The Six Best Books I Read in 2021
Dr. Seuss once wrote, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." I did not go that many places this year, but I certainly read many books this year. According to my GoodReads statistics, I have read 79 books so far this year and 15,253 pages. Some of them are books I have read before. For example, when I taught my J.R.R. Tolkien class, I reread The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and more. However, I did read several new books, and I want to share the six best books I have read this year. My books will not necessarily be in the order of preference; that would be too difficult. However, maybe this list will help give you a jumpstart on your 2022 reading list. I have selected a mix of academic and popular to appeal to as many of you as possible.
1. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution
I have recommended this book to so many people this year. It does as good a job as any at helping us understand how our modern definition of self has developed to the point where it makes perfect sense to just about anyone to self-define just about anything. Starting with Rousseau and advancing through the Romantics to Nietzsche, Darwin, and Marx, Trueman has written an eye-opening and provocative book that ought to be considered required reading in its field.
2. Fighting for Life: Becoming a Force for Change in a Wounded World
I love origin stories, and hearing Lila Rose talk about the creation of Live Action was right up my alley. The primary purpose of this book is to give the reader a look inside the world of pro-life activism. However, this book has a secondary purpose that almost anyone would connect to. Interspersed between the narrative portions are applications for you and me. We can also approach whatever causes we might care about in a similar method. It was a great story about a cause I care about, but it is also a very practical read.
3. A Secular Age
Charles Taylor's masterpiece is massive, relatively dense, and necessary reading for anyone who wants to enter the conversation about secularism. Even if you ultimately disagree with many of his conclusions, because it is so influential, you need to be at least familiar with his arguments as to why our culture has become disenchanted, and secularism has risen a viable alternative in a way that it would not have just a few centuries ago. This book is not for everyone, but it is essential.
4. Wheels of Courage: How Paralyzed Veterans from World War II Invented Wheelchair Sports, Fought for Disability Rights, and Inspired a Nation
Although I do not play wheelchair basketball, I play the adaptive sport of power soccer. After reading this book, I realized how much determination and fight it took to create adaptive sports. I am grateful for the efforts that so many people put in to change the perception of disability through athletics. This book will also like you to think about what it takes to create a movement and change something bothering you.
5. Survival and Resistance in Evangelical America: Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest
I was particularly interested in this book because of the author's approach to research. I get tired of people writing books and articles that simply exist to create strawmen. Gribben presents what I believe is a very fair and balanced perspective on the Christian Reconstruction movement in the Pacific Northwest. Whether or not you are interested in the subject matter, I think this book is a wonderful example of presenting research with minimal bias and representing people on their own terms. It is sad that that characteristic made it stand out among many other poorly written books, but I wanted to highlight it.
6. Breaking Stalin's Nose
My final recommendation is for the children, but it is also for adults, as I found out. It can be difficult for some people to talk about the Soviet Union and what makes it something we absolutely want to avoid. As adults, we can pick up The Gulag Archipelago, but how do we help explain to our young people why freedom, hope, resilience, and even disillusionment are such important topics? I think this book goes a long way to do that. It is highly recommended if you have a preteen who can handle tougher content.