The Book Blog

i mentioned before that my 'resolution' for 2008 was to read 24 books in 12 months. i reached that around September, and so this is the finalised list with the 31 i eventually completed:

1. 'The Northern Lights' by Philip Pullman
   
2. 'Cutting: Understanding and Overcoming Self-Mutilation' by Steven Levenkron
   
3. 'Skin Game: A Memoir' by Caroline Kettlewell
   
4. 'Urban Christianity and Global Order' by Andrew Davey
   
5. 'Wasted' by Marya Hornbacher
   
6. 'Cutting the Risk: Self-harm, Self-care & Risk Reduction' by The National Self-harm Network
   
7. 'God On Mute' by Pete Greig
   
8. 'Blue Like Jazz' by Donald Miller
   
9. 'Through Painted Deserts' by Donald Miller
   
10. 'How to Be Good' by Nick Hornby
    
11. 'The Hiding Place' by Corrie ten Broom
    
12. 'The Pastoral Care of People with Mental Health Problems' by Marion L.S. Carson
    
13. 'The Living Church: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor' by John Stott
    
14. 'Frida: Chosen to Die, Destined to Live' by Frida Gashumba
    
15. 'The Trick is to Keep Breathing' by Janice Galloway
    
16. 'Scars That Wound, Scars That Heal' by Jan Kern
    
17. 'Blood Roses' by Francesca Lia Block
    
18. 'Searching for God Knows What' by Donald Miller
    
19. 'Primavera' by Francesca Lia Block
    
20. 'The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical' by Shane Claiborne
    
21. 'Long Way Down' by Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman
    
22. 'Crying Scarlet Tears: My Journey Through Self-harm' by Sophie Scott
    
23. 'Tears of the Desert: One Woman's True Story of Surviving the Horrors of Darfur' by Halima Bashir
    
24. 'A Spot of Bother' by Mark Haddon
    
25. 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' by Mitch Albom
    
26. 'Love Beyond Reason: Moving God's Love From Your Head to Your Heart' by John Ortberg
    
27. 'The Cutting Edge: Clinging to God in the Face of Self-harm' by Jess Wilson
    
28. 'Crossing Myself: A Story of Spiritual Rebirth' by Greg Garrett
    
29. 'The Secrets She Keeps' by Helen Cross
    
30. 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' by J.K Rowling
    
31. 'My Summer of Love' by Helen Cross

Quite a variety. Some good, some bad, some silly, some downright boring.. If i had to award prizes for my favourites, here's what would make the list:

Fiction
- #25 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' by Mitch Albom

Biography
- #5 'Wasted' by Marya Hornbacher
- #28 'Crossing Myself: A Story of Spiritual Rebirth' by Greg Garrett

Non-fiction
- #8 'Blue Like Jazz' by Donald Miller
- #20 'The Irresistable Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical' by Shane Claiborne

It was a good year, as far as reading goes.

i'm excited for 2009, what with Francesca Lia Block releasing two new books and rumours that Rob Bell might release something on the topic of creativity, and so i hope to keep up what i've already begun. Let's see if i can have another 24 books to list this time next year.