26 Great 2024 Books That Will Make You Think

Here are the 2024 books I recommended in my monthly newsletters along with updated recaps. The reviews are alphabetical by title within categories. The categories are:

Christian Apologetics
Christian Living
Knowing the Bible
Fiction
Children’s Literature
General Nonfiction

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Christian Apologetics

“Apologetics” is the defense of the faith. Here are four noteworthy books that examine culture and present evidence for faith in Jesus.

Counterfeit Kingdom: The Dangers of New Revelation, New Prophets, and New Age Practices in the Church by Holly Pivec and R. Douglass Geivett

Two friends asked me about people they’d run into who called themselves prophets and apostles. Since I had a relative who claimed to be a prophet and apostle despite false prophecies, I was eager to learn more. So I suggested this book to my book club. Pivec and Geivett do a solid job documenting the New Apostolic Reformation’s teaching and practices. They highlight areas that don’t align with Scripture. The book proved somewhat controversial in that one of our members had attended NAR meetings without encountering the more egregious teachings. And opinions differed on some matters. But our discussion was respectful and fruitful. We all agreed that someone who falsely prophecies shouldn’t be trusted as a prophet. I particularly recommend this book for Christian book clubs.

Faithfully Different by Natasha Crain

Natasha Crain has penned another terrific tome. This one looks at why secularism is blending with and supplanting the Christian worldview. Crain doesn’t stop there but explains what we as Christians can do about it. My entire book club loved this book. From the back cover: “In an increasingly secular society, those who have a biblical worldview are now a shrinking minority. As mainstream culture grows more hostile toward the Bible’s truths and those who embrace them, you’ll face mounting pressures—from family, friends, media, academia, and government—to change and even abandon your beliefs. But these challenges also create abundant opportunities to stand strong for Christ and shine light to those hurt by the darkness of our day.” I highly recommend this.

Immortal by Clay Jones

One thing the pandemic did was expose people’s innate fear of death. The answer to it is to enjoy the hope of a wonderful forever. That’s what Clay talks about in this book. With plenty of humor, he exposes the ways those without hope of eternal life try to gain some type of lesser immortality. And he describes the glories that await us. I highly recommend this book.

Walking in Unity: Biblical Answers to Questions on Race and Racism by Krista Bontrager and Monique Duson

Bontrager and Duson deftly explain the reasoning behind secular culture’s current directives for bringing equity among races. They compare this with Scripture’s call for unity and finding identity in Christ rather than race. Handling difficult topics delicately, they offer biblically based solutions to hot-button issues. This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend.

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Christian Living

Here are four delightful books on Christian living, including two by authors better known for apologetics writing.

Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life by Donna Jones

I loved this book! Donna Jones has an easy, conversational style that drew me in. She identifies common conflict mistakes and explains how to fix them. Her suggestions on how to start difficult conversations are priceless. My favorite chapter is “How to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable.” Every chapter ends with a prayer and steps for “Putting Peace into Practice.” This is a book I intend to return to whenever I meet conflict. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Honest Prayers for Mama Bears by Hillary Morgan Ferrer with Julie Loos

Love, love, love the prayers in this book. Their honesty reminds me of Psalms. I haven’t read the entire book because that’s not the kind of book it is. The prayers are divided into sections such as “Selfless Prayers for Self” and “Prayers You Pray You Never Have to Pray.” Pick a section and then pick a prayer, such as “While Doing Laundry.” Many are followed by actions like “Honest Journaling” and “Honest Step.” This is a good companion to Ferrer’s best-selling apologetics books.

PrayerWalk: Becoming a Woman of Prayer, Strength, and Discipline by Janet Holm McHenry

I was intrigued by this book because before I broke my toe, I walked while praying nearly every day. McHenry humbly describes how she committed to getting up early each day to walk and pray, and how that erased her depression and drew her closer to God. Let this book inspire you to walk your neighborhood as you pray for your own needs and the needs of those around you.

The Truth in True Crime What Investigating Death Teaches Us about the Meaning of Life by J. Warner Wallace

Perfect for teens and twenty-somethings. Wallace gives fifteen life lessons, illustrating them with fascinating stories from his former homicide cases. He cites secular sources to support the lesson and then shows how the Bible already recommended what secular sages now advise. For example, the first chapter explains “How to Make Age-Appropriate Mistakes” since “You were created to learn.” Another counsels “How to Moderate Your Celebrity” since “You were created to pursue humility.” Unlike his former books, this is more of an advice book than an apologetics book. But like them, it contains captivating true crime stories.

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Knowing the Bible

Here are three books to help you understand the Bible.

The Psalter Reclaimed: Praying and Praising with the Psalms by Gordon Wenham

This was one of my favorite resources when I wrote my book on the Psalms. I picked it back up recently for a talk I was preparing. There are chapters on praying the psalms, messianic psalms, ethics, and imprecatory psalms. I recommend this book for the thoughtful Christian who wants to take a scholarly dive into the longest book in the Bible. College level.

The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People by Zondervan

This is a good introduction to the entire Bible. When my church went through the series a decade ago, I wrote a study guide to go with it (see Digital Downloads). From the back cover: “God goes to great lengths to rescue lost and hurting people. That is what The Story is all about: the story of the Bible, God’s great love affair with humanity. Condensed into 31 accessible chapters, The Story sweeps you into the unfolding progression of Bible characters and events from Genesis to Revelation.” High school graduate level.

Ten Words to Live By by Jen Wilkin

Who knew the Ten Commandments could be so interesting? Wilkin does a fantastic job fleshing them out and showing how they still apply today. From the back cover: “Jen Wilkin presents a fresh biblical look at the Ten Commandments, showing how they come to bear on our lives today as we seek to love God and others, to live in joyful freedom, and to long for that future day when God will be rightly worshiped for eternity. Learn to see the law of God as a feast for your famished soul, open to anyone who calls on the name of the Lord.”

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Fiction

All but perhaps two of these authors are Christians who blend Christian themes into their works.

An Assassination on the Agenda (A Lady Hardcastle Mystery Book 11) by T E Kinsey

Set in July 1912, England’s Secret Service Bureau dispatches Lady Hardcastle and her spunky lady’s maid (a former circus performer), Florence Armstrong, to prevent local police from uncovering too much about a murder victim. Soon they discover a link between the killer and an upcoming visit from an important Austrian guest. The cozy mystery series is clean and fun, sprinkled with witty repartee. A bonus: Kinsey ends each book with Author’s Notes that give a bit of related history.

Between Heaven and Texas (A Too Much, Texas Novel Book 1) by Marie Bostwick

In this charming story, Bostwick gives us the background to one of the colorful characters from the best-selling Cobbled Court Quilts series: Mary Dell Templeton. Bostwick always tackles difficult situations that Christian women face, and in this one, it’s parenting a special-needs child. The tone is warm, sweet, and hopeful throughout. From the back cover: “While Lydia Dale grows up petite and pretty, Mary Dell just keeps growing. Tall, smart, and sassy, she is determined to one day turn her love of sewing into a business. Meanwhile, she’ll settle for raising babies with her new husband, Donny. But that dream proves elusive too, until finally, Mary Dell gets the son she always wanted—a child as different as he is wonderful.”

Death and a Crocodile by Lisa E. Betz

This is a fun, cozy mystery set in Rome in the days of the apostles. Livia is a new Christian concerned about her upcoming arranged marriage when dad’s discovered dead. From the back cover: “When Livia’s father dies under suspicious circumstances, she sets out to find the killer before her innocent brother is convicted of murder. She may be an amateur when it comes to hunting dangerous criminals, but she’s determined, intelligent, and not afraid to break a convention or two in pursuit of the truth.” There’s a glossary in the back providing interesting historical details. This is book 1 in Betz’s series (see book 3 below).

Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly: A Novel by Marie Bostwick

A delightful story of plans failing, promises kept and broken, love and forgiveness, and finding one’s path in life. Bostwick deftly draws characters teeming with personality. From the back cover: “Esme Cahill thinks she has failed spectacularly: fired from her New York City publishing job, divorced from her husband, and possessing little more than a broken-down car and a pile of unfinished manuscripts, she drives home to Asheville at the request of her late grandmother, Adele, who had begged her, just before she died, to return to the place she grew up.”

Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge by Spencer Quinn

Mrs. Plansky is a recent widow dealing with a curmudgeonly father and frequent requests for money from her beloved children and grandchildren. One day she takes a call from someone claiming to be her grandson desperate for emergency funds. She obliges. The next morning, her bank accounts are empty, and law enforcement gives her little hope for recovering her savings. But plucky Plansky heads to Romania to get her money back. I enjoyed the humor and insights into how scammers work. One reservation: this would be rated PG-13 if it were a movie.

An Ode to Poison: A Livia Aemilia Mystery by Lisa E. Betz

This is a fun, clean cozy mystery set in first century Rome. Livia is a newlywed who’s already solved two murders when a new friend is poisoned. Livia’s husband is dismayed over some of the foolish risks she takes, but also needs her help to clear his brother’s name. What I enjoy most in Betz’s books is learning about the culture of the early Christians. There’s a helpful cast of characters and glossary. This is book 3 in Betz’s series (see book 1 above).

Of Mice and Murder (Cat and Mouse Whodunit Book 2) by Emily James

James continues her saga of the veterinarian Zoe who investigates murder yet again. This is a clean, fun cozy mystery. From the back cover: “A gunman targeting pet owners. A veterinarian determined to protect them. Can she ferret out the shooter’s identity before she ends up with a bullseye on her own back?” Meanwhile, her incarcerated birth mom is making demands before she’ll tell Zoe where to find the sister she never knew. James tucks in lots of pet advice and gives us glimpses of the foster care system. We were foster parents who took kids to visit mom in jail, so I could relate. This is the second in a series I recommended last September.

Placebo by Steven James

This murder thriller is taut. “While trying to debunk a controversial neurological research program, illusionist and filmmaker Jevin Banks uncovers a far-reaching conspiracy involving one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms.” James makes his characters grapple with thorny theological issues as they fight evil. James melds Christian themes into best-selling fiction. (I recommend his Patrick Bower series for non-Christian friends. There widower Bower hunts murderers while grappling with why the God his wife worshiped would let her die.)

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Children’s Literature

I love children’s books and read them often.

The Essential Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson

When I saw this was on Kindle Unlimited, I thought, I’m in the mood to laugh, and snatched it up. This is Volume 1 of 9 volumes, and it’s hilarious. Besides a boy and tiger named after famous theologians, there’s a schoolteacher with the name of the junior tempter in C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters. I think we have the paperback somewhere, but flipping from strip to strip using the Kindle app on my tablet was easy. Age 9 and up.

The Tailor of Gloucester (Beatrix Potter Originals Book 3) by Beatrix Potter

This is a delightful tale of a poor tailor who simply must finish a special garment for the mayor. But when he falls ill, kind mice try to outwit the tailor’s cat to help him out. Both the hardcover and Kindle editions have Potter’s lovely watercolors. The classic is for children 3-7.

Woof: A Bowser and Birdie Novel by Spencer Quinn

I just finished the fun and fantastic three-book series of which this is book 1. Although written for grades 3-6, I thoroughly enjoyed it. From the back cover: “There is trouble brewing in the Louisiana swamp — Bowser can smell it. Bowser is a very handsome and only slightly slobbery dog, and he can smell lots of things. Like bacon. And rawhide chews! And the sweat on humans when they’re lying. Birdie Gaux, the girl Bowser lives with, also knows something is wrong. It’s not just that her grammy’s stuffed prize marlin has been stolen. It’s the weird rumor that the marlin is linked to a missing treasure. It’s the truck that seems to be following Birdie and the bad feeling on the back of her neck. When Birdie and Bowser start digging into the mystery, not even Bowser’s powerful sniffer can smell just how menacing the threat is. And when the danger comes straight for Birdie, Bowser knows it up to him to sic ’em.”

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General Nonfiction

The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene Rogan

This 514-page book explains how the Ottoman Empire fell in World War 1. I wanted to understand the Middle East situation, so I checked this book out of the library. It was so good I bought it. It has many photographs and excerpts of letters. The Kindle version allows you to highlight items (for example, a treaty name) and a popup window explains what they are. If you have the time for a long read, I highly recommend it.

Minimalista by Shira Gill

This is a fun, easy read with lots of gorgeous photos. Its niche is families with limited space. There are no forms to fill out—just questions to ask yourself. Every room has a dedicated chapter filled with suggestions. Each chapter ends with a summary guideline list, making review easy. I’m using it as inspiration to purge things I no longer need.

Organizing from the Inside Out byJulie Morgenstern

I used this book to get my home office and files in order. It explains a three-part system that can be used anywhere: analyze, strategize, attack. The appendix has three forms to fill out for every area you’re going to tackle. Chapters cover the usual rooms plus briefcases and purses, home-based businesses, cubicle workstations, and photographs.

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg

Wow, did I learn a lot from this book. The principles align well with biblical teaching. For example, Duhigg’s advice on how to match emotions reads like an expansion of “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). I hope to practice the principles more over the next few months. Here’s from the back cover: “Come inside a jury room as one juror leads a starkly divided room to consensus. Join a young CIA officer as he recruits a reluctant foreign agent. And sit with an accomplished surgeon as he tries, and fails, to convince yet another cancer patient to opt for the less risky course of treatment. In Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg blends deep research and his trademark storytelling skills to show how we can all learn to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation.”

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