YEAR END: My Best Books of 2023

We’re finally at the end of the road — the best books I’ve read in 2023. Here I discuss 10 books I read in the back half of the year and mix in the best from the first half. From self-help to Jesus allegories to nuclear apocalypse, you’ll find a little bit of everything here. Enjoy.

 Books that made the list (*=appeared on one of the Halfway Point lists):

Salt: A Global History
The Blood of Heroes
* East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
The Pearl, by John Steinbeck
QBQ: The Question Behind the Question
* The Character of Jesus, by S.E. Jefferson
The Samson Solution
Alas, Babylon
* The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
* Dracula, by Bram Stoker

Special mention: The School of Christ, by Jacob Hudgins; In God We Trust, by Adam Shanks.

Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.