The Top Six Books I Read in 2024

I haven’t necessarily read as much as I wanted to in 2024, but I have still managed to find my way through a number of solid books. As I do every year, I want to share the top six books I have read this year. The books are not presented in order of preference, but if you do want to see more of what I read, make sure that you sign up for my newsletter. Every month, I highlight the top three books I have read that month.

Life in the Negative World: Confronting Challenges in an Anti-Christian Culture by Aaron Renn

I have written about this concept many times on this website, but Renn’s primary hypothesis is that we now live in a culture where identifying as a Christian is viewed as a net social negative. As such, we need to learn how to survive and endure that reality economically, professionally, and socially. His theory had been articulated in his newsletter for quite some time as well as in a very well-read article on First Things, so I was familiar with it before I read this book. Properly understanding the world around us is one of the most important things we can do; this book will help you do that.

We Need to Hang Out: A Memoir of Making Friends by Billy Baker

I fell in love with this book and have recommended it so many times. Watching one man try to make friends felt so familiar. I am grateful to have friends, but I also know how hard it is to sustain friendships as adults with jobs, families, and other commitments. The authenticity of the author’s desire while simultaneously putting a finger on a very real sociological dilemma describing men made sense to me. It was also a pleasure to read, as the author has a great writing style and is quite funny.

Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much: The Way of Love in a World of Hurt by Charlie Peacock and Andi Ashworth

Christian creativity is a topic that is dear to my heart. We are made by a Creator and have also been given the amazing ability to sub-create. These authors provide a series of essays on wrestling with the challenges of creating beautiful things despite challenges and working as Christians within the public square. Questions of calling are important for all of us to consider, especially those engaged in creative pursuits.

Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by HG Bissinger

I loved the TV show but had never read the real-life story that inspired the show. It is a masterwork of sports journalism but also dives into the real problems of living in a town that seemed to have its best days behind it. It can be hard to read some of these stories since many of the players lived in very difficult situations, but I think that sometimes we need to be confronted with the problems that some people deal with every day.

I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

I have also recommended this book many times because it provides solid financial fundamentals that just about anybody can follow on some scale. The author makes the correct assumption that most people want to take the easy way out, so he provides a very basic framework for wealth creation that anyone can follow, yet it has been proven to work. The simple concepts of saving and investing are foreign to so many people, so this book provides a sound wake-up call that would be great, especially for the young person in your life.

No Apologies: How to Find and Free Your Voice in the Age of Outrage—Lessons for the Silenced Majority by Katherine Brodsky

This book is important because we have all witnessed people who get really upset about everything. We worry about what will happen if somebody takes what we say the wrong way, and we get in trouble for it. This book is full of practical tips of what to do. The interesting part is that it is written by a liberal, and many of the examples are liberal, so it reminded me that just about anybody can be a victim of cancel culture. I hope it also helps others avoid cancellation if possible, but be resilient if it does.