and the answers.....

1. The transforming power of prayer by James Houston - this book made me think a lot about how our other relationships affect our relationship with God - and vice versa.
2. Mansfield Park - I used to identify with Fanny as a shy anti-heroine - greater self knowledge has taught me I am quite different from Fanny in many ways - but there is still a little bit of me like Fanny. Well guessed Kris.
3.Raising Great kids: parenting with grace and truth by Cloud and Townsend. I almost chose Grace based parenting, but Nicole had used that already. This book perhaps didn't inspire me as much as the former, which I read first, but is probably a more consistently good, balanced approach.
4. To serve them all my days by RF Delderfield. About a welsh teacher's experience at a private English school at which he eventually becomes Principal. I have welsh ancestry, but I liked this book ever since I saw the BBC series. I love any stories of the impact teachers have, and so stories such as this one helped me to realise that I have the heart of a teacher.
5. Women in the church by Grenz and Kjesbo. This book helped me think through the issue of women in ministry. It takes a decided stand in favour of full participation in all roles, but does so with a respectful and thorough treatment of the different issues and positions.
6. Lord of the Rings: fellowship of the ring, Tolkien. Good guess Kris. This book helped me see the powerful emotional connection our imaginations can make with stories of the battle between good and evil, a connection I believe is hardwired And of course it showed me that even the smallest....
7. Christian Theology: an introduction, McGrath. This is the first theology book I read, and it made me realise that I wasn't alone in all the thoughts continually going round my head. I cried. I started to think that I was going to like studying theology.
8. The Complete English Poems, Donne. I had grown up loving and writing poetry, but Donne was perhaps my first grown up choice. He definitely affected my poetry, and my creative writing lecturer at Uni detected this by musing that at times I was a bit like a contemporary Donne (or word to that effect). Well done Nicole!
9. The Messiah by Handel. My mum passed on her copy of the score to me when I studied singing. Handel takes you to the steps of heaven. And strangely that emotional and spiritual connection to the music meant I sang it well - my singing teacher remarked it was odd that I could sing difficult pieces by Handel better than I sung simpler tunes. Well guessed Nicole again!
10. Barchester Tower by Trollope. Nicole got pretty close. I love this whole series. I think as someone who grew up a minister's daughter, I have no illusions about the church - it is packed with politics. But then also, I have had the privilege of knowing some of the most wonderful people in the church too. The Barsetshire Chronicles show the church warts and all, and yet also show the power of faith in Christ. And although the series is mostly on the side of high church, and as a Baptist I'm low church, it makes it very clear that authentic Christians are found in all the different "parties" in the church.

Well there you have a bit of insight into me. Thanks for asking me Nicole. Since Kris played along, I tag Kris.