The best new books I’ve read in the last month are
- (5.0) A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance by Diana Butler Bass (St. Martin’s Essentials, 2025)
- (5.0) Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit by Brené Brown (Random House, 2025)
- (4.5) Choosing Love: What LGBTQ+ Christians Can Teach Us All About Relationships, Inclusion, and Justice by Dawne Moon and Theresa W. Tobin (Oxford University Press, 2025)
- (4.5) The Justice of Jesus: Reimagining Your Church’s Life Together to Pursue Liberation and Wholeness by Joash P. Thomas (Brazos Press, 2025)
- (4.5) Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker (Avid Reader Press, 2025)
- (4.5) When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows . . .: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life by Steven Pinker (Scribner, 2025)
- (4.5) Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World by Kat Armas (Brazos Press, 2025)
- (4.0) We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor edited by Liz Theoharis and Charon Hribar (Broadleaf, 2025)
- (4.0) Doing Theological Double Dutch: A Womanist Pedagogy of Play by Lakisha R. Lockhart-Rusch (William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2025)
- (4.0) The Secret Despair of the Secular Left: Our Fraying Connections with Our Communities, Our Bodies, and the Earth by Ana Levy-Lyons (Broadleaf, 2025)
A Beautiful Year
Advent arrived just a few days ago, ushering in the beginning of a new church year. In her twelfth and newest book, Diana Butler Bass invites readers to journey through the Christian calendar week by week, offering timely reflections that gently reorient us toward the Way of Jesus. Whether you prefer to savor her wisdom one meditation at a time or, like I did, devour the entire book in a single sitting while marking countless pages to revisit throughout the year, you’ll find yourself encouraged, grounded, and empowered to live your faith with renewed clarity in these unusual times.
Welcome Back
Three authors on this month’s list are returning to So What Faith:
- Jen Hatmaker previously appeared nearly a decade ago when I rated her then newly published book, Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life, 4.5.
- Steven Pinker was mentioned in 2018 when I rated his then newly published book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism and Progress, 4.5.
- Diana Butler Bass was named one of So What Faith’s top two authors earlier this year. She has been featured numerous times over the years, including being named to four top books of the year lists: 2021: Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way and Presence, 2018: Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks, 2015: Grounded: Finding God in the World – A Spiritual Revolution, and 2012: Christianity After Religion: The End of the Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening.