What I Read in 2011

Mortimer J. Adler wrote: In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.

In 2011 I made reading more one of my “More or Less” goals. So, I took the Goodreads reading challenge to set a goal to read a certain amount of books in the calendar year. I thought 25 would be a good number, but sometime during the fall, I adjusted that down to 15, final count is 17 for the year. I’ll be setting a new goal for 2012.

Here, in no particular order, are the books I read in 2011.

The Runes of the Earth and Fatal Revenant
Stephen R. Donaldson
I first read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant some 30-ish years ago. I’d put off returning to the books until this year. I had both sitting around and finally sat down to see what Linden Avery was up to.

Storm Runners
Roland Smith
This was the book selected for the Father/Son Reading Club at my son’s school. It’s an easy read for both of us (he reads more than I do), but darn it, it’s a cliffhanger.

Wait No More: One Family’s Amazing Adoption Journey
John and Kelly Rosati
I received a copy of this book from Focus on the Family in exchange for doing a book review. You can read that here.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
Erix Metaxas
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life has always fascinated me. I enjoyed reading Metaxas’ thorough and well written biography.  I gave a review here.

The Cost of Discipleship
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Inspired by the reading of his biography, I decided to read some of Bonhoeffer’s own writing. Truth be told, I’m still finishing this up this week, but I’ll be done before Saturday at midnight.

The Twelfth Imam
Joel C. Rosenberg
On the recommendation (and fortunate loan from) a friend, I listened to this book on my way to take my son back to school in Kentucky. It’s a great read, and a little frightening.

Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan
Quentin Wilber
Ronald Reagan is one of my heros. I remember when I first heard the news that he had been shot. Wilber gives a dramatic retelling of the story and reveals how close we actually came to losing the greatest President of our lifetime.

What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
Gregory Maguire
I’ve loved Maguire’s writings since I first read Wicked. This from someone who read all, and I do mean all, of the Oz books as a child. Maguire’s retelling of classic stories is amazing.

The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
A fascinating book, and part of my attempt to read at least one classic every year.

The Meeting of the Waters: 7 Global Currents That Will Propel the Future Church
Fritz Kling
I read this at the recommendation of our church missions committee and gave a review here.

The Time Traveler’s Wife
Audrey Niffenegger
Randomly picked this up at the library and found it a good read.

Timeline
Michael Crichton
I need to read more from Michael Chricton. This was the first I’ve read since Jurassic Park.

Edward VII: The Last Victorian King
Christopher Hibbert
European history and the monarchies fascinate me, especially how they’re all interrelated. This biography of Edward VII was a bit dry, but interesting.

Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven: A Novel
Fannie Flagg
As an aspiring southern author, I try to take the opportunity to read other southern writers for inspiration and style. This book was funny and charming.

Polgara the Sorceress (Malloreon)
David and Leigh Eddings
I finished this after reading The Belgariad. Frankly, I loved Polgara but her biography was a bit of a chore to get through.

Decision Points
George W. Bush
Yes, in fact, I do miss him. I wasn’t always fond of everything he did, but he’s a great, principle man and a far cry above the current occupant of the White House. Normally, I have a rule not to read biographies or autobiographies of living people (it’s just a quirk). But this was less an autobiography and more a look at the challenges he faced while President. America was blessed to have George W. Bush in the White House during those turbulant times.

My list of what to read in 2012 is on the way.