Favorite Books of 2014

Just in time for your shopping list, here are my favorite books of 2014:

The coveted, “Would you shut up about that book … it’s all you ever talk about” Award goes to The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Easily my favorite book of the year. History, human interest, love stories, Nazi propoganda, politics, sports … it’s all here.

The “This changed how I think about my faith” Award goes to Soul Keeping by John Ortberg. I’ve always wondered what a soul really is and why it’s important. John wrote a brilliant book that explains it all while honoring the legendary Dallas Willard. Special mention of Ash Barker’s Risky Compassion is also in order.

The “How did I build a business without ever knowing this” Award goes to Street Smarts, by Norm Brodsky. Actually, I knew most of the things in this book, but it’s so well presented and explained, with great stories, that I encourage all small business owners to read it.

The “You spend way too much time thinking about cars” Award goes to Top Gear’s Midlife Crisis Cars. It’s silly, funny, low key British humor that all gear heads will enjoy.

The “I’ve got a history buff on my shopping list” Award is a tie. The Forgotten 500 by Gregory Freeman is an amazing untold story, and Russian Roulette by Giles Milton makes early 20th Century spies operating in Lenin’s Soviet Union absolutely fascinating.

The “I’m interested in global events” Award goes to Age of Ambition by Evan Osos. Well written personal account of an American living in China, but with an insightful global perspective. Honorable mention to Asia’s Cauldron by Robert Kaplan which reviews the potential tinderbox of the South China Sea.

And finally, the “Okay Goble, can you just suggest a book to read that’s actually fun” Award goes to Chump Change by G.M. Ford. It’s a fun private detective story set in Seattle, though this one spends a lot of time out of the city itself. Honorable mention to The Director by David Ignatius if you like spy thrillers. Both are fun easy reads that keep you on the edge of your seat.

Hope this helps with your holiday shopping. And remember, clicking the links to Amazon helps support the Lighting Fires campaign. You can go here to see more of the 100+ books I read in 2014. Good luck!