Tuesday, December 29, 2009

rough draft of my 2010 reading list (work in progress)

I wanted to set a goal to read 42 books this year, but I think my goal needs to be around 35. I am going to concentrate on putting my takeaways from the books I read into action, which means I'll need to devote more time to that instead of reading.

Each year I want to read AT LEAST: 1 book about marriage, 1 book about sex, and 1 book about money. + a lot of books on leadership, personal development, my relationship with God, theology, culture, ministry, social justice, etc...
I want to spread out the books I read into these categories. That's why I list them below in categories. Obviously many of the books overlap into several categories so I just put them in one. (I also try to read a balance of dead authors from different eras.)

*I'm so intentional about the books I read because there are SO MANY books and SO LITTLE time! So I have to be extremely strategic about the books I choose to read. I am committed to only reading the best books for me!
So, I need to narrow this below list down to about 35 books. I would LOVE your suggestions based on this initial list. If a book sucks then you can tell me and save me from wasting my time reading it! If you've read one of these & it's awesome then let me know so I'm sure to include it in my list! Or if a book definitely needs to be on my list that's not, then tell me that too!
Here are the books I'm considering reading this year broken down into categories:

Theology (18) 
Believing in the FutureDavid J. Bosch
The Mission of GodChristopher Wright
The Gospel in  Pluralist SocietyLeslie Newbigin
A New Kind of ChristianityBrian McLaren (releases in February)
The Gospel of the Kingdom – George Ladd
The Church in Emerging Culture – Edited by Leonard Sweet + Horton, McManus, McLaren, etc…
The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity - Philip Jenkins
Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches – Edited by Robert Webber + Kimball, Driscoll, Pagitt, Burke, Ward 
Perspectives on the World Christian Movement - Ralph Winter
He is There and He is Not Silent - Francis Schaeffer
The Poor Will Be GladGreer & Smith
Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis
God Is the Gospel - John Piper 
Emerging ChurchesGibbs/Bolger
The Humanity of God - Karl Barth
The End for Which God Created the World - Jonathan Edwards
Justification - N.T. Wright
Culture (12)
How Soccer Explains the World: An [Unlikely] Theory of Globalization – Franklin Foer
Justice – Michael Sendel
The God Delusion – Richard Dawkins
Microtrends – Penn
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
The Brothers KaramazovFyodor Dostoevsky
Das Kapital - Karl Marx
The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier - Ishmael Beah 
Walk On: U2 - Steve Stockman
Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini 
Why We Can't Wait - Martin Luther King, Jr.

My Relationship with God (8) 
The Jesus Creed – Scot McKnight
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ - John Piper

Prayer – Kyle Lake
The Imitation of Christ - Thomas A' Kempis
Understanding God’s Will – Kyle Lake
Ragamuffin Gospel – Brennan Manning
What Jesus Demands From the World - John Piper
The Autobiography of George Muller - George Muller

Personal Development (8)
The Revolution: A Field Manual for Changing Your World - Heather Zydek
The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch
Brothers We are Not Professionals – John Piper
BlinkMalcolm Gladwell
7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

Freakanomics – Levitt & Dubner
The Power of Words and the Wonder of God – Piper, Driscoll, etc…
Mavericks at Work - William Taylor

Money (1) 
The Money Answers Book – Dave Ramsey

Leadership/ Ministry Strategy (10)

Outliers Malcolm Gladwell

Made to Stick – Chap Heath

Tribes – Seth Godin

Killing Cockroaches - Tony Morgan
LeadershipRudolph Guiliani 

Worship Evangelism  - Sally Morgenthaler

10 Stupid Things that keep Churches from Growing – Geoff Surrat (*kindle edition)

Good to Great and the Social Sectors - Jim Collins

Developing the Leaders Around You - John Maxwell

Corageous Leadership - Bill Hybels

Marriage (4)
Love & Respect - Emerson Eggerichs

Now You're Speaking My Language - Gary Chapman

Captivating – John and Stasi Elderidge

Every Man's Marriage - Stephen Arterburn

Sex (4)
Sex and the Supremacy of Christ - John Piper

Satisfaction: The Art of... - Kim Cattrall

The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Kama Sutra – Ron Louis
Intended for Pleasure - Ed Wheat



Ok, I would LOVE your feedback & recommendations! I have to narrow this list down from 65 to 35!
Tell me your opinions!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

i vote for killing cockroaches.

patrick mitchell said...

Tony,
I'm looking forward to hopefully reading it in February-March if I'm in your coaching network.
I've heard good things about it. Jeff Henderson recommended it too.
thanks for the comment & vote.

Kreitsauce said...

"Mere Christianity" and "The End to Which God Created the World" are awesome books, as are most of Piper's stuff. I'd recommend "Deliver us from Evil" by Ravi Zacharias, if you haven't read it yet. It probably would fit in your culture section. Happy reading!

Anonymous said...

I just finished The Mission of God. Excellent book that is well worth several reads.
I haven't read Ladd's The Gospel of the Kingdom, but I'm just starting Blessed Hope. I have The Gospel of the Kingdom on my amazon wish list, so I'll be intersted to hear your take.
I'm reading McLaren's The Secret Message of Jesus based on your recommendation.
I've read Piper's What Jesus Demands From the World. A major disappointment.
I would highly recommend the following: (1) The Drama of Scripture, (2) Why Religion Matters, and (3) Creation Regained.

-Matt M

patrick mitchell said...

thanks Daniel. Those 2 are definitely staying on my list. Good confirmation to hear that from ya too...

Matt - that's awesome you read The Mission of God! How long did it take? I've been reading it for over 2 years... pick it up again and again. I've read around 200 pages of it. Even wrote a paper on it in seminary. the 1st 200 pages are PIMP! i just hope i can finish it this year!
Ladd will have great stuff to say about the "Blessed Hope". i've never read it but I'm sure it will be rooted in Scripture, not "pop theology" of the last 200 years...
The Gospel of the Kingdom has been on my shelf for years. Kimball, Erre, McLaren, even Newbigin and those guys have given me a pretty good idea of what Ladd says in it. I'm sure it's a great read. I would read that 1 before the Blessed Hope one. just sayin'...

dang. so many people reading Secret Message of Jesus on my recommendation. i hope it doesn't let u down. Brace yourself. go in with an open heart for what we may have missed in Jesus' teachings because of our programmed presuppositions. 5 years ago I wouldn't have been ready for it & would have probably burned it or something... :) i hope you enjoy it.

NT Wright & Mclaren & those guys talk about "The Drama of Scripture". I bet it's awesome. I'm all about getting back to the narrative.

thanks for the other recommendations too. sucks about the Piper book tho. i've never read a disappointing one by him. i can't read enough of him & i've got a whole shelf full though. that one's a thick one so i'll read some shorter ones...

happy reading boys...