The Messiah of Peace by Thomas Boomershine

This was solid. Some great insights.

Dietland by Sarai Walker

Some great elements here, but it just didn't come together. Pity.

How God Became King by N. T. Wright

I like Wright, but this didn't do much for me.

Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of Doubt by Patrick Mason

This is a very good exploration of faith and doubt. I would almost say that it is geared more toward those in a position to help folks who are agonizing than geared toward the agonizers themselves. 

I do need to express one concern: the vision of the church expressed here is substantively different than that you hear from some church members and leaders. I do worry about the growing gap between the two. There's no doubt that I prefer Mason's vision, however.

Review copy provided by publisher.

This Is Your Life, Harriett Chance! by Jonathan Evison

This didn't do anything for me.

The Theological Intentions of Mark's Literary Devices by Dean B. Deppe

I loved this, because looking at the theological functions of literary devices is pretty much my favorite thing.

Mark 8-16 by Joel Marcus

This was probably my favorite of all of the commentaries because of his close attention to biblical allusions.

Binding the Strong Man by Ched Myers

You know, I think a Marxist reading of Mark works rather well.

Mark 9-16 by Robert H. Gundry

What I liked about this was how curmudgeonly it was: very rarely do commenters engage other scholars to disagree with them the way that Gundry does. I also appreciated his close attention to grammar and syntax.

Sowing the Gospel by Mary Ann Tolbert

Tolbert was on my thesis cmte., so I have fond feelings for her approach to Mark. This is a solid commentary.

Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

I enjoyed this. Very suspenseful.

Women in Mark's Gospel by Susan Miller

This is very good.

Mark by C. S. Mann

I can't recommend this. I read it mostly to be contrarian, but he doesn't assume Markan priority and it is just completely unpersuasive.

Reopening the Word: Reading Mark as Theology in the Context of Early Judaism by Marie Noonan Sabin

In general, this was disappointing, although the treatment of the ending of Mark was very good.

The Gospel of Mark by R. T. France

This is an excellent commentary.

Mark 8:27-16:20 by Craig A. Evans

This is a very good commentary. 

Hearing Mark: A Listener's Guide by Elizabeth Struthers Malbon

This is a great commentary if you want something really, really gentle. It's short and easy.

A Reordering of Power: A Socio-Political Reading of Mark's Gospel by Herman C. Waetjen

I have a soft spot for this book because he was one of my professors. It's a good title, with an important social justice angle.

The Gospel according to Mark by William L. Lane

This is pretty dated.

The Gospel according to Mark by Camille Focant

This was really good; there are all sorts of unusual literary insights here.

Reading Mark by Sharyn Dowd

If you've never read a commentary on Mark before, this is a good choice. It's reader-friendly and concise but meaty.

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Mark edited by Thomas C. Oden

I didn't love this. I always wondered if they were cherry-picking. Plus, I'm not sure how useful ancient commentary is when their interpretive assumptions were so very different from ours.

Mark: A Commentary by Adela Yarbro Collins

This is a good commentary because it is one of the few to really engage the Hellenistic literature; unfortunately, it has the worst layout ever.

Women and Jesus in Mark: A Japanese Feminist Perspective by Hisako Kinukawa

This is solid, with an important perspective.

The Gospel according to St. Mark by C. E. B. Cranfield

This is extremely dated; I read it mostly just for historical interest.