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Last year, I read for less than I did in 2009, so I tried to choose carefully. These are the best six books I read in 2010.

1. Radical- David Platt. The American Dream calls us to self-actualization, personal fulfillment, material accumulation, and self-esteem. Jesus calls his followers to self-denial, personal sacrifice, material simplicity, and God’s glory. David Platt may be one of the most prophetic voices in our culture today. In this short, powerful book, he calls followers of Christ back to a biblical Christianity instead of a Christianized spin on the American Dream. For those who are concerned about the poor and hurting around the world and who long to see the Gospel go to the nations, this book is a must read.

2. Counterfeit Gods- Tim Keller. With his typical Gospel-saturated, culturally savvy style, Keller examines the follies of idolatry. After defining idolatry in chapter 1 (which is worth the price of the whole book), Keller dissects the most common idols in our culture: love, family, success, power, and money. In the last chapter of the book, he points to Jesus as the only solution to our idols and the Gospel as the only hope for breaking free from their grasp. Like Radical, this is a painful read, but painful in a good way, in a way that drives us to the only one who can cleanse us from our idols.

3. Adopted for Life- Russell Moore. As those who have been adopted by God, Christians must care about the orphans of the world. Moore lays a theological foundation of our adoption into God’s family and then tells us what that should lead us into with regards to tens of millions of orphans around the globe. In the last part of the book, he deals with some practical questions surrounding adoption and gives sound advice for those who want to love others who need to be adopted into God’s family.

4. Questioning Evangelism- Randy Newman. Gone are the days of a tract and a couple of simple questions that will lead people to faith in Christ. Newman presents a fresh approach, based on dialogue rather than a diatribe-like presentation of the Gospel. He uses skillful apologetics, humor, and whit to train believers in sharing their faith in Jesus in a way that actually respects and engages those with whom they share. This is a valuable tool for any who want to learn to share the Gospel effectively in a culture that’s increasingly hostile to it.

5. The Search for God and Guinness- Steven Mansfield. If someone had told me twenty years ago that one of my favorite books would be about BEER, I would have called them a liar and probably thought they were sent from Satan himself to tell me that. Where I grew up, in the circles I ran in, drinking was one of the biggest vices, right up there with smoking cigarettes, dancing and watching rated R movies. Books like this one cause me to see that there’s a whole other side to faith in Jesus, that there are folks with totally different convictions than those I grew up with, and that some of those folks have changed the world. This book is not first and foremost about beer. It traces the history of the Guinness family and lauds their philanthropy, ingenuity, treatment of their employees, and the faith that undergirds it all. The Guinness family had a passion for God, and that passion caused them to make one of the finest beers in the world (so I’m told). This is a great read.

6. Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ- John Piper. In an age where an overemphasis on prosperity has deluded many and downplayed the countless scriptures that expound upon the value of suffering in the lives of believers, John Piper sounds a clarion call to the church. This biography chronicles the lives of three men who suffered well: William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John Paton. Tyndale, an Englishman, suffered greatly and eventually faced martyrdom to see the Bible translated into English; all who have read God’s word in our language owe him a great debt. Judson, a missionary to Burma, lost two wives and several children, dealt with incredible illness and mental anguish. Nonetheless, he stayed the course in bringing the Gospel to those who had never heard. Paton’s story reads like an action movie; cannibals threatened his life literally every day during his time in the New Hebrides. At the end of his time there, most of the island had come to faith in Christ. Piper concludes the book with a biblical theology of suffering and its role in the life of believers.

A good friend bought us a Kindle for Christmas, and I think we’ll both be reading more next year.
We’d love to hear your comments on your favorite books of the year.

As a wintry mix falls outside, my husband and I sit on opposite couches doing something we often do on Sunday morning: read. I’m reading Adopted for Life, which I borrowed from a friend last night. Jerry is neck-deep in Grudem’s Systematic Theology amidst a few other titles.

Jerry is always generous in showing his affection toward me (he made me breakfast this morning…isn’t he sweet?), but as I caught him looking longingly my way a few minutes ago, I knew it had more to do with the book in my hands than with me. We both enjoy reading, but Jerry far outpaces me in this aspect. At any given time, he has 20 books sitting on the end table, and a smattering of other selections scattered throughout the house. Yet somehow, his appetite for books is never satisfied.

Jerry: What’s your ERT?
Me: My what?
Jerry: Your Estimated Reading Time. I want to read that book when you are done.
Me: You got three new books last night. I got one. Stay away from my book.
Jerry: Okay. But, can you hurry?

It’s maddeningly endearing to me.

I read a lot, probably too much sometimes. I tend to fly through books just so I can say I completed them without savoring what’s in them or thinking through the implications of them in all the ways I should. Despite my natural tendency, all these books were ones that I find myself talking about, chewing on, mulling over, and thinking through. I commend them all to you.

9. A Fighter’s Heart: One Man’s Journey Through the World of Fighting
by Sam Sheridan

Sheridan, a Harvard grad, dives deep into the world of mixed martial arts. He studies with kick boxers in Thailand, jiu jitsu practitioners in Brazil, dog fighters in the Philippines, Olympic boxers in L.A., and UFC fighters in Iowa. Through it all, he explores both the psychology and physiology of the sport. He strikes a balance of respect for the fighters with questions about their motives and achievements. In the end, he creates a fascinating look at the life of fighters around the world.

8. Peace Like a River
by Leif Enger

My heart is pretty soft to stories about the relationship between men and their sons, but even if it wasn’t, this story would have kept my attention. Leif Enger spins a masterful tale about the Land family: the invincible father, the asthmatic youngest son, the mischievous tomboy daughter, and the outlaw older brother. Their story is filled with miracles, adventure, and the wonders of the Wild West.

7. Just Do Something
by Kevin DeYoung

DeYoung wrote this book as a reaction against a culture filled with options that sometimes paralyze us. I know so many people who seem stuck in indecision, waiting for months and years to find God’s will for their lives is. DeYoung’s counsel is that we walk in wisdom, live in God’s moral will and choose to do something. His book is funny, practical, and simple. Overall, it’s a great entry-level book on God’s will.

6. The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest University
by Kevin Roose

What happens when a Brown student sets out to write an expose about life at one of America’s most conservative Christian colleges? Maybe not what you think. I expected Kevin Roose’s book to be filled with indictments about the ridiculousness and hypocrisy of Liberty University. Instead, he effuses about the respect and camaraderie he feels with students whose worldviews differ greatly from his. This is a great read for anyone wondering how much of the secular world views evangelicals and their discipleship ideals.

5. Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl
by N.D. Wilson

This is a hard book to describe. It’s an odd mix of apologetics, narrative, metaphor, and stream-of-consciousness writing. One other reviewer said, “His writing in Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl from Thomas Nelson Publishers evokes emotion like the best fiction, scratches the brain like the best philosophy, and stirs a love for Creator and creation like the best theology.” I can’t say it better.

4. The Prodigal God
by Tim Keller

In my eyes, no one presents the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ in a fresher, more compelling way than Keller. In this book, he takes the parable of the Prodigal Son and casts it in a different light. He argues that both brothers rebelled against their father and that both of them needed his grace more than they knew. Keller goes on to describe how we avoid God through both idolatry and religion, or through both being bad and being good. He paints a beautiful picture of the love and grace of the Savior.

3. Total Church
by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester

At the heart of church should be a dual commitment to the Gospel and to the Christian community, so argue Timmis and Chester in this fine little book. They challenge readers to evaluate every aspect of church life in light of these two commitments. The result is a book that calls readers to be the church in the world. I will be implementing the lessons contained in this book for the rest of my life.

2. How People Change
by Ted Tripp

I label very few books as “must reads,” but Tripp’s book qualifies in every way. It’s a primer on how to apply the Gospel to every area of life. Tripp’s premise is that our reactions reveal our hearts and what we really trust in. When we respond to people and circumstances in an ungodly way, we prove that we trust in something other than the Gospel. When we show fruit that honors Christ, we prove that we functionally trust in Christ. This is a phenomenal resource for anyone looking to change or help others do so.

1. When Sinners Say I Do
by Dave Harvey

There are really two kinds of Christian marriage books. One kind says, “Do this for them and they will do that for you.” It’s glorified selfishness wrapped in Christian language. The other kind says, “Marriage is first and foremost about you growing into the image of Christ and helping your spouse do the same.” Obviously, Dave Harvey’s book falls into the second category. I read about a dozen marriage book before Sarah and I married, and this is my favorite by far. Harvey asserts that the Gospel gives us both the power to live like Christ in marriage and the example for how to do so. This book is filled with simple but revolutionary insights about how to glorify God as a couple.