352 ratings | 2 reviews | avg rating:4.28

Alan’s Year In Books

Alan’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Alan’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Alan’s 2025 Year in Books

Alan Noble’s Followers (560)

Alan’s Bookshelves

to-read (5)
currently-reading (88)
read (344)
apologetics (1)
christianity (1)
sociology (1)
theology (2)

Alan’s Friends (1,062)

Ben Bartlett

1,166 books | 174 friends

Peter Yock

930 books | 115 friends

Benjamin Shurance

990 books | 103 friends

Matt Curtis

264 books | 7 friends

Daniel

6,073 books | 108 friends

Heather Newsome

294 books | 13 friends

Tony

841 books | 813 friends

Jiro Dreams of Suchy

3,287 books | 85 friends

More friends…

Alan Noble

Goodreads Author

Website

https://www.oalannoble.com/home

Twitter

thealannoble

Genre

Christian, Philosophy, Art

Influences

charles taylor, jacques ellul, cormac mccarthy ...more

Member Since

October 2009

edit data

Dr. O. Alan Noble is Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and author of numerous articles and a couple books.

In his youth, Alan lived in Lancaster, CA, where he was very homeschooled by his mother. At 16, he finished high school and began attending Antelope Valley College, pursuing a certificate in music which he earned but never filled out the paperwork for, so it probably doesn't count. He did, however, meet his wife, Brittany, at AVC, which definitely counts. Alan continued his undergraduate work at the Cal State Bakersfield satellite campus at AVC, earning his degree in English. Then he earned his Master's in English at CSUB-AV, writing his thesis on Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian under the supervision of Dr. Dr. O. Alan Noble is Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and author of numerous articles and a couple books.

In his youth, Alan lived in Lancaster, CA, where he was very homeschooled by his mother. At 16, he finished high school and began attending Antelope Valley College, pursuing a certificate in music which he earned but never filled out the paperwork for, so it probably doesn't count. He did, however, meet his wife, Brittany, at AVC, which definitely counts. Alan continued his undergraduate work at the Cal State Bakersfield satellite campus at AVC, earning his degree in English. Then he earned his Master's in English at CSUB-AV, writing his thesis on Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian under the supervision of Dr. Steven Frye.

Other things Alan did while in Southern California: tutored high school felons at a probation camp; substituted at various high schools; helped produce, write, rap, engineer, and record two hip-hop albums; taught composition and literature at Antelope Valley College; went bald; got married.

In 2007, Richard Clark contacted Alan about joining a new venture he was starting called Christ and Pop Culture. That November, Alan began writing and then editing for the site. Brittany and Alan moved to Waco, TX to pursue graduate degrees at Baylor University in 2008. While at Baylor, Alan studied under Ralph Wood, David Lyle Jeffrey, Luke Ferretter, and Richard Russell. His dissertation was written under the supervision of Dr. Ferretter and was titled Manifestations of transcendence in twentieth-century American fiction : F. Scott Fitzgerald, Carson McCullers, J.D. Salinger, and Cormac McCarthy. Charles Taylor's work on secularism and the self formed the theoretical basis for the dissertation and much of Alan's later writing. While in Waco, Brittany and Alan had two children, Eleanor and Quentin, and they attended Redeemer Presbyterian Church. At nights, Alan continued to write and edit for Christ and Pop Culture, now with the title Managing Editor.

In the fall of 2014, the Nobles moved to Shawnee, OK, where Alan accepted a position as Assistant Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University. After Richard Clark left Christ and Pop Culture for Christianity Today, Alan became editor-in-chief at the site. At this time, Alan began writing for The Atlantic, Christianity Today, and First Things, particularly on issues related to pluralism and secularism. The Nobles' third child, Frances, was born in 2015. As the 2016 election ramped up, Alan launched the group Public Faith with Michael Wear to offer an alternative evangelical political voice. He also joined The AND Campaign as an advisor.

Alan has written articles for Christian publications such as Modern Reformation, InTouch Magazine, and Christianity Today and for secular publications like VOX, Buzzfeed, and The Atlantic. He has been interviewed, quoted, or cited in a number of major publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, MTV News, MSNBC, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, Politico, Village Voice, Yahoo! News, ThinkProgress, The Blaze, WORLD Magazine, and Slate. And he has spoken at colleges, churches, and youth groups on a range of topics related to the church and culture.

The Nobles attend City Pres in Oklahoma City. ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Alan Noble questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Alan Noble’s books

Average rating: 4.29 · 6,331 ratings · 1,487 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living 4.29 avg rating — 3,077 ratings — published 2023 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World 4.32 avg rating — 1,867 ratings — published 2021 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age 4.22 avg rating — 1,387 ratings — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Alan is Currently Reading

Alan Noble is currently reading

Democracy in America: A New Abridgment for Students

by Alexis de Tocqueville

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 26, 2026 03:37PM

Alan Noble is currently reading

Here Goes Nothing (Big Nate)

by Lincoln Peirce

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Feb 04, 2023 06:31PM

Alan Noble is currently reading

Big Nate: I Can't Take It! (Volume 7)

by Lincoln Peirce

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Feb 03, 2023 07:17PM

rss
Alan’s Recent Updates

Alan Noble is currently reading Democracy in America: A New Abridgment for Students by Alexis de Tocqueville	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 26, 2026 03:37PM · like
Alan Noble and 9 other people liked Olivia Schutt's review of On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living: "Perhaps 10 stars? 2 hour listen and free on Spotify premium! I will listen to this again, if not again and again."
Jan 22, 2026 06:59AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alan Noble liked Audra Larsen's review of On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living: "On my shelf for a long time before I read it. I'm glad I did; it's great for learning to handle mental health in a way that honors ourselves as a people made in the image of God, but also without neglecting our responsibilities to others in the proce" Read more of this review »
Jan 22, 2026 06:59AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alan Noble and 2 other people liked Audrey Hood's review of On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living: "listened to the audiobook version This book is a comforting yet challenging read (or listen!) - everyone has to wrestle with the question presented. "What's the purpose of living?" I appreciate the author's biblical counsel and how he may have perso" Read more of this review »
Jan 22, 2026 06:59AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alan Noble has read To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times by Alan Noble (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 24, 2025 03:13PM · 9 likes · like
Alan Noble made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — New book to add to my list topic " Could someone correctly add this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... To my profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Thank you! ...more "
Sep 22, 2025 03:05PM
Alan Noble wants to read To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times by Alan Noble (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 22, 2025 02:56PM · 8 likes · like
Alan Noble rated a book it was amazing Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The New Republic Vol. 3 by Michael A. Stackpole (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 21, 2025 07:40PM · 4 likes · like
Alan Noble rated a book it was amazing Star Wars Omnibus: Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 11, 2025 08:14PM · 5 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Star Wars Omnibus by Steve Perry. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Star Wars Omnibus by Steve Perry <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alan Noble rated a book it was amazing Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 2: Gotham Nocturne: Act I by Ram V	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 03, 2025 08:27PM · 2 likes · like

More of Alan's books…

Quotes by Alan Noble (?)

“Don’t do the next thing just so that you can keep doing the next thing. Do the next thing because it honors God and testifies of His goodness and the goodness of your life to your neighbor.”
― Alan Noble, On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living

8 likes

“There’s a kind of unspoken conspiracy to ignore how difficult life is, or to reframe it as something romantic—a heroic challenge we overcome on our way to the good life.”
― Alan Noble, On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living

5 likes

“We all suffer silent crises, carrying burdens that are incommunicable to those closest to us and occasionally even opaque to ourselves. Some suffer from diagnosed mental illnesses, some from undiagnosed, and some from mental suffering that has no medical categorization yet is no less real and terrible and hard. But your existence is good.”
― Alan Noble, On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living

5 likes

See all Alan Noble's quotes »

Alan’s Quotes

“Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”
― J. D. Salinger

tags: salinger, stories

6597 likes

“Grand. There's a word I really hate. It's a phony. I could puke every time I hear it.”
― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

tags: holden, writing

687 likes

“Droll thing life is -- that mysterious arrangement of merciless logic for a futile purpose. The most you can hope from it is some knowledge of yourself -- that comes too late -- a crop of inextinguishable regrets.”
― Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

tags: identity, life, regret

456 likes

“No, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one’s existence--that which makes its truth, its meaning--its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dream--alone.”
― Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

tags: dream, loneliness, subjective-experience

511 likes

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.”
― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Alan’s Year In Books

Alan Noble’s Followers (560)

Alan’s Bookshelves

Alan’s Friends (1,062)

Alan Noble

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Alan Noble’s books

Alan is Currently Reading

rss
Alan’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble

See a Problem?

Preview — On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble

See a Problem?

Preview — On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble

See a Problem?

Preview — Star Wars Omnibus by Steve Perry

Alan’s Quotes

recent posts
Alan’s Groups

Alan’s Friend Comments

Alan Noble’s Followers (560)

Alan Noble

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssAlan’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble

See a Problem?

Preview — On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble

See a Problem?

Preview — On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble

See a Problem?

Preview — Star Wars Omnibus by Steve Perry

rss
Alan’s Recent Updates