Spring Reading Thing 2010 – Best books

Because spring is over, so is Katrina’s Spring Reading Thing 2010.

Here is my top favorite (or two) in each category:

Overall favorite 
   Worship Matters
…because it lifts your thoughts higher to the One who deserves all praise. Author Bob Kauflin methodically explains that how and why you worship God really does matter.

   Reliving the Passion
…because it’s short enough for you to take time to stop and sit with, yet deep enough to give you much to reflect on about Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection as recorded in the book of Mark. It was a great Lent devotional for me.

Most practical 
   66 Love Letters
…because it ties the whole Bible together, book by book, into an overall unifying theme.

   Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s
…because I needed more knowledge on how to more effectively participate in my mom’s care.

Simply for pleasure
   The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
…because it’s just a delight to read, to temporarily get lost in another world.

   The Heart Mender
…because it’s a love story and a lesson on forgiveness and a WW2 history education all-in-one. 

Raciest 
   Sheet Music
…because author Kevin Leman tells it how it is and how it can be in the Christian bedroom.

Most inspirational
   Radical
…because it pushes you beyond your comfort zone of what your Christianity should look like.

   Plan B
…because life will not go the way you plan. Author Pete Wilson helps you make sense of that.

* * *

Reading Lessons
1. Take notes.
Mark pages. Highlight words. The process alone helps with retention, even if you never review it. If you’re going to invest your time in reading, take a few extra minutes to ensure you remember the best parts.

2. Let it settle.
Your opinion of a book can change midstream, or even after you’ve finished it. Give it time to ripen in you before you draw a final conclusion. I found that out with Plan B.

3. Leave room for surprises.
When making a reading list, don’t schedule so many books that you have no room for extras to sneak in. Sometimes the unplanned books turn out to be your favorites. When Sheet Music became available for free on the Kindle, I took it, and I’m glad I did.

4. If you need it, read it.
Even if you don’t want to. You still need to learn things, right? Force yourself, if you must, but at least occasionally read a book because it’s good for you. And others. That’s why I’m reading books on Alzheimer’s.

5. Old doesn’t necessarily mean outdated.
Don’t judge an old book by its dusty cover. Old books contain thoughts that will be new to you. And if they’re still around for you to read, there’s usually a reason. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin proved that to me this spring.

* * *

The whole list:

• Forgotten God, Francis Chan
• 66 Love Letters, Larry Crabb
• Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin
• Counterfeit Gods, Tim Keller
• A Hunger for God, John Piper
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer
• The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Franklin
• Reliving the Passion, Walter Wangerin Jr
• Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s, Joanne Koenig Coste
• The 36-Hour Day, Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins
• Radical, David Platt
• Plan B, Pete Wilson
• New Hope for People w/ Alzheimer’s & Their Caregivers, Porter Shimer
• I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy, Angie Smith
• The Heart Mender, Andy Andrews
• Sheet Music, Kevin Leman

* * *

What favorite book did you read this spring?

See more Spring Reading Thing 2010 wrap-ups.