Summer’s here which means it’s time to grab a glass of iced tea and feel the sunshine on your legs as you get lost in a book. So, as you pile up a summer reading list, here’s ten suggestions that will deepen your love for God, the world that he made, and the story he’s writing.
Fiction
1. Gilead by Marilyn Robinson (Amazon, Audible)
- If you could pack all the laziness of a summer afternoon into a book, Gilead would be it. Oh, and it won a Pulitzer prize despite being chalked full of explicitly Christian themes. How did Robinson manage to pull that off? She writes about life in a way that sinks into your bones and renews your wonder for the physical world.
2. Paul by Walter Wangerin (Amazon, Audible)
- Step onto the streets of Corinth, smell the freshly cut leather and see Paul hunched on a stool with a needle in his hand. Told from the perspective of Priscilla, Timothy, Seneca, and others, this novel will draw you into the drama of the church’s struggle to discover exactly what the Gospel is and isn’t. By filling in sensory details you’ll get a fresh look at the wonderful messiness of the Church’s early years.
3. Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis (Amazon, Audible)
- If, like me, you’re one of Lewis’s fans but have never meandered through Till We Have Faces, you’ll want to fix that this summer. I finally picked it up after hearing again how it was the novel he was most proud of. During the first three quarters of the book, I was confused by it’s averageness and wondered what I was missing, but then I read the ending and discovered all over again that he’s a genius.
4. The First Time We Saw Him by Matt Mikalatos (Amazon)
- Ever wonder what it would’ve been like to follow Jesus around in 30 AD, seeing him cast a demon out of a naked guy, hearing his parables and knowing instantly what a minas was because you had one in your pocket? The First Time We Saw Him presents the gospel stories as they might have unfolded in 21st Century America. This “emotional translation,” as Mikalatos calls it, hit me with in a new way, at the heart level.
Biography
5. Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More–Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist by Karen Swallow Prior (Amazon, Audible)
- When a friend gave me this book for my birthday, I couldn’t believe I’d never heard of Hannah More. A woman in 18th century England, More was one of the unlikeliest people to change history–unmarried, without fortune or formal education, and plagued by poor health, but she believed in God and worked away at her corner of the world, eventually shaping a nation. The book unfolds topically, rather than chronologically, so I recommend listening to it on Audible if you can. Also, the reader has a smashing British accent.
Nonfiction
6. Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch (Amazon, Audible)
- Some people say the Bible is countercultural, but this book follows culture as God weaves it from Genesis to Revelation, starting with the Garden of Eden and ending with a city, the New Jerusalem. Culture-making, according to Crouch, is a central aspect of being made in the image of God, so whether you’re a scientist about to cure cancer or a high school student flipping burgers, this book will give you a bigger vision for how you fill your days.
7. The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers (Amazon)
- Sayers, like her friend C. S. Lewis, wrote fiction, translated classical works from Greek and Latin, and challenged readers to think more deeply and creatively about God. In Mind of the Maker, Sayers puts the Nicene Creed into conversation with her experience as an author. The result, if you can make it through some patches of dense philosophy, is a fresh and surprising look at the Trinity.
8. “Will God Annihilate the World” by Michael J. Svigel
- I realize that not everyone lays awake at night wondering if God is going to scrap this world when makes the new heaven and new earth, but I did. At least, it was gnawing at my brain for a while, since the Bible seems to say both that God will annihilate the world and that he won’t. Svigel lays out both sets of verses and finds a way through. If you’ve ever wondered about these things, this article is for you. If not, move along.
Periodicals
9. Behemoth Magazine (online)
- When I stumbled onto this magazine, the scientist, artist, and theologian that run my brain joined hands and shouted hooray. Any given issue might have a poem about fireflies right next to an article about some math concept you’ve never heard of but leaves you worshipping God. There is a subscription fee, but you can also follow the magazine on Twitter and read articles as they post them there.
10. Image Journal (online, print journal)
- For any artist or writer, this journal is gold. It features contemporary art that dialogues with faith and mystery. While Image is a Christian publication, it welcomes work from other faith backgrounds and in doing so provides a window into how other people experience the world and struggle with God. Reading Image often leaves me bit more honest about the challenges of living by faith…and feeling a tad more artistic.
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Gilead was the first time I read a book, finished, and immediately started over at the beginning. My favorite review of “Till We Have Faces” stated “No man should have that much insight into the mind of a woman”. Best recent book for me was “Peace Like a River”. Sort of a murder mystery, but lots of good insights.
I haven’t heard of Peace Like a River. Will have to check it out. Thanks!
I second the “Peace Like a River” book recommendation! It was definitely one of the most enjoyable, thought-provoking novels I’ve read in the last couple of years.