Reading List

If you are local and would like to borrow any of these books, please contact me.

Finished books are listed in reverse chronological order by the date I finished them.

Currently Reading

The Desert Fathers - Helen Waddell
Hearing God - Dallas Willard

Read in 2012

Crucifixion - Martin Hengel Useful historical context for crucifixion
The Four Loves - C. S. Lewis has a few gems, but it's my least favorite Lewis work to date
God Is Love: Deus Caritas Est - Pope Benedict XVI solid thoughts on love and charity. very useful
The Non-Designer's Design Book - Robin Williams a great intro to visual design. I needed this
When Helping Hurts - Corbett and Fikkert essential reading on thoughtful approaches to poverty alleviation
Finding God in The Lord of the Rings - Bruner and Ware mostly banal with a few good points

Read in 2011

The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien lives up to the hype part three
The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien lives up to the hype part two
Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis even better than when I first read it
The Mortification of Sin - John Owen difficult but useful. equip your filter
The Fellowship Of The Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien lives up to the hype
The Good and Beautiful Life - James Bryan Smith another useful book in this series. read the first one first
Christian Beliefs - Wayne Grudem very concise and helpful. Grudem level one: completed
Generous Justice - Timothy Keller another game changer for me. great insight into justice and the poverty
Paul's Idea of Community - Robert Banks more academic than I expected, but great context for Paul
The God of Faith and Reason - Robert Sokolowski a little bland at times, but good and interesting overall

Read in 2010

Children of Dune - Frank Herbert another awesome Dune book
Quarks, Chaos & Christianity - John Polkinghorne well, the first half was pretty interesting
Knowing Christ Today - Dallas Willard more quality work by Willard. knowledge is an interesting topic
The Sunset Limited - Cormac McCarthy an interesting short play contrasting atheism and Christianity
There Is A God - Antony Flew surprisingly fun to read. highly recommended philosophy of religion
Letters to Malcom - C.S. Lewis entertaining and insightful. I'll be coming back to this one. chapter 15 is gold
New Testament Development of Old Testament Themes - F.F. Bruce a difficult but interesting read
Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert more awesome. great commentary on mixing religion and government
Adventures in Simple Living - Rich Heffern drivel about nature and a vague "spirituality". barely useful
Dune - Frank Herbert fantastic sci-fi. highly recommended
Celebration of Discipline - Richard Foster one of my favorite topics. many of the chapters were useful
Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die - John Piper my first Piper book. short and full of truth
With Christ in the School of Prayer - Andrew Murray a confusing but good month-long study on prayer
The Good and Beautiful God - James Bryan Smith exploring Christian false narratives. great for groups
Room in Inn - Charles F. Strobel hardly useful information about starting a church shelter...thanks Book Barn
Life Together - Dietrich Bonhoeffer a challenging read on Christian community
Who Made God? edited - Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler a good reference for hard questions
The Way of the Heart - Henri Nouwen essential reading on solitude, silence, and prayer

Read in 2009

The Practice of the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence essential reading on unceasing prayer
The Divine Conspiracy - Dallas Willard another must-read by Willard
Renovation of the Heart - Dallas Willard a guide to spiritual formation, an essential book for me
Till We Have Faces - C. S. Lewis a gift from my aunt, does Lewis ever disappoint?
Dracula - Bram Stoker amazing, amazing book...especially for a Castlevania fan
Burning Chrome - William Gibson short stories. one or two great ones, mostly so-so
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card awesome sci-fi, highly recommended
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick read because Blade Runner is based on it
Johnny Got His Gun - Dalton Trumbo Metallica's song "One" is based on this book/movie
Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger read on the recommendation of a coworker, kind of good
Anthem - Ayn Rand of course I had to read the book that inspired Rush's 2112
Mona Lisa Overdrive - William Gibson third in the sprawl series. not as good as Neuromancer
The True Vine - Andrew Murray a great month-long devotional I did with my church

Read in 2008

The Screwtape Letters - C. S. Lewis awesome and haunting. must-read
Count Zero - William Gibson second in the sprawl series. not as good as Neuromancer
Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis a very important book that I will read many more times
Pagan Christianity - Frank Viola and George Barna history of church practices and pro house church talk
Neuromancer - William Gibson great cyberpunk. my favorite in the sprawl series
Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars) - Steve Perry great book, read it if you like the original trilogy
Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller some Jesus anecdotes from some guy
I am America and So Can You - Stephen Colbert Colbert's humor in book form

Read in 2007

Best Software Writing I - Joel Spolsky great software writing I guess? kind of fuzzy now
Joel on Software - Joel Spolsky inspiring at the time, pretty ok now I guess?
Hackers and Painters - Paul Graham essays on software. inspiring at the time

Bonus

I read Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber in high school, and that book is disturbing.