So I mentioned yesterday that one of the areas I set goals in for the new year is in the area of reading. I have been keeping track of the books I read each year since 2006. It is a good way to keep me accountable for the reading I want to do. For me, a great use of time is reading and when I am spending too much time on the computer or other things, my reading slacks. My goal for 2009 was 40 books, but I only read 32 books. It wasn’t too bad and I strayed a lot from the list I had created at the beginning of the year, but still read a lot of good ones. Here were my favorites:
1. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
One of the best fiction books I have ever read. It was really enjoyable to read not only because it was so well-written but also because it didn’t fall into the same mold as so many fiction books I do read.
2. The Prodigal God by Tim Keller
One of the best books on the gospel that I have ever read. Keller has a way of striking the heart of everyone, from the atheist to the religious person. I am looking forward to reading Keller’s “Reason for God” and “Counterfeit Gods” in 2010.
3. Grace-Based Parenting by Ted Kimmel
I loved this parenting book. I now tell people that this has to be a companion to “Shepherding a Child’s Heart”, which is my other favorite parenting book. My list for 2010 has Kimmel’s “Raising Kids for True Greatness” on it.
4. A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller
A really refreshing book on prayer for those who, like me, tend to fall into a rut with prayer and feel guilty about it. It brought a freshness to my prayer life.
5. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A great fiction book that was not only enjoyable to read as literature, but a great eye opener to another culture and part of the world.
6. The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot
I love Elisabeth Elliot and this window into her childhood and the parents who shaped her life was a delight to read.
7. The Mommy Survival Guide by Barbara Curtis
Not the most theologically sound book I have ever read on parenting, but really encouraging coming from a mom of 12! She gives nice little practical tips on enjoying your years as a mom.
8. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Another great fiction book that helped me to think outside of my little world and get a glimpse into another culture and religion.
9. The High Cost of High Control by Ted Kimmel
Not the best book I have ever read, but the only one I have ever seen to deal with the topic of control. Almost all of us are controlling in either an aggressive, passive or passive-aggressive way. A good look into the heart matters of why we do some of the things we do.
10. 1776 by David McCollough
I really enjoyed re-visiting the history of the origin of our country. McCollough writing style is extremely enjoyable.
What were some of your favorite books this year? Your suggestions last year helped to shape my reading list for 2009, and I would love suggestions for 2010 as well.
Funny. I blogged about my 2009 reading today too. Of those on my list, my favorites were: Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate, The Kite Runner (which you also read), My Sister’s Keeper and The Unlikely Disciple. Fireflies in December was a really good historical fiction book, but I am not sure if I liked it so much because it is especially relevant to my family? One that I think you might like is The Faith Club.
I read most of Eating Animals in 2009, but because I will finish it in 2010, it is on this years list. I am reading it slowly, because it is very descriptive on the treatment of animals. I’m reading Red Letter Christians right now, which I find interesting, but I am not sure you’d like it.
BTW– do you use GoodReads.com at all? I like it, and it’s great for finding books to read.
I loved My Sister’s Keeper. It was my first Piccoult book:)
I haven’t used good reads before, but if I am in need of a suggestion, I will check it out. I usually feel like I have too many books waiting in line to be read!
I can understand that. I also use it to track my reading. It helps to hold me accountable.
I have been using a boring Microsoft Word document to track since 2006, but I may need a change;)
I have really enjoyed some of the BW books! It has helped me to read some different things as well! Thanks for keeping the discussion rolling!
One more thing…
Thanks for starting the BW book club. I rediscovered fiction because of it! I had written it off, but I’ve read more fiction in the past three months than I had in the previous three years!
Hi Erin. Kind of a late comment, and sorry if some of these are repeats, but here are some suggestions.
I was glad to hear you liked “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” Have you checked out “Love in a Time of Cholera?” Gabriel Garcia Marquez is phenomenal.
Additional suggestions on the literature front include:
“Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy;
“As I Lay Dying,” “The Sound and the Fury” “Light in August” “Intruder in the Dust” and “Absalom, Absalom” by William Faulkner, one of my favorites and a Nobel Prize winner.
If you liked “1776″ you might also like “John Adams” by McCoullogh. Additional history books that I have enjoyed are:
“Mayflower” by Nathaniel Philbrick;
“His Excellency: George Washington” and “Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation” by Joseph J. Ellis;
“Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” by Doris Goodwin.
I also like to reread “The Federalist Papers” every few years. Another good resource, especially for those not trained in the law or who have not studied the Constitution is “The Heritage Guide to the Constitution.” Just as every Christian should read and study the Bible, every American should read and study our Constitution. I’ve read a lot of historical biographies if you are looking for suggestions there. History and literature are some of my life-long loves.
Hi Erin,
I’m finally getting around to posting a suggestion even though I read this post weeks ago. You might like the book “God is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith is Changing the World.” I’ll warn you that it is a bit of a dense book, but I have found it quite interesting and encouraging so far. They have a lengthy description of it in the Foreign Affairs Journal which can be found here http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65231/timothy-samuel-shah/born-again-in-the-usa if you want to see what its all about before committing. Anyway, it may be more apt for foreign policy nerds like myself but I thought I’d throw it out there.
Thanks for the suggestion, Kerry. I look forward to checking that one out. I really enjoy when others suggest books that are out of my usual genre of books!