my book list

So I have books on the brain since I can't decide whether to continue or abandon my current read.  So I decided to make a list in no particular order of books that have made an impact on me and our my personal must read:

1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

I can't even begin to describe how good this book is.  It isn't good in a make you feel good, but it changes the way you see science, medicine, race, and the poor.  It is my favorite book.  It is a great book for discussion. 

2.  Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

I love when a book can help you see the other side of the story and change your opinions on certain topics which Jodi Picoult has been able to do on several topics, this one was the first that I read that changed my mind.

3.   The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

Historical fiction and a thriller mixed into one, this one was just a good read. 

4.  A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Though this is fiction, it opened my eyes to life in a third world country and the extreme poverty and corruption that exists in the world.   A very sad tale, but eye opening.

5.  7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

This book really has changed the way I look at food, money, media, clothing, and possessions.  At times Jen can be a little over the top and dramatic, but the chapters on spending, possessions, and media really impacted me.

6.  Prey by Michael Crichton
 
This book got me hooked into scientific thrillers.  I love biology and thrillers and this book combined the two and got me started reading all of Crichton's books.

7.  Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

I love all of Rob Bell's books and this one was my first.  I love the way it is written the way he speaks.  He explains faith in a language I understand.  I love learning about the history and traditions that help explain the stories in the Bible.  I want to know context and he explains the context associated with biblical stories.

8.  The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

I loved this book because it got me thinking about how absurd colonial missionaries were in places were such as Africa and that they never consider the culture and history of those people they were trying to convert. 

9.  Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
 
This book taught me so much about what was going on in Japan during World War II and immediately afterwards.  It is an amazing story of survival that at times seems unbelievable,  a true story that reads like fiction.

10.  Love Wins by Rob Bell

This book is extremely controversial, but I love that he asks all of the questions that I have always had when it comes to heaven and hell, but never got satisfactory answers for.  All I have to say is: he gets it.