Some of these are new in 2012; others are Christmas gifts or library books that I plan to read soon:

Coming in 2012:
Why Jesus? Rediscovering His Truth in an Age of Mass Market Spirituality by Ravi Zacharias. Apologetics from one of the best Christian apologists who’s writing books to speak to the twenty-first century pagan. January 18, 2012.

Letters to Heaven: Reaching Beyond the Great Divide by Calvin Miller. Calvin Miller is sometimes hit or miss with me. I love his Singer series of fantasy books, and I asked for two of his books on Celtic prayer and spirituality for Christmas. However, others of his books have not lived up to the Singer trilogy’s high standard. The blurb for this nonfiction book sounds intriguing: “Reflecting on those who influenced him, his poignant epistles to C.S. Lewis, Todd Beamer, Oscar Wilde, and others encourage us to share with our loved ones now so we don’t leave this world with regrets.” January 23, 2012.

Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis by Lauren Winner. Oooh, I like Lauren Winner. If you’ve never read her conversion story, Girl Meets God, you really should hunt it down. January 20, 2012.

Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid’s Memoir That Inspired “Upstairs, Downstairs” and “Downton Abbey” by Margaret Powell. Not really new, first published in 1968, but to be re-issued in January in a new edition. I am so looking forward to the second season of Downton Abbey, and this book would be a perfect accompaniment.

When I Was a Child I Read Books: Essays by Marilynne Robinson. March 13, 2012.

The Fourth Fisherman: How Three Mexican Fishermen Who Came Back from the Dead Changed My Life and Saved My Marriage by Joe Kissack. March 13, 2012.

A Daughter’s Tale: The Memoir of Winston Churchill’s Youngest Child by Mary Soames. I’m interested in almost anything about Winston Churchill. April 24, 2012.

Christmas gifts:
Truman by David McCullough.

The Path of Celtic Prayer: An Ancient Way to Everyday Joy by Calvin Miller.

Library finds:
London 1945: Life in the Debris of War by Maureen Waller.

Sahara Unveiled: A Journey Across the Desert by William Langewiesche.

Angry Wind: Through Muslim Black Africa by Truck, Bus, Boat, and Camel by Jeffrey Tayler.