Best Books in 2011

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Do you ever get tired of creeping people on facebook? Does the sound of chirping birds just gets to be too much to follow? If so, you can always get that little social media stalking fix by glancing down the sidebar of my blog. The observant reader will find there a librarything widget labeled "Currently Reading." Indeed, this is precisely what the widget contains; a list of books I am currently reading, complete with cover image. I do my best to keep my library thing account up to date, so while it may not be up to the minute, you can still know something about me that you can't find anywhere else.

You may also find out, if you pay attention for long, that I read a lot. I do not say this to brag; it is just the way I am. I have read fiction as a fun hobby for as long as I can remember. I started reading non-fiction which was not part of a textbook in high-school, and I began to take joy in it by university. I have never looked back. Not only is it just the way I am, the fact that anyone reads a lot is far less important than whether or not that person reads well. Much debate can go on about precisely what that means, but suffice it to say that if you attentively attend to a few good books then you have lost nothing against the person who can read twice, or thrice, as much as you do.

This year I started something new. I was inspired by a friend to keep track of my reading, and it has provided some interesting statistics. For instance, did you know that the average size of the books I read this year was 300 pages? I bet you didn't. I bet you still don't really care though, either. That's ok. This is my blog, so I'll write what I want to!

Now, on to something of more substance. Of all the books I read in 2011, and there were a lot (I averaged 15 a month), which were the best? Well, let me tell you (organized roughly according to the categories I read the most):

Best Christian Sociology: To Change the World by James Davison Hunter. Excellent book on church and culture. Follow that link and read my review if you want to know more.

Best Christian Theology (Tied): An Unsettling God by Walter Brueggemann. Wonderful Old Testament Theology. Follow the link and read my review to find out more.

Best Christian Theology (Tied):The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative by Christopher Wright. Amazing book about the story of God found within the bible.

Best Short Story Collection: Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die. I didn't review this book, but the title kind of says it all, doesn't it?

Best Fiction: Many Dimensions by Charles Williams. This was my first taste of Williams, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you Jeremy for not only recommending it to me, but lending it to me as well.
Honorary Mention for Best Fiction: The Storyteller of Marrakesh by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya.

Best book of Sermons: Unspoken Sermons Series I., II., and II.T by George MacDonald. I am not finished yet, but they are excellent.

Best Christian Living: The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity by Skye Jethani. A needed challenge to the faith of many.

Best Non-Fiction: The Power of Persuasion: How We're Bought and Sold by Robert Levine. Books like this are both fascinating and disturbing, but well worth reading. 


Best Book for Pastors: Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness by Eugene Peterson. Every pastor should read this.


So there you have it, the best of the best from the last year. Thanks for dropping by. If you happen to pick up any of these books on my recommendation then it would be great if you drop by and leave a comment telling me what you think.

God Bless, and may 2012 be filled with many a good book for you, and for me too!

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