10. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell - I read this book last January after watching the BBC film version starring Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe. This was one of those stories where I watched the movie before I found out that it was originally a book and, upon picking up said book, found that I loved it even more than the movie! It officially sealed me as a Gaskell fan.
9. Wordsmithy by Douglas Wilson - So I finished this on Boxing Day - and I got it for Christmas. The book is short and succinct, running at just over one hundred pages and dense with information without being overwhelming. Wordsmithy covers the craft of writing and how to write better. While some of Wilson's advice was familiar, there was a lot of good stuff in there.
8. Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry - Back several months ago, Jayber Crow was the free download of the month on christianaudio.com and so I began to listen to it before bedtime. I quickly realized that I wanted it in print and I'm glad that I got it. It was a powerful, deeply theological (though not always unerring), descriptive, character-driven novel that inspired me to add some more Berry to my wish list. In fact, for Christmas I received his novel, Hannah Coulter and am looking forward to diving into it.
7. Lit! by Tony Reinke (review here) - From the introduction of Lit!: "Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books is for any Christian who wants to read books, and read them well. This book covers a wide range of topics: why we should read books in the first place, how to choose the best books, how to find time to read books, and how to find joy - not drudgery - in the pages of books." I loved this book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone - whether a reluctant reader or an avid one. It's thought-provoking, encouraging, and exciting.
6. Jesus or Nothing by Dan DeWitt (review here) - I read this book right around last graduation season and recommended it as an excellent graduation gift. It's written for high school or college students, all about Christianity and atheism and the power of the gospel. I loved this book for its intensely engaging style. DeWitt is a college dean and he knows how to write in a way that is approachable to students while being informative without coming across as a lecture. Pick a copy up and tuck it away for next spring.
5. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt - I fell in love with this book in my adolescent literature course. It has to be one of the best novels (probably the best children's novel, at least) that I've ever read. It takes place in Maine in 1912 and tells the story of a forbidden friendship between kids of two different races and the fateful Malaga Island. Even if you're not into children's or YA literature, the powerful themes in this story are worth examining and the story is worth soaking in.
4. The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards - This is a book that Dad and I took our time through, stopping for a time and plodding along. It was worth every bit of effort. It's a work worthy of careful consideration and reflection. (If you're looking for an introduction to Edwards, check out Dane Ortlund's recent release, Edwards on the Christian Life. And see how I snuck an extra book onto my Top Ten there?)
3. The Gospel by Ray Ortlund (review here) - I felt kind of hard and cynical and selfish going into this book. "I'm pretty familiar with the gospel," I thought, "so why do I need to read another whole book on it?" And then I started reading and I was slapped out of my sinful attitude and thrust into the fresh, joyful, beautiful way that Ortlund looks at the gospel and its influence on the local church. Every church member should pick up a copy of this one - and then pass it along.
2. Calvin on the Christian Life by Michael Horton - This book, in its smooth cream and orange jacket, is a marvelous work, unpacking John Calvin's theology on the daily grind of being a Christian. No matter what your soteriological bent is, any Christian will benefit from reading Calvin's thoughts and Horton's careful, godly reflections on them.
1. Not by Sight by Jon Bloom (review here) - And this is absolutely the best book that I read in 2014. I read it back in February and I still have quotes and ideas from it rattling around in my head. I raved about it in my review and I'll keep raving about it: Bloom looks at all these familiar biblical narratives that we've become calloused to and reawakens in us the wonder of them and the beauty of faith. I don't know any book quite like it and will continue to keep it atop my list of all-time favourites. Thank you, Mr. Bloom.
What are the best books that you read this year?