The Bookshelf
ChrisHubbs.com

The 47 books I read in 2011 year in books

Cover of Only Time Will Tell.

Only Time Will Tell

by Jeffrey Archer · published 2011 · read 2011-12-31
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character.

Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character

by Richard P. Feynman · published 1997 · read 2011-12-30
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for The Practice of the Presence of God.

The Practice of the Presence of God

by Brother Lawrence · published 1982 · read 2011-12-30
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of A History of the World in 6 Glasses.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses

by Tom Standage · published 2006 · read 2011-12-24
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Sacrament of the Present Moment.

The Sacrament of the Present Moment

by Jean-Pierre de Caussade · published 2009 · read 2011-12-14
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Reamde.

Reamde

by Neal Stephenson · published 2011 · read 2011-12-03
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
If you're willing to invest in a book this long, Stephenson at least keeps it engaging. Some other reviewer described it as a "data dump", and boy was he right. The combination of data dump, backstories, and the weaving of a bunch of story lines together is an impressive feat. The best I can liken it to is if Tom Clancy were writing novels about international terrorists and MMORPGs instead of Cold War non-nuclear battle scenarios, you'd get something like /Reamde/.

An entertaining read, but it requires a commitment.

Cover placeholder for On the Beach.

On the Beach

by Nevil Shute · published 2002 · read 2011-12-03
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ah, 1960s nuclear apocalypse, a genre nearly unto itself. Shute provides the reader a better than average rendition, choosing to focus on he reactions of individuals as they each try to come to grips with the fact that death, in the form of nuclear fallout, is heading their way. Sobering not so much from the anti-nuclear perspective, but moreso from asking 'how would I react?'.

Worth the read.

Cover placeholder for Abyss.

Abyss

by David Hagberg · published 2011 · read 2011-11-25
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
I should've known just from the cover and flyleaf that this particular bit if genre fiction was going to be a train wreck. And yet, like a train wreck, once I started I couldn't look away.

Ridiculous plot premise, unbelievable protagonist (former CIA director turned bodyguard?!?), uninspired prose and underdeveloped characters fill the 400+ pages of this tome. The author seems contractually obligated to describe each female character in terms of breast size, but mishandles the interpersonal scenes so badly that you wonder if he's actually ever had an interpersonal relationship.

The cover of the book proclaims it to be "A Kirk McGarvey Novel", leading me to believe that there are more books out there starring this ridiculous character. My advice: avoid them. Avoid this one, too.

Cover of Pictures at an Exhibition.

Pictures at an Exhibition

by Sara Houghteling · published 2009 · read 2011-11-19
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for Cold Vengeance.

Cold Vengeance

by Douglas Preston · published 2011 · read 2011-11-11
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Lies of Locke Lamora.

The Lies of Locke Lamora

by Scott Lynch · published 2007 · read 2011-11-10
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of The Affair.

The Affair

by Lee Child · published 2011 · read 2011-10-29
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for Bossypants.

Bossypants

by Tina Fey · published 2011 · read 2011-10-28
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Rule 34.

Rule 34

by Charles Stross · published 2011 · read 2011-10-25
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Gospel-Powered Parenting, How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting.

Gospel-Powered Parenting, How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting

by William P. Farley · published 2012 · read 2011-10-09
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
A solid but not groundbreaking book; good in the reminder that we need to be more focused on inculcating the gospel than good morals into our children. Fairly thin in practical examples of to-dos, but a useful compendium.

Cover of Ready Player One.

Ready Player One

by Ernest Cline · published 2011 · read 2011-10-08
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of The 4% Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality.

The 4% Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality

by Richard Panek · published 2011 · read 2011-10-04
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Eminently readable and accessible account of the past 30 years of cosmological study. Fascinating stuff.

Cover of The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith.

The God I Don’t Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith

by Christopher J.H. Wright · published 2008 · read 2011-09-28
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for Against All Enemies.

Against All Enemies

by Tom Clancy · published 2011 · read 2011-09-26
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

by Eric Metaxas · published 2010 · read 2011-09-09
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Quantum Story: A History in 40 Moments.

The Quantum Story: A History in 40 Moments

by Jim Baggott · published 2011 · read 2011-09-05
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
A solid history of a fascinating subject. The middle third of the book gets bogged down with too much detailed explanation, but the last third picks up the pace quite nicely.

Cover of Snow Crash.

Snow Crash

by Neal Stephenson · published 2000 · read 2011-09-01
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

by Philip K. Dick · published 1996 · read 2011-08-24
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of American Gods.

American Gods

by Neil Gaiman · published 2001 · read 2011-07-31
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Auralia's Colors.

Auralia’s Colors

by Jeffrey Overstreet · published 2007 · read 2011-07-24
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Inner Circle.

The Inner Circle

by Brad Meltzer · published 2011 · read 2011-07-06
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today.

Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today

by N.T. Wright · published 2011 · read 2011-06-29
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of All the Lives He Led.

All the Lives He Led

by Frederik Pohl · published 2011 · read 2011-06-19
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World.

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World

by Paul E. Miller · published 2009 · read 2011-06-11
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of The Quantum Thief.

The Quantum Thief

by Hannu Rajaniemi · published 2011 · read 2011-06-11
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for Edge.

Edge

by Jeffery Deaver · published 2010 · read 2011-05-20
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for The Amber Spyglass.

The Amber Spyglass

by Philip Pullman · published 2011 · read 2011-05-20
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Devil's Light.

The Devil’s Light

by Richard North Patterson · published 2011 · read 2011-05-08
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Not bad, but not great either. Patterson should really stay away from spy thrillers. He doesn't hold up well in comparison to the masters of the genre.

Cover of Gideon's Sword.

Gideon’s Sword

by Douglas Preston · published 2011 · read 2011-04-30
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders & Deceivers.

The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders & Deceivers

by Kevin D. Mitnick · published 2005 · read 2011-04-25
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Interesting stories, but all in all it feels somewhat forced. Meh.

Cover of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society.

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society

by Eugene H. Peterson · published 2000 · read 2011-04-09
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions: Engaging the Mystery of Friendship Between Men and Women.

Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions: Engaging the Mystery of Friendship Between Men and Women

by Dan J. Brennan · published 2010 · read 2011-03-14
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
In just a short book, Dan Brennan makes a strong case for throwing out almost everything you've learned from the evangelical church about cross-gender friendships outside of marriage. While at times it felt like he was trying to stretch his material enough to make it book-length, his argument resonates with me. It's worth considering how much more our own lives (and the church!) would flourish if these friendships were encouraged rather than dismissed.

Cover of Flashforward.

Flashforward

by Robert J. Sawyer · published 2000 · read 2011-03-06
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Having watched the short-lived ABC television series "based on" this book, I was curious to see how Sawyer (an author I really like) actually envisioned the topic. Thankfully, all of the soap opera and cop drama aspects of the TV series disappeared and instead what we got was a short story exploring (just a bit) the science aspects, and mostly asking this question: how would people respond if they got a brief glimpse of their future?

Flashforward is a easy entertaining read. Not as good as some of Sawyer's other stuff (the Hominids trilogy is my particular favorite), but still worth a read.

Cover placeholder for American Assassin.

American Assassin

by Vince Flynn · published 2010 · read 2011-02-25
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Surface Detail.

Surface Detail

by Iain M. Banks · published 2010 · read 2011-02-25
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Subtle Knife.

The Subtle Knife

by Philip Pullman · published 1997 · read 2011-02-03
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Lost Gate.

The Lost Gate

by Orson Scott Card · published 2011 · read 2011-01-24
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Orson Scott Card knows how to tell a story. He weaves a plausible (but unique) universe, interesting characters, and intriguing plot. Can't wait for the second book.

Cover of The Golden Compass.

The Golden Compass

by Philip Pullman · published 1996 · read 2011-01-21
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Mirage Men: An Adventure into Paranoia, Espionage, Psychological Warfare, and UFOs.

Mirage Men: An Adventure into Paranoia, Espionage, Psychological Warfare, and UFOs

by Mark Pilkington · published 2010 · read 2011-01-17
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Outlaws.

The Outlaws

by W.E.B. Griffin · published 2010 · read 2011-01-17
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Letters from America.

Letters from America

by Alexis de Tocqueville · published 2010 · read 2011-01-04
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
A short volume that provides some interesting insights into early 1800's American culture. However, it often gets repetitive, and you have to be willing to put up with the constant personal notes, requests for replies, etc. (These are letters, after all...)

Interesting as a snapshot of a certain place and time, but increasingly tedious toward the end.

Cover of Being Geek: The Software Developer's Career Handbook.

Being Geek: The Software Developer’s Career Handbook

by Michael Lopp · published 2010 · read 2011-01-01
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆