Yes, please...
I didn't create this, but I love it! And yes, please do!
(Photo originally posted at bit.ly/yFnrWD.)
I didn't create this, but I love it! And yes, please do!
(Photo originally posted at bit.ly/yFnrWD.)
What I read in 2011
I am a reader. Unapologetically. I read on airplanes, on trains, in bed and in the bathroom. Occasionally I even read in the car…but only when someone else is driving! A few years ago I set a goal of reading 25 books in a year. Of course, if I didn't keep track of what I read, then I'd never know if I hit my goal. So I started keeping track.
In 2011 I read exactly 25 books, and I thought I'd share my list, along with a brief thought about each book. And to make it easier for my readers (both of you!) who might actually want to read one or two of these, I'll link you right to the Amazon page in case you want to order.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson
I'm always curious to see what "everyone" is reading, and to know what turns a story into an international mega-best-seller. In that sense, Dragon Tattoo is an interesting case. It's not the best-written book of the year, and the plot is intricate and convoluted (that means at times it's hard to figure out what's going on). Certain scenes within it are downright disturbing. But the book has sold a jillion copies. What drives all those sales is the character of Lisbeth Salander. She's not like any other character in fiction, at least none I've come across. She's a victim (horribly) and an avenger. She's brilliant, but completely antisocial. She's not a moral person, and yet she lives unwaveringly by a certain code. She's an incredibly fascinating character, and now drives a huge economy with books and movies.Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer
This is a timely read, in light of two presidential candidates who come out of the Mormon Church. But this isn't the book the folks in Salt Lake City want you to read about their church's history! I'm a fan of Krakauer from Into Thin Air and Where Men Win Glory (absolute must-read….if you haven't read that one yet, stop right now and go get it). Banner of Heaven wasn't on the level of either of those, but it is an enlightening read about a church and a belief system most Americans don't know very much about.Plague of Secrets by John Lescroart
Dismas Hardy is probably my favorite fictional lawyer of all, and I love how in Lescroart's books you see Hardy and his wife Franny age and change with time. This case has to do with the murder of a coffee house manager, but of course goes much deeper into the political elites of San Francisco.LINCHPIN: Are you Indispensable? By Seth Godin
I'm an unabashed fan of Godin, and have an email of his insightful, challenging thoughts in my in-box each morning. Linchpin is a manifesto against mediocrity, and a call to be your best, do your best and give your best in your work and in your life. If you've not picked your first book to read for 2012, this is a great one to begin this year (or any year) with.Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
You'll never see rats the same way after reading one of the novellas in this collection from the king of "I'd rather keep the lights ON, please."The Confession by John Grisham
This is an interesting read, and as a pastor's son I like the fact that the central character is a pastor. But I thought the politics were a little too close to the surface, making this more a plaintive wail against the death penalty than a legal thriller worthy of some of Grisham's best.What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz
Creepy Koontz at his best. GREAT for a long airplane ride. I downloaded the short novella that was the "preview" of this novel, and really like Koontz' giving us two angles or entry points on the same story. Good marketing idea…and good fun for the reader.The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
See Dragon Tattoo, up at the top. Except in this one the plot was a lot easier to follow.Angel Time by Anne Rice
I'm more a fan of Anne Rice's use of social media and her openness about her faith than I am a fan of her writing, though I have only read a few of her books. But I liked the story behind this book….how after coming back to faith in Christ she wanted to write stories of angels and light instead of demons and darkness. The problem for me is I don't have a great interest in medieval Britain and while the characters here were nice and Rice's writing is excellent, I didn't get into the story that much.The Bishop by Steven James
I like Patrick Bowers, the FBI spatial-specialist who is at the center of James' novels. He seems like a good guy, and I like how James shows his relationship with his daughter as well as his battles against criminals. The initial murder scene in this one is both memorable and grisly.
Live Wire by Harlan Coben
First up: I love Harlan Coben, and I love Myron Bolitar. Coben is guaranteed to keep you turning pages, and Bolitar offers a great combination of mystery/suspense with a sharp-tongued wit that will keep you smiling as you read. (I can't imagine how Hollywood hasn't turned him into a big-screen star yet.) My only complaint with this novel was that it seemed to create a past for Myron that hadn't been there in previous books. His long-lost brother that Myron was aching to reconcile with? It seemed a little bit contrived to me. When I tweeted my complaint, Coben responded that the brother is in a previous novel….just one I haven't read. So I guess I have to go read that one before I completely pass judgment on Live Wire. Perhaps I'll get to that one in 2012.The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly
Mickey Haller is no Harry Bosch, but Connelly can weave an intricate and exciting story around either of them. I don't want to give away the ending here, but I like the change of direction that Haller's life is taking.The Spire by Richard North Patterson
Murder and intrigue on a college campus. Nobody is better than Patterson at unpeeling the layers of the past to dig into the mysteries of the present, and in his world everyone has skeletons in their closet.The Ritual Bath by Faye Kellerman (Decker/Lazarus #1)
I have read one or two Decker/Lazarus novels, and so when Amazon offered a special on this first one I took them up on it to see how the husband-and-wife mystery solving team came into being. Kellerman reverently presents the intricacies of orthodox Jewish life. It's fascinating to see a hardened cop meet up with someone who is truly principled and ethical…when he doesn't really think such people exist.Damage by John Lescroart
Ro Curtlee is one of Lescroart's more devious villains, and readers can't wait to see Abe Glitsky chase him down and serve up justice. Another satisfying read from Lescroart.Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark
I'm a bit jealous of folks who get a publishing deal because of their well-known name, but Marcia Clark (yes…the OJ Simpson Marcia Clark) proves that sometimes people with well-known names can actually write well too. And her insider knowledge of the LA District Attorney's office comes through in this tale of a rape and murder investigation in LA.The Queen by Steven James
See The Bishop, above, for my thoughts on Patrick Bowers. Except now he's gone from local killers to chasing international terrorists who want to launch a world war…while Bowers pays a visit to his brother's house. I'm a little worried that James is getting out into Dirk Pitt farfetched land as he tries to ratchet up the suspense and importance of Bowers' cases. I did like the continuing evolution of Bowers as a father and as a man, though.The Christian Athiest: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn't Exist
by Craig Groeschel
One of my former coworkers helped Groeschel with editorial suggestions on this book, and she gave me an autographed copy. It's a great book to challenge Christians not to just SAY they believe, but to actually LIVE what they believe. It's not a deep treatise on theology, it's a practical challenge to live a truly Christ-like life.
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why
by Laurence Gonzales
I'm involved in Crisis Management, and this book was recommended at a training seminar I went to. It's well worth the read for anyone, but particularly people who spend time outdoors or travel a lot. Gonzales digs deeply into the difference between living and dying, and in the process tells well some great stories of survival (and death) in the wild places of the earth. Perhaps the best of them all is the story of his own father, who survived being shot down over Europe during World War II.Power of 2: How to Make the Most of your Partnerships at Work and in Life
by Rodd Wagner and Gale Muller, PhD
Good advice about working with people, and a scientific look at why some partnerships are almost magical, while others never seem to produce anything worthwhile.
Steve Jobs by Walter IsaacsonThis is one of the better books I read in 2011; an in-depth, pull-no-punches look at the man who literally changed our world, and who entered eternity this year. Isaacson presents Jobs' genius and also his jerkiness in this book, which Jobs and his wife cooperated with. The stories are amazing, including Jobs laying on the horn and yelling impatiently while a cop is writing him a speeding ticket! The honest conversations as Jobs stared death in the face are heart-breakingly raw and real.The Drop
by Michael Connelly
Harry Bosch digs deep to solve not one but two murder mysteries in Connelly's latest. Nobody presents the inside of the LAPD with as much gritty realism as Connelly, who covered the crime beat for the LA Times as he honed his fiction skills.The Litigators
by John Grisham
It's hard to imagine Grisham writing so many books about lawyers, because he seems to dislike them so intensely. Out of many lawyers in this book, there is one that the reader will pull for, even though he makes a very questionable decision about who to hitch his career wagon to. The tort-sharks that Grisham despises so much are here too, in abundance, as well as ambulance chasers and arrogant courtroom peacocks. Lots of people to dislike in this book, but the humorous tone and quick-moving story make it a worthwhile read.
The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University
by Kevin Roose
I want to write a more thorough review of this book, which I highly recommend to everyone, but especially to Christians who wonder what non-believers and skeptics think of us. Roose went to Liberty University with a surprisingly open mind, and found that Christians are people too…and many of them likeable people to boot. His insider's report is a page-turner filled with insights and laugh-out-loud moments, especially for those of us who went to a Christian college, and I found it particularly interesting after visiting Liberty this fall with my high-school-senior son.The Bible, in Chronological Order
I used the YouVersion.com app for iPad and iPhone to read through the Bible this year in chronological order. I read from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, a version that I haven't previously read from cover to cover. It is a great discipline to develop, and I'm always blessed by verses that jump up to meet the need of a given day, sometimes even verses that I've read countless times before.There you go…that's my 2011 reading list. And I've already got a few books on deck for 2012…so I better quit this and start reading!
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