The Books of 2022
Unfortunately, I did not read “Chicken Soup for the Soul”. I put this image here as clickbait. Hopefully it worked.
So here we are - the first blog post of 2023. I totally planned to write more in 2022, but that year turned out to be absolutely bonkers for me, featuring some of the highest mountains and the lowest valleys that I’ve faced so far in my life.
I don’t know if anyone still reads blogs in 2023, but here’s to picking up the proverbial pen again, and I thought I’d kick off with a bit of a softball… “The Books of 2022.”
Here’s what I thought was hot, not, and everything in between. I thought I’d add some commentary to this list to mix it up. Once again, I have bolded the ones I think would be a great read for anybody!
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers - Dane C. Ortlund
The book basically repeats the title theme over and over. It’s a great message, but admittedly because it was at the start of the year, I remember very little of it. It was my distraction read through grief.Harvard Business Essentials: Negotiation - Harvard Business School Press
Crazy Faith - Michael Todd
Classic hype-y Pentecostal preacher book. This being said, I needed some of that in my life, and it built my faith to believe bigger.Surrounded by Idiots - Thomas Erikson
Brilliant book on the four main personality types out there. Highly recommend this book if you are in a highly relational job setting.Heaven’s Gift of Marriage - Dr Chas Gullo
The Good Doctor will always hold a high place in my life, and that now includes my bookshelf. Thanks Chas.Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow
This book took me a solid 8 months to read. It’s a chunky sucker. Highly recommend if you’re fascinated by Alexander Hamilton’s life. The first third and the last third are key if you just enjoy the general story arc of his life, and the middle third is purely if you enjoy politics (which I do). I could wax lyrical about Hamilton: his intellectual prowess and leadership skills were unrivalled amongst his peers. I am a better man for reading this book.Atomic Habits - James Clear
Good book, but here’s the spoilers: build good habits into your life. The one thing I got from this book is that if you want to ensure you go to the gym, prepare your gym bag the night before so you have minimal obstacles to jump over in the morning.Bob Dylan NYC 1961-1964 - Ted Russell with Chris Murphy
This barely counts as a “read”: it’s a photo essay. But I love Bob Dylan, and this is my list, so you can’t stop me.Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it - Chris Voss with Tahl Raz
Enjoyable book with fantastic negotiation principles.Lead Like it Matters: 7 Leadership Principles for a Church That Lasts - Craig Groeschel
The more I go through life, the more I appreciate Craig Groeschel. This was a much better and deeper book than I expected. Very practical for all church leaders (whether vocational or volunteer) and would also apply in a general business setting.Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki
If you care about your finances, this is a MUST read. I can’t believe I didn’t read it earlier.Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners - Dane C. Ortlund
Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other - Sam Heughan & Graham McTavish
This book is pure drivel with history facts thrown in, but Emily Cottrell assures me the audiobook is much better. This book did inspire me to look further into the Dunlop Scottish roots, and one thing I did learn is that the Dunlop clan were pretty tight with none other than the Hamilton clan.Friends, Lovers, and the Big, Terrible Thing: A Memoir - Matthew Perry
Considering I’ve been loving Friends since I was 14 or so, this was a no-brainer. Perry writes like he sounds, and this book is the most enjoyable read about some of the most heartwrenching stuff. It opened my eyes into the world of high addiction, and gave me more empathy for those who feel trapped by their own body.
So there you have it folks. There’s my reads list for 2022. As they say, readers are leaders. If you have any cool book recommendations of any genre for me, feel free to let me know on DMs or shoot me an email!