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?

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.

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!

I love to read. When businesses started opening up again (for the context of this comment, look up the year 2020 in your history book someday), I was most concerned about when I could get to the library. I have the Goodreads app on my phone and regularly keep track of all the books I read throughout the year, set reading goals, and put together lists of books that I need to read. Occasionally I will even write a review for a book on Goodreads, but more often than not, I give it a star rating and move on to the next.

Recently inspired by a couple of my cousins who shared their reading lists on social media, I thought this blog might be a good platform to start a tradition of checking in twice a year with the books I read and how each book impacted me. I do not intend for this to be a review of the book or whether it was good or bad. Rather, I intend to use this space to share how the book impacted me on a personal level. If you want to see my rankings of books, let's be friends on Goodreads! Maybe this can even be a space where everyone can share some other great recommendations of how books make their life better.

In chronological order and no more than two sentences (mostly), here are the books I read for the first half of 2020.
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo

• After reading/looking at the pictures in this book, I am even more steeped in Star Wars trivia, and I am unashamedly both proud and embarrassed by that fact.

The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth by Christopher Huertz 

• The Enneagram is a fascinating personality tool with lots of books written about it, but this book helped me discover contemplative prayer in a way that is more meaningful than a simple personality description.

Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey

• The Expanse books are my current favorite series, and this book brought suspense, amazing characters, and the most satisfying science fiction I have ever read.

Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston

• Whatever the character of Ahsoka Tano does is awesome, whether book, movie, comic, or TV show. More Ahsoka is never a bad thing and this book provides that and more.

Taste and See: Discovering God among Butchers, Bakers, and Fresh Food Makers by Margaret Feinberg

• Food was a far more important metaphor for the ancient Jewish audience of the Bible than I fully understand, and I also now understand that books about food are not the most effective way to capture my imagination or interest.

The Complete Making of Indiana Jones: The Definitive Story Behind All Four Films by J.W. Rinzler

• Nothing will change the fact that Indiana Jones is a defining character in my life, and this book satisfied all of my intellectual curiosity about the making of some of my favorite movies.

Circe by Madeline Miller

• It might be tempting to write off Greek mythology as out of touch or irrelevant, but this book so deepens the story of Circe that it made me fall in love with Greek mythology all over again.

Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words are Vanishing-and How We Can Revive Them by Jonathan Merritt

• Anything that deals with language is going to pique my interest, but when you combine language with some of the key sacred words in Christianity I am totally hooked. This book helped me evolve and shape the ways I think about some of the dying terms in modern Christianity.

Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization by Richard Miles

• I already knew in an abstract sense that anything Romans wrote about their enemies was inherently untrustworthy, but this book expanded everything I knew of Carthage. My professional and personal knowledge now owes some debt to Richard Miles.

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

• Carrie Fisher was the first celebrity death I cried over, and this book reminded me why she was such a treasure to Hollywood. I have not laughed through a book as much as I did with this one in a long time.

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

• Despite being my third or fourth read through of this book/series, I never fail to be moved by its story. The combination of the movie visuals plus my own aging made the Grey Havens that much more of an emotional dive this time around. This was the first book that made me cry this year (sorry, that was 3 sentences, but this is the third book in a series, so deal with it).

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

• I cannot express how glad I am to have started my journey into African-American fantasy with this fresh and unique take on the YA fantasy genre. I am very excited to use this story while teaching my Hero's Journey unit to replace the predominantly White and Western narratives.

Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans

• ​The tragic loss of Rachel Held Evans was made even more painful after reading this book and experiencing the way she reimagined Biblical stories in a way that fit their genres. She helped me come away with a fresh perspective on the Bible.

The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker by Phil Szostak

• I went into this book knowing the art would be fantastic and there would be lots of great behind-the-scenes information, and hoping that it would redeem some of the weirder plot choices in the movie. I only got one of those things, and I will let you guess which one...

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

• This heart-wrenching book from a masterful writer challenged me and opened my eyes to a life I will never fully understand but hope to keep learning more about.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

• This YA novel is incredibly provocative and also the second book to make me cry this year. The end left me reflecting for hours and gave me a small glimpse into the minds of young Black men. 

Rise of the Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Evan Narcisse

• I love to read comics because of the great art, and I was especially interested after reading some of Coates' other work, but ultimately I was reminded that I have not invested enough time into the history of all of these characters to get everything I could from this book.

If you made it this far, have you read any of these books? What did you think? What have you read this year? Anything that impacted you in some way? Let's share in the comments!