The Top Five Books I Read in 2024

With regularity, readers of my work ask me what I read, and I read a lot, but I don’t recommend everything that I peruse. Some of it I disagree with; some of it isn’t pleasant reading and I’m merely hoping to learn something; and some of it contains a strange mix of truths and half-truths by confused but well-intentioned authors. With that said, I am blessed to read some fascinating works each year. I do not believe any of the following books were written or published in 2024, for I rarely read the newest releases in any genre, but rather, they are timeless.

I don’t read much fiction, though I am trying to break into the genre in the evenings. If you have children, I would still recommend the works of Enid Blyton, whose books I devoured throughout my own childhood, and whose biography a fan sent me this year (which I thoroughly enjoyed). And Tolkien. Always read Tolkien.

Here are the top books that I read this year:

Between Heaven and Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C. S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley by Peter Kreeft

While Peter Kreeft’s writings don’t usually appeal to me stylistically, this book was so well done. It was entertaining rather than tedious, and explored the question of who Christ was. So much of our secular world assumes Him to have been a mere guru—a good guy with some wise sayings, but not a Deity. Kreeft shows how that cannot be the case, using a literary exploration of three different people engaging in argument, representative of various styles of thought, all interacting around this question.

It can be a really helpful book for those who are trying to explain the Christian Faith to friends and family in a clear, compelling way.

Twenty Letters to a Friend: A Memoir by Svetlana Alliluyeva

Always having a soft spot for memoirs, this book by the daughter of Stalin caught my eye. Through a series of letters, the reader gets an amazing insight into the world of the Soviet Union, from someone who was so near to the top and yet not unaffected by the disappearing of friends and family members, or the environment of widespread distrust. Svetlana suffered great losses from those who proclaimed to care for her. The insights that this work gives into how those dynamics can play out are fascinating. Dictators are so often dehumanized beyond where we can see ourselves in them, which is a disservice to us all. This memoir is an honest recollection that denies no evil nor fails to see the humanity of the individuals who made inhuman decisions.

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs

Alan Jacobs is tremendously well-read, and his many era-specific books show him to be a well-researched historian too. Yet, this book by Jacobs did not demand so much from the reader. It’s calm, pleasant, and reminds us of why we read at all. Keep it on the nightstand or wherever you retire for the evening. He wishes us to relearn the lost pastime of reading for pleasure, rather than for mere resource gathering. The fact that he does so via a work that is truly pleasurable to read seems more than appropriate.

The Death of Christian Culture by John Senior

This is easily among the more profound books I read in 2024. John Senior was an intellectual giant. The way that he describes the modern attraction to religions of the East, and the tendency to see them as banal and harmless, is eye-opening. He comments on everything from the desire to praise the new and “exotic” over the classical, to the struggle to educate men who have been raised without foundations. Expect to find yourself wondering how he could foresee so much about today from his position in 1978, when this was first published.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

For those who are entirely unfamiliar, this classic book contains the fictional letters between a demon and his nephew, and in so doing, it tackles the very real theological issues of temptation and resistance to evil. It’s so well done as to be addictive and captivating. I listened to the audiobook version, which is narrated by John Cleese and is freely available on YouTube. Cleese did a phenomenal job and it is tragic that his narration is not the dominant option available today.

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I hope this list provides some inspiration for your next year. Most of us don’t read enough. We don’t think we have the time, but we can prioritize it if we want to. Reading timeless works takes us out of our present and connects us with other eras, reminding us of our shared struggles, faults, and aspirations. It is to be in the mind of another man for a time, and in so doing, we broaden our mindsets and grow.

Also, I wouldn’t be an author if I missed an opportunity to mention my work, so I must remind you that I released a book of my own this year, Failing Foundations: The Pillars of the West Are Nearing Collapse.

Please consider leaving your book recommendations in the comments below.