Rarely do books fit neatly into any category. A book of “fiction” may hold more truth in it than many a text book. A book on missions may be more about authentic discipleship and so on. But a person has to have some kind of marking to get a general bearing, so I have roughly divvied up my personal readings into the following categories as a starting point. See what you think.

Books that have saved my life: The Diving Conspiracy Dallas Willard, Future Grace John Piper, Abba’s Child Brennan Manning, Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy, Gilead Marilynne Robinson, Les Misirable, Victor Hugo

Books that may not have saved my life, but sure make me want to go on living: Walking to Martha’s Vineyard Franz Wright,

Books that have dragged my butt over a hump: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction Eugene Peterson

Books that have pulled me out of traffic and sat down me down in a safe place with a cup of coffee until I could think straight: Mere Christianity CS Lewis, So far, the first three of Eugene Peterson’s anticipated five volume set on Spiritual Theology; Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, Eat This Book, and The Jesus Way.

Books that help me know how to say what I believe written by guys who I want to be like when I grow up: The Reason for God Tim Keller

Books that help me know how to say what I wonder about written by guys who seem not to have grown up: Velvet Elvis Rob Bell, Blue Like Jazz Donald Miller

Books that have helped me love “Missions”: Let the Nations be Glad John Piper, Abandoned to God David McCasland, City of Joy  Dominique Lapierre, Three Cups of Tea Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin

Books that made me pray “dear God, no....”: The Poisonwood Bible Barbra Kingsolver, The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy

Books that have set something inside of me on fire, smiling while they thew the match: The Spiral Road Jan De Hartog, The Only Road North Eric Mirandette, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy JRR Tolkien, The Chronicles of Narnia CS Lewis, The Dove Robin Lee Graham

Books that have helped me understand it is not all about me: What is the What Dave Eggers, (along with most every other book on this page).

Books the made me look at everything in a much different way: The Space Trilogy CS Lewis, Phantasies George MacDonald, the poetry of Wendell Berry, most stuff by Flannery O’Conner, 100 Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Spirit of the Rainforest Mark Allen Richie, The River Why David James Duncan

Great books to curl up with on a rainy day or when you are sick or when you are cooped up in a centuries old English manor after your morning fox hunt: The Lord Peter Whimsey series by Dorthy Sayers, most anything by PG Woodehouse

Books the you just have to read because you just don’t say no to a jug of cold water after wandering in the desert with an empty canteen: To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee, The Brothers K David James Duncan

Books that make me proud to be a Texan: Lone Star TR Fehrenbach

And that’s just the start....