2005 Reading List

This past year has felt even worse for reading than 2004. But I guess it always feels like that. It’s just been bad lately because I’ve felt like I can’t get through a book to save my life. It just takes forever to read, no matter how much I enjoy it. I guess I need to read more than three pages at a time.

Oh well, there’s some good readin’ in this list, and as long as I am reading, it can’t be that bad.


Killing Bono by Neil McCormick
And odd little autobiography about a wannabe rock star who grew up in Bono’s shadow. (read my review)

Bad Ground by W. Dale Cramer
I answered a challenge to read this Christian novel, which isn’t my usual genre of choice. For the most part I liked it. (read my review)

Forgiving Solomon Long by Chris Well
Yet another Christian novel, though this one hardly justifies inclusion in the genre. (read my review)

The Relevant Church
Time to do some reading for Church Marketing Sucks, and you can read my review over there.

Who Let the Blogs Out by Biz Stone
Sometimes a blogger just has to stay up on what’s current. Plus I picked it up used for cheap. (read my review)

Praise Habit by David Crowder
Interesting book on a lifestyle of praise.

Amazonia by James Marcus
The rise and fall of Amazon.com from an editor’s perspective.

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
The non-promoted book from one of my favorite authors. (read my review)

Blog by Hugh Hewitt
More blog reading. This one gets reviewed at CMS.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
It’s like required reading for hip, post-modern Christians. (read my review, CMS review)

Post-Rapture Radio by Russell Rathbun
Local St. Paul pastor and it sounded good, but I wasn’t up for it. (read my review)

Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse by Jason Boyett
Fun with the end of the world. (read my review and interview)

Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas
A whole book of Bono talking. (read my review)

All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin
The latest from the marketing guru. Good stuff, but apparently nothing deep enough to incite a review anywhere.

The Gutter by Craig Gross
From one of the guys behind xxxchurch.com. Good stuff.

Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
More Miller, thought not as good. (read my review)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Mmm… more Harry Potter. It was good, though brought up more questions and really made me yearn for the seventh Potter book.

Taming a Liger by Jeff Dunn and Adam Palmer
There’s nothing like a book about Napoleon Dynamite. (read my interview)

Pregnancy Sucks for Men by Joanne Kimes with Jeff Kimes
What?! I’m going to be a dad? Must read something!

The Expectant Father by Armin Brott
Maybe reading will ease all my unfounded parental fears.

Behind the Screen
From the folks behind Act One, a group that tries to prepare Christians to work in Hollywood.

Tighwad by Adam Palmer
The unreleased novel of a friend of mine. Apparently my National Novel Writing Month success inspired him. I also hear he sold it and it should be published in 2006.

Church Marketing 101 by Richard Reising
Another unreleased book, though it actually comes out next month.

Simply Strategic Growth by Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan
More CMS reading, though this one was thorough and challenging. I keep meaning to review it, but I haven’t gotten there yet.

Gall by Peter Gall
I work on a web site for Christians that uses the word ‘suck’ in the title and this guy wrote a book for Christians with the word ‘shit’ on the back cover. I think that makes us kindred spirits. I’m a little more than half-way through, but it’s a very interesting spiritual auto-biography that goes into more detail than most people would comfortably share.

Finding Serenity
What do you do when they cancel your favorite TV show? Write books about it. That is until they make that TV show into a movie.

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