My Favorite Books I Read in 2023
My heart and mind are filled with gratitude, once again, for the great books I got to read this year. For the past nine years I’ve compiled a list of my favorite books I read in the current year. Like prior years, this year’s reading list includes a rich collection of books that have encouraged and challenged me. Some books equip me to better love my wife, children, and friends, some challenge me in my relationship with Christ, and others provide a needed escape from the heaviness of the world.
People often ask me when and how I read so many books. While I do read books every morning as part of my quiet time, I read most within the margins of life. A few minutes at night, while I walk on the treadmill (thank you, Kindle), and a whole lot on my days off. It’s simply my favorite hobby and over the years, my gratitude for books and good writing increase every year.
As I’ve said before, this is like my personal reading version of “Spotify Wrapped.” In this post (my 9th annual), I share my favorite books I read in the last 12 months. My wife Kristen also shares a few of her favorites, and at the end of the post I’ll share how you can win a free book.
Like years past, these books are not necessarily written or published in 2023. Rather, these books make my list if I read it this year.
I know your time is limited. When I put together a list like this, I hope it helps you cut through all the noise. Between self-published books and traditional publishers, MILLIONS of books will be published in 2023. This short list is an accumulation of one man's favorites—just one person's humble opinion. Part of the reason I put this list together is to be helpful and to give some recommendations.
Stick around to the end of the post for a few giveaways.
My Favorite Books I Read in 2023
My Favorite Marriage/Relationship Books I Read in 2023
If you know me, then you know I nerd out on marriage books every year. Here are three of my favorites I read in 2023.
A Unique Way to Write about Marriage. Aaron & Jamie Ivey wrote a 2-part book about marriage called Complement. The two books come together in a box set and they each write short chapters on the same subjects (i.e., sex, love, serve) from the perspective of a husband and wife. Easy to read, biblical, and practical. This would be a great read for husband and wife to read together and share what you learned.
The Marriage Book That Makes You Look in the Mirror. I really enjoyed this powerful marriage story by Harrison Scott Key. In How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told, Key shares his marriage story. His wife had a long on-again-off-again affair and this book tells their redemption story. What I most appreciated about this book is the way the author focuses on his own contributions to their marriage dysfunction instead of just focusing on his wife’s affair.
The Marriage Book that Provides a Biblical Defense of Marriage. In the book Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage, author and podcaster Preston Sprinkle addresses the 21 most common arguments in favor of same-sex marriage. For each argument, Sprinkle shares a pastoral explanation of the argument and then addresses each argument with biblical and theological support, ultimately landing at a traditional, biblical view of marriage. He also shares with the reader how to defend a biblical view of marriage with grace and truth.
My Favorite Books I Read About Work in 2023
The Most Thought-Provoking Book I Read This Year. Several trusted friends recommended the book From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks and I’m so glad I read it. While I didn’t agree with everything in the book, Brooks helped me see how I need to change my mindset as I enter into my next season of work. It’s a great read for anyone in their late 30’s, 40’s, and beyond. If you want to hear more about the book, check out Carey' Nieuwhof’s interview with Brooks.
A Paradigm-Shifting Book About Work. I’m a big fan of Jordan Raynor. His book Redeeming Your Time made my 2022 list. His new book, The Sacredness of Secular Work, comes out in January, 2024 and I got to read an advance copy. His new book helps the reader gain both a proper earth-bound and eternal view of work. My longing for heaven and my desire to work with excellence in the present each increased through reading this book. I love his writing style, complete with multiple Hamilton and Taylor Swift references!
A Theology of Work and Rest. John Mark Comer is another author who frequently ends up on my favorite books lists. Garden City provides a beautiful picture of what a right theology of work and rest ought to look like. Like Raynor in the book I reference above, Comer also paints a picture of what heaven may look like and helps the reader understand the connection between work and rest in the here and now and how they impact our eternal future. I’m really excited about Comer’s new book that comes out in January, Practicing the Way.
My Favorite Audiobooks I listened to in 2023
You Can’t Go Wrong When Bono Reads the Book! I’ve been a U2 fan for decades and was excited to hear that Bobo wrote a book and was even more excited to hear that he narrated his book Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. I thoroughly enjoyed the origin story of U2 and each chapter is based on one of their songs. The audiobook includes segments of each song accompanied by his unique voice/sound. I shared some further commentary about this book in this Instagram post.
Great Narrators Make Great Books Even Greater. I’m currently in the middle of the fourth Harry Potter book and love the books, but enjoy them even more when narrated by Jim Dale. They’ve been so much fun to read and listen to at the same time. I’d say the same for Andy Serkis and The Hobbit. I don’t normally read these kinds of books, but they’ve been a fun escape from my normal reading.
A True Adventure and Survival Story. The book is great and the narration is outstanding. The River of Doubt by Candice Millard is a gripping story, one that’s truly hard to believe! A story of a great exploration and adventure about President Teddy Roosevelt and the team he was a part of that explored the Amazon River and faced all kinds of treacherous challenges around every bend of the river. I loved the different voices the narrator employed for each member of the expedition.
Love His Podcast and His Books. Jon Acuff’s books seem to make my year-end list almost every year. I read his newest book, All It Takes Is A Goal, twice already. I like his approach to goal-setting and how he encourages the reader to break goals down into short-term, mid-range, and long-term goals. His approach helps you tap into your full potential. The audiobook is especially good because he includes many stories on the audiobook that aren’t included in the book itself.
Like many of you, I’m a big fan of audiobooks. Some of my favorite sources are Audible and Libby. But the one I use the most is called Everand—think Netflix for audiobooks. You can try it free for two months! For a monthly fee, you get access to a huge library of audiobooks. Kristen and I are big fans!
Other Favorites I Read in 2023
A Book I Hope/Need to Read Every Year. I’ve often heard it said that humility looks good on everyone. The image I think of is standing in my closet in the morning and choosing to put on the garment of humility. And I need all the help I can get. I thoroughly enjoyed and was challenged by the book Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness by Gavin Ortlund. This short read (not quite as short as the similarly titled The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller) challenged me to daily kill my pride and envy and to focus on celebrating others. Check out some further reflections on my Instagram post.
My Favorite Book Written by Co-Workers. I get the battle on this great book by my co-workers Jonathan Pokluda and Jon Green - Why Do I Do What I Don’t Want to Do? The challenge of doing and being what I don’t always want to do and be—things like humble, grateful, and self-controlled - is real. The book is biblical, authentic, and so thought-provoking. This is another one I’ve recommended many times this year.
Fighting Back Against Loneliness. We love our new home in Waco but what we miss the most from our 18 years in Dallas are all of our deep-rooted friendships. The loneliness epidemic is very real in our country and we know from Genesis 2:18 that it’s not good for us to be alone. In Made For People, Justin Whitmel Earley addresses loneliness and friendship with a practical guide to growing in our relationship with others. Justin happened to be my favorite interview this year on the More Than Roommates Podcast.
Even Better the Second Time I Read It. I loved it the first time I read it (Favorite Books I Read in 2016) and it was even better the second time around. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is such a powerful story of two sisters and their heroic stories from World War II. The good thing about reading it seven years apart from the first time is that I forgot so much of the story. But once again, such a powerful, heroic story!
A Book About Writing Because We’re All Writers. We’re all so busy and we all write. While you may not write for a book or a blog/website, you do write texts and emails. And most of us have not been taught how to write for busy readers. This practical guide, Writing for Busy Readers, by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink, has helped change the way I write emails, blog posts, and copy for work. This quick read will help you communicate more effectively in a busy world.
Two Books That Specifically Helped Me Grow My Love for Jesus. In some ways, just about every book on this list helps me do this, but I loved reading Memorizing Scripture by Glenna Marshall. Scripture memory is my favorite spiritual discipline because I love the challenge of hiding God’s Word in my heart. The discipline of meditating on and memorizing scripture is a daily habit I truly love. This book challenged me in a few new ways as I memorize the Word.
One more: Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas. I’ve read this one before but re-read it as part of class we taught at Harris Creek this summer on spiritual intimacy. Sacred Pathways helped me to better appreciate my unique wiring and the wiring of others. Thomas shares nine ways individuals connect to God. This book will better help you understand how you and others draw close to the Lord.
Kristen's Korner
And now, back for round 7 in 2023, Kristen Kedersha! Kristen loves to listen to books. As mentioned above, we've found Everand to be a great alternate to Audible—think of it like Netflix for audio books.
My Favorite Parenting Book I Read This Year. The book Doing Life With Your Adult Children by Jim Burns, was a relevant read for me given the age of our children and season of life of our family. The book is practical, biblical, and filled with wisdom about how to best parent our young adult-aged children as they and begin to fully prepare for them to leave the nest.
My Favorite Fiction Book I Listened to This Year. Ask Again, Yes, by Mary Beth Keane tells the story about two families who grew up next door to each other. The book talks about how they navigated many challenging issues about both their families, including addiction, mental health, marriage, and so much more.
My Favorite Memoir I Read This Year. The show Friends is my favorite television show, and I was fascinated by “Chandler’s” story of addiction and struggle. In Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry tells his story and holds nothing back. He concludes that money, talent, fame, women, and everything else the world offers will never fully satisfy. A very timely read given Perry’s recent tragic passing.
Scott’s Honorable Mention:
The Sacred Search, by Gary Thomas. This book encourages the reader to think through why they want to get married before thinking through the who or when to get married. Essential reading for all who think they desire marriage.
The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn. If you like The Nightingale, you can’t go wrong with this one!
You Are a Theologian, by J.T. English and Jen Wilkin. Easy to read and so helpful for anyone who’s intimidated by theology or even denies that we’re all theologians.
Timothy Keller, by Collin Hansen. I miss Timothy Keller already. This book explains his backstory and formation. I’m so grateful Hansen wrote this book before Keller’s passing.
Being Real > Being Perfect, by Justin Davis. I love my friend Justin’s authenticity and the way he shares his story and teaches on the value of authenticity and transparency.
Book Giveaways
I have several books to give away. If you respond to the questions below in the comments section, I'll enter your name into a drawing for the following books (6 different winners!).
Why Do I Do What I Don’t Want to Do, by JP and Jon Green (signed if you want it signed).
The Ready or Knot Prayer Guide, by Scott Kedersha (signed if you want it signed).
Fun loving you, by Ted Cunningham.
The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, by Timothy Keller.
Forgive, by Timothy Keller.
Complement, by Aaron and Jamie Ivey.
Note: I will choose winners next Wednesday (December 13th).
Last, a link to my lists from prior years.
Your Turn (Comment below to enter into a drawing to win one of the books listed above!)
What was your favorite book you read in 2023?
What should I read? What would you recommend to others?
Note to readers: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means I get a minuscule kickback on any purchases you make through these links (at no extra cost to you). I need some way to recoup a small percentage of the money I spend on this blog every year and any purchases you make help keep this writing ministry going.