A Year in Books

I'm a sucker for the "Best Of" and "Year in Review" lists that pop up in magazines and newspapers this time of year. I love mining them for tidbits and recommendations, especially concerning reading material. My ever-expanding list of books I want to read is both a delight (so many good ones!) and a burden (so little time to get them all in!).

In honor of my list-making obsession and the closing of a year, this week will be my own "Best Of", starting, of course, with a recap of a great year in books. As always, feel free to chime in with your own favorites and recommendations in the comment section.

Diving right in...

• Book I recommended most in 2011 (and new must-read favorite of all time): Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand 

• Books I most enjoyed revisiting with Will: Henry Huggins and all the books about Henry and his dog Ribsy by Beverly Cleary

• Author whose books I loved reading to my kids: Henry & Mudge books by Cynthia Rylant, especially The Funny Lunch 

• Most perspective-changing: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

• History book that fascinated me (and mentioned my Charlottesville neighbor, Thomas Jefferson, countless times): John Adams by David McCullough

• Classics I tried hard to read and just couldn't get into: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Do I hear audible gasping?) and Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton

• Biography of a life that challenged me: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metexas

• Most applicable book I've read in a long time: Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard Swenson

• Books of the Bible that impacted me the most: Colossians, Luke, Lamentations

• Books that inspired my own writing and creative process: Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist and My Life in Paris by Julia Child

• Favorite fiction books from a non-fiction book reader: The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

• Book I re-read this year: The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

• Book I'm reading right now: Grace-Filled Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel

Did you read any good books in 2011? What are you excited about reading in 2012? Tell me in the comments!