Top 11 Reads of 2011

I'm really glad that I decided to keep track of what I read this year because I read a lot and I enjoyed every moment of it.  In total I read...drum roll...45 books in 2011!  Don't ask me how I did it.  I really do not know. :) I am a fast reader by nature, and since reading is a relaxing pasttime for me, I will read over my lunch, before bed, and I will carry a book with me to read during downtimes (if I'm waiting for something or someone, etc).  I've decided to condense the list of 45 books into my top 11 reads of 2011.  Just because I couldn't think of another blog post today.  And because I wanted to. ;)
Top 11 Reads of 2011 (in no particular order)

1.  The Feminist Mistake by Mary Kassian:  I loved this book because it gave such a comprehensive history of the feminist movement from a very analytical point of view, but was also from a Christian perspective about the triumphs and dangers of the feminist movement.

2.  Bathsheba by Jill Eileen Smith:  This book was a delightful end to the Wives of King David series.  Jill Eileen Smith weaves the story of David and Bathsheba in a very real and raw way that proclaims God's grace and redemption for His people.  I loved this book and look forward to rereading it very soon.

3. and 4.  Leaving and Longing by Karen Kingsbury:  My friend Michele and I have been awaiting the Bailey Flannigan series since the last Kingsbury series that follows that Baxter family ended.  These books were definitely not a disappointment--so good!

5.  Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer:  I love Priscilla Shirer's books and had been looking forward to reading this book for quite some time.  It turned out to be exactly as I expected it would be: a wonderful study on Jonah and a read that God used to speak to me in the most wonderful way.

6. The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble:  I've been really into reading books about the gilded age for the past two years, and I've been really enjoying this series by Colleen Coble.  A wonderful series of books, and this was a wonderful conclusion!

7.  Radical Together by David Platt:  I was wrecked after reading David Platt's book Radical at the end of last year.  It was so good and I really was challenged about living a sold-out for God life this year.  I knew that this book would be the same, and it had a wonderful impact on me.

8.  Feminine Threads by Diana Lynn Severance: A great, academic study on the women who God used to shape history.  They've paved the way for women like you and me to live for God today. 

9.  Crimson Cipher by Susan Page Davis: Another book about the gilded age, and a great mystery as well!  Wonderful read about spies in World War I.

10. A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell:  This was the last book that I read in the month of December, and it was well worth it.  Siri Mitchell weaves quite the tale anyway, but this story was woven around the lives of three women who worked in a dressmaker's shop during the Great Italian Immigration (a time period in history that I had never really taken the time to study about).  It was fascinating!  I couldn't put it down.

11.  Interuppted by Jen Hatmaker:  Do ya'll think God was trying to tell me something this year?  About living a life sold out for him?  About allowing divine interruptions?  I think He was. ;)  While I certainly did not agree with everything that Jen Hatmaker said in this book, no one can argue her heart for God and ministry.  This is a lovely read of her and her husband's journey to plant a church in Texas.

I'm very excited for a year of good reading in 2012!  What was your favorite book in 2011?