Favorite Books



Best Books I've Read (or Heard)
1998-Present

My Most Favorite Book Ever = Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

2019 Literary Fiction = The Walls of Lucca, by Steve Physioc
2019 Best Short Novel = Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
2019 Religious nonfiction = Paul: The Apostle by N. T. Wright; The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr, OFM; Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Jerusalem by Brant James Pitre
2019 Poetry = Rain and Embers by Ali Nouri

2018 Literary Fiction (to date) = Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
2018 Best Mystery = The German Suitcase by Greg Dinallo
2018 General Nonfiction = The Sagrada Familia by Gijs van Hensbergen
2018 Religious nonfiction = The Apostle: The Life of Paul by John Pollock

2017 Literary Fiction (to date) = From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon and Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
2017 Best Mystery = Beautiful Mysteries by Louise Penney
2017 General Nonfiction = The Novel of the Century: The Extraordinary Adventure of Les Miserables by Robert Bellos
2017 Religious nonfiction = Eat This Book by Eugene Peterson

2018 Fiction = Officer and Spy by Robert Harris (the trial and false conviction of Alred Dreyfus)
General Nonfiction = Driving the Getaway Car, by Ann Patchett (her life as a writer and best-selling author) Religious nonfiction (3-way tie)
  • My Bright Abyss, by Christian Wiman (beautiful reflections on life in the midst of suffering)
  • Run With the Horses by Eugene Peterson (about the Hebrew Prophet Jeremiah)
  • God First Loved Us, by Antony Campbell, S.J. (Which God do you believe in?)

2015 Fiction (to date) = The Garden of Papa Santuzzo by Tony Ardizzone 
2015 General Nonfiction = The Great Reformer by Austen Ivereigh
2015 Religious nonfiction = Ask the Beasts by Elizabeth A. Johnson, C.S.J

2014 Fiction = The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett
2014 Poetry = Evening Sun: A Widow's Journey by Aline Soules
2014 General Nonfiction = Les Miserables (for musical and movie lovers) by Steve Antinoff
2014 Religious Nonfiction = Under the Influence of Jesus by Joe Paprocki; Sacred Fire by Ronald Rolheiser

2013 Fiction = The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson (Pulitzer Prize)
2013 Fiction (Audio Book) = Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
2013 Nonfiction = In the Beginning Was the Spirit by Diarmuid O’Murchu

2012 Fiction = Lost Son by M. Allen Cunningham (based on the life of Rainer Maria Rilke) 2012 NonfictionThank God for Evolution by Michael Dowd; Our One Great Act of Fidelity by Ronald Rolheiser, OMI; Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander III, M.D.

2011 Fiction = The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak
2011 Nonfiction = Jerusalem, Jerusalem by James Carroll (Kindle)
2011 Poetry = The Lesser Tragedy of Death by Cristina Garcia

2010 Fiction (to date) = Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
2010 Fiction (Audio Book) = The Lightkeeper’s Daughter by Iain Lawrence
2010 Nonfiction (to date) = The Naked Now by Richard Rohr
2010 Nonfiction (Audio Book) (to date) = Constantine’s Sword by James Carroll

2009 Fiction = Christ in Concrete by Pietro DiDonato
2009 Fiction (Audio Book) = Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen; Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier
2009 Nonfiction = Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality by Richard Rohr; Where God Was Born by Bruce Feiler
2009 Nonfiction (Audio Book) = The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezzi; Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths by Bruce Feiler

2008 Fiction = Exiles by Ron Hansen
2008 Fiction (Audio Book) = The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezzvani
2008 Nonfiction = Moral Discernment by Richard M. Gula, SS

2007 Nonfiction (Audio Book) = Beyond Belief by Ann Pagels
2007 Fiction (Audio Book) = Lisey’s Story by Stephen King; Underworld by Don DeLillo
2007 Fiction = A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
2007 Nonfiction = What Paul Meant by Garry Wills and 101 Questions & Answers on the Bible by Raymond E. Brown

2006 Fiction (Audio Book) = The Confessions of Max Tivoli, by Andrew Sean Greer
2006 Fiction = The Rising Tide, by Jeff Shaara
2006 Nonfiction (Audio Book) = The Intimate Merton: His Life From His Journals

2005 Nonfiction = Credo, by William Sloane Coffin
2005 Fiction = The Green Age of Asher Witherow, by M. Allen Cunningham
2005 Fiction (Audio Book) = The Short Stories ,Volume III, by Ernest Hemingway and Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo

2004 Nonfiction = On Writing by Stephen King
2004 Fiction = The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
2004 Fiction (Audio Book) = The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant

2003 Nonfiction = The Life You Save May be Your Own by Paul Elie
2003 Fiction (a tie!) = Orchard by Larry Watson & Parts Unknown by Kevin Brennan

2002 Nonfiction = Against an Infinite Horizon by Ronald Rolheiser
2002 Fiction = Lost Nation by Jeffrey Lent

2001 Nonfiction = The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser
2001 Fiction = Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

2000 Nonfiction = The Spiritual Path of Caryll Houselander by Joyce Kemp
2000 Fiction = Daughter of Fortune by Isabelle Allende and The Testament by John Grisham
2000 Fiction (Audio Book) = The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

1999 Nonfiction = How Shall We Sing by Aline P'Nina Tayar
1999 Fiction = The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

1998 Fiction = Cold Mountain by Charles Fraser

No comments:

Post a Comment