Here's a list of my top ten books for 2012:
- A Walk Across the Sun by Corban Addison (2012)
- A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (1980)
- The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf (2009)
- Unto Death by Dalton Thomas (2012)
- Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (2004)
- Prague Winter by Madeleine Albright (2012)
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tokein (1937)
- 1984 by George Orwell (1949)
- Moonwaking with Einstein by Joshua Foer (2012)
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1931)
Here's a quick recap of my highlights and insights in reading during 2012:
- This is the third year I've completed the 52 books challenge... it gets easier every year.
- I'm often asked, "When do you find time to read?". I read most of my novels in in bed each night before falling asleep. I 'read' some novels and nonfiction while listening as I drive. I read most of my Christian nonfiction either for sermon preparation, ministry events (apologia, leadership meetings), or personal edification during the day, especially on the weekends. I also try to always have a book on me when I go to places I know I'll have to wait (dentist, city hall, any military office).
- This year I read more novels than usual. In my reading of fiction, there was an emphasis on dystopian novels including classics such as Brave New World, 1984, Animal, as well as newer works such as Cloud Atlas and Amped.
- Another reason why I read more novels than usual is because of the availability of free e-books via our local library.
- I continue to eschew television watching and most movies, though I did give in and buy Madden 2013 to play on the Xbox... yeah, it's wasted too much time.
- I read several books dealing with the mind and psychology, including books for memory development, thinking, and habit formation.
- I read more 600+ page books this year than the previous two years combined (5 or 6).
- Next year I plan on reading more books about the culture and history of the Czech Republic in preparation for ministry there.
- I would also like to continue to read the classics, and I hope to step up to some of the great books of western civilization.
Mark's 2012 Books Breakdown