Runner-up Favorite Reads of 2022

I read many books in 2022. Here are some that I read that came close to the top ten. 

Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival by Peter Stark. This is an Amazon Editor's Pick and a New York Times Bestseller. This book is a real-life adventure from 1810 in pursuing a trading town connecting the East to the West.  

Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer. This is an Amazon Editor's Pick and a New York Times Bestseller. Named one of the best books of the year by Oprah. This book is funny and informative. Unfortunately, it is written from a secular perspective and goes down unnecessary tangents from time to time. However, I learned from the book and could reread it several times. 

Born Again by Chuck Colson. This is the story of the conversion of President Richard Nixon's hatchet man. It is well-written and keeps you reading. 

Word of Mouse by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein. This book is a delightful New York Times Bestselling children's novel. It won the 2017 Parent's Choice Award. I am reading it to my nine-year-old and six-year-old, and we can't put it down. It is the story of a mouse escaping from a laboratory. 

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty. This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986. It is an epic novel with 843 pages. Lonesome Dove is an epic drama set in the west as two older gentlemen make a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. It begins with a low view of family, sexuality, and life. However, in the second half, I began to see why. It was exploring the loneliness in all of us. 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. This was the first time I had read this book. Harry Potter and the Half-Prince is book 6 in the series. I found it, like the others, fast-paced and fun to read. My eighteen-year-old and I read it and discussed it. 

Top Ten Ways to Be a Great Leader by Dr. Hans Finzel. This book has lots of interesting quotes, questions, and recommended reading. In addition, the author uses stories and illustrations that keep you reading. 

Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane C. Ortlund. This is an excellent devotional book on growing in Christ. Easy to read. Hard to apply. It will take a lifetime to apply. 

American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham. This is a Pulitzer Prize Winning book and a National Best Seller. I found the book well-written and informative about our controversial seventh President. His life was tragic, full of success and failure.  

Well Intentioned Dragons: Ministering to Problem People in the Church by Marshall Shelley. This book has some constructive examples and advice for dealing with church conflict as a pastor.

  

Here is the list of my top ten from 2022.