Last year I decided to make an effort to get back into consistently reading. This year I set a more ambitious goal of finishing two books a month or basically a book every two weeks. I’m happy to say that I exceeded that goal and am currently sitting at 39 books read this year! Here are some of the highlights:

Race and Religion:

White Awake by Daniel Hill

This book is indicative of a trend that’s set into my non-fiction reading this year. Daniel Hill’s exploration of what it means to be white in a mixed race culture really reframes how we look at culture in the sense of what is “normal” and what is not. It’s a very eye-opening read that challenged my perspective on how I view other culture in contrast to my own. It’s a good foot in the door book for white people trying to deepen their understanding of the cultural divide in our country and our role in widening that gap through ignorance; even when trying to do the right thing.

Critical Race Theory by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic

I chose this book because it is a buzz word, one about which I knew very little before reading it. The CRT debate is indicative of greater faults within our national discourse and this little introductory book put in perspective how CRT functions as a legal device. It also helped illustrate how a mountain was being made of a molehill that most people know nothing about.

Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Another main focus in my non-fiction reading this year was the Evangelical movement, it’s history, and the diversions that modern movements have taken from the true gospel. This is a fantastic read that I cannot recommend enough. It’s taken much of the Evangelical book world by storm and for good reason. It forces us to look at all the bad that’s mixed in with the good. I don’t agree with everything she says, but I’m glad that she says it. More importantly, I’m glad that this book can help open up discussion on sensitive and overlooked issues within American Christianity.

The Gospel According to the Klan by Kelly J. Baker

This book pairs fantastically with Jesus and John Wayne. However, it is a far denser read. Baker examines the literature and liturgy of the 1920’s Klan (when the KKK reached its apex of social and political power) and notes the ways in which Christianity was half-baked into its purposes. She then examines how this impacted not just the nation but the nation’s version of Christianity as well. This is a tough read because it takes heavy swings at how Christianity is often influenced by social movements rather than the other way around, but I’d very much recommend it to anyone willing to take the time to sift through its implications. This was a great catalyst for examining the origins and beliefs around which I grew up geographically and socially.

The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby

This books takes a more general and self-reflective approach to some of the same issues above. (I say self reflective because it’s about examining the church from within the church.) It’s another tough read for someone having spent his entire life in the church. However, it’s also a good mirror to deconstruct and assess from. The American breed of Christianity is unlike any other, and it’s books like these that provide a necessary moment to help pull apart what is American from what is Christian.

The Movies:

Sir Sean Connery by John Parker

I’ve made it no secret that I’m a huge Sean Connery fan. He’s far and away my favorite actor, so I decided it was time to read through his life. He wasn’t a very public person but this book was no less fascinating because of it. Sean Connery is the kind of man that only comes from legend, a figure far larger than life; and this biography does him justice as well as words can.

The Complete Making of Indiana Jones by J.W. Rinzler

A comprehensive look back at my favorite franchise. It assembles interviews, documentaries, script drafts, and dozens of behind the scenes goodies to track Indiana Jones from conception to completion of the fourth movie in 2008. The movie making process is always fascinating and this coffee table book brings it to life in a really captivating way.

Welcome to Dunder Mifflin by Brian Baumgartner and Ben Silverman

Assembled from two years of podcast interviews, this book (by Kevin Malone himself) takes you through the lives and thoughts of the people who created my favorite show. The Office changed the game and this book puts into perspective the risk and reward of each decision that created a show that has a greater legacy now than it did when it ended nearly a decade ago.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one of my favorite movies. Though I don’t usually gravitate towards Tarantino with such enthusiasm, there’s something truly magical about that story and that world that he recaptured. Which is why I had to have this book day one when he adapted said movie onto the page. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a fantastic reframing of the story that builds the world and the characters within it to greater depths while still delivering on the story that hooked you in the first place.

Biographies:

Me, Myself, and Bob by Phil Vischer

It’s difficult to find autobiographies with this much naked truth to them. Phil Vischer doesn’t pull many punches when recanting the rise and fall of a media empire that he built and destroyed with his own hands. It’s refreshing to see so much honesty put into one’s own story and I couldn’t put this book down because of it. If you were a Veggietales kid you need to add this to your reading list.

Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelis

Charles Schulz is a mythic figure. Creator of one of the most beloved and most wholesome franchises of all time, he’s a creative genius like few others. Yet he’s also a very flawed genius and I was surprised to learn so much about a man I thought I’d already known. Growing up with Charlie Brown its easy to feel like you know the man behind him. This book is a tragic portrait of a little boy growing up afraid he’ll never be loved and the lengths at which he’ll go to prove that he deserves it.

2021 in Books

For a full list of the things I’ve read, as well as short reviews on each one, check out the list below.