Best Book of ’09 – so far

by Joe Thorn on May 1, 2009

Yesterday I asked via Twitter and Facebook, “What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2009?” I got a pretty good response and thought I would share it on the blog. Some interesting stuff. Of course, some of these books received multiple votes (And don’t start slamming someone else’s pick).

Here’s most of what I got back:

Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church
The Cross of Christ
Divinity and Humanity: The Incarnation Reconsidered
Dracula
Dracula Was a Woman: In Search of the Blood Countess of Transylvania
Exegetical Fallacies
Fluke
God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible
A Gospel Primer for Christians
The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture
Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots
In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement
In the Dust of the Rabbi
Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography
Just Do Something
Leading with a Limp
Let the Reader Understand: A Guide to Interpreting and Applying the Bible
The Living Church: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor
Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism
The Message of Prayer
The Man Who Ate Everything
Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson
The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative
The Noticer
Planting Missional Churches
The Prodigal God
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
Same Kind of Different As Me
Sexuality and Holy Longing
Simple Church
Total Church
The Truth War
Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
Vintage Church
What He Must Be: …If He Wants to Marry My Daughter
You Can Change: God’s Transforming Power for Our Sinful Behaviour and Negative Emotions

I didn’t define “best” – intentionally letting this be as subjective as anyone would want. My answer points to the most helpful and enjoyable book I have read so far this year. There have been some powerful reads, but for me, the bright spot is A Gospel Primer for Christians

Feel free to drop your best read of the year so far in the comments.

About Joe Thorn

I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in Saint Charles, IL, and author of Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself. Jen is my wife, and Katherine, Elias, Madeline and Kilian are my kids.

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  • http://www.stevekmccoy.com Steve McCoy

    Dangit. I’m still waiting for A Gospel Primer to come in the mail. Some good books on this list. I said The Prodigal God. Love that book. But I’m a bit disappointed you didn’t put up a thumbnail of each book, Joe. :)

    • http://www.joethorn.net Joe Thorn

      As you heard over the phone – I barely held it together over here long enough to get this post up at all. :) Loved Prodigal God.

  • http://www.conqueringthirst.com James Gordon

    The fall should be a great time for new books for those of us at “a href=”http://www.tiu.edu/divinity/?”.

    -Dr. Graham Cole is coming out with a book on the atonement.
    -Dr. Tom McCall is coming out with a book on the Trinity.
    -Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer is coming out with a book on the doctrine of God.

    Also, Dr. Oliver Crisp (not from Trinity) is coming out with the second half of his book on Christology (Divinity and Humanity, mentioned above), called God Incarnate. Definitely looking forward to the books, but not to the damage they will do on my pocketbook.

  • Kyle Heine

    Another endorsement for “The Prodigal God”. Just a wondeful, inspiring read!

  • http://www.twitter.com ScottyZ

    Yes! Both my recs made it. “Edwards” and “Twilight.” They have a lot in common really. Both are long. Ummmm maybe that’s it. But seriously I love Murray’s Edwards book and Twilight was well written (you have to admit).

    • http://www.joethorn.net Joe Thorn

      Everyone’s recs made it. I am not endorsing anything here. :)

      And for the record, with a sentence like, “Twilight was well written (you have to admit)” now invites everyone here to engage your pick by pulling quotes from literary critics regarding the merit of the Twilight series. :)

  • Nat

    Crazy Love by Francis Chan

  • http://www.flyindianguy.com Benson

    I thought ‘In the Dust of the Rabbi’ sounded like a Rob Bell book.

  • http://www.danielabbey.com daniel abbey

    i won’t be pulling quotes from literary critics but i will say this: twilight was a poorly written book. sorry! writing rule of thumb: don’t overuse adverbs. twilight was laden with them. when a book has to constantly describe the way its central characters say things, i know i’m in trouble.

  • http://lesliepuryear.blogspot.com Les Puryear

    Joe,

    I agree with you about A Gospel Primer For Christians. I am currently using it in my daily devotions to remind me what is the most important thing.

    Also, another book I am finding fascinating is “Flannery O’Connor and the Christ-Haunted South,” by Ralph C. Wood.

    Regards,

    Les

  • Matt Redmond

    I would like to amend my choice as I assumed I had read “The Prodigal God” in 2008… I did give my son the middle name of ‘Keller’ after all.

  • http://www.higgy.org Kevin Higgins

    Great list of books – several that seem off the radar and I’ve not heard of. I look forward to reading a few of them now. I’m really enjoying Comeback Churches by Stetzer.

  • http://www.katagraphais.com Bryan

    The best book I’ve read so far this year is “Heaven is a Place on Earth: Why Everything you Do Matters to God” by Michael Wittmer. I’ve also enjoyed reading Christopher Wright’s “The God I Don’t Understand” and Bauckham’s “Jesus and the Eyewitnesses”

  • CalvinB

    I just read Mark Driscoll’s book “The Radical Reformission”. It was a great read. Great site btw.

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