Fiction

1. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
Other than the Bible, I believe these are the greatest books ever written. With disarming
simplicity, they invite us into a Biblically-rooted narrative imbued with tremendous spiritual
power. Indeed, I’ve never read anything with a greater capacity to reorient the human heart toward the things of God. Finally, while modest and unassuming in style, they were also crafted with astonishing intellectual sophistication (see Planet Narnia by Michael Ward). No other books have shaped me more.

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2. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
The greatest novel I’ve ever read. No other work of literature so beautifully presents the Gospel in all of its life-changing, heart-wrenching, transformative glory.

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3. Villette - Charlotte Bronte
The greatest work by arguably the greatest writer in English since Shakespeare, Bronte here reaches a level of theological sophistication and spiritual profundity that is unmatched. It may sometimes be difficult to breathe in the rarified air into which she leads us, but it is well worth the effort.

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4. Green Dolphin Street - Elizabeth Goudge
One of the most underrated novels ever written. A moving account of human weakness,
disillusionment, and the redemptive nature of suffering. Goudge’s The Dean’s Watch is also well worth reading.

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5. The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkein
The most transcendent work of fantasy ever written. An unapologetic celebration of how love, truth, and beauty will ultimately triumph over evil. Incidentally, for many years this story was embraced by Christians behind the Iron Curtain as an inspirational resource for enduring tyranny and persecution. May it strengthen our own resolve as well.

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6. The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
The most insightful and instructive depiction of our spiritual enemy I’ve read. It is also a
surprisingly touching account of an ordinary man’s attempt to fight the good fight of faith.

7. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
In spite of its vulgarity, and at times uneven storytelling, it is one of the great contemporary novels of our time, a breathtakingly funny and moving account of love, sacrifice, and the sovereignty of God.

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8. Beach House - Pat Conroy
At a time in my youth when I was struggling with depression and the painful dynamics of
familial dysfunction, this book proved to be cathartic. While deeply troubling at times and
exceedingly profane, it may also be Conroy’s most uplifting and redemptive work.

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9. The Robe - Lloyd Douglas
The first ‘grownup’ novel I ever read (back in 3 rd grade), this story made the historical context around Jesus’ life and death come alive in a way I’d never experienced before.

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10. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
Although it is not Dicken’s greatest work (Bleak House or Great Expectations would likely hold that place of honor) it has one of the most memorable ‘Gospel’ conclusions ever written.

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11. Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
The most realistic and spiritually insightful of Austen’s novels, the story of Fanny Price
(Austen’s most singular heroine) is a nuanced exploration of the trials, temptations, costs, and consolations of living with integrity.

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12. The Wingfeather Saga - Andrew Peterson
The closest anyone has come to The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings since the genius of Lewis and Tolkien.

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13. This Present Darkness - Frank Peretti
This book had a significant impact on my spiritual worldview in high school, providing an
engaging (albeit fanciful) representation of what spiritual warfare may look like ‘behind the
scenes.’

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14. The Jeeves novels - P.G. Wodehouse

A ‘joyful heart is good medicine’ (Prov. 17.22) and the Lord has given us a wonderful capacity for humor. On days when you need something light and laugh-out-loud funny, this is the best medicine you can find.

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15. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
In high school, when I was looking for men who exemplified strength, courage, and integrity, Atticus Finch was the fictional character I most admired.

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16. The Giver - Lois Lowry
The greatest young-adult novel I’ve ever read. Perhaps even more morally prescient now than when it was written. As a runner-up within the young-adult genre, I was also greatly impacted as an adolescent by Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.

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17. The Life of Pi - Yann Martel
A fascinating and often ambiguous exploration of comparative religion, spirituality, and the
nature of allegory, all framed within the gripping tale of a young boy adrift in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. A wonderful springboard into discussions around ultimate truth, religious inclusivity, and the nature of objectivity.

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18. Gilead - Marilynne Robinson
A work of exquisite beauty. The reflections of a congregationalist minister who knows he is
dying. It will help you to reflect well on your own life, and to ‘understand your life backwards while your live your life forwards,’ in the words of Kierkegaard.

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19. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
A horrifyingly accurate depiction of the corrosive nature of sin. Read humbly and reflectively, it is smelling salts for the soul.

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20. The Road - Cormac McCarthy
A gripping tale of survival set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future. Surprisingly poignant as it wrestles with existential questions around love, honor, and meaning, in the context of a nuclear wasteland.