Best Non-fiction I Read in 2012

1 - An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis 3/5/2012 -  Excellent - Non-fiction - A short but meaningful and deep book on literary criticism. Wow, this book was deep. I started out disagreeing with him quite a bit, thinking he was a snob. But by the end, I was nodding my head furiously and making plans to purchase this book. It was out of print, but is going to be published again shortly, if not already.

I was able to download three Francis Chan books free for Kindle a few months ago. 2 - Erasing Hell by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle - 7/5/2012 - Excellent - Inspirational;
How could a loving God send people to hell? Will people have a chance after they die to believe in Jesus and go to heaven? With a humble respect for God's Word, Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle address the deepest questions you have about eternal destiny. They've asked the same questions. Like you, sometimes they just don't want to believe in hell. But as they write, "We cannot afford to be wrong on this issue." Downloaded 3 Francis Chan books free for the Kindle (limited offer, I believe) and started with this one. Very good. Highly recommended. (Summary from Chan's website.)3 - Crazy Love by Francis Chan - 7/22/2012 - Excellent - Inspirational; Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and don'ts — it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same. Wow, this was a motivating book! Read it! (Summary from Chan's website.)

4 - Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski - 8/7/2012 - Excellent - Inspirational; Chan contends that we've ignored the Holy Spirit for far too long, and we are reaping the disastrous results. Thorough scriptural support and compelling narrative form Chan's invitation to stop and remember the One we've forgotten, the Spirit of the living God. Loved this book - very challenging!

5 - Harry Potter's Bookshelf by John Granger 8/23/2012 - Excellent - Non-fiction; Examines the literary traditions and elements of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Wow, if you are interested in Harry Potter and how it relates to the literary world at large, try this book on for size. SO much to think about. And I will need to read it again. After I read the HP series again, of course.

6 - Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna - 12/14/2012 Excellent - Non-fiction; The history of church traditions - pagan or Biblical Very interesting. Why do we have a pastor? Take an offering? Have a church building? Dress up to go to church? Have a choir? Do you think these customs are Biblical or chosen by man? I read this little by little over a long period of time.

7 - God's Story, Your Story by Max Lucado - 3/23/2012 - Excellent - Inspirational; See how your day-to-day story intersects with God's grand epic of everlasting redemption. Fit very well with the themes of the prayer book I read twice recently (A Praying Life by Paul Miller). Hadn't read this one by Lucado before but I read many of his about ten years ago or so. 

8 - The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado 5/26/2012 - Excellent - Inspirational; A study of the Beatitudes with a focus on joy. Been too long since I read Lucado. Going to make it a regular habit!

A notable non-fiction re-read was A Praying Life by Paul Miller. I read this near the end of 2011 and immediately re-read it, finishing it at the end of January 2012. I think I'm about due for another perusal of its pages.
(I apologize for the weird highlighting. I don't have time to fix it today.)

What interesting non-fiction did you read in 2012? Comment and let me know your recommendations.

And check out my post containing my fiction recommendations for 2012.