After looking at the list I decided to do so by breaking it out a bit. The list breaks down into three categories which divide my reading into roughly thirds: Young Adult Fiction, Fiction, and Non-Fiction.  So below are my favorite reads in each of those categories.

Young Adult Fiction

Cover of Leepike Ridge

Yes, I’m a grown man and I read young adult fiction. As I have explained a few times, I do this because I find the YA fantasy fiction genre creative and entertaining. Some of them are just fun relaxing reads (admittedly quick and easy as well) but some of them are complex and imaginative in ways that make the label superfluous. They are just great books.

The List (in no particular order):

1. Factotum (The Foundling’s Tale, Part Three) by D. M. Cornish (If you love epic fantasy that is a mix of Tolkien and Dickens you will enjoy this series.)
2. Boom! by Mark Haddon (A great little story – action, adventure, intrigue and humor all in less than 200 pages.)
3. The Necromancer by Michael Scott (An enjoyable fantasy thriller where you race to read the book only to be forced to wait for the next release to dive back in again.)
4. Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson (“An original mix of Robinson Crusoe, King Solomon’s Mines, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and The Odyssey”)
5. Wild Magic by Cat Weatherill (A creative and intelligent mix of myth, mystery and coming of age stories.)

“Adult” Fiction and Non-Fiction below.

Fiction

Despite my enjoyment of YA I haven’t fully embraced the niche idea and so still read “adult” fiction. A couple of my favorite authors had new books out and I found a couple of new authors as well.

The List:

1. The Queen of Patpong by Timothy Hallinan (Hallinan offer not only the tension and suspense of a thriller but the human insight of a more literary novel)
2. The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors by Michele Young-Stone (… skilfully captures both the time periods and ages involved as well as the variety of ways humans can find tragedy)
3. Peter and Max by Bill Willingham (a creative and entertaining twist on the story of the Pied Piper and a nice introduction to the work of Bill Willingham)
4. Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos (walks the fine line between slapstick comedy and insightful spiritual commentary – and in my opinion manages to pull it off for the most part)
5. The Last Christian by David Gregory (blends suspense and philosophical and spiritual issues into an entertaining mix)

Non-Fiction

I didn’t read a lot of non-fiction this year and most of the focus was on faith and spiritual issues.  I hope to read more non-fiction this year but focus is likely to remain the same.

The List:

1. Somewhere More Holy by Tony Woodlief (a glimpse into how grace and faith can overcome the darkest tragedies and how love can overcome more than you can imagine)
2. William F. Buckley (Christian Encounters) by Jeremy Lott (a quick and well done introduction to this larger that life figure in American politics)
3. Radical by David Platt (Quite simply Platt asks his readers to think about how they might live if they really believed what they read in the Bible)
4. Gripped by the Greatness of God by James McDonald (an engaging and challenging study based on the book of Isaiah)
5. Abraham Lincoln: A Presidential Life by James M. McPherson (The usefulness of a book like this is that its succinctness can be perfect for a variety of readers.)

So there you have it. Fifteen books that I enjoyed in 2010 and that I recommend to you in 2011.

Here is the blurb from the publisher:

A.D. 2088.

Missionary daughter Abigail Caldwell emerges from the jungle for the first time in her thirty-four years, the sole survivor of a mysterious disease that killed her village. Abby goes to America, only to discover a nation where Christianity has completely died out. A curious message from her grandfather assigns her a surprising mission: re-introduce the Christian faith in America, no matter how insurmountable the odds.

But a larger threat looms. The world’s leading artificial intelligence industrialist has perfected a technique for downloading the human brain into a silicon form. Brain transplants have begun, and with them comes the potential of eliminating physical death altogether—but at what expense?

As Abby navigates a society grown more addicted to stimulating the body than nurturing the soul, she and Creighton Daniels, a historian troubled by his father’s unexpected death, become unwitting targets of powerful men who will stop at nothing to further their nefarious goals. Hanging in the balance—the spiritual future of all humanity.

For my take read below.

I found The Last Christian to be an entertaining and interesting read. Add in the fact that it is an explicitly Christian novel and involves theological and spiritual discussion and it is a rare feat.

As noted, I was not a big fan of Gregory’s previous books so was impressed with the improvement in both ideas and execution on this one. An intriguing plot hook and some nice suspense built around the Christian message – and the message is not so heavy as to undermine the novel.

It was a pleasure to read and I found myself wanting to keep reading to found out both how the plot unfolded and how Gregory tied the various threads together.  At its most basic level, any book that makes you want to keep reading and allows you to “get lost” in the story is a good one. I would imagine that your interest in Christianity and theology would have a large influence on your interest level but I don’t think non-Christians will be totally put off by the spiritual aspects of the story.

This is not serious literature by any means but it is a great beach read with not only a futuristic adventure but a combination philosophical quandry (mind body dualism) and a spiritual challenge (what is the fundamental concept of the gospel?).

So if you are looking for something different this summer check out The Last Christian.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.