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I told you I'd be back...

Although things are getting busy on , I still plan to update folks here occasionally. If you haven't checked out my Substack for some time, I'm currently reviewing movies, talking about film noir, books, music, and more. But that's not all...

I'm also getting a lot of great questions from my Substack subscribers. I recently answered one such question with a video on , also called Journeys in Darkness and Light. I plan on answering more questions soon, so stay tuned.

Speaking of videos, I was very pleased to be a guest on a recent episode of Robert Bellissimo at the Movies where we discussed my favorite movie, The Maltese Falcon (1941). I had a great time on the show, and I hope you'll have a great time watching it!

I also made a brief appearance on , contributing a recommendation.

If you're in the Annapolis, Maryland area this July, I'll be introducing, screening, and leading discussions of two movies at the . My good friend Ann Glenn will be presenting The Player on July 8 and Hail, Caesar! on July 15. I'll be on hand to present The Bad and the Beautiful on July 22 and Sunset Boulevard on July 29.

There's more news to come, but I'll share that with you next time. Everybody take care, stay safe, and stay tuned!

As many of you know, I just retired from my job as a librarian after 15 years. Before that I was a teacher (band director) for 15 years. So what do the next 15 years hold? Here's how to find out:

While I will still write for this blog on my website, I have started a new venture: . You can read to learn more, so I hope you'll consider subscribing. Most of my content you can access for free, but several of my articles will be for paid subscribers only. Some of the content consists of articles that were once posted here, but I'll post new writing each month including my thoughts on movies, books, music, and more.

If you've been reading my blog, I can't thank you enough. I treasure your readership, support, and comments. Again, I'll still be here, but most of my focus will be on Substack. I've already attracted several subscribers in just a couple of weeks, so I hope you'll join me there. Thank you, and take care!

Andy

Last night I met for the last time with the Guys Book Club, a group I started back in October 2011. Several months ago, when I decided to retire, I knew this would be the toughest group to say goodbye to, and it was.

The story of how the group got started, its ups and downs, how it kept going and more can be found in , so I won't relate the story here. A lot has happened in 12+ years. We've read and discussed 140 books, not all of which we've agreed on, but have had a great time together, even through the challenges of meeting online during the pandemic.

During the lockdown, since libraries were closed, we read easily-accessible classics

until the library reopened.

Paul Stillwell, author of several books on U.S. naval history, was with me for the very first meeting in 2011 and was there for my last meeting as well (and most of them in-between). Paul also led the group on a few occasions.

My final book to discuss with the group, our 140th discussion

Words can't express how much this group has meant to me. When I started the group, I had no idea how many men in our area enjoyed reading and would be willing to discuss the books they'd read. I was astounded at how many there actually were, how many showed up, and, more importantly, the sense of community that sprang up over the years. These guys sometimes disagree over books, but they are always civil and respectful of other opinions. You just don't see that very much these days. It has been an honor to lead these men.

To the Guys, thank you all for a wonderful 12 years. I hope to see you again someday. And the group will continue under the leadership of two of the group's members. I am so glad that it will keep going. And who knows? You may see me sneak into a meeting someday. In the meantime, keep reading, keep discussing, keep building community. My very best to you.

January 5, 2024 marked my final discussion of The Great Movies, a library virtual program that grew out of an in-person program at the Severna Park Library. My then coworker Julia Roberts (not the one you’re thinking about) and I launched the in-person program in 2016, and I moved the program online during the 2020 pandemic. My cohost Darnice Jasper and I discussed movies with our online audiences for 25 consecutive Fridays before settling down into a monthly program. We led a total of 82 discussions which featured several special guests which you’ll see listed below.

The idea actually came from a woman named Stephanie, who heads the library’s Virtual Services department. Just days after Covid brought everyone’s world to a standstill, Stephanie contacted me to see if I would be interested in starting an online movie discussion group that would bring people together virtually while we couldn’t leave our homes. Our library patrons could watch movies selected by me from Kanopy, which everyone with a library card could access. People could sign up on our website and receive a link and password for our Zoom meeting. They could watch the film at their convenience, which was a very different format from our in-person movies, where we watched films together, yet had only a short amount of time to discuss them before the library closed. The virtual program allowed us an hour (and frequently more) to talk about the film, sharing ideas and opinions.

I’m paraphrasing, but Stephanie commented, “You’ll probably want to start with a few positive, uplifting movies to make people feel good, give them some hope.�� So what did I do for our first film? Pick a murder mystery.

Murder on the Orient Express��(1974) may not be the feel-good movie Stephanie was looking for to kick off the series, but we had 20 people show up, all of whom seemed to have a good time discussing the film.

I began to tell my film Twitter friends about the program since they could join us from anywhere in the world. (If they didn’t have access to Kanopy, they could watch the movie on other platforms.) Something happened that went beyond my tweets, since we started getting people from all parts of the U.S. (26 states at last count) and five countries. None of us had anticipated anything like this.

You can find several of these discussions on (some episodes linked below). I generally introduced each film then got out of the way and let the participants make comments. Sometimes Darnice and I would have to redirect straying conversations back to the film, but generally things went very well.

We began to develop a community, to get comfortable with one another, regardless of where people were. I’ve been fortunate to have been able to meet quite a few of our regulars in person, sometimes at film festivals, sometimes driving across town.

I loved hearing everyone’s personal stories, why a certain film connected or didn’t connect with them. Some of the attendees had a previous experience with the film; others didn’t, seeing it for the first time. One of the most gratifying comments we would get sounded something like this: “Tonight’s movie isn’t one that I would’ve sought out on my own, but I’m glad I watched it.�� So am I.

The program was so successful Darnice and I were asked to give ��at the 2021 Maryland Tech Connect conference.

Darnice is working on a list of every film we discussed during the past four years, so I’ll add that soon. In the meantime, (designated “virtual��), which does not include the titles Darnice or others led.

We were delighted to host several special guests to our programs:

Bill Morrison to discuss his film Dawson City: Frozen Time��(2016)

Alan K. Rode to discuss Detective Story��(1951)

Jedidiah Ayres to discuss The Friends of Eddie Coyle��(1973)

Jessica Pickens to discuss Love with the Proper Stranger��(1963)

Alan K. Rode to discuss The Proud Rebel (1958)

John Sayles to discuss his film The Secret of Roan Inish��(1994)

Imogen Sara Smith to discuss Sherlock Jr.��(1924)

Fritzi Kramer to discuss Tol’able David��(1921)

Andrew Nette to discuss Wake in Fright��(1971)

Cole Roulain and Ericca Long to discuss We Are the Best!��(2013)

We were also pleased to host other special guests on various topics:

Raquel Stecher for two programs: Summer Movie Book Reading and The Best Movie Books of 2020

Eddie Muller for Film Restoration and Preservation During a Pandemic

Todd Hitchcock of the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center for The Future of Movies and Movie Theaters

Christina Lane to discuss her book Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock

If you attended or were a guest on one of our programs, I am grateful for your support. Thank you for being a part of our Great Movies community, and thank for being a champion of cinema. Please keep it going. Thank you also to my branch managers, our administration, our Library Foundation. But my biggest thank you goes to my friend and, as I lovingly refer to her on each program, my partner-in-crime Darnice Jasper. I couldn't have done it without you.

The program will continue with Darnice at the helm, and I know she’ll do a fantastic job. If you’d like to see what’s coming up with the program, please , find Events, click on All Events. Expand the Filters box, and type “Great Movies�� in the Keyword Search. You’ll find several movies besides ours, but look for the ones that begin with “The Great Movies�� in the title.

As you can see, we’ve discussed films from practically every decade in cinema from several countries, cultures, and worldviews. We’re not only exploring films, but keeping them alive, introducing them to new audiences. More importantly, we’re building relationships. Libraries often talk about building communities, and there’s no reason those communities can’t be global in addition to local communities.

I want to urge not only individual movie lovers but also library systems to offer movies and a platform for discussing them to your patrons. We will grow as movie fans and as people. If you’re not sure how to make that happen at the local (or global) level, reach out to me. I’ll be glad to share what Darnice and I have learned.

In the meantime, since I am retiring from the library in a couple of weeks and won’t be a regular part of the Great Movies discussions anytime soon, you may see me lurking in the background. After all, I can’t stay away from movies. I suspect the same goes for you.

, movies I hadn’t seen in at last five years. While it doesn’t break my 2023 record of most years between watches (at 44 years, Alligator��wins that distinction), I watched Some Kind of Wonderful��recently for the first time in 36 years. While I wouldn’t call it a great film, there’s something about it that speaks to me. I found the movie on DVD at a thrift store some time back and about a month ago added it to my “Watch it, then get rid of it�� stack. Now that I’ve rewatched it, I think I’m going to keep it.

Some Kind of Wonderful, written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, is essentially a remake of Pretty in Pink��(1986), also written by Hughes and directed by Deutch. If you’re wondering why Paramount would release Some Kind of Wonderful��so close on the heels of Pretty in Pink, it’s because Hughes was such a bankable property for teen movies, the studio didn’t think audiences would know or even care about the similarities. These movies were fun and smart, created by people who seemed to understand teenagers and refused to treat them as brainless stereotypes. Consequently, teens flocked to these pictures.

At their core, both Pretty in Pink�����Ի� Some Kind of Wonderful��are romantic movies about kids from different socioeconomic classes falling in love, or at least attempting to. In Pretty in Pink, Molly Ringwald plays Andie, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks who falls in love with rich boy Blane (Andrew McCarthy). But the guy who really��loves Andie is her quirky friend Ducky (Jon Crier), who provides some of the film’s best moments.

Some Kind of Wonderful��switches the roles with Eric Stoltz as Keith, the working class kid who falls for the beautiful rich girl Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson). Keith’s best friend is Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), a girl from a broken home whose passion (besides Keith) is playing drums. (I can’t even begin to tell you how many girls signed up to play drums when I was a band director after the film was released.)

We all know the plot, which goes back to Shakespeare and probably way before that. (Maybe that’s why they teach Romeo and Juliet��to kids in the 9th grade: “Hey kids, this isn’t new. You’re not the first to deal with this stuff.��) But it’s still a good story.

Watts is cynical and not one iota interested in fitting in with the cool kids. Keith’s an outsider content to quietly pursue his art, despite his dad urging him to apply to a college where he can earn a degree that will help him in the “real�� world. Keith and Watts could easily become cardboard caricatures, but Hughes allows them to ask questions, to be as smart as teenagers really are, yet show us that they don’t have all the answers, although they don’t want you��to know it.

Keith is naive, a fool for a pretty face, but not just any pretty face. Amanda does it for him, but he’s way out of her league. There’s a pecking order in high school and it can be cruel. (Maybe you remember.) But Keith is willing to make the attempt to break through those barriers. And although Amanda knows she’s on a treadmill of emptiness, she’s either unwilling or unable to look very far beyond herself.

We often forget that attending high school is like living in a small town. You know everyone, everyone knows you, and even worse, everyone sees and evaluates everything you do, either according to their own standard or the standard of the firmly-established cliques. Think back a few years (or, in my case, decades). Think about that girl or guy you really wanted to hang out with, but they were unapproachable. Maybe they had more (or less) money than you, had a nicer (or less nice) house than you, more fashionable clothes, a better car, etc.. If you made a move across those lines, there were most likely consequences. People talk even if they don’t confront you, which is sometimes worse. Keeping things as they are is safe, but it’s often boring, and maybe even heartbreaking. Watts longs to keep Keith from hurt, yet her own bruises from unrequited love seem never-ending.

I saw a lot of kids like this from a distance when I was a band director. You see a lot of pain and hurt, but you can’t really do much about it. Sometimes kids will come to you with their problems. When you’re a band director or a coach, you often teach the same kids for several years. You get to know them and they often share their stories with you, but sometimes they do things that hurt themselves or others as they’re trying to sort things out. During my first year of teaching, one of my students was constantly a behavior problem in class. A wise mentor told me, “It’s probably not about you at all.�� He was right. That student had a lot of awful things going on in his life.

Most of John Hughes’s films are about teenagers, not because they’re bankable (although they were then and are now), but because they’re trapped inside an in-between world: they’re no longer kids, but they’re not yet grown up. Maybe you remember the feeling. I do. Rewatching this movie brought all of those feelings back, the bad and the good.

Speaking of the good, one of my favorite scenes in the film occurs when Watts informs Keith that he should be ready for his first kiss with Amanda on their upcoming first date. Keith demurs, but Watts tells him he can practice on her if that’s not too much of a hardship for him. They dance around this issue for a bit, Keith hesitant, Watts hopeful, then Keith finally kisses her. The moment blows Watts’s mind, partly because she’s already in love with him, but more importantly this dream-come-true event propels Watts beyond anything she could have imagined. Is this because Keith is such a great kisser? Are his true feelings emerging? Are hers more powerful than she suspected? Or is Keith’s desire for Amanda being transferred to Watts? I’ll let you be the judge:

The film’s ending is not exactly realistic, but it is satisfying, even 36 years after decades of lives filled with the disappointments, cynicism, and the realities of adulthood. High school (thankfully) is long over, and although we sometimes transfer life into some of those same confining compartments and social groups, we should congratulate ourselves that we have escaped, hopefully with people who are there for us day after day, year after year. I hope we never completely lose that innocence, that longing and appreciation for someone who understands us. Hughes knew that longing and was able to convey it in movies that still hold up decades later. Some Kind of Wonderful��is one of them.

I wasn't going to write this, but my wife insisted. I don't think it's that big a deal, but she does, and she's usually right about most things.

About 18 months ago my doctor told me to exercise more, 30 minutes a day. I resisted for as long as I could, but I was putting on the pounds, feeling lethargic, and yes, getting older and looking it. So I started walking.

I'm not talking about a leisurely walk, but rather moving at a brisk pace. Some days I'd get a solid 30 minutes in, even if I had to take a 15-minute lunch at work, then go for a walk during the time I had left. Some days (mostly due to the weather) I didn't walk at all.

I had two surgeries last year, so there were several days I didn't walk outside one step. When I did, I had to slowly build my time back up.

My goal was really pretty modest: to walk 500 miles in 2023. I achieved that goal and lost 25 pounds in the process. More importantly, I felt (and still feel) great.

500 miles isn't a lot. Sure, it's like walking from Annapolis, Maryland to Nashville, a pretty good distance, but it only averages out to about 1.5 miles a day.

Much of my life is spent in sedentary activities: reading, writing, watching movies. I suspect many of you do the same. I'm challenging you (and myself) to get on your feet and move more in 2024. Start small. 10 minutes a day. Go around the block every day for a week. Then go further. Listen to an audiobook while you walk. Or just reflect. Meditate. Pray. Chill. People don't spend enough time doing those things.

I appreciate everyone reading my blog and watching . I want you all around for a long time. For most of us, walking is an easy thing. It's simple. Make a habit of it. And enjoy it.

You don't even have to set a goal. (My goal for 2024 is 1,000 miles. Wish me luck.)

Just walk. Walk with someone. Live better. Enjoy each moment.

Wishing you all the best for 2024.

I always love to see what other people read during the past year. I can't tell you how many lists and posts I've devoured in the past few days, frequently marking books I want to read in 2024. I hope you'll find something interesting in the books I read in 2023. Here they are, all of them, plus some that weren't pictured.

January 2023

February

(from the Library of America Willa Cather volume, Death Comes for the Archbishop)

March

April

May

(from Henry James volume, Daisy Miller)

June

July

August

(from the Welty volume, The Robber Bridegroom)

September

October

November

(from the Goodis volume, The Burglar)

December

Not Pictured:

The Evangelical Imagination - Karen Swallow Prior

A College Unique and Universal - Eva Brann

The Pickwick Papers - Charles Dickens

Miracle & Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon - Malcolm Gladwell

An Experiment in Criticism - C.S. Lewis

River of the Gods - Candice MIllard

In the Valley - Ron Rash

Master Thieves: The Boston Gangsters Who Pulled Off the World’s Greatest Art Heist - Stephen Kurkjian

In the Margins: On the Pleasures of Reading and Writing - Elena Ferrante

Intellectual Standards - Linda Elder, Richard Paul

The Undoing Project - Michael Lewis

And if you've read this far, I'd like to invite you to join me in the Reading Challenge for 2024. You can challenge yourself to read as many books as you like, even if that number is 1.

Everyone have a great reading year in 2024!

This brief video (under 7 minutes) covers my 10 favorite film noir and neo-noir releases on physical media in 2023. I hope you'll find something to explore here. And tell me what you discovered in 2023. Thanks for watching.

Due to many life events (two surgeries, losing our beloved pastor and others in our church, my upcoming retirement from the library, and more) I saw very few movies in 2023, under 200, a very low count for me. Although the number was low, I watched several films that will no doubt stick with me forever. Films are listed in the order of their release.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame��(1923) Wallace Worsley

Filmed/animated at least a dozen times, the Victor Hugo novel seems to be perpetually with us, and that’s just fine with me. When people debate which version is superior, they’re usually discussing the 1939 version with Charles Laughton as the Hunchback or this 1923 version with Lon Chaney. I love both of them, but give me Chaney. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray has a tremendous 4K restoration and a superb audio commentary by Farran Smith Nehme.

The Blue Angel (1930) Josef von Sternberg

People who know far more than I do have written about Marlene Dietrich (here in her first sound picture), her relationship with director Josef von Sternberg (here in their first of seven collaborations), and how Dietrich’s rise coincided with the fall of costar Emil Jannings in this his last great film. The story of The Blue Angel��is as old as time itself: an upstanding intellectual (Jannings) falling for an alluring dancehall girl (Dietrich). The film was shot simultaneously in German and English, both appearing on the 2013 Kino Lorber Blu-ray.

Diary of a Country Priest��(1951) Robert Bresson

Bresson is a director who has fascinated me ever since I saw A Man Escaped��(1956) more than ten years ago. Although he only made 13 feature-length films, seven of them made the 2012 Sight & Sound critics�� poll of the 250 greatest films ever made. (And you’ll find another Bresson film on my list.) Claude Laydu (in his screen debut) plays a young priest assigned to his first parish in a small village in northern France. Sickly and somewhat reclusive by nature, the young man finds himself scorned and ridiculed by his parishioners as he attempts to faithfully fulfill his duties. A painful movie to watch, primarily due to Laydu’s tremendous performance. I viewed the film on the Criterion Channel, and it is currently unavailable on a U.S. Blu-ray.

All That Heaven Allows��(1955) Douglas Sirk

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but I’m becoming more and more amenable to melodrama, especially melodrama done well as it is here with All That Heaven Allows. The way Sirk reveals his characters, the way he uses color to show all the different shades and hues of each player shows us facets of not only the leads, but also the supporting characters. It’s the story of a wealthy widow (Jane Wyman) and her younger gardener (Rock Hudson). Their relationship earns them scorn, disapproval, and in some cases rejection from the widow’s neighbors, friends, and children. Man, I’m a sucker for this movie�� Originally viewed on an old library discard DVD, purchased on Blu-ray from Criterion.

Floating Weeds��(1959) Yasujirō Ozu

��back in July, watching it on the Criterion Channel. Criterion, when are you going to put this (and the 1934 silent version, A Story of Floating Weeds, available only on DVD) on Blu-ray?

Will Penny��(1967) Tom Gries

If you don’t like Charlton Heston (and I know many of you don’t), you might just like Will Penny. This Western provides Heston the opportunity to lose himself and his cadenced line delivery present in all his other films to let the title character come through, allowing the audience to forget that they’re watching Heston rather than a believable character. Will Penny, an unremarkable cowpoke whose best years are behind him, takes a job which makes few demands on him other than keeping trespassers or squatters off of his boss’s property. When he finds a woman (Joan Hackett) and her young son hiding out there, he’s faced with a tough decision, which should be easy since the woman despises Penny.

The film boasts a tremendous supporting cast: Donald Pleasence, Bruce Dern, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, Lee Majors, Anthony Zerbe, William Schallert, Luke Askew, and more. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray is tremendous with an excellent audio commentary by C. Courtney Joyner.

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds��(1972) Paul Newman

I know, the title’s a mouthful and most audiences in 1972 probably left theaters thinking, “What in the world was that��all about?�� What they missed was a powerhouse performance by Joanne Woodward as Beatrice Hunsdorfer, a middle-aged widow with two daughters Ruth (Roberta Wallach (daughter of Eli Wallach) and Matilda (Nell Newman, daughter of Paul Newman and Joanna Woodward, billed as Nell Potts). Ruth, a rebellious girl who is also epileptic, and Matilda, extremely intelligent but lost in idealism, are both trying to make sense of the world living with a mother who can’t even make sense of herself. It’s a tremendous, mostly forgotten film that you should see. If you’re put off by the title, it makes sense when you see the film. What you do with it after that is up to you. I watched it on the Indicator (Region B) Blu-ray.

Cries and Whispers��(1972) Ingmar Bergman

My friend Bilgesu encouraged me to watch this Bergman classic that I’ve somewhat avoided for years, thinking (1) it’s too daunting emotionally and (2) I wouldn’t understand it. (1) is true: it is daunting, but (2) is not, at least not totally. I’m going to save my comments for my discussion with my friend, but this is a tremendous film. I watched it on the Criterion Blu-ray, part of the massive .

��’A������Գ���(1983) Robert Bresson

Bresson’s final film, made over 30 years after Diary of a Country Priest. A young man being denied an advance on his allowance sets into motion a chain of events that will taint the lives of everyone connected with him. The plot is simple, yet the examination of human nature and the consequences of actions is presented with a stark brutality that becomes more apparent and powerful as you reflect on the film. Watched from a library discard, which I snatched up immediately.

Ran��(1985) Akira Kurosawa

Why did it take me so long to watch this epic masterpiece from Kurosawa? There’s much more to this film than a simple description such as “Shakespeare’s King Lear��in 16th century Japan,�� but hopefully that’s enough to get you started. Absolutely spectacular in every way. I viewed it on the Studio Canal Blu-ray.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles��(1987) John Hughes

I watched this movie on a plane during the Thanksgiving holiday. No lie.

After Dark, My Sweet��(1990) James Foley

Based on the Jim Thompson novel of the same name, After Dark, My Sweet��is a terrific noir with superb performances, which are crucial in understanding how the film plays out and its character motivations. As Bruce Dern mentions in one of the disc’s extras, the film opened the same weekend as The Grifters, so guess which film got the most attention? Speaking of extras, the Kino Lorber Blu-ray includes two from the Imprint release from last year, separate interviews with Jason Patric and Bruce Dern as well as an audio commentary from director James Foley.

The Age of Innocence��(1993) Martin Scorsese

The camera rarely rests in this gorgeous tale based on Edith Wharton’s novel of life and love in 19th century New York. Scorsese’s films often explode with violence, a natural consequence of the rage, longing, and despair in his characters, and although there’s no real violence here, the rage, longing, and despair are just as evident here. Viewed on the Criterion Channel.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada��(2005) Tommy Lee Jones

A tough watch that certainly won’t be for everyone, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada follows a brazen Texas border patrol officer (Barry Pepper) who wrongfully kills a man and covers up his act by burying him. The dead man’s friend (Tommy Lee Jones) tracks down his friend’s killer not so much for revenge, but in the fulfillment of a promise. I finally watched the DVD which had been sitting on my shelf for over a decade.

The Lighthouse��(2019) Robert Eggers

Thanks to my friend and coworker Matthew for suggesting that I give this movie a try, which compelled me to program it for one of our Great Movies discussions this year. The glorious black and white by cinematographer Jarin Blaschke is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Blaschke deservedly earned an Oscar nomination, but I was dumbfounded to discover it was the film’s only nomination. Robert Pattinson is excellent, but Willem Dafoe? Absolutely superb. Initially watched on Kanopy, then purchased .

Oppenheimer��(2023) Christopher Nolan

Oppenheimer�����Ի� Barbie�� It’s all moviegoers were talking about for some time and although I liked Barbie��(Hey, I’m as surprised as anyone), Christopher Nolan’s take on the book American Prometheus��is stunning without getting too caught up in Nolan’s embedded narratives, bouncing through time, and sound experiments, and . Yet more than anything else, it’s a great story captured on film.

So let me know what you enjoyed in 2023 regardless of the films' release dates. Thanks for reading.

I sometimes talk about issues of faith when writing about movies, but this year I wanted to create a category of Best Christianity/Theology for those who are interested, particularly people in my church. Yet even if you are not a Christian nor interested in theology, I’ve marked a few books with an asterisk * denoting works that may offer some interest regardless of your beliefs. Books are listed in the order I read them and are not necessarily published in 2023. I simply discovered them this year.

��(2015) Michael S. Heiser

The Unseen Realm��is a fascinating book that casts a broad net, but basically asks the reader to examine the Bible through the eyes of people who would have read (or heard) it in the Old Testament era. What would many of the verses and prophecies have meant to those��readers, and what are we��missing centuries removed? How are the various locations significant? Many of these places mentioned that are just names to you and me had great significance for the people of that time. I’m not on board with everything Heiser is saying (or rather, implying), but after reading this book, you'll likely never look at your Bible in quite the same way.

��(1907/2019) Herman Bavinck, translated by Henry Zylstra

An outstanding (and massive, at nearly 700 pages) one-volume treatment of ��by Herman Bavinck, a Dutch theologian who died over a century ago, yet many of his works are just now finding their way into English translations. I'm looking forward to exploring more from Bavinck soon.

*��(1981/2023) J.H. Bavinck, translated by Daniel Strange

Johan Herman Bavinck, nephew of Herman Bavinck (mentioned above), was also a highly influential Dutch theologian. In this short, readable volume, Bavinck shows the uniqueness of the Christian faith by exploring its doctrine, revelation, and distinctives in the context of other global religions, focusing primarily on five areas of Christianity: “cosmic relationship, religious norm, the riddle of existence, our craving for salvation, and our awareness of a supreme power.�� ()

��(2015) Edward T. Welch

I’ve never read a book by Ed Welch that �ɲ�����’t��helpful, and this one certainly is that. The elders of a church are tasked with the responsibility of shepherding the congregation, but to some degree all believers are called to this responsibility in walking alongside others in the church. Our adult Sunday School class (wonderfully taught by Ben Z. and Jeremy D.) recently studied this book, which happened to be more timely than we could have imagined as our church experienced the crushing and unexpected deaths of our pastor and a young church member in the span of just a few months. This is a slim volume that provides good general guidance for how to go deeper in our relationships and love for one another.

*��(2022) James K.A. Smith

Previously mentioned in , Smith is another author I frequently read. Trained in philosophy and theology, Smith writes on the concept of time, how we navigate it, embrace it, shun it, and seek to make sense of it. So many feel they have so little grounding in life they think of themselves as “nowhere�� when what they really are is “nowhen,�� As the back cover states, such people are disconnected from the past or imagine they are somehow "above the flux of history, immune to it, as if self-starters from clean slates in every generation. They lack an awareness of time and the effects of history--both personal and collective--and thus are naive about current issues, prone to nostalgia, and fixated on the end times.�� Yet time is spiritually significant, giving us “a sense of temporal awareness that is attuned to the texture of history, the vicissitudes of life, and the tempo of the Spirit.��

If all of that sounds a bit too lofty and philosophical, I’d urge you to first listen to or watch ��where Smith is interviewed about the book. How to Inhabit Time��is a thoughtful book that will give you plenty to reflect upon as we move into a new year.

��(2022) Jessica Hooten Wilson

This engaging book is all about renewing your imagination, calling Christians to holiness through works of literature. We often see ourselves in the stories and novels we read, but Wilson invites us to explore and meditate on going beyond storytelling for the sake of a good read, instead leading to something far greater.

��(1949) C.S. Lewis

Although these nine essays were originally sermons preached during World War II, they read more like Lewis sitting down and talking to you personally. The title essay is the most famous of these, yet the entire book (like most of Lewis’s writings) will teach you something new each time you pick it up.

��(2022) Kelly M. Kapic

You might think this is a book on time management, but it’s much more. We’re all limited, not only by time, but everything. We should (although some never do) acknowledge that we can’t do it all. We weren’t even created to do it all. Rather than fighting the fact, we should embrace it and see our limitations as something that can, in fact, be liberating.

*��(2023) Russell Moore

Probably the most controversial book on this list, Losing Our Religion��is not afraid to take a hard look at modern day Christianity and its relationship to politics and culture. Regardless of your beliefs or politics, I challenge you to read the book all the way to the end with an open mind. Thanks to my good friend Dana B. for recommending this book.

*��(2021) Makoto Fujimura

This is a beautiful book, one I have recommended and gifted to others. It touches on concepts that are clearly Christian, but anyone involved in the arts will find plenty to contemplate here. I wrote briefly about the book in two blog posts, one �����Ի� another .

*��(2023) Karen Swallow Prior

I always enjoy reading Karen Swallow Prior, and this book is a good companion to both Losing Our Religion�����Ի� The Scandal of Holiness. The word “evangelical�� means different things to different people, and Prior’s book explains why, not only through a history of evangelical Christianity, but also through culture, literature, concepts, ideas, marketing, and so much more.

��(2022) Christopher Watkin

Although it owes much to City of God, Biblical Critical Theory��seeks to apply Saint Augustine’s great work to 21st century life and culture. Make no mistake, this book will blow your mind and requires careful deliberation and meditation. (It took me about six months to work through it.) If you have any interest in engaging with the culture and the world in any meaningful way, read this book.

��(2022) David A. Powlison

I typically shun most devotional books, but this one had something meaningful (and sometimes transformative) to say to me each day. I enjoyed this book so much I gave it as a Christmas present to each of the elders I serve with in our church.

*��(2017) David Gibson

The Book of Ecclesiastes has always fascinated me, and this book is practical, challenging, and a little scary. Author David Gibson asks the reader to do something we typically shy away from: start thinking about death, and work your way backward in your life. Even non-Christians will find themselves reflecting on the themes of this book. After all, like it or not, we are all someday going to arrive at the end. Thanks to Max B. for recommending this book.