Here are the books I read in 2009, in chronological order. I’ve put in bold the ones I particularly enjoyed or found the most helpful. Not putting a book in bold doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, though. After all, these are the books I read cover to cover this year, and I wouldn’t have finished them if I didn’t like them.

Since it’s New Year’s Eve, I’m tempted to make a book-reading resolution for 2010, but I think I will refrain. It would be an accomplishment to read a book every week this coming year, but then I look at some of the books I’d like to read (like Jesus and the Victory of God by N.T. Wright or The Mission of God by Christopher J.H. Wright), and I don’t think I’m likely to finish those in a week. So I’ll just keep reading what I want and what I have time to read, and posting short reviews each month.

1. Between Two Worlds: The Art of Preaching in the Twentieth Century by John Stott
2. The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries by Rodney Stark
3. Not Even A Hint: Guarding Your Heart Against Lust by Joshua Harris
4. A Holy Meal: The Lord’s Supper in the Life of the Church by Gordon T. Smith

5. A Primer on Postmodernism by Stanley Grenz
6. Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy! by Bob Harris
7. Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton

8. Total Truth: Liberating Christianity From Its Cultural Captivity by Nancy Pearcey
9. John Stott: The Making of a Leader by Timothy Dudley-Smith

10. Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings
11. The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief by Francis S. Collins
12. The Jeopardy! Book by Alex Trebek and Peter Barsocchini

13. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
14. Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright
15. The Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin Jr.
16. God Will Make A Way: What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend

17. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller
18. A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture in a Post-Christian Society by Rodney Clapp
19. Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch
20. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
21. The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day

22. Landscapes of the Soul: The Loss of Moral Meaning in American Life by Douglas V. Porpora
23. The Essential Shakespeare Handbook by Leslie Dunton-Downer and Alan Riding

24. Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving From Affluence to Generosity by Ronald J. Sider
25. Praying With the Church: Following Jesus Daily, Hourly, Today by Scot McKnight
26. The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNichol and Ken McElrath
27. The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible by Scot McKnight
28. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
29. The Theology of the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham

30. Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America by Mike Yankoski
31. Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts: Seven Questions to Ask Before (and After) You Marry by Les and Leslie Parrott
32. Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt

33. The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling
34. The Heart of a Goof by P.G. Wodehouse

35. The Irresistible Revolution: Living As an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne
36. The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest University by Kevin Roose
37. The Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British by Sarah Lyall

38. What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson
39. Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey
40. Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh
41. A Guide to Biblical Prophecy: A Balanced and Biblical Assessment of the Nature of Prophecy in the Bible edited by Carl Armerding and Ward Gasque
42. Discipleship on the Edge: An Expository Journey Through the Book of Revelation by Darrell Johnson

• Books