i just got my new issue of entertainment weekly in the mail today, and in Stephen king’s monthly article he lists his ten favorite books of 2008. it inspired me to share my 10 favorites too; although i doubt that anyone will find this all that interesting, because i have an odd taste in books. anyhow- here they are in no particular order::
1. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
this book is the only work of fiction on this list, and its in the form of a journal, written by an elderly pastor to his young son. its full of stories on the olden days of ministry, wisdom, advice and hope. i absolutely loved it.
2. outliers by Malcolm gladwell
this book was just published this winter- i’m just wrapping it up this weekend. i found gladwell’s previous books to be absolutely fascinating, and this one is just as interesting. it unwraps the story of success and asks the question, “what makes a person successful?” the answer is: a lot more than hard work and passion. it involves a lot of big breaks. if you’ve never read a Malcolm gladwell book, order one- you won’t be disappointed.
3. local girl makes history- by dana frank
I love local history. I read 3 or 4 local history books this year, and this one was by far my favorite. the author uncovers the hidden histories of the pulgas water temple in san Francisco, the cave train ride in santa cruz, the cats statues in los gatos, and the big slide of tree trunk in big basin state park. she has a huge curiosity for local treasures, and leaves no stone unturned or story untold. i thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
4. jesus wants to save Christians by rob bell and don golden
i really enjoy rob bell’s writing and thought process. i think this is my favorite of his 3 books. chapter five is on American consumerism in the face of the world’s poverty. as i read it i couldn’t decide whether to shout amen or get on my knees and repent. both are appropriate. if you like audiobooks, make sure you get the audio version of any of rob bell’s books. he reads them himself and makes the experience that much more entertaining and interesting.
5. the likeability factor by tim sanders
i blogged about this book earlier this summer. sanders makes the argument that success is driven by other people’s opinions- and their opinions are driven by your personal likeability. (how big of a factor was likeability in the recent election?) he gives some easy strategies to boost likeability that are not only helpful, but fun and kind. most people don’t even wonder how likeable they are.
6. love is the killer app by tim sanders
love is what separates us and makes us both unique and likeable. sanders gives his “lovecat” strategies that make so much sense, but are practiced by so few. i find it hilarious that the business world is finally finding the value in what believers have been preaching for 2 millennia.
7. do hard things by alex and bret harris
this is a book for teenagers- i loved it so much that i used some of the ideas in this book to formulate a series for the middle school ministry called uprising. the book says that our culture has given teenagers a free pass to goof off until they feel like they are finally a grown up. back in the day you were a grown up at 14 or 15 and expected to make a difference. teens and the adults that are responsible for them are selling them short by having such low expectations. if you have a teen or know a teen, get them this book.
8. wide awake by Erwin mcmanus
we all have dreams while we sleep, but what if we could see our dreams realized when we are awake? this is basically a book for people stuck in a moment that they can’t get out of- but its still relevant to anyone; whether they feel that they are in the zone or not.
9. crazy love by francis chan
this book will make you reevaluate where you are in your faith. my favorite part was the final chapter: profile of the obsessed. this book has also inspired a series for middle schoolers. its called OBSESSED and will begin in January. this is a great book for any and every believer.
which book will be number 10? i thought about the jewish war by josephus (which I also blogged about). I found it fascinating, but I wouldn’t call it one of my favorite reads. pagan Christianity by frank viola was also interesting, but not necessarily enjoyable. I also thought of Patrick lencioni’s 5 temptations of a CEO- which was really good. but i’m settling on:
10. IT by craig groeschel
what is IT? how does a church or a pastor get IT? craig neither defines IT or tells how to get IT, but he certainly gives some great insight in ways to position yourself to develop IT.
there is a big stack of books on my shelf that i’m looking forward to reading soon. hopefully some of them will make it onto next year’s top ten. make sure you’re always reading something. reading makes you smart and it puts you into a one on one conversation with some of the brightest minds ever.
1. Gilead by Marilynne Robinsonthis book is the only work of fiction on this list, and its in the form of a journal, written by an elderly pastor to his young son. its full of stories on the olden days of ministry, wisdom, advice and hope. i absolutely loved it.
2. outliers by Malcolm gladwell
this book was just published this winter- i’m just wrapping it up this weekend. i found gladwell’s previous books to be absolutely fascinating, and this one is just as interesting. it unwraps the story of success and asks the question, “what makes a person successful?” the answer is: a lot more than hard work and passion. it involves a lot of big breaks. if you’ve never read a Malcolm gladwell book, order one- you won’t be disappointed.
3. local girl makes history- by dana frankI love local history. I read 3 or 4 local history books this year, and this one was by far my favorite. the author uncovers the hidden histories of the pulgas water temple in san Francisco, the cave train ride in santa cruz, the cats statues in los gatos, and the big slide of tree trunk in big basin state park. she has a huge curiosity for local treasures, and leaves no stone unturned or story untold. i thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
4. jesus wants to save Christians by rob bell and don golden
i really enjoy rob bell’s writing and thought process. i think this is my favorite of his 3 books. chapter five is on American consumerism in the face of the world’s poverty. as i read it i couldn’t decide whether to shout amen or get on my knees and repent. both are appropriate. if you like audiobooks, make sure you get the audio version of any of rob bell’s books. he reads them himself and makes the experience that much more entertaining and interesting.
5. the likeability factor by tim sandersi blogged about this book earlier this summer. sanders makes the argument that success is driven by other people’s opinions- and their opinions are driven by your personal likeability. (how big of a factor was likeability in the recent election?) he gives some easy strategies to boost likeability that are not only helpful, but fun and kind. most people don’t even wonder how likeable they are.
6. love is the killer app by tim sanders
love is what separates us and makes us both unique and likeable. sanders gives his “lovecat” strategies that make so much sense, but are practiced by so few. i find it hilarious that the business world is finally finding the value in what believers have been preaching for 2 millennia.
7. do hard things by alex and bret harristhis is a book for teenagers- i loved it so much that i used some of the ideas in this book to formulate a series for the middle school ministry called uprising. the book says that our culture has given teenagers a free pass to goof off until they feel like they are finally a grown up. back in the day you were a grown up at 14 or 15 and expected to make a difference. teens and the adults that are responsible for them are selling them short by having such low expectations. if you have a teen or know a teen, get them this book.
8. wide awake by Erwin mcmanuswe all have dreams while we sleep, but what if we could see our dreams realized when we are awake? this is basically a book for people stuck in a moment that they can’t get out of- but its still relevant to anyone; whether they feel that they are in the zone or not.
9. crazy love by francis chan
this book will make you reevaluate where you are in your faith. my favorite part was the final chapter: profile of the obsessed. this book has also inspired a series for middle schoolers. its called OBSESSED and will begin in January. this is a great book for any and every believer.
which book will be number 10? i thought about the jewish war by josephus (which I also blogged about). I found it fascinating, but I wouldn’t call it one of my favorite reads. pagan Christianity by frank viola was also interesting, but not necessarily enjoyable. I also thought of Patrick lencioni’s 5 temptations of a CEO- which was really good. but i’m settling on:
10. IT by craig groeschelwhat is IT? how does a church or a pastor get IT? craig neither defines IT or tells how to get IT, but he certainly gives some great insight in ways to position yourself to develop IT.
there is a big stack of books on my shelf that i’m looking forward to reading soon. hopefully some of them will make it onto next year’s top ten. make sure you’re always reading something. reading makes you smart and it puts you into a one on one conversation with some of the brightest minds ever.
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