The Bookshelf
ChrisHubbs.com

The 69 books I read in 2014 year in books

Cover of The Rook.

The Rook

by Daniel O'Malley · published 2012 · read 2014-12-31
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover placeholder for Jayce.

Jayce

by Josh Barkey · published 2014 · read 2014-12-29
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Underdeveloped idea with little semblance of a plot. Weird omniscient narration that drops in from time to time. First and third acts are almost nonexistent and are completely unbelievable. This book needed a good editor and about twice as much content.

Cover of Directive 51.

Directive 51

by John Barnes · published 2010 · read 2014-12-27
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for To Kill a Mockingbird.

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee · published 2005 · read 2014-12-21
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of The Kite Runner.

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini · published 2005 · read 2014-12-19
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Recovering Classic Evangelicalism: Applying the Wisdom and Vision of Carl F. H. Henry.

Recovering Classic Evangelicalism: Applying the Wisdom and Vision of Carl F. H. Henry

by Gregory Alan Thornbury · published 2013 · read 2014-12-01
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Be Careful What You Wish For.

Be Careful What You Wish For

by Jeffrey Archer · published 2014 · read 2014-11-29
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Archer is getting formulaic with this series now that he's through volume 4, but the plots are so entertaining that it's hard to complain too much.

Cover of Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight.

Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight

by Jay Barbree · published 2014 · read 2014-11-27
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for Lock In.

Lock In

by John Scalzi · published 2014 · read 2014-11-22
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Fascinating concept, great execution.

Cover of The Book of Strange New Things.

The Book of Strange New Things

by Michel Faber · published 2014 · read 2014-11-22
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The God Who Risks: A Theology of Divine Providence.

The God Who Risks: A Theology of Divine Providence

by John Sanders · published 1998 · read 2014-10-29
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Confessions.

Confessions

by Augustine of Hippo · published 1998 · read 2014-10-27
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Contemplative Prayer.

Contemplative Prayer

by Thomas Merton · published 1971 · read 2014-10-21
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Goodhouse.

Goodhouse

by Peyton Marshall · published 2014 · read 2014-10-19
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Parables of Judgement.

The Parables of Judgement

by Robert Farrar Capon · published 1993 · read 2014-10-13
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of The Director.

The Director

by David Ignatius · published 2014 · read 2014-10-05
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society.

The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society

by Henri J.M. Nouwen · published 1994 · read 2014-09-27
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
The first half of this little volume seems very dated, but the second half strongly makes up for it. An encouraging read on ministry to others.

Cover of Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide.

Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide

by Brett McCracken · published 2010 · read 2014-09-22
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity.

Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity

by Frank Viola · published 2008 · read 2014-09-20
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Pope Who Quit: A True Medieval Tale of Mystery, Death, and Salvation.

The Pope Who Quit: A True Medieval Tale of Mystery, Death, and Salvation

by Jon M. Sweeney · published 2012 · read 2014-09-14
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Mortality.

Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Mortality

by Richard Beck · published 2011 · read 2014-09-09
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Top Secret.

Top Secret

by W.E.B. Griffin · published 2014 · read 2014-09-07
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Storm.

The Storm

by Frederick Buechner · published 2002 · read 2014-08-30
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Adjacent.

The Adjacent

by Christopher Priest · published 2013 · read 2014-08-23
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Pastor: A Memoir.

The Pastor: A Memoir

by Eugene H. Peterson · published 2011 · read 2014-08-21
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Merton: A Biography.

Merton: A Biography

by Monica Furlong · published 2005 · read 2014-08-07
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of From Bible Belt to Sunbelt: Plain-Folk Religion, Grassroots Politics, and the Rise of Evangelical Conservatism.

From Bible Belt to Sunbelt: Plain-Folk Religion, Grassroots Politics, and the Rise of Evangelical Conservatism

by Darren Dochuk · published 2010 · read 2014-08-05
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues.

Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues

by N.T. Wright · published 2014 · read 2014-07-26
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Prayer.

Prayer

by Philip Kerr · published 2014 · read 2014-07-20
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Where Nobody Knows Your Name: Life In the Minor Leagues of Baseball.

Where Nobody Knows Your Name: Life In the Minor Leagues of Baseball

by John Feinstein · published 2014 · read 2014-07-18
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Some entertaining stories and enlightening details about life in the minor leagues. However, the book is too long, gets repetitive in stories, phraseology, and tone, and suffers from sloppy editing.

Cover placeholder for The Anglican Way: A Guidebook.

The Anglican Way: A Guidebook

by Thomas McKenzie · published 2014 · read 2014-07-13
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Digital Apollo: Human and Machine in Spaceflight.

Digital Apollo: Human and Machine in Spaceflight

by David A. Mindell · published 2008 · read 2014-07-13
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for The Authenticity of Faith : The Varieties and Illusions of Religious Experience.

The Authenticity of Faith : The Varieties and Illusions of Religious Experience

by Richard Beck · published 2012 · read 2014-07-09
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Soccernomics.

Soccernomics

by Simon Kuper · published 2009 · read 2014-07-08
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for Capital in the Twenty-First Century.

Capital in the Twenty-First Century

by Thomas Piketty · published 2014 · read 2014-07-03
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
I'm no economist, but to my ears Piketty makes a reasonable, readable, and engaging case for a new sort of tax to help close the growing disparity between the world's richest and poorest peoples.

Piketty recognizes that this sort of global tax is a utopia, but fails to acknowledge the sad truth that as long as the richest have a disproportionately loud voice in political decisions, nothing will ever change.

Cover of A Farewell to Mars: An Evangelical Pastor's Journey Toward the Biblical Gospel of Peace.

A Farewell to Mars: An Evangelical Pastor’s Journey Toward the Biblical Gospel of Peace

by Brian Zahnd · published 2014 · read 2014-06-17
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Take one part NT Wright's work on the Kingdom of God, one part Richard Beck's thoughts on scapegoats, add in a few questionable interpretations of some of Jesus' parables, avoid questions about how the personal view interacts with the political view/necessity of violence, and you have this book. Well intentioned but ultimately lacking.

Cover of One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World.

One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World

by Tullian Tchividjian · published 2013 · read 2014-06-17
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Cockroaches.

Cockroaches

by Jo Nesbø · published 2014 · read 2014-06-15
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for History of the Catholic Church.

History of the Catholic Church

by James Hitchcock · published 2012 · read 2014-06-12
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time.

Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time

by Bill McGowan · published 2014 · read 2014-05-31
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Conquest.

Conquest

by John Connolly · published 2014 · read 2014-05-28
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Cloister Walk.

The Cloister Walk

by Kathleen Norris · published 1997 · read 2014-05-20
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of The Flight of the Silvers.

The Flight of the Silvers

by Daniel Price · published 2014 · read 2014-05-09
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America.

The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America

by George Packer · published 2013 · read 2014-05-02
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover placeholder for The Parables of Grace.

The Parables of Grace

by Robert Farrar Capon · published 1991 · read 2014-04-24
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Life Itself.

Life Itself

by Roger Ebert · published 2011 · read 2014-04-19
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover placeholder for Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible's View of Women.

Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible’s View of Women

by Sarah Bessey · published 2013 · read 2014-03-31
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
I went into it without any expectations and found it beautiful, speaking even to me as a thirty-something man. There is so much more here than the title would lead you to believe.

Cover placeholder for The Hobbit.

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien · published 2002 · read 2014-03-27
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Read this one out loud to the family. Such a delight.

Cover of Inerrancy and the Gospels: A God-Centered Approach to the Challenges of Harmonization.

Inerrancy and the Gospels: A God-Centered Approach to the Challenges of Harmonization

by Vern Sheridan Poythress · published 2012 · read 2014-03-23
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Solid, valuable book, worthwhile resource. Not particularly groundbreaking but thorough and well worked out.

Cover placeholder for The Quest.

The Quest

by Nelson DeMille · published 2013 · read 2014-03-23
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Cover of The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives.

The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives

by Dallas Willard · published 1999 · read 2014-03-21
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Beatles vs. Stones.

Beatles vs. Stones

by John McMillian · published 2013 · read 2014-03-21
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
A short, easy read chronicling the relationship between the 1960's two biggest bands.

Cover of The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe.

The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe

by David I. Kertzer · published 2014 · read 2014-03-19
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for The Woman Who Stopped Traffic.

The Woman Who Stopped Traffic

by Daniel Pembrey · published 2013 · read 2014-03-12
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens.

It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens

by Danah Boyd · published 2014 · read 2014-03-08
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

by Edmund Morris · published 2001 · read 2014-03-05
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Fantastic, engaging read about a truly fascinating man.

Cover of The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate.

The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate

by John H. Walton · published 2009 · read 2014-02-21
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of The Case for the Psalms: Why They Are Essential.

The Case for the Psalms: Why They Are Essential

by N.T. Wright · published 2013 · read 2014-02-18
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Seven Years.

Seven Years

by Peter Stamm · published 2011 · read 2014-02-17
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Harvest.

Harvest

by Jim Crace · published 2013 · read 2014-02-13
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover of Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus.

Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus

by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick · published 2011 · read 2014-02-09
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Great basic idea, but stylistically painful, with long scripted parent/child conversations that are laughably unrealistic.

I want to adopt some of the ideas here, but the book as a whole was a bit tiresome.

Cover of The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction.

The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction

by Eugene H. Peterson · published 1993 · read 2014-02-08
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Atrocity Archives.

The Atrocity Archives

by Charles Stross · published 2006 · read 2014-02-02
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Cover placeholder for Jim Henson: The Biography.

Jim Henson: The Biography

by Brian Jay Jones · published 2013 · read 2014-01-25
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism.

Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism

by Molly Worthen · published 2013 · read 2014-01-15
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove.

Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove

by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson · published 2013 · read 2014-01-11
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover of The Prince of Risk.

The Prince of Risk

by Christopher Reich · published 2013 · read 2014-01-09
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of Thomas Becket: Warrior, Priest, Rebel.

Thomas Becket: Warrior, Priest, Rebel

by John Guy · published 2012 · read 2014-01-06
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Cover of The Presidents Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity.

The Presidents Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity

by Nancy Gibbs · published 2012 · read 2014-01-02
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆