Books From 2010

Semicolon is hosting a specialized edition of the Saturday review of books; instead of linking to a book review, participants are to link to a list of books they read in 2010, a list of their favorite books, the books they plan to read in 2011, or something akin to that.

What better way to start the new year than by perusing book lists?! Hopefully, I will find some excellent books to add to my list of books to read.

Before I get to the list of books I read in 2010, here are some stats regarding my literary intake. I read 73 books in 2010 totaling over 17,000 pages. April and July were my busiest reading months with ten and twelve books read respectively. At the beginning of 2010 I owned just over 400 books; during the course of the year, I added about 90 titles to my library. (That’s a net gain…because I got rid of quite a few books this year as well.)

Moving on to the list of books I enjoyed (and some I didn’t enjoy) during 2010.

Fantasy

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

Indeath by Cornelia Funke

The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (Check out some of my favorite quotes from the Narnia series)

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis – I thought this book was strange…yet in a good way. I read the book and then couldn’t entirely decide if I liked it. Months later I’m still undecided. Anyway…this book is a retelling of a Greek myth. Lewis’ retelling is a gripping and interesting read.

Nonfiction

Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

The Lamb and the Fuhrer by Ravi Zacharias

Start Here by Alex and Brett Harris

Secrets of Great Communicators: Student Text by Jeff Myers

This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano

Bured in Ice: the Mystery of a Lost Arctic Expedition by Owen Beattie and John Geiger

Navajo Code Talkers by Nathan Aeseng

A Calvinist’s Honest Doubts Resolved by David Hunt – I was disappointed by this book. The title let me to believe that the author would be dealing with theological issues from a Calvinist perspective…but he spent the entire book arguing against Calvinism! The book itself was fine…I just had a hard time since I felt the title was misleading and the entire content of the book was not what I was expecting. If the book had a different title, I probably would have enjoyed it more.

Cinderella: The Love of a Daddy and His Princess by Steven Curtis Chapman

Fine China Is For Single Women, Too by Lydia Brownback

Hollywood Worldview by Brian Godawa – I highly recommend this book to every Christian! If you watch any movies at all, then this book will be very beneficial. Godawa helps readers understand the underlying worldview themes and messages in movies. The book is easy to read and entertaing.

The Case For Christmas by Lee Strobel

Secret Believers by Brother Andrew and Al Janssen

Fiction

Island Inferno by Chuck Holton

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown – Definitely not a book I would recommend.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Intervention by Terri Blackstock

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult – Another book I wouldn’t recommend. The book was very thought provoking but there was enough unsavory content that I wouldn’t recommend the book.

Othello by William Shakespeare – I loved this play! Shakespeare’s tragedies provide a great deal of food for thought. If only Othello hadn’t been so quick to get angry and suspect his wife of infidelity…

Sherlock Jones and the Willoughby Bank Robbery by Ed Dunlop

Only Angels are Bulletproof by Emily Ann Benedict

Faithful Heart by Al Lacy – Did not like this book at all. I purchased this novel because I used to enjoy books written by Lacy. But this book was disappointing.

The Vision by Debi Pearl – This was one of the most disappointing books I read the entire year. It really was not worth the time spent reading it.

So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones

The Witness by Josh McDowell

Miss Fortune by Sara Mills

Miss Match by Sara Mills

The Rescuers by Margery Sharp

The Twelfth Imam by Joel C. Rosenberg

Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest by Chuck Black

Gift of Grace by Amy Clipson

Biography/Autobiography

C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller by Janet and Geoff Benge

That Went Well: Adventures in Caring for My Sister by Terrell Harris Dougan

Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef – This book was excellent! I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

My Life in France by Julia Child

Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein

The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education by Craig M. Mullaney

Escape by Carolyn Jessop – I wouldn’t recommend this. There were actually significant sections of the book I just skipped over. If you want to gain an understanding of Mormonism, then this book might be a good read. If not, then just skip this book.

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali – This book (and the following one) were very good reads…but definitely for mature readers. Ali clearly and concisely outlines the dangers inherent in Islam. The influence of Islam and Muslims in the United States should not be underestimated; these books are worth reading so that people will understand the true face of Islam. I should also mention these books are definitely not written from a Christian perspective…quite the opposite in fact. Ali is an atheistic feminist and her worldview comes out in her writing. Her assessment of Islam however is clear, concise, and well argued.

Nomad by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Burned Alive by Souad

Coming Clean by Jorge Valdes

Still Growing by Kirk Cameron

Dr. Josef Mengele: The Angel of Death by Holly Cefrey

Bottle Houses by Slaymaker

The Boy Who Loved Music by Lasker

The Columbus Story by Dalgliesh

The Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert – Another book that wasn’t really worth the time spent reading it. Apparently Gilbert led an immoral life and she recounts some details in her book.

Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob by Bob Delaney

Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

This Time Together by Carol Burnett

Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman

A Thousand Shall Fall by Susi Hasel Mundy

Mystery

Prayer for the Night by P.L. Gaus

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Broken English by P.L. Gaus

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

~ Melinda ~