Summer Reading List 2024

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Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, is now behind us. That means it’s time for my annual summer reading list (you can find last year’s list HERE).

Usually these are the top 10 books that I have either read over the past year or are at the top of my list to read over the summer. Most of the time they are new books, with perhaps a few older works that I have newly discovered myself. Occasionally I offer a classic that I decided (or have decided) to re-read. As an eclectic reader, they tend to be a blend of history, fiction, biography, current events, science and more.

Enjoy.

Alberta, Tim. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in An Age of Extremism. I simply cannot recommend this book enough for understanding the current state of America’s cultural, political and spiritual affairs. If time and again you read the news and ask aloud, “What is wrong with people?” or “What is wrong with this world?”, Alberta’s book – at least for the slice it examines – will give you your answer. In this sweeping look at the state of American Evangelicals, Alberta reveals the motivation of fear and how there are many who realize this and thus commit themselves to trying to scare Christians. Traveling the country, letting individuals speak for themselves, his journalistic skill reveals what is really going on. He does not report (or write) from a stance of anger (though once you know his personal story, he could have), but rather with sadness. Writing as a committed Christ follower, this is not simply a cultural expose, but instead a cultural lament. 

Brooks, Arthur C. From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. If you are a fan of the writing of Arthur C. Brooks from The Atlantic as I have been (e.g., his “How to Build a Life” series, and the more recent “What Monastic Mystics Got Right About Life”), you will devour this book. If you aren’t yet familiar with the insights available through his writing, you need to devour this book. The subtitle says it all, but readers of any age will gain from its wisdom.

Duhigg, Charles. Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Communication. There are a couple authors on this list who, as of now, I would pretty much read whatever they wrote. Duhigg is one of those names (see Grant below for the second). Additionally, his latest work is on something integral to my vocation; therefore, the book became essential. To be clear, this isn’t primarily about being a “supercommunicator” in front of an audience as much as it is about being a supercommunicator at work and in life. If you are familiar with his earlier work, The Power of Habit, you know his approach to topics and the research he brings to bear. The way he breaks down communication into three types of conversations – the practical, the emotional and the social – is worth the price of the book alone.

Grant, Adam. Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things. I’ve read two of Grant’s earlier works, Origins and Think Again. Both were excellent. Writing in a Malcolm Gladwell style (which is a compliment), he again brings together evidence, insights and storytelling to examine a topic of fascination. In this case, how we can elevate others and ourselves. It’s all about how we can improve at improving. He reveals how it’s not as much about how hard you work, but rather how willing you are to learn. It’s not about genius, but rather character. Or as he puts it: “This book is not about ambitions. It’s about aspiration... ambition is the outcome you want to attain. Aspiration is the person you hope to become.”  

Guthrie, Savannah. Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere. Savannah Guthrie is the co-anchor of NBC News’ Today, NBC News’ chief legal correspondent, and a primary anchor for the network’s election coverage. She is also a devout Christian who has now released a book on her faith that includes frank conversations about sin and grace and the problem of evil, and is replete with quotes from C.S. Lewis, Eugene Peterson, Tim Keller, Oswald Chambers, Beth Moore, N.T. Wright and Frederick Buechner. She is quick to say she is not a trained theologian, and even quicker to admit she is not the poster child for a consistent life in Christ over the years. But she is deeply sincere about her faith and deeply committed to it. The stackpole for which she gathers her thoughts is simple: “What God mostly does...  is love.” She’s right. With every subject – from sin and grace, to evil and parenting, to doubt and prayer – she returns to that one steadfast truth: God is foolish over us, and we can trust Him. It is clear that she is writing to those in her world—meaning, a mostly secular audience who may not have much of a foundation in spiritual things, much less Christianity. The book is all the better for it. It is a winsome, compelling, authentic, vulnerable apologetic for God’s character. 

O’Connor, John. The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster. I know, the title does not sound like it should be on a top 10 list of anything but pulp fiction. In reality, it is a journey through the culture of those who believe in the mythical creature. O’Connor is a journalist who searches for the meaning and myth of all things Sasquatch. It’s not just a trek through cryptozoology, but also the growing willingness to believe in the supernatural. As the flyleaf accurately proclaims, “With sharp wit and an adventurous spirit, this heartfelt exploration of a cornerstone of American folklore unpacks why we believe in the things that we do, what that says about us, and how it shapes our world.”

Robinson, Marilynne. Reading Genesis. I first became a fan of the writing of Marilynne Robinson through her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gilead. Here she presents her interpretation – a reading, if you will – of the book of Genesis. She doesn’t approach Genesis through an academic lens (this is not an exegetical or expositional commentary). Instead, she comes to Genesis as a literary admirer and theologically, as a person of faith, with a deep appreciation for how its themes permeate the rest of the Scriptures. As Francis Spufford wrote in the opening line of his review in the New York Times, Reading Genesis is a writer’s book, not a scholar’s. In many ways, I think it’s better for that reason.

Rundell, Katherine. Impossible Creatures. I first saw this book in a Waterstones bookstore by Trafalgar Square in London. I started reading it then, and devoured it in very short order. This is a delightful fantasy tale, and if you like Tolkien and Lewis you will like this. It revolves around the Archipelago, “a secret, unmapped cluster of islands where all the creatures of myth still live side by side with humans.” 

Sansom, C.J. Dissolution. I was one of many who, knowing of Sansom’s struggle with cancer, feared the news of his impending death. When that news came earlier this year, I was deeply saddened. I did not know him personally, so I confess that my sadness was selfish. I have read every single Shardlake novel he wrote and lament that I can no longer look to a new mystery set in Tudor England with “crookback” attorney Matthew Shardlake in the thick of things. I was therefore delighted when Disney took the first of his novels, Dissolution, and made it a four-part series. But please, don’t jump to that (very good) adaptation before reading the book itself. And when you do, prepare to be hooked as you tear through every subsequent mystery Sansom wrote. As the famed mystery writer P.D. James wrote of his inaugural effort: “The historical detective story must be one of the most difficult novels in the genre to write, requiring as it does a detailed and scholarly knowledge of the period, the ability to bring it alive for the modern reader and the talent to provide a credible and exciting plot and a solution which is intellectually satisfying. With Dissolution, C.J. Sansom fulfils all these criteria. The sights, the voices, the very smell of this turbulent age seem to rise from the page. With his remarkable debut, C.J. Sansom can lay claim to a place among the most distinguished of modern historical novelists.” High praise... and true. So, I bring back Dissolution, first published in 2003, as a must-read book.

Van Pelt, Shelby. Remarkably Bright Creatures. I bought into the word-of-mouth hype and picked up this book to read. Once I did, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a delightful and fantastical read. Did I mention fantastical? It’s about the relationship between a human widow and a giant Pacific octopus (named Marcellus) living at the aquarium where she works. But there’s more, including the mystery surrounding the unexplained vanishing of her 18-year-old son, Erik. Yes, Marcellus tries to help her uncover the truth. And yes, all this actually works.

And from the “Shameless Commerce Division”:

White, James Emery. Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age. I cannot say it often enough that I truly believe this is one of the most important books I had the privilege to write. I’m sharing this resource again because I continue to pray faithfully for its ministry. The ramifications for the church of our post-Christian digital age are staggering. While released during the pandemic, this was never a book on how to do church during COVID. The pandemic only accelerated cultural change that was already in place. The church must embrace both the physical and the digital means of reaching the unchurched if it will continue to thrive. I hope you will consider this book, and give it a careful read. 

James Emery White