The Best List! [2012]: Books

So I decided to share the my top 10 best things of the year 2012. And the first best list comprises of the best 10 books I read this year. I hope this is indeed helpful. In no particular order, below are the titles and authors plus a quote from the books. Enjoy!

Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist

I first thought it dumb reading the memoir of a thirty year old lady. 'What has she been through?' I thought 'In thirty years?' But a few pages into this book, I wanted to place it into the hands of every twenty something I had as a friend. It was a beautiful read. 

“Celebration when your plan is working? Anyone can do that. But when you realize that the story of your life could be told a thousand different ways, that you could tell it over and over as a tragedy, but you choose to call it an epic, that's when you start to learn what celebration is. When what you see in front of you is so far outside of what you dreamed, but you have the belief, the boldness, the courage to call it beautiful instead of calling it wrong, that's celebration.”

Tribes by Seth Godin

Please if you haven’t read Tribes, walk up to a book store, neglect the fact that such a small book could have a big price and buy Tribes. It’s one of the best materials I have come across on leadership.

"Some tribes are stuck. They embrace the status quo and drown out any tribe member who dares to question authority and the accepted order"

Now What Do I do? by Dr. John Townsend

This is a good book. Very practical and helpful stuff. I highly recommend it if you are feeling stuck or if you are twenty something.

"We sometimes create a problem where none exists. So make sure you have an actual problem"

Love Does by Bob Goff

 Reading this was a roller coaster ride for me  and I got the chance to speak with the author on phone after I closed the last page. What more can I ask?

" I used to think God guided us by opening and closing doors, but now I know sometimes God wants us to kick some doors down"

Change Agents by Steve Chalke

Great small book on leadership. Had to give a copy away on my blog after I finished. So good.

"Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret"

Empty Promises by Pete Wilson

Please read Pete Wilson’s book Empty Promises: The Truth about You, Your Desires, and the Lies You’re Believing. I read this at the first quarter of the year, it helped me mapped out a couple of routines and disciplines that made the year successful.

"Often what we think is the good life is not really the good life at all. It's nothing but smoke and mirrors. It's an illusion, an elaborate trap. It's a collection of empty promises. But that doesn't mean the good life doesn't exist"

The Holy Wild by Mark Buchannan

A lot of people aren’t big on Theology. I don’t know why. Cause Theology literally means knowledge of God and what you know about God automatically forms how you relate to him. This is not a ‘Theological’ book. Mark Buchannan, a Canadian pastor writes poetically about the various character of God. This really changed my perspective and broke down old shacks I had built about who God is. Great book to pick up if you think you don’t know God. Also a great one to pick if you think you know Him. Never mind I was in the latter category before I picked up this book and found out a couple of pages into it I was actually in the former. It’s an awesome one I kept checking things up in through the year even after I finished it.

"Sabbath is a gift of the restful God to His restless people"

Sex God by Rob Bell

When a controversial author writes about a controversial topic, you sure know it’s not one to miss. Above controversy, I must say this is a beautifully written book. 

"The other day my five-year-old son asked my wife, "Mom, what does sexy mean?" She thought about it for a second, and then replied, "Sexy is when it feels good to be in your own skin. Your body feels right, it feels comfortable. Sexy is when you love being you"

The Secret Things of God by Dr. Henry Cloud

Dr. Henry Cloud is a world acclaimed professional psychologist and business writer. He is also a Christian. He is such a blessing to the Christian body and to this generation.

"While God alone is all powerful, we do have a certain amount of power in our lives- the ability to exert control over the things that affect us. One of the marks of mental health is the degree to which people realize that they have control over their own lives and exercise that power to choose"

Wild Grace by Max Lucado

The normal awesomeness of Max Lucado plus some instructive relevant uniqueness makes this one an excellent read.

"Mercy gave the prodigal son a second chance. Grace threw him a party"

I hope you enjoyed going through this list and got some ideas of books you might want to check out this coming year.

What good books did you read this year? What books do you think I should place on my list in the coming year? Please tell in the comment section. I would love to hear from you.