52 49 Books in 52 Weeks: Books 45-49: Challenge Wrap-Up

As the year comes to a close, I am only a little disappointed that I didn't make it all the way to 52 books.  After all, I did start in mid-February, so I did read more than 1 book per week during the time I was participating in the challenge.   

I did my best during the last 3 days of the year to catch up, and managed about 1 book a day.  I really wanted to at least make it to the nice, round number of 50, but, alas, it was not to be.  So, without further ado, here are the last 5 books I read, with my apologies for the incredibly skimpy reviews. They are all good books that I would recommend, with the caveat that the "Hornet's Nest" has a significant amount of language, violence, and sexual content. 

This is the conclusion to Larsson's trilogy and it mostly lives up to the drama and excitement of the first two.  I really enjoyed it, and was sad when it when it was over, because we will have no more novels from Stieg Larsson.  I will miss these characters.

This is an incredibly important book.  I think every pastor, youth leader, and Christian parent should read it.  Why are so many Christian young people apathetic about their Christian faith?  What do they really believe?  I started reading this book months ago & planned to do a long and pretty detailed review of it, but I've run out of time.  I don't agree with everything this author says, but for the most part, she is spot on.  This book is really good and really important. It's not just about teenagers.  It's about everyone in the evangelical Christian church in America.  Highly recommended reading for Christians.

Another book highly recommended for Christian parents. Not an easy read - that is - it is a very spiritually challenging book that will cause you to really examine your parenting methods  and evaluate your own spiritual condition. Very much in line with Tedd Tripp's "Shepherding a Child's Heart". 

I just love discovering a new author who writes really suspenseful fiction with well-developed characters.  This year I discovered Jodi Picoult, and I am looking forward to reading many more of her books next year.  Just like when I read "House Rules", I had trouble putting this one down.  It has many twists and turns, as well as fascinating issues of faith and deeply wrenching personal and ethical decisions to be made by her characters.

My final book of 2010 - another gripping tale from Jodi Picoult.   A dead infant is found in the barn of a devout Amish farmer in Paradise, Pennsylvania.  All the evidence points to the farmer's 18 year old daughter, who has obviously given birth in the past 24 hours, though she kept her pregnancy hidden from her family.  She adamantly denies the pregnancy, but she is arrested on suspicion of murdering her newborn.  Events bring high-powered Philadelphia attorney Ellie Hathaway into the situation. What will she discover as she undertakes young Katie Fisher's defense? 

Well, now it's on to 2011 and a new 52 books in 52 weeks. I'm exited to start again and I already have a stack of books awaiting me!

Sojourner