my final 2011 reading list

these are just the "books" that make my final 2011 list. you can read my new reading philosophy HERE and see that most of my reading this year will come from non-book sources. HERE i posted all the books that were on my rough draft list but were bumped for the sake of these books below.

So, these are my FINAL 15 books i'll be reading in 2011. (then below are an extra 17 books i'm sneaking in to read in 2011 because i'm able to justify them and say they don't "count". so i'm still able to limit my book list to 15. haha.) trust me. the 17 at the bottom don't count... just read below to see my justifications.
here's my final 2011 reading list:

Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard - Chip & Dan Heath
The book these brothers wrote a year ago was the #1 book i read in 2010. This is their latest and is a no brainer for my 2011 list. my life is and will always be about CHANGING THINGS! it's why i was put on earth. And there's a lot of change that needs to happen for the Kingdom's sake. of course i need to read this book!

Humility – Andrew Murray
This book is a very old copy that belonged to my late grandmother. i even found an extremely old sheet of paper inside it that she had written to lead a Bible Study discussion group around this book. (that paper is dated January 6th, 1982... that's before i was even born.) i only wish that she and i could discuss this book together as i read it!
Andrew Murray is one of the dead guys that i always talk about that i want to be mentored by. i desperately want God to change me into someone full of humility. looking forward (and of course nervous) to reading this book.

Strengths Based Leadership – Tom Rath & Barry Osborne
Strengths Finder focused for leadership. what a powerful combination. couldn't wait to dive into this book. literally. almost finished with it.

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal – Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
Recommended highly by Jeff Henderson. his top read from 2010. nuff said. that's all it takes to make my 2011 list.

The Ragamuffin Gospel– Brennan Manning
a classic. but i've never read it. many say it's their #1 or at least in their top 5 of all time. i'm approaching it with big anticipation and expectations. i'm sure it will shove me to live my life in a much more radical way than i ever dreamed.

The 17 Indispensable Laws of Teamwork – John Maxwell
i've learned so much about leadership from this guy by trying to read everything he wrote. i desperately want to master the beauty of teamwork. i want to experience the best and most effective teamwork for the rest of my life... i hope there's at least 17 great tips in here for that.
Holy Discontent – Bill Hybels
it's been sitting on my shelf for a while. i think i know exactly what he's going to say. i'm going to pick it up when something is causing me to doubt the dream and vision God birthed in me. then i'll read this book & my soul will probably errupt.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 - Travis Bradberry
"EQ" is the big buzz word for the past however many years. i want to have very high emotional intelligence. i want to never let it be a weakness of mine.

Everything Must Change– Brian McLaren
probably my favorite author. i'll probably always read at least 1 book every year by him.

The Pocket Guide to Adulthood: 29 Things to Know Before You Turn 30 – Jason Boyett
This year or next is the year i have to read this one. i figured i'll go ahead and get a jump and read it this year. pretty funny so far. i think i know at least half of the 29 things too :)

Evil and the Justice of God – N.T. Wright
an awesome book that i "read" and wrote a report on in seminary. now i'm going to ACTUALLY read it and wrestle with this very difficult topic for me.

The Likeability Factor– Tim Sanders
i've always liked what Tim has had to say and am intrigued by the content of this book. i'm ready to give it a go. if i like this one, next year i might read Love is the Killer App.

The Mission of God – Christopher J.H. Wright
This has been on my reading list since i read the 1st couple chapters in seminary in 2007. i'm determined to finish it this year. it's a 600 page beast. but it's so worth it. amazing amazing book.

The Act of Marriage – Tim & Beverly Lahaye
i always read at least 1 book per year on sex. this is a very tame one compared to my choice for the past couple years, but i've heard it's a good one. Plus the pic of the authors on the book cracks me up and will make my day every time i look at it.

More Than Enough – Dave Ramsey
i also read at least 1 book on money every year too. since this is the only book by Dave i've never read i'll go ahead and finish them all off. maybe he'll write a new one by next year... or else i'll have to find a new money author (and add balance to who speaks into my life in the area of money - haha).

***Now, these are the rest of the books (17 more) i'm going to read this year, but they don't technically "COUNT". i wanted to limit my reading to only 15 books. i'll tell you why the ones below don't count toward the 15 above in my own way of justifying it. haha...

Audio Books - these can't count. i ONLY ever "read" them (listen to them) in my car. i never listen to an audio book any other time. just through the normal course of driving this year i'll be able to listen to all 8 of these awesome books:
Purple Cow – Seth Godin
Getting Things Done – David Allen
Making It All Work – David Allen
Freakanomics – Levitt & Dubner
SuperFreakanomics - Levitt & Dubner
What the Dog Saw – Malcolm Gladwell
A Briefer History of Time – Stephen Hawking
The Grand Design – Stephen Hawking

JUST FOR FUN - These books don't really count because they are 3 i'll just read for fun. when i don't feel like learning and i just want to be entertained and have fun reading i'll turn to these 3 for the year... 2 fiction and 1 about my fav band:
Under the Dome – Stephen King
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J.K. Rowling
Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2 – Steve Stockman

 XTRAS - 1 is a book my wife and i are reading together and the other 2 are "pot books" that i only read in a certain room of my house. they don't take time away from reading the real 15 books, therefore they don't count.
The Love Dare - Stephen Kendrick
Simply Strategic Volunteers - Tony Morgan
Taste and See - John Piper

TOO SHORT - these books are just so short that i'll read them in 1 afternoon or something. nevertheless, they are important for me to read this year.
Why We Can’t Wait – MLK
Fields of Gold - Andy Stanley
Cold Tangerines – Shauna Niequist
The Orange Leader Handbook – Reggie Joiner = this one is not actually that short, but it's a work book i'll be working through from time to time... not as much reading. it just doesn't count, ok and i didn't know where else to stick it.