Here’s a review of my reading material during 2025. I got through thirty books altogether, including the Bible.
Absolutely outstanding *****
Very good ****
A decent read ***
Hmm, OK but nothing special **
Don't bother *
Providence - John Piper *****
Shortly before publication of Providence, John Piper said, "This book is the most comprehensive statement of the things in Scripture that I regard to be most important for worshiping and living and dying." At a whopping 752 pages, this feels like Piper's magnum opus; a forensic survey from Genesis to Revelation, from before creation to infinite eternity, of God's purposeful sovereignty over all things, in all places, and at all times. In what feels like our increasingly man-centred age, this book is a heavyweight counter-punch that, to my mind, leaves all talk of human autonomy absolutely out for the count. Providence left me on my knees, in awe of God's omnipotent greatness.
Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space - Adam Higginbotham *****
At 576 pages this is not exactly a quick read either, but it succeeds as a thorough and rigorous account of the Challenger space shuttle tragedy nine-miles up into the upper atmosphere, in which all 7 crew were killed, 70 seconds after lift off. Given what we now know the people who authorised the launch knew, the explosion was all but inevitable. Adam Higginbotham explores the lives of the crew and their families, their selection process, the conception and design of this incredibly complex spacecraft, the politics and culture at NASA and its contracted suppliers, the single issue that caused the accident, the attempted cover up and the damning investigation report. With the exception of recording temperature values in Celsius as well as Fahrenheit, it’s hard to see how the book could be improved. Outstanding.
Straight to the Heart of Psalms: 60 Bite-Sized Insights - Phil Moore ***
Psalms is the second-longest book in the Bible, and is actually an anthology of five collections of songs. Phil Moore says that each collection has a distinct perspective or tone, and that the individual psalms are ordered in a particular way, so that many of the songs relate to the previous one. I don’t find either claim very convincing to be honest, but this is a good devotional accompaniment to the Psalms, with much helpful cross referencing to the lives of those who wrote them. Singing to the Lord from the heart, Phil Moore says, about every season of life and about every emotion of the day, is music to God's ears. And that, I do agree with.
The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims - Rebecca McLaughlin ****
The five claims are ‘black lives matter,’ ‘love is love,’ ‘gay rights are civil rights,’ ‘women’s rights are human rights,’ and ‘transgender women are women.’ (It never ceases to amaze me how so many cannot - or will not - see that claims 4 and 5 are self-evidently contradictory). In this book, Rebecca McLaughlin examines each claim in turn with her characteristic clarity and logic, often turning the tables like when, for example, she shows that Christianity, so long contemptuously associated with with the rich, white West (by sections of the rich, white West), is actually the most racially and culturally diverse movement on earth. I love Dr. McLaughlin's customary biblical soundness, drawing on real life observations, while all the time communicating non-aggressively. This relatively short book draws on much interesting and eye-opening statistical research to support the biblical assertions made. I listened to this book on Audible, narrated by the author. To be honest, I would have much preferred a paper copy as I found I needed to properly chew, taste and swallow the material before being spoon-fed another rich paragraph, even at 0.7x speed.
1966 and All That: My Autobiography - Geoff Hurst (with Michael Hart) ***
Published in 2001, Geoff Hurst's autobiography was written when he was the only man to have scored three goals in a World Cup final, a feat that has now been equalled (though Mbappe's in 2022 contained two penalties and Hurst's was the perfect right-left-head hat trick). Even as an Arsenal man, I have always looked admiringly and appreciatively at West Ham, not least for their trio of players who captained and scored all four goals in the only England team to lift the World Cup, an achievement reached when I was 4 years old and that I don’t expect to be repeated in my lifetime. If ever (in the men’s game at least). This autobiography is interesting enough (for English football fans anyway) but it rarely sets the pulse racing, even describing what it was like to star in the historic high water mark of the English game.
Patriot: A Memoir - Alexei Navalny ****
A nightmarish descent into Vladimir Putin's mafia state, where all opposition is eliminated; poisoned, shot, jailed, or - what are the chances? - involved in a fatal “accident”. The sham elections, state media fictions, totally corrupt justice system, and the siphoning off of the nation's wealth by oligarchs like Roman Abramovich, controlled by the Kremlin, is all documented here. Alas, it all goes largely unchallenged. For who is courageous enough to denounce it all? Only a few, like Alexei Navalny, killed in prison for speaking out, knowing full well what his fate would be. But such is his love of his country and his willingness to lay down his life so that his wife, children and fellow citizens might one day live in a better place. This book is therefore as inspirational as it is depressing. Navalny’s immense intelligence, extraordinary cheerfulness and dark humour all shine brightly in this part memoir, part prison diary. It's fascinating to me that he became a Christian believer from atheism after the birth of his daughter, and he memorised the entire Sermon on the Mount in Russian, English, French and Latin whilst in prison. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The Book of General Ignorance - John Lloyd and John Mitchinson **
Based on the TV show QI, this book, as with the show, seems somewhat pleased with itself for unmasking generally accepted untruths, but it pedals a fair few of them itself, sometimes by making assertions from silly and pedantic technicalities, sometimes by simply getting its facts muddled. A few of the entries sent me online to check facts at source (for example, the Number of the Beast in Revelation is apparently 616, not 666 - in fact, there is just one obscure and disputed fragment which has this variant reading amid dozens). And, lo and behold Mr. Fry and Ms. Toksvig, despite your clever and confident assertions supplied to you by your scriptwriters, it ain’t necessarily so.
Powerful Leaders? When Church Leadership Goes Wrong and How to Prevent it - Marcus Honeysett ***
There has been a growing awareness in recent years of abuse of power in leadership generally, and in the church in particular. This book examines how leaders become 'wolves in shepherd's clothing' to quote a memorable phrase from the book. Honeysett explores differing levels of toxicity on a sliding scale and how leaders, local churches, church 'tribes' alike can identify, challenge and correct behaviour that is becoming more autocratic, less transparent and less accountable. I have to say I have not personally experienced much of this at all, though I don't deny it exists and is a problem. In my time, I have seen much more in the realm of mischievous and spurious accusations of school teachers and pastors from troublemakers which this book only mentions briefly and is weaker for it.
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham **
I thought this was going to be another legal thriller from the master of the genre but in fact it is the true story (Grisham's first work of nonfiction) of a man falsely accused and convicted of rape and murder, sent to Death Row for eleven years, and exonerated on DNA evidence. The innocent man, Ron Williamson, suffered irreversible psychological damage in prison and died shortly after his release. In fact, he suffered from very poor mental health before his conviction and should never have been tried. It is an uncomfortable read that highlights many weaknesses of the US judicial system. Truth be told, I prefer Grisham's works of fiction.
Coming to Faith through Dawkins: 12 Essays on the Pathway from New Atheism to Christianity - Denis Alexander and Alister McGrath (ed) *****
I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in no time. A diverse collection of testimonies, from a daughter of a university professor to the son of a bricklayer, documenting journeys of discovery on matters of faith and science. No story is very like another; each has a unique starting point and each points to a different trigger that began a disenchantment with the substance and/or style of The God Delusion, or similar polemics from other celebrity atheists. The apologetics of William Lane Craig and John Lennox are cited by some as being particularly helpful travelling companions on the way out of atheism and, though some still speak of not having everything resolved, all testify to being in a better head space and with renewed zest for life after coming to faith in Christ.
Straight to the Heart of Galatians to Colossians: 60 Bite-Sized Insights - Phil Moore ****
This guide through Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians (the order is chronological based on the order in which Paul probably wrote the letters) focuses on the insight that Paul's concern in all of them was to show the churches he wrote to that Christ brings an experience of God on the inside; free on the inside (Galatians), new on the inside (Ephesians), strong on the inside (Colossians and Philemon) and joyful on the inside (Philippians). As ever, there's a lot of historical detail that brings the text alive and no shortage of vivid anecdotes (which are great additions to my extensive preaching illustration database!)
Dying Well - John Wyatt ****
John Wyatt is a medical doctor who has become a real gift to the church on the ethics of end of life care. This book contains much wisdom on thinking through the practical, pastoral and theological aspects of death for patients, relatives and pastors alike. It made me realise just how little thought and preparation we give to what is, after all, an inevitability for us all, unless the Lord returns first. There were some excellent suggestions for those coming towards the end of their lives such as writing letters to family members to be opened on special birthdays or wedding days in the future. I loved best the penultimate chapter on the resurrection of the body and the biblical term falling asleep; first-class Bible exposition. Oh - and what a lovely book cover by the way.
Spirit and Sacrament: An Invitation to Eucharismatic Worship - Andrew Wilson ****
...Unlike this one - but, as the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. Andrew writes so intelligently and his chapter on Grace in this book is up there with the best things I read all this year. There is plenty here to mull over. My church could, and should, do communion better than we do. I suspect those of a more catholic (small c) persuasion will be just as uncomfortable reading Andrew's excellent commendation of charismatic experience as those from newer church streams will be by his plea for creeds, liturgy and sacramental expression. I felt (now representing the latter, but coming from the former) that Andrew is more persuasive arguing for spiritual gifts and spontaneity than he is for sacramental tradition, though I get it - too many babies have been ejected with a lot of bathwater in my kind of church over the years.
The King of Torts - John Grisham ****
That’s better. A proper Grisham legal thriller with several subplots that all converge together and with s surprising twist at the end. This one involves a low-paid public service lawyer who, through an unsolicited meeting with a shadowy source, is propelled to multi-millionaire status within a year by settling with a big pharmaceutical company, whose drug is discovered to produce unintended and damaging side effects. Other megabuck lawsuit settlements follow but each is increasingly risky, and the consequences of losing any one of them are certain financial ruin. A book that, while not moralising at any point, has much to say on what really has true worth.
Last Boy of '66: My story of England’s World Cup winning team - Geoff Hurst ****
Published twenty-three years on, this is much more up to date than 1966 And All That, and it’s a better
book. On the death of Bobby Charlton in 2023, Geoff Hurst became the last
survivor of the only England football team to win the World Cup, though a few squad
members who did not play in the tournament are still alive at the time of writing. Pen portrait
recollections of each of the 1966 team and the manager are interspersed with
chapters on how the tournament unfolded, family, life after football and
mortality. The final chapter is a kind of running commentary from Hurst's personal
perspective on the 1966 final while watching it again on YouTube, in which
he sees much that, with the passing of time, he had remembered somewhat
differently. This is an enjoyable and at times quite moving memoir.
12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You - Tony Reinke ***
There is no doubt that this is a well-written, thoroughly researched book. I wondered if it might be a bit sanctimonious, but Tony Reinke is actually a fan of smartphones, uses his all the time, and even plays frivolous games on it. That's not quite what I was expecting. Despite all that, he writes, with plenty of statistical analysis to back him up about the effect smartphones have on attention spans, literacy, humanity towards others, mental health and on our spiritual health. There's lots to take in and reflect on, but somehow, it's just not a book I can say I really enjoyed. Perhaps because I read it as a download... on my phone.
Straight to the Heart of 1 and 2 Chronicles: 60 Bite-Sized Insights - Phil Moore ****
I believe that this is the last Straight to the Heart that Phil Moore wrote, completing his series of devotional commentaries on the entire Bible. This one focuses on the many subtle but important differences the later books of Chronicles contain compared to 1 and 2 Kings, noting that the details are important and intended, and that the Lord is the God of small things. This book traces the fortunes of the many kings (in Hebrew, messiahs, anointed ones) of David's line, all of whom end in disappointment in various ways, leaving us yearning for a true and better Messiah. Chronicles, of course, is the last book in the Hebrew Bible, so following on with Matthew in the New Testament immediately carries on with the genealogical theme, leading to the King of kings and the true temple, where heaven meets earth, (another key theme of Chronicles).
John Stott: A Portrait by His Friends - Chris Wright (Ed.) ****
How do you sum up a man who excelled as an apologist, author, diplomat, evangelist, mentor, ornithologist, pastor, preacher, statesman and theologian, and is, after Billy Graham, surely the foremost evangelical figure of the 20th century? This book of brief recollections by a selection of those who knew him best covers all that, but also helps distill the essence of the man. Though from an upper class background and educated in an elite school, he lived very simply in a small flat with few luxuries. The portraits agree that he was above all Christlike, generous, always self-effacing, extraordinarily self-disciplined, prodigiously hard-working, a man of deep and disciplined prayer, with an almost miraculous memory for names, a gift for speaking with clarity and persuasiveness, a winsome sense of humour and who, though a lifelong bachelor, was brilliant with children. I thank God for his remarkable legacy.
I learned so much reading this book. At 490 pages, plus footnotes etc, it was yet another big read. Historian Norman Davies challenges conventional narratives of the European theatre of World War II by offering a broader perspective than the one I grew up with, which was centred on British-US heroism in the defeat of Nazi Germany. Davies contends that this conflict was far more complex and morally ambiguous than that. In fact, the war’s decisive battles and heaviest losses occurred in Eastern Europe, not between Normandy and Berlin. The turning point of the war according to Davies, was not D-Day (which does not even make the 'top ten' battles in terms of casualties). The pivotal event was rather the Battle of Kursk in the Soviet Union, which I would guess most British people have never even heard of. Davies insists that the Soviet Union bore the overwhelming brunt of Nazi aggression, suffering catastrophic casualties and devastation, yet its victory came under Stalin’s regime which was just as wicked as the Third Reich, guilty of comparable atrocities, and indeed on a more horrific scale. Thus, the conflict was not a straightforward struggle between good and evil, but overwhelmingly a clash between two monstrous dictatorships. Davies also critiques the selective memory of postwar histories that celebrate Western democratic triumphs, while playing down Soviet crimes (they were our Allied partner, lest we forget) including mass deportations, rape, summary executions, and the ruthless annexing of Eastern Europe. He devotes much space to the millions of civilian victims, the scale of whose suffering defies military or ideological objectives. "The death of civilians at the front line was often put down to bad luck… being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were not. It was the armies that were in the wrong place at the wrong time." Quite.
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