has been preserved and turned into a tourist destination, no other place in the world can top this location on my list. I absolutely must get here sometime in my life. To walk past Bag End, have a pint and a meal at the Green Dragon; these are the moments of legend, and to know that I too can experience that legend leaves me chomping at the bit. Oh yeah, the rest of New Zealand is supposedly pretty beautiful as well. 

I would love to hear about other travel bucket lists! Where do you desperately want to go but have not yet been?

It's that time of year again! Halfway through 2021 means halfway through my reading list for this year and a time to pause and share the most memorable aspect of each book. As I was looking through the list, I noticed some patterns: a lot of Star Wars and theology. I plan to remedy that a little for the second half of the year. With that said, here are the books I have read so far this year in chronological order.

1. Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule
This book is part of the new Star Wars publishing initiative set a thousand years before the prequels. For an entirely new era of storytelling and completely unfamiliar characters, it had me pretty intrigued.

2. Lost Stars, Vol. 1-3 by Claudia Gray and Yuusaka Komiyama
Lost Stars was originally a Star Wars YA novel, but this was the manga version of it. This was my first time reading a manga, and I think I will remember more about trying to figure out how to read it than the actual storyline.

3. Remember God by Annie F. Downs
I have become a fan of Annie through various podcasts, and this book is a great time spent with a great storyteller.

4. Dune by Frank Herbert
While not the first time I have read this novel, I remembered literally nothing besides sand worms from the last time I read it. I understand why it is a classic, but sometimes the plot is a little too dense and convoluted for its own good. I'm still trying to decide whether to read more in the series.

5. The Sin of Certainty by Pete Enns
The first of two books by Enns I read this year, this was probably the one I found the most impactful. The message of relying on trust instead of certainty when it comes to our faith made me think deeply about my own faith and will probably continue to impact my spiritual life long-term.

6. The Odyssey, trans. Emily Wilson
I have read the Odyssey many times, but this new translation by Wilson was fresh and invigorated with modern language and poetry. Great stuff!

7. The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi by J.W. Rinzler
I finally made my way through all of the "Making of" books for the original Star Wars trilogy, and this one was equally awesome and in depth, especially if you are a fan of how movies are made.

8. Open to the Spirit: God in Us, God with Us, God Transforming Us by Scot McKnight
I continue to grow more and more fascinated by Holy Spirit and their place in the trinity as well as our everyday lives. This books was a great primer on how to be more open and aware of the way Spirit moves in us. A challenge for me for sure.

9. Victory's Price by Alexander Freed
The Final book in the Alphabet Squadron series (Star Wars novels about a fighter pilot squadron), and it did not disappoint. The whole series did a great job depicting the feel of life as a starfighter pilot.

10. Into the Dark by Claudia Gray
Another Star Wars book in the new High Republic era of stories, but this one I actually listened to via audiobook, which is actually pretty rare for me. Despite being a YA novel, I enjoyed the story quite a bit.

11. Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian by Phil Szostak
Art of Star Wars books are amazing, and there is really nothing else to say.

12. Cinemaps: An Atlas of 35 Great Movies by Andrew DeGraff and A.D. Jameson
I remember hearing about this book many years ago and finally got around to grabbing it from the library. The book is a compilation of an artist who turned famous movies into maps with colored lines to trace the paths of the characters. The premise is very cool and unique, even if the maps were sometimes a bit tricky to follow.

13. The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone
If you want to start dipping your toe into Black theology (which you should), this is an excellent place to start. The idea that lynching is a modern parallel to the cross is one that needed this kind of exploration and makes me sad that I was never exposed to this idea in my 38 years of life.

14. How the Bible Actually Works by Pete Enns
I finished this book in the nick of time, the final hours of June 30, and it is a great, accessible exploration of the idea of using wisdom as the framework for how the Bible works. I highly recommend this if you are interested in exploring the Bible further. 

Happy reading!

As I was thinking about other travel topics to write about, I naturally went to my favorite places to visit, especially because it can easily follow the list format of the last post. I have had the privilege to travel to many different countries in the world thanks to parents who encouraged and instilled a love of travel from an early age, so I decided to start my series of "favorite places" posts with one about my favorite countries. I narrowed my list down to the top 4, so here they are starting with number four...
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4. Norway
​I had the opportunity to visit Norway all the way back in 2006 on a cruise in the Baltic Sea. I was immediately impressed by the amazing scenery, and of course the Viking stuff. Everything was so green, and the fjords heading into Oslo were some of the most beautiful waterways I have ever witnessed. Let's be honest though, the real appeal for me in Norway was the history. Vikings are pretty cool, and a visit to the Viking museum in Oslo resulted in some amazing views of actual Longships.

3. Greece
I struggled a bit with where to put Greece on this list because I have visited multiple times (college study trip, honeymoon, family cruise), and every time it is amazing. The people are friendly, the food is fantastic, and the ruins, oh, the ruins, make my heart leap for joy and my legs outpace all of my traveling companions. Greece has a vibrant culture, so many romantic spots, and my all time favorite international cuisine (Fun fact: gyros in Greece are made with pork instead of lamb meat, and they are extra delicious. Also, they stuff the gyros with fries. Enough said).

2. Peru
When my family first discussed taking a trip to Peru together, I was excited for Machu Picchu, but I did not know much more. Thankfully, Peru did not disappoint, and in fact blew past all of my expectations and even surpassed expectations I didn't even know were possible. There was something magical about the whole country that I cannot quite express, but we were able to experience coastal country, mountainous jungle, and dry desert all in one trip, and each location had its own distinct history and flair, while still remaining Peruvian. I was able to try so many new foods in Peru (guinea pig, alpaca, ceviche, to name a few), and everything was unique and flavorful. And of course, Peru has some ancient history, which is enough to endear me to any location (just in case you missed that trend in the last two locations). I cannot recommend a trip to Peru enough.

1. Italy
In what should come as a surprise to no one, Italy is my most favorite country to visit in the world (for now, at least). Besides the fact that I have spend the majority of my adult life studying the history of this country, the clearest evidence for me is that I continue to visit Italy almost every other year, and even visit the same spots, and it never gets old. There is always something new to see or experience, especially when it comes to recent excavations and Roman ruins (yes, every single location on this list has some sort of ancient history connection; it's basically a prerequisite to even make this list). Italian food is wonderful and Italian gelato even better, and you cannot find better Margherita pizza than in Naples. Everything in Italy is a winning combination.

Any other favorite countries out there? Where have you visited and loved?

Today would have marked the first day of the 2021 Parkway Italy Trip and another round of great times and great experiences for both teachers and students. As a result, I have been feeling the loss of travel over the past year extra hard.

Thankfully, travel memories are some of the most vivid and memorable experiences in life, and I have been reminiscing about some of my favorite travel memories to help ease the loss. I even felt inspired to fill the void with a series of travel-related posts on this site, mainly to remind myself of all the reasons I love to travel, but also perhaps to inspire memories in others.

First up, I want to share a list of some of my top travel "moments." I wish I could give a scientific reason for why I chose these moments, but the best criteria I can give you are that they impacted me on a deep emotional, intellectual, or spiritual level. For some of these moments I have pictures, but many of them happened before the advent of digital photography. Hopefully I can paint the picture well enough to help recreate the experience. This is not a ranking; rather, I am presenting this list in chronological order throughout my life.

1. Riding the TGV high speed train between Paris and London
I could not tell you what age or grade I was when this happened, other than it was during elementary school, but I can describe for you exactly what I remember while staring out the window as the French countryside went speeding by at a velocity I only imagined in my toy train sets. I tried following the trees as we sped by, but it quickly became impossible. I could also tell you how much smoother the ride was in France compared to the terrible rails once we arrived in England (that one is for my French friends). For a young boy, who was as much into trains as most young boys are, the experience of riding the fastest train in the world at the time was as close to dreams coming true as I could imagine at the time.

2. Spider shower in rural Mexico
The summer before entering 7th grade I attended a mission trip to a small church camp in the desert outside Juarez, Mexico. The goal of the trip was to do some construction work on some new buildings at the camp. I think we worked for a total of 3 days at the camp and slept in sleeping bags on the floor of a small church nearby. The moment that is seared into my memory, however, is the first night we had to use the showers at the church. I was filthy from a day's worth of dust and sweat, but I refused to enter that shower. There was no curtain, a bucket of water, dribbles instead of a stream, and spiders crawling out of the shower head. My mom was one of the chaperones on the trip, and if not for her forcing me while holding a towel up as a shower curtain, I would never have stepped foot in there. In short, this was the first time I experienced culture shock, and at my age it profoundly impacted me, so much so that I almost refused to ever take a trip like that again. While not a flowers and sunshine kind of moment, I do not know whether I would be the same person I am today without the cultural experiences from this trip.

3. Mycenae and the Iliad
In college I had the privileged experience of spending two weeks in Italy and Greece for class credit. At the time, I was also starting to get into Greek and Roman history even more and decided it was time to read the Iliad in full. I took my copy on the trip for the long bus rides and spent my free moments eating up the Iliad for the first time. On one of these bus rides to the site of ancient Mycenae I was engaged in reading the Iliad when I looked up and there in front of me was the Lion's Gate at the entrance to Mycenae. It was one of those moments where people say that the pages come to life. The characters I was reading about were suddenly real to me in a tangible way. I often credit that moment to my life taking a turn to pursuing Greek and Roman culture as a career.

4. Sunset dinner on Mykonos
In one of those classic romantic honeymoon kind of stories, one of the highlights of our honeymoon in Greece was a sunset dinner right on the water on the island of Mykonos. Fresh seafood, live musicians, a sunset over the Aegean Sea, and the romance of a honeymoon all came together for a fantastic travel moment. There were definitely a lot of moments on this trip, but this dinner lives in my memory as a moment of beauty, love, and joy. Also, when else can you get away with wearing linen pants....

5. Hiking Machu Picchu
Our family trip to Peru in 2012 is one of the highlights of my life, but we can save more on that for a future post. For this post, there are very few travel moments that beat sitting at the top of Machu Picchu and taking in the amazing view with my favorite person. Also, what a perfect excuse to bust out my Indiana Jones garb! I felt every bit the part as I traipsed around the ruins. The beauty, historical significance, and amazing location of Machu Picchu all came together for an unforgettable moment. Highlight of my life for sure!

Coming soon: Top Places I have visited!

Back in June I posted about all the books I read for the first half of the year, and since we are now into a new year, it is time to follow up with the back half of the year. Last January I made a goal to read 23 books this year. I had slowly been making my way back to pre-children reading levels when I read 30-40 books a year, so I thought 23 was a reasonable goal. Then, the pandemic hit, and I blew that goal out of the water with a total of 35 books read in 2020. I actually delayed this post until today, hoping that I could finish one of the two books I was reading, but neither came to fruition. Nevertheless, I am ecstatic that I was able to finish so many books this year and work and parent full time.

I will follow the same format as my June post, with one or two sentences about what impacted me from each read. Feel free to use the comments to further the discussion about any of the books that stood out to you or you also enjoyed. Without further rambling, here is my reading list from July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

• This is the sequel to Children of Blood and Bone, which I read earlier in the year. I love the world and the characters, but this one veered a little too much into YA tropes for me to enjoy it as much as the first one.

The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel by Renee Nault, Margaret Atwood

• I have never read the original novel, but I have watched the show and enjoyed the earlier seasons. This graphic novel gave me some background to the world that I did not get in the show.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

• This book left me thinking for days about all the possibilities and paths my life could have taken. I very much enjoyed reading this both for the entertainment and philosophy embedded in it.

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

• Carrie Fisher was a very entertaining author with a distinct and humorous voice. I came into this memoir hoping for a lot of great BTS stories about filming the original Star Wars movies, and while there was some of that, most of it focused on her affair with Harrison Ford, which I did not care about at all (and still don't).

March: Books 1-3 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell

• By far, the best graphic novel I have read this year. I cannot recommend it enough, and coincidentally (or serendipitously?), I was reading this when John Lewis passed. The impact of him and his story were felt all the more fully because of this book.

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy, Octavia E. Butler

• Another great graphic novel by a great Black author, Kindred had some great art and a compelling story about switching between time periods. Once again, this work had me reflecting on the legacy of slavery in our country, especially in the context of all that happened last year.

Force Collector by Kevin Shinick, Tony Foti

• I always have a few Star Wars reads throughout the year, and this one was forgettable. Basically, it served as a reminder of the highlights of the saga, most likely leading into Episode IX last year. As a Star Wars superfan, I found the book completely unnecessary and kind of boring.

Queen's Peril by E.K. Johnston

• Another Star Wars read, this time about Padme Amidala when she was first elected Queen of Naboo. I really enjoyed how the story weaved in and out of the plotline of The Phantom Menace, and it actually kind of enhanced that movie for me.

The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It by Pete Enns

• Between his podcast and a few of his books now, I am a fan of Pete Enns, and this book was no exception. He has helped me view the Bible with academic integrity while still holding it in its place as God's Word.

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

• I saw the movie Just Mercy early last year and found it very moving, so the next logical step was to check out the book. Bryan's justice work is inspiring and challenging, and the stories he tells in this book ran me through a range of emotions. Probably one of my favorite reads of the year.

Shadow Fall by Alexander Freed

• Star Wars books are back, and this one is the second in a series of starfighter novels that get the inner X-Wing pilot in me excited. In addition, this book did a great job of keeping me excited for the next one in the series.

Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising by Timothy Zahn

• I read the original Thrawn trilogy way back in the late 90s, but I never considered myself a Thrawn devotee. I decided to check out this book because Thrawn seems to be having a moment in again in the Star Wars zeitgeist. The book was okay but did not feel much like the Star Wars I am used to.

Love Anyway: An Invitation Beyond a World that's Scary as Hell by Jeremy Courtney

• This was a powerful book full of stories about the work Preemptive Love is doing in the Middle East. Courtney does not shy away from challenging his readers to pursue deeper meaning and purpose in their lives.

The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity by Jason Thacker

• Overall, this was an interesting read, but the element I remember most is that the author tried to dovetail passages from Scripture with technological advancements that felt too unrelated and over-spiritualized. 

From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back by Assorted Authors

• This book was a fun read, with a few outstanding stories that really enhanced the narrative of the Empire Strikes Back. Overall, however, I found most of the shorts in this collection boring or completely pointless.

White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to be White by Daniel Hill

• Another one of my top reads of 2020, Hill is clear and succinct in explaining Whiteness and its influence in our world today. He does an excellent job in breaking down the journey to being aware of how Whiteness impacts the way we engage with people in the world. Highly recommended read!

Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1 by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson

• I read this graphic novel (which covers the 1st third of the original Dune novel) simultaneously with the original novel, and because of that, I found it greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the story so far. While the graphic novel cannot depict all the nuances of the original, it really helped me visualize some of the more complex elements of Dune.

Thanks for sticking around to the end, and I hope that there might be something on this list worth checking out in 2021! I decided to be reasonable and keep my goal at one higher than last year (24 books), since we have a new baby coming this year, so check back at the end of June for the midyear update!