best books I read last year

I keep an exhaustive list of all the books I read. Although I'm almost a month late, here are my top picks for 2004:

The Marriage of Meggotta by Edith Pargeter-
I read this beautifully written novel for a History of England course. It was amazing -- one of the best romance stories I've ever read (and I'd recommend it to men or women!). It's completely historically based, and says much about life and marriage in the medieval English aristocracy. Some of the purely political passages lost me a bit, if I remember right, but the main story line more than makes up for it.

The Modern Library Writer's Workshop by Stephen Koch-
This is an exposition on how to write fiction. It reads more like a story than a how-to manual. It made me want to sit down and write!

Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman-
My sister recommended this book to me, and I'll pass that recommendation on to you. This novel is, like Pargeter's book, based on a true story. It features a 16-year-old Boston girl who marries a Canadian mounted policeman and moves with him to the Canadian wilderness. After extreme hardship, she must choose whether she wants to return to her "civilized" home in Boston or remain with the pain, and love, she's found in barren Canada.

Desiring God by John Piper-
Okay, wow. Even though it took me months to chug through this book, I'm so thankful I never stopped reading it. Piper argues that the purpose of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. He's got me convinced. A must-read.

Scribbling in the Sand by Michael Card-
This book would be just an average Christian inspirational book on art and creativity, if it weren't for the letters Card asks his theological friends to write in the latter part of the book. They were meaty, 2-3 page letters, and they convinced me to add the book to this list.

A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle-
Although some of L'Engle's claims about God and Christianity sometimes make me raise my eyebrows, I thoroughly enjoyed this autobiographical traipse through bits and pieces of L'Engle's life. Written much like a journal, A Circle of Quiet convinced me that I really can make something of, say, this blog.