Jesse Koepke

Another year, another list of books! I can’t believe it, but this is the 15th year I have tracked my reading. That seems fitting as I turn 40 in a couple weeks.

As always, my reading list shows where my mind and thoughts were at in that season, and 2024 was no exception. In late 2023 it was discovered that the leader of a ministry my wife and I had been a part of for a decade had multiple serious abuse allegations.

This lead me into an examination of current American church culture, and a broader look at how the American church got here. It was a hard year, but enlightening as well.

But the good news is I also found some great fiction books, which has been hard for me in the past few years.

So without further ado, here are the books I read in 2024.

5 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage	Gary Chapman	Audio
Skyward	Brandon Sanderson	Audio
The Justice of Kings	Richard Swan	eBook
The Gray Man	Mark Greaney	Audio
Get Clients Now!	C.J. Hayden	eBook
Hell Divers	Nicholas Sansbury Smith	Audio
The Bible Jesus Read	Philip Yancey	Audio
Jesus & John Wayne	Kristin Kobes du Mez	Audio
Bad Faith	Randall Balmer	eBook
Hell Divers II: Ghosts	Nicholas Sansbury Smith	Audio
Hell Divers III: Deliverance	Nicholas Sansbury Smith	Audio
A New Apostolic Reformation?	Geivett and Pivec	eBook
Broken Trust	F. Remy Diederich	eBook
Hell Divers IV: Wolves	Nicholas Sansbury Smith	Audio
Slow Horses	Mick Herron	Audio
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone	JK Rowling	Audio
Man Enough	Nate Pyle	Audio
We should all be millionaires	Rachel Rodgers	eBook
Six-Figure Side Hustle	Rachel Rodgers	Audio
Don’t start a side hustle	Brian Page	Audio
Hell Divers V: Captives	Nicholas Sansbury Smith	Audio
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs	Matt Bodnar	Audio
Find Your Cash	Brad Flynn	Audio
The Thriving Mindset	Chelsea Brennan	Audio
Oversubscribed	Daniel Priestley	Audio
Hell Divers VI: Allegiance	Nicholas Sansbury Smith	Audio
Artemis	Andy Weir	Audio

Favorite Books

Faith

My look into the American church started with Jesus & John Wayne. I’ve never read a book that explained my childhood so fully. Kobes du Mez looked back over 100 years at the evolution of evangelical culture and masculinity’s role in that, and right from page 1 it was blowing my mind. If you’ve ever wondered how the American church got to where it is today, this is the book for you.

I’ve always loved Philip Yancey’s books, and The Bible Jesus Read was a refreshing look at Jesus’ times. After processing my 20s and faith journey, getting back to the basics of the Bible has been helpful.

Fiction

I’ve been on a mission to find gripping fiction after a long dry spell, and by golly I found it. Smith’s 12-book series Hell Divers was exactly what I was looking for. Tightly written, tense sci-fi action, a story that keeps evolving, and most importantly for me a 9-12-hour runtime.

There is swearing and violence, but man it really hit the spot for me. I listened to six books (50 hours!) in 2024 and plan to finish the series this year.

I also tried some spy fiction with The Gray Man and Slow Horses. Both scratched that itch of stories that move well and have good action. I’m hoping to read more from both authors.

Business

I’ve been praying and trying for years to change my money mindset from scarcity to abundance, and by golly, it finally happened! Rodgers’ book, We Should All Be Millionaires, lays out the best paradigm for how wealth blesses everyone it touches.

If that sentence brings multiple arguments to your mind, I highly recommend reading the book. Yes, the love of money or making your life all about money can cause problems, and greed always stands at the door and knocks. But money can also bless your family, your community, and people around the world. I want to learn how to navigate money well instead of shutting it out altogether, and turning my lack into a virtue.

Reading in 2025

I was surprised at how many audiobooks I listened to! 22 out of 26 books were audio. It makes sense, since I rarely have time to sit down and only read. So a lot of my reading is done while doing other things. I can also speed up the book, which helps me actually finish books. (I’m looking at you, Rhythm of War 👀. I’ve been trying to read the Kindle version for 2 years and I’m still only at 46%.)

I would love to take more time, though, to sit down and read. The focus and quiet of a book in your hands is a moment of stillness that is rare as a parent, and feels so refreshing every time I do it.

After having an older Kindle for 7 years, I finally got a new one for Christmas. (Yay for night mode!) I’m looking forward to reading more with it, starting with Hard Contact: Republic Commando (a fantastic Star Wars book) and then Gears of War: Aspho Fields.

I also want to refresh my parenting with a couple books, and of course a mix of business and maybe some history.

And so another year of reading is in the books! I’m excited to see what books end up on the 16th edition of this list.