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Jan
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10 from 10 :: The Dusting Off the Shelves Best Reads of 2010

Compared to last year, compiling this ‘best-of’ list was much easier. I should also note, choosing my favorite books from 2010 was also significantly easier than putting together the 3rd Annual Oompa Loompa Love Songs Playlist.

I will re-state what I wrote last year concerning what this list is and is not:

First, I cannot presume that I would be able to name the best books of 2010, that would be impossible for anyone—so rather than this list being the best of books published in 2010, it’s the best of what I read in 2010.

 

Second, it’s not fair to compare fiction to non-fiction, so the books that made this list are simply the books that left the biggest impression on me regardless of genre.

 

Third, because I don’t think you can really compete books against each other, this list is ordered alphabetically by author.

 

Fourth, I endorsed a number of excellent books this year that didn’t make this list, however each of those books is fantastic and I whole heartedly recommend them all.

With that, here are my favorite books read in 2010:

  • Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming Obstacles Between Vision and Reality by Scott Belsky Bam! I heard Scott at the Big Omaha conference and found his thoughts clear, practical and genius in their simplicity. The book captures clarity, practicality and simplicity in their best forms. Really am a huge fan.
  • Gracenomics: Unleash The Power of Second Chance Living by Mike Foster Chase down the little hardback and order a stack of these because you’ll want to pass them out. The book is beautiful—literally, the design and layout are captivating and creative—and beautifully unpacks some tender conversations around judgment, failure and second chances. ‘Gracenomics’ makes you feel safe, that it’s safe to go to some of the painful and hidden places in our lives. ‘Gracenomics’ makes you feel free, that we’re free to explore the best and worst of ourselves and others with a posture of acceptance and celebration. ‘Gracenomics’ makes you feel hopeful, that even after all the mistakes we’ve made, hope is still waiting for us with open arms.
  • Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson I’m a huge fan of super short, super clear, super pointed chapters. ‘Rework’ is tight.
  • The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove Our Word Made Flesh community read this in preparation for our triennial staff gathering. “Staying Is The New Going” is the piece I wrote for Duke after reading this book. The Wisdom of Stability is thick with story and packed with real-life practical application. It’s grounded in the ancient practice of stability, embodied and legitimized by monastic and cloistered communities that lived the value of staying put. At the same time, Jonathan avoids a formulaic tendency to reduce stability to merely staying put in a specific location, and he re-narrates a fuller vision of stability as an orientation—one grounded in faith, vocation and community. The book is well thought through and brilliantly organized. Jonathan’s reflections meander through the complexities of rooting in a time and cultural context that seems to avoid making commitments. It’s confessional, inquisitive and beautifully honest. The book is an invitation into a conversation that we must find the courage to engage.
  • Pilgrimage of a Soul: Contemplative Spirituality for the Active Life by Phileena N. Heuertz Yes, this may be a conflict of interest since I sleep with the beautiful author of this instant classic. In ‘Pilgrimage of a Soul,’ Phileena’s surprisingly vulnerable, and it’s her honest that makes this book work. It’s accessible and insightful, an important contribution to modern literature on Christian mysticism.
  • Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman Not sure why I picked this up, but once I did, couldn’t seem to put it down. Funny. Smug. Smart. The essays and cultural criticism in this book really are illuminating.
  • The Millennium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo + The Girl Who Played with Fire + The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest) by Stieg Larsson I caved. Usually I don’t read the bestsellers consumed by the masses, even when they have gorgeous cover art like these books. And yes, I’m counting them as one book. I loved these books and found them super readable. Certainly there are some disturbing and graphic passages in these novels, so be warned.
  • The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America by Gabe Lyons I actually wrote an article for Duke’s ‘Faith & Leadership’ blog inspired by this book, “Vocations of Hope.”  Lyons’ new book, ” The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America ,” goes beyond pointing out problems and moves to hope-filled alternatives. Lyons argues that Christians should not just strive to “impact” or “transform” culture, but should actually be restoring culture – celebrating creative and thoughtful expressions of faith in communities that resemble Jesus. “The Next Christians” rejects the separatist mentality of condemning culture or retreating from it, and the syncretistic approach that dilutes core theological celebrations. Christians, he says, should be “Provoked, not offended. Creators, not critics. Called, not employed. Grounded, not distracted. In community, not alone. Countercultural, not `relevant’.” Lyons believes that it’s for Christians to restore culture. “Cultures are like clouds. They materialize as byproducts of the prevailing conditions. They reveal the world’s influential currents as they move across the landscape. And when you’re inside them, it’s hard to see what’s really going on around you.” This call to restorative vocation is an urgent plea.
  • The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa If you forced me to chose my favorite book of the year this would probably be it. “A Life Less Tweeted” ended up containing some reflections. The book is gorgeous and winsome in every way. It’s a tale of celebrating the undramatic, which after all, is what most of ‘real life’ is full of anyway. I savored nearly every single page and felt deep sadness when I finished it. This will be a book I’ll read and re-read time and time again.
  • Field Notes on Democracy: Listening to Grasshoppers by Arundhati Roy Yes, I AM A SUCKER FOR ANYTHING ARUNDHATI ROY WRITES. Okay, I said it. She’s one of the most provocative political and social critics out there. I’d encourage you to chase down just about everything she’s written. No joke.

So that’s 10 from 2010. As 2011 is opening it’s newborn eyes, I’ve already started building a small stack of books to jump on in January, and I can’t wait to get my hands on:

Comment below on your favorites from 2010 and suggestions for my 2011 reading.

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