Part one?  Yep, this baby is big. 

We’ve listed some categories—trying to be just a tad clever, but nothing over the top—and named our choices for the best of the best.  Best Books, Most Important, Best Contribution to Theology, Best of Social Concerns, we’ve named awards for everything from memoir to worldview studies to church life to one that was mediocre but I still wanted to honor, so we made up that category.  Of course these are highly subjective, and merely the—ahem–odd opinions of this old bookseller (I hope the author doesn’t mind the back-handed compliment.)  I am sure you’ll find some titles that I am sure you’ve heard of and will agree deserve commendation, and I suspect you’ll be surprised to find a few new gems.  We know our little bookstore and blog doesn’t get any press and these poor authors sure don’t gain anything from our hoorays, such as they are.  But we want to name them.  We hope you enjoy seeing our choices. 

PART TWO is being lovingly proof-read by the lovely Beth, my partner-in-crime in this ceremonial listing.  Look for that next week, Lord willing.

Wish we had a Hollywood red carpet and some glitzy ballroom in which to do our announcing. These authors, editors, and publishers deserve all the honor we can offer.  These may be hard days for booksellers and we all wonder about the future of print, the habits of our heart and mind these days among our people, and how the discipline of reading may or may not fare in the days ahead, even in the church.  But these are tremendous days for religious publishing, and we are proud to give some attention to those we have most loved and most appreciated in the year of our Lord, 2009.