Mike has “book tagged” me, and therefore I’m supposed to post my list of books according to the categories below (as it seems everyone else is doing these days.) I have to say that I didn’t like to read growing up. Other than my Bible, I avoided reading anything that I wasn’t required to by school (except for various sports-related magazines and the sports page from various newspapers – and those don’t really count. Oh, yeah, and Mastering Pac-Man, but I won’t count that either.) After I graduated college, I ended up reading a little here and there, and eventually became an avid reader. So, now that I’ve been reading pretty regularly for about 15 years, here’s my list:

1. One book that changed your life:
   It’s hard to pick just one that had a big impact. I am inclined to begin with No Wonder They Call Him The Savior by Max Lucado simply because it was (to the best of my knowledge) the first book I ever read on my own, and prompted me to begin reading more. I also liked it a lot at the time, and Max didn’t sound like the typical CoC preacher I’d heard growing up (which was a good thing). Brennan Manning’s The Ragamuffin Gospel was an earlier one as well. More recently, I’d say Lee Camp’s Mere Discipleship and Philip Gourevitch’s We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families because they caused me to think about and see things differently than I had in the past, and caused me to read other books I might not otherwise have read. Also, I’d have to throw in Erwin McManus’ Seizing Your Divine Moment with those as well, as there were some things in there that changed my perspective, too.
2. One book that you’ve read more than once:
   The Jesus I Never Knew, Disappointment With God, and probably a couple of others by Philip Yancey. I like his stuff.
3. One book you’d want on a desert island:
   It might depend on my state – if I’m stuck there, maybe something related to boat and/or raft building. Other than that, I would likely go with something fiction – maybe Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird or Lewis’ Narnia books, but most likely Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.
4. One book that made you laugh:
   Jim Mullen’s It Takes A Village Idiot was pretty funny. Also, any of Tony Kornheiser’s books – he makes me laugh.
5. One book that made you cry:
   Walking Taylor Home : A Fatal Disease, A Father’s Love, and a Son’s Courageous Journey by Brian Schrauger. My sister and her family in Nashville knew this family. Taylor was 11 years old, I believe, when he finally was taken by cancer. Reading his father’s words throughout and after that experience was a very emotional book for this father to read.
6. One book you wish had been written:
   Simple Driving Etiquette (or, How To Drive When Other People Are Also On The Road). It seems that everyone else who occupies the roads when I do could benefit from such a book.
7. One book you wish had never been written:
   Anything that Christian retailers go nuts with by hyping it up far beyond what is warranted and creating all types of “Jesus Junk” based on it. The Purpose-Driven Life and The Prayer of Jabez come to mind as more recent examples. (Jabez was short, I read it, didn’t think much of it. I tried twice to read PDL, neither time making more than about 10-15% through before abandoning it.)
8. One book you’re currently reading:
   God’s Gravity : The Upside-Down Life of Selfless Faith by Craig Borlase. Very good so far.
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:
   I was trying to think of something that I’ve been meaning to read the longest. I purchase from eBay over the last few years the trilogy by Taylor Branch on the Civil Rights movement and have yet to get to them. So, I’ll go with the Branch trilogy – Parting the Waters, Pillar of Fire and At Canaan’s Edge.
10. Tag five others:
    Okay, can’t really do that. Nearly all of the people I might tag either have already been tagged or don’t have a blog. So, I won’t “name names“, but if you’re reading this, feel free to consider yourself “tagged”. And if you don’t have your own blog, post your list in a comment here (and it’s possible that as many as 3 people will see it.)