In 2023, I researched and then read to meet my various Stellar Reading Challenges (SRC) as well as my general book number target which I ultimately set at 100 books on Goodreads.
After several reviews of “My 2023 in Books,” I determined that I read 8 books which stood out as my “Top Reads.” Some books I came across while reading for SRC, another I read new translation, a couple were by favorite authors, and I read one after seeing the story play on screen.
Per usual, I listed the fiction in alphabetical order by author’s surname, nonfiction in order Dewey Decimal Codes. Books with SBR are linked.
Fiction
Two Kinds of Truth(Harry Bosch #20) by Michael Connelly
Cover of All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore on a light blue background | Image Source: Goodreads
Local Tour SRC – Local Author – Houston, Texas, USA
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
4.25/5 Early in my study of the Bible, my mom introduced me to Beth Moore’s works. Since that time, I read a number of her books and also seen her speak at many events. Much of that has to do with Moore being based in my hometown of Houston, Texas. When I saw that she wrote a memoir — All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir, I wasted no time adding the book to my To Be Read (TBR) list. Fortunately, one of my libraries owned an eAudio copy which I borrowed and read.
“New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestseller!… An incredibly thoughtful, disarmingly funny, and intensely vulnerable glimpse into the life and ministry of a woman familiar to many but known by few… “It’s a peculiar thing, this having lived long enough to take a good look back. We go from knowing each other better than we know ourselves to barely sure if we know each other at all, to precisely sure that we don’t. All my knotted-up life I’ve longed for the sanity and simplicity of knowing who’s good and who’s bad. I’ve wanted to know this about myself as much as anyone. This was not theological. It was strictly relational. God could do what he wanted with eternity. I was just trying to make it here in the meantime. As benevolent as he has been in a myriad of ways, God has remained aloof on this uncomplicated request .” – Beth Moore… New York Times best-selling author, speaker, visionary, and founder of Living Proof Ministries Beth Moore has devoted her whole life to helping women across the globe come to know the transforming power of Jesus. An established writer of many acclaimed books and Bible studies for women on spiritual growth and personal development, Beth now unveils her own story in a much-anticipated debut memoir… All My Knotted-Up Life All My Knotted-Up Life is told with surprising candor about some of the personal heartbreaks and behind-the-scenes challenges that have marked Beth’s life. But beyond that, it’s a beautifully crafted portrait of resilience and survival, a poignant reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness, and proof positive that if we ever truly took the time to hear people’s full stories . . . we’d all walk around slack-jawed.”
I knew going into reading to All My Knotted-Up Life to expect a deep dive into Moore’s life. Some of her experiences almost broke my heart. I perked up when I read mentions of places near where I grew up, too. My only complaint about the book was structural — perhaps this was only true with the audio but there was a mammoth, hours-long section whereas Moore seemed to have written the book in smaller “chapter” increments. I recommend this book but warn that Moore survived various sorts of abuses. Also, this book would serve well as either an Arkansas or Texas read.
Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 Today, I kick off my Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) for the 2023 Sacred Texts Journey Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC). Last year, I posted SBR on most book groupings of the Bible. As I mentioned in my post on the Epistle of Jude, I left SBR for Prophecy — Major Prophets, Minor Prophets, and New Testament (NT) Prophecy for this year. Click here to see my Epistle of Jude SBR.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Major Prophets is a grouping of books in the Christian Old Testament that does not occur in the Hebrew Bible. All of these books are traditionally regarded as authored by a prophet such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. The term “major” has nothing to do with the achievement or importance of the prophets, rather with the length of the books. In comparison to the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose books are short and grouped together into one single book in the Hebrew Bible, these books are much longer.
This SBR pertains to the first book of the Major Prophets — Isaiah.
“The Book of Isaiah (Hebrew: ספר ישעיהו [ˈsɛ.fɛr jə.ʃaʕ.ˈjaː.hu]) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the words of the 8th-century BCE prophet Isaiah ben Amoz, but there is evidence that much of it was composed during the Babylonian captivity and later. Johann Christoph Döderlein suggested in 1775 that the book contained the works of two prophets separated by more than a century, and Bernhard Duhm originated the view, held as a consensus through most of the 20th century, that the book comprises three separate collections of oracles: Proto-Isaiah (chapters 1–39), containing the words of the 8th-century BCE prophet Isaiah; Deutero-Isaiah (chapters 40–55), the work of an anonymous 6th-century BCE author writing during the Exile; and Trito-Isaiah (chapters 56–66), composed after the return from Exile. Isaiah 1–33 promises judgment and restoration for Judah, Jerusalem and the nations, and chapters 34–66 presume that judgment has been pronounced and restoration follows soon. While few scholars today attribute the entire book, or even most of it, to one person, the book’s essential unity has become a focus in more recent research.”
Isaiah daunted me the first time I read it. With the aid of Beth Moore and others, I decided to read this first book among the Major Prophets. With my most recent read, I anticipated with relish both Isaiah 40:31 and the point when Isaiah described Jesus, the savior to come.
I selected the aforementioned passage from Isaiah:
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Cate, Robert L. (1990b). “Isaiah, book of”. In Mills, Watson E.; Bullard, Roger Aubrey (eds.). Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Mercer University Press. ISBN 9780865543737.
Clifford, Richard (1992). “Isaiah, Book of: Second Isaiah”. In Freedman, David Noel (ed.). The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Vol. 3. Doubleday. p. 473. ISBN 0385193610.
Petersen, David L. (2002). The Prophetic Literature: An Introduction. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664254537.
Sweeney, Marvin A. (1998). “The Latter Prophets”. In McKenzie, Steven L.; Graham, Matt Patrick (eds.). The Hebrew Bible Today: An Introduction to Critical Issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256524.
Cover of The NIV Gospel of John | Cover Image Source: Goodreads
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on New Testament (NT) Books. Click here to see other NT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 In my previous Starlight Book Review (SBR) of The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), I mentioned how I felt these first three books of the New Testament prepared me for reading the fourth canonical gospel – The Gospel of John. Click here to visit my SBR of The Synoptic Gospels.
Although anonymously written, as are The Synoptic Gospels, a number of scholars say that The Gospel of John was written by a disciple whom Jesus loved. More than likely, this gospel arose within a “Johannine community” (an ancient Christian community which placed great emphasis on the teachings of Jesus and his apostle John). The Gospel of John is closely related in style and content to the three Johannine epistles (1 John, 2 John, and 3 John) – most scholars treat the four books, along with Revelation, as a single corpus of Johannine literature, albeit not from the same author.
Unlike The Synoptic Gospels, The Gospel of John turns to the meaning of Jesus’ ministry (Moore, 2002). This gospel builds upon the previous three books and tells readers, in depth, about how Jesus ministered for approximately three years. These details add a richness to our understanding of Christ.
Some of the Bible verses I hold most dear come from The Gospel of John. One of the first passages I learned was John 3:16. Another verse I find especially meaningful, particularly in the NIV, is John 14:27.
While The Gospel of John can better stand on its own, I recommend this fourth gospel be read after all three of The Synoptic Gospels. All four canonical gospels come together to create a strong foundation for both my understanding and faith.
Some quotes come from The Beloved Disciple: Following John to the Heart of Jesus by Beth Moore. Click here to visit Goodreads link about this work.
Bible Verses (John 3:16, 14:27) links come from Bible Gateway (site linked here)
Image of a Venn Diagram Showing the Overlap of the Synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke – Image Source: WSCCC – West Sydney Chinese Christian Church
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on New Testament (NT) Books. Click hereto see other NT SBR.
5/5 I finished the first four books of the New Testament for the seventh time for the Sacred Texts Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC). The first three Gospels are often referred to as the Synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar or sometimes identical wording. These three books are:
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Going forward, I’ll collectively refer to these three Gospels as The Synoptic Gospels.
Scholars normally give credit to Matthew the Disciple for writing Matthew. A Jewish tax collector, Jesus requested that Matthew (then Levi) follow Him as one of His disciples. Of all the gospels in the Bible, scholars and Christians alike consider Matthew the most Jewish-centric. Bible laureate and Christian hedonist Beth Moore calls Christians, saying “Matthew wrote to show that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah” (Moore, 2002). For example, Matthew begins by listing the genealogy of Jesus through His earthly father-figure Joseph and traces it all the way back to Abraham, the Father of the Nations. Still and all, Matthew does tell of Mary’s immaculate conception of the Messiah and that Jesus extended the gift of salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike.
The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four gospels. Also, this gospel is probably the oldest. Beth Moore recognizes Mark as the one who “wrote to tell the Romans what Jesus did” (Moore, 2002). I’ve long viewed Mark as the news journalist of the group. He relays the facts in summary.
The Gospel of Luke, as well as Acts, is traditionally viewed by scholars that it was written by Luke the Evangelist, the companion of Paul, is still occasionally put forward, but the scholarly consensus emphasizes the many contradictions between Acts and the authentic Pauline letters. Luke is written to show that Jesus came as the Savior for all peoples, not just those of the Jewish faith (Moore, 2002).
Together, The Synoptic Gospels create a big picture of Jesus’ life, His death, and His Resurrection. Each time I read The Synoptic Gospels, I feel I see a tremendous view of what Christ did from three different sources. I also believe these three Gospels prepare me as both a reader and an adherent to read The Gospel of John.
Some quotes come from The Beloved Disciple: Following John to the Heart of Jesus by Beth Moore. Click here to visit Goodreads link about this work.
Starry Night Elf 