I have read about 90 books in 2010 (here’s the complete list). That might be my personal record. Taking October off contributed to the total because I had so much time to read!
Deciding on my favorite is difficult because it is hard to compare a novel with, say, a biography. So here are a few categories — completely made up from my imagination — that helped me sort them.
The “This book should be considered by the Pulitzer Prize people” Category: The Hawk & the Dove, by Nicholas Thompson. A brilliant book that explores the relationship between two men who shaped the Cold War. This is an era that much has been written about, but little has really been explained. Simply a great book that deserves the Pulitzer in the history category. Honorable mention to Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand.
The “Would you shut up about that book? It’s all you talk about anymore” Category: SuperFreakonomics, by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. The stories and lessons in this book, often anecdotal, are wildly amusing and insightful. D’Aun didn’t have to read the book … it’s all I’d talk about over dinner the week I was reading it!
The “Yes I’m biased, but it’s my blog and nobody is paying you to read my opinion” Category: Zealous Love, edited by Mike and Danae Yankoski. Not only are the two editors friends of mine who spent a summer at our facility in Belize, but half the contributors to the book are friends. And one is even my daughter! A wonderful resource that touches on a wide variety of issues.
The “Finally, somebody pulled it all together and wrote a great book on a timely topic” Category: Half the Sky, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn. Here’s a book that brings many social and justice oriented issues together into a seamless explanation of the challenges. The book focuses on “women’s issues”, but that’s misleading because it covers everything from human trafficking to HIV/AIDS. A timely and thoughtful book.
The “I wanted to branch out into something new and found myself really enjoying this book” Category: The Translator, by Leila Aboulela. A Westmont professor suggested this novel as a way to deepen my cross-cultural understanding. I’m not sure it did that, but it certainly was a beautiful story that triggered warmth, disappointment, and hope.
The “Business is lousy and I want to know why and how to get out of this mess” Category: A tie, in part because it needs two books to fulfill the category topic. The Big Short, by Michael Lewis, is the definitive explanation of the Wall Street meltdown of 2008. Of all the books on my list, this one probably sat on the bestseller list the longest. Rework, by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, is a great look at how small businesses operate. Basically a collection of their blog entries, it reads fast and provides basic information that has nothing to do with “theory” and everything to do with “practice”. I encouraged all of my employees to read this one.
The “It had to make a difference because the Giants won the World Series” Category: Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend, by James Hirsch. A biography of the greatest baseball player in history, and my childhood hero. And did you hear…the Giants won the World Series!
The “Most impactful on my spiritual journey” Category: Another tie because there were several good choices. The Voice of Jesus, by Gordon T. Smith, was the perfect read on my sabbatical. The Prodigal God, by Timothy Keller, offered brilliant insights into the story of the prodigal son. All three of these books inspired me, challenged me, and encouraged me.
And my favorite book of 2010? Even though I do not have a review posted on it, and it might be years before I read all the way through it, my favorite “find” of the year is Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community. It’s a combination of many things: daily devotions, prayers for many occasions, blessings, liturgical readings, etc. It’s gone everywhere with me and many of the insights it has contained have weaved their way into a number of posts on this blog. Perhaps I was just ready for a book like this, but it has become indispensable to me as of late.
And so you…what were your favorite books of 2010?