2012 Books in Review

Harry S. Truman – “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”

I am grateful that my Mom instilled in my brother, sister, and me a deep love for reading.  We didn’t have a lot of disposable income when I was growing up, but library cards were free.  I still remember loading up the car with books for the week ahead.  In order to punish us, often my Mom would just have to threaten to take away our books.  I’m grateful that God has nurtured my passion for reading into one of the most powerful ways that I am able to hear His voice.  I am careful to read in a way that I think will help me to become more of what God created me to be.

I take great care to highlight while reading.  After I read a book, I always take all of my highlights and type them into Evernote.  This allows me to recall favorite quotes and phrases as necessary thanks to Evernote’s powerful search functions and organizational system.  I then take these notes and formulate them into a book review on this blog.  I’m not sure if anyone else reads these but me, but in the end…I’m the one that needs to learn, so it’s fine if it is just me.  At the end of the year, I like to go back through all of the reviews and post a comprehensive list of all the books from the year before.  You will notice that the titles of the books are links that will take you to the review I wrote of each book.  This year I was privileged to learn a ton from reading 78 books.

Any suggestions for books to read in 2013?

2012 Books

January 2012

The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson

Michelle Obama: A Life by New Word City

Be Our Guest by Disney

How Do You Kill 11 Million People? by Andy Andrews

Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn

Surprised by Grace by Tullian Tchividjian

John F. Kennedy, A Life by New Word City

February 2012

What You Can Learn from Warren Buffett by New Word City

EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey

Adopted for Life by Russell Moore

Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff

Great by Choice by Jim Collins

Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll

The Prodigal God by Tim Keller

Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton

Gospel by J.D. Greear

The Go-Getter by Peter Kyne

March 2012

Twenty Miles Per Cookie by Nancy Vogel

How LEGO Made a Comeback by New Word City

Stop Stealing Dreams by Seth Godin

Leaders Who Make a Difference by Paul Chappell

The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant by Terry Felber

Kingdom Triangle by J.P. Moreland

The Messiah Method by Michael Zigarelli

Always Know What to Say by Peter Murphy

The Forgotten Children by Vernon Brewer

If My Body is a Temple, Then I was a Megachurch by Scott Davis

Glorious Mess by Mike Howerton

The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

Leading at a Higher Level by Ken Blanchard

April 2012

Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard

The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni

Rid of My Disgrace by Justin and Lindsey Holcomb

How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins

Getting Smart by Tom Vander Ark

May 2012

The Good Life by Chuck Colson

Culture Making by Andy Crouch

Love Does by Bob Goff

Absolutely Organize Your Family by Debbie Lillary

June 2012

Futurecast by George Barna

Built to Last by Jim Collins

Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft

Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer

Platform by Michael Hyatt

The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler

Chasing Daylight by Eugene O’Kelly

Rebooting My Brain by Maria Ross

July 2012

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

The Good Sister by Drusilla Campbell

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

Creating Innovators by Tony Wagner

Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias

Secondhand Jesus by Glenn Packiam

Balcony People by Joyce Heatherley

The Element by Sir Ken Robinson

Practicing Affirmation by Sam Crabtree

August 2012

Indescribable by Louie Giglio and Matt Redman

First Year Teacher by Randy Howe

Arresting Grace by Michael Joel Green

Wrecked by Jeff Goins

Love Works by Joel Manby

September 2012

Praying Circles Around Your Children by Mark Batterson

No Other Gods by Kelly Minter

The Blessing by John Trent

Orphanology by Tony Merida and Rick Morton

October 2012

The ME I Want to Be by John Ortberg

The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller

Glorious Ruin by Tullian Tchividjian

Running for My Life by Lopez Lomong

November 2012

Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller

Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders

Finish the Mission by John Piper

December 2012

How Can A Good God Let Bad Things Happen? by Mark Tabb

Creating Space by Ed Cyzewski

The Evernote Bible by Brandon Collins

A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink

Organizational Behavior in Education by Robert Owens and Thomas Valesky

Community Wins by Bryan Allain

 

Past Book Lists

2010 Books 

2011 Books

 


2 comments to “2012 Books in Review”
  1. Awesome list. Reading more was already on my list but you have definitely inspired me more.
    Two best things I have read lately: Andy Stanley’s Deep and Wide and Sifted by Wayne Corderio which is about burnout and passion. Both excellent!

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