In 2010, I kept track of the books I read, not only by title and author, but also by a quote or two from the book, a nugget of truth, so to speak, as a helpful way of remembering. So out of the 40 books that I read this year, here are my “top ten,” not necessarily in any kind of order.
1. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. (Miller discusses the elements of what comprises a story, and more specifically, asks what story are you telling with YOUR life? p. 115-6 “There is a force in the world that doesn’t want us to live good stories. It doesn’t want us to face our issues, to face our fear and bring something beautiful into the world. I guess what I am saying is, I believe God wants us to create beautiful stories, and whatever it is that isn’t God wants us to create meaningless stories, teaching the people around us that life just isn’t worth living.” Get out there and DO SOMETHING.)
2. Ruth, A Portrait by Patricia Cornwell. (This very candid biography of Ruth Graham was written decades ago by Cornwell, known for her Kay Scarpetta novels. It is a good read about a fascinating woman in good times and despair who made the most of the adventure God laid before her.)
3. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (On my list last year as well, Gilead and its companion novel Home may appear every year. They are that good. Robinson is an artist with words.)
4. Absence of Mind by Marilynne Robinson (I felt like I had an absence of mind reading this VERY dense piece of non-fiction. Whoa. Robinson examines the conflict of reality and the assumptions of science. p.124 “…the strangeness of reality consistently exceeds the expectations of science…”)
5. So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger (This novel is absolutely one of my year’s favorites, despite having the worst title ever for a work of fiction. It is a good story, with humor, adventure and apt descriptions such as “the cavernous pants of a declining man.” Good stories like this are rare. p.236 “It’s peculiar, to reach your destination,” he told me. “You think you’ll arrive and perform the thing you came for and depart in contentment. Instead you get there and find distance still to go.” )
6. Tinkers by Paul Harding (This complex short novel weaves together the stories of three generations. It is one of the best written books that I have read in a long time. p. 48 “…the curtains and murals and pastel angels are a mercy, a dim reflection of things fit for the fragility of human beings.”
7. The Tenth Man by Graham Greene (This intriguing book, largely unknown by a major novelist, was recommended highly by Chuck Colson. The story focuses on a man who attempts to control his own destiny by literally trading his wealth for a chance to live…at least that is how it appears.)
8. Amazing Love by Corrie ten Boom (This is a teeny short book published in 1953, but every year I need to read something by this precious woman. p. 34 “Where there is such prevailing prayer, something is bound to happen.”)
9. Silence by Shusaku Endo (Translated from Japanese in 1969, this novel chronicles early Catholic missionaries to Japan in the 1500-1600s. In his journey, the priest is transformed from being depicted as a savior into one who is saved. The book is steeped in spiritual truth. p. 38 “But Christ did not die for the good and beautiful. It is easy enough to die for the good and beautiful; the hard thing is to die for the miserable and corrupt …”)
10. Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry (This novel portrays an ordinary man and his relationships in a small town in Kentucky. This was my first exposure to Berry. His wording in places is like poetry.)
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