# Favorite Books of 2011?



## py3ak (Dec 31, 2011)

What, of your 2011 reading, stuck out to you?

For most solid and instructive, I would have to pick James Durham's _The Marrow of the Gospel_. The 72 sermons that comprise the volume make excellent reading for Sunday afternoons. They are not so long that they are exhausting to read, but there is plenty to chew on in each sermon. Here's a little excerpt from Sermon 27:



> All the elect come in here together in one roll, and there is but one covenant, and one mediator for them all; the sin of the poor body, of the weakest and meanest, is transacted on him, as well as the sin of Abraham that great friend of God, and Father of the faithful; and the salvation of the one is as sure as the salvation of the other. All believers, from the strongest to the weakest, have but one right or charter to heaven, but one holding of the inheritance.



The award for most encouraging would have to go to Thomas Goodwin's two little works, _Christ Set Forth_ and _The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners in Earth_. These works were recently printed together by Christian Focus, and they certainly minister strong consolation. Honorable mention also goes to George Swinnock's _The Incomparableness of God_ for its refreshing and uplifting exposition of the incomparable greatness of God; it does not hurt that Swinnock had great literary talent as well as theological ability.

Most amusing (though also, at times, very disquieting and heart-breaking) was Theodore Dalrymple's collection of Spectator essays, _If Symptoms Persist_.

And for most shattering and unforgettable literary experience, Sophocles' "King Oedipus" has no competitor.


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## SolaScriptura (Dec 31, 2011)

2011 was a banner year for me in terms of the number of books I read. My wife is unhappy with the amount I spent on books, but nonetheless, it was worth it!

Without question, the book that stands out in my mind as THE best book I read all year is... Redemption: Freed by Jesus from the Idols We Worship and the Wounds We Carry by Mike Wilkerson.

I've recommended it to a number of people, and all who have read it have thanked me for recommending it to them.


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian (Dec 31, 2011)

G.I. Williamsom's study guide to the Westminster Confession.


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## Pilgrim (Jan 2, 2012)

I did more acquiring than reading and didn't read as much as I would have liked. I know the thread pertains to non-biblical books but for 2011 I have to say #1 was the AV, which until the past two years I had never read on a regular basis. 

I'm about halfway through Richard Steele's _The Religious Tradesman_ and have found it to be quite profitable. I don't know what business he was in at some point or if he simply acquired his insight via observation, but I think that his insights are remarkable and still quite applicable today. Other 2011 favorites include Horatius Bonar's _God's Way of Holiness_ and Dan Phillips' _The World-Tilting Gospel._​ 

I have several recently acquired Puritan and Puritanesque works on deck for early 2012 and also plan to read Pilgrim's Progress.


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## Beoga (Jan 2, 2012)

_The Ten Commandments_ by Thomas Watson and _On The Incarnation_ by Athanasius were probably two of my favorites from 2011.


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## VictorBravo (Jan 2, 2012)

I started reading John Owen's _Biblical Theology_ in 2010, but finished it in 2011. It was the Soli Deo Gloria edition, which is a translation of the Latin. I found it to be a remarkable survey of Owen's thoughts on theology and the development of revelation. His comments on the teaching of philosophy and the classics to young men are something I didn't expect, but I tend to agree with him (he is pretty negative about the value of it).

There were some editing errors like dropped or repeated phrases, but all in all it was a great addition to an otherwise complete Owen collection. 

I picked up a Kindle dx a couple months ago and filled it up with free ebooks. Some notable ones: 

_The life and times of John Calvin_, by Paul Henry, translated by Stebbing, two volumes found free on google.books; a little awkward in its English, but it has all sorts of surprising details. 

_Grace and Glory_ by Vos. A refreshing series of essays. Quick, yet deep reading. I found it free from monergism.com.

_Heaven on Earth_, Thomas Brooks. I think you can't go wrong with Brooks. He cuts through the fog and points you to Christ. 

There were many others I personally liked but probably would not be of general interest: a book on scythe making and a book on designing super-regenerative receiving tuners were among them.


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## baron (Jan 2, 2012)

Pilgrim said:


> I did more acquiring than reading and didn't read as much as I would have liked. I know the thread pertains to non-biblical books but for 2011 I have to say #1 was the AV,



Same for me. I read the Bible more than anything else. 

My favorite book's An Expositional Commentary on Daniel by James Montgomery Boice.

Taking Hold of God Reformed and Puritan Perspectives On Prayer by Joel Beeke.

The Fatal Flaw by Jeffrey D. Johnson.

Christ the Lord by Michael Horton. I read at least once a year.

John Knox by A. Taylor Innes. First book I ever about John Knox.

The Last Boy Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood by Jane Leavy. (The raw truth of an American sports hero.) I always had a soft spot for the Mick.


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## FenderPriest (Jan 2, 2012)

I posted my list at my blog here, but they were:
10 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
9 - Collected Poems by Richard Wilbur
8 - The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
7 - The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies
6 - The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distractions by Alan Jacobs
5 - Practicing Affirmation by Sam Crabtree
4 - When People Are Big and God is Small by Ed Welch
3 - Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Chris by Russell Moore
2- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
1 - The Meaning of the Pentateuch by John Sailhamer


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## py3ak (Jan 3, 2012)

I should add a link to this incredibly fascinating article about a Guatemalan lawyer. If ever life imitated Matt Nix, it was in this situation.


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## LeeD (Jan 3, 2012)

My favorites from 2011 were:

The Holiness of God, RC Sproul
The Marrow of Modern Divinity, Edward Fischer
Fair Sunshine, Jock Purves
Mortification of Sin, John Owen
Heaven Taken by Storm, Thomas Watson
Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin
This Was John Calvin, Thea Van Helsema


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jan 3, 2012)

*Top 5 favorite books read in 2011.*

5) We Become What We Worship by G.K. Beale

4) The One and the Many by R.J. Rushdoony

3) Concerning the True Care of Souls by Martin Bucer

2) Works of John Owen, Vol. 5 by John Owen

1) Covenant of Life Opened by Samuel Rutherford


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## rbcbob (Jan 3, 2012)

1. What Is The Mission of The Church by DeYoung and Gilbert

2. History of the English Calvinistic Baptists by Robert Oliver


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## Constantlyreforming (Jan 3, 2012)

I am in the middle of collecting all of John Owen's works, in their original first editions. I have 10 so far, but they are quite heady and it takes me a while to get through just one.

I planned on reading two of them this past year:

"The True Nature of a Gospel Church and It's Government" -1688

View attachment 2571

"The Reason of Faith - An Answer into the Enquiry whereby we believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God"

View attachment 2570

I got through the majority of THE REASON of FAITH, but finished THE TRUE NATURE OF A GOSPEL CHURCH


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## Tripel (Jan 3, 2012)

My favorite read of 2011 was probably _The Omnivore's Dilemma_ by Michael Pollan. 
And for sheer entertainment, probably _The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo_ and _The Hunger Games _trilogy (except for the last book, which was rubbish).


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