The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
-A brilliant, mostly-autobiographical novel by one of the twentieth-century’s most intelligent, neurotic minds. It follows a sharp, good-looking young woman who has won an internship with a magazine in New York, who has the world at her fingertips, but cannot seem to shake the malaise and despair that mark her life. She sees the folly in what everyone else in the world is striving for, and it slowly drives her mad. Fantastic book- not for the faint of heart.
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
-True story chronicling the lives of the two authors. Ron Hall is a wealthy arts dealer in Ft. Worth, and Denver is a homeless man in the same city who spent most of his life as a modern-day slave. Challenged by his wife’s call to serve the homeless, Ron forges a deep friendship with the hardened Denver. The book is a great challenge to all of us to really dig in our cities, know the homeless, and make an impact for the kingdom that is coming.
Getting the Blues by Stephen J Nichols
-Half history and half spiritual commentary, Getting the Blues traces the birth and rise of the blues out of the Mississippi Delta and uses that history to explain the importance of a theology of suffering in understanding our salvation.
I’m a Lebowski, You’re a Lebowski
-A book all about my favorite movie (though one that I am slow to recommend…). It’s basically a series of interviews, fun facts, and anecdotes about the film.
Tim Keller’s Galatians Bible Study
-Probably the best Bible study that I’ve ever done. Keller raises great questions and inserts challenging articles to help each of us see the idols in our lives, how we strive after “works-righteousness” over and over again, how we abuse community, etc. I recommend it to everyone.
-A short book from the nineteenth century that expounds upon some of the New Testament’s comments about humility. This book is guaranteed to show you how humility truly is the chief Christian virtue and how pride penetrates every aspect of our lives.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
-My Christmas present from Ryan Warden, this book won the Pulitzer & Time’s best fiction of the year. It follows the life and heritage of Oscar (while placing his history in the context of the history of the Dominican Republic, which, ashamedly, I knew nothing about), a DR native who is a complete nerd. This book is fantastic and an easy read, though I would only recommend it to those who appreciate the “frankness” of Dave Eggers.
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright
-Acclaimed New Testament scholar N.T. Wright takes us back to the Biblical perspectives on the critical importance of the resurrection (and explains what 1st Century Jews expected), especially in regards to the redemption of our bodies (in opposition to Platonism), the marriage of heaven and earth (how this world will be redeemed & heaven will come down to join it, making it more real & whole, just as Christ’s resurrected body was more real & whole), salvation & the kingdom of God (the gospel proclaims Christ as the once & future King, and we are, by his blood, invited to enter as his people), and the mission of the Church (labor well in this world, for everything we do matters). This book does a great job of shattering some Platonic ideas that have crept into Christianity.
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Tim Keller (completed this year)
-Firstly, this is probably the best book of apologetics I have ever read. It is very accessible, straight-forward, and casual. Keller, as pastor of a church in New York, first wonderfully addresses several of the most frequent issues he hears about Christianity- Suffering, the injustice of Christians, the exclusivity of Christianity, the absolutism of Christianity, taking the Bible literally, and hell- and then uses the last several chapters to address signposts and clues about God & Christ.
Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
-I have never read a better book explaining the dynamics of deep Christian community & how to develop it.
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
-Peace Like a River follows the Land family (Rube, the asthmatic eleven-year-old narrator, his younger sister who is obsessed with Western mythology & a masterful wordsmith, and their father, a miracle-working janitor) as they search across the country for the eldest Land son. Rube’s narration feels like the Midwest. It was a great, easy read.
Bob Dylan: The Essential Interviews edited by Jonathan Cott
-This was my “bathroom reader” for about three months. Basically, it’s just the transcripts from 24 interviews from 1962-2004. If you’ve seen I’m Not There, you’ll discover a lot of the dialogue was lifted from some of the interviews found in this book, especially Cate Blanchett’s wild, rock, perpetually-stoned Dylan. It’s crazy to see how his answers change & see the characters, just as they were played in the film, emerge at different stages in his career.
With Christ and the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray (completed this year)
-31 lessons on prayer from 31 teachings of Jesus about prayer. While I don’t agree entirely with everything that Murray has to say, he challenged me a great deal to take Jesus’ promises about prayer at face value & trust (and persist) in God’s ability to answer them.
The Prodigal God by Tim Keller
-Erin & I both agree that this book has been fundamental in helping us shape our understanding of the true nature of sin: how both the religious & irreligious truly seek what they can get from God & not God himself. A very easy, transformative read.
A Brief History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
-Simply put, I enjoyed reading this book more than almost any other I’ve ever read. Bryson covers a host of scientific subjects & histories, all with a wit and candor that make the mundane vibrant and lively.
Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy
-This is the second Percy book I’ve read, and I must say, it is no match for The Moviegoer. This is a near-apocalyptic novel which showcases Percy’s imagination, wit, and vocabulary, but the story itself (or perhaps the characters?) wasn’t engaging enough to truly hold my interest.
A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
-An incredible love story of a couple who began as passionately-committed to each other & love’s ideals and who, upon investigating Christ (with the help of their friend C.S. Lewis) became Christians. Vanauken does a great job telling their story, re-creating his wrestlings with God, and explaining how the depths and natures of their love changed when Christ came to the forefront.
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
-This was a free audiobook of the month from christianaudio.com (who are presently offering my favorite book ever- The Brothers Karamazov). It was a refreshing, though certainly not earth-shattering call for Christians to move from mediocrity & lukewarm “faith” to radical obedience to Christ.
Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson
-This book lays down a great deal of the Biblical framework of a Christian marriage. Though Wilson at times strays into rather bizarre spheres (predicting the rise of polygamy in America? really?), most of the time he presents challenging principles that center on selflessness & commitment.
Sheet Music by Dr. Kevin Lehman
-a Christian marriage & sex book…because we’re amateurs.
Tags: A Year's Reading Reviewed, books
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