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Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession © 2008
Alfred A. Knopf
245 pages

What does it take for an atheist who authored the famous Vampire novels to return to the faith of her childhood—and to live out that faith in her publishing commitments? Nothing but the love of Jesus.
This book will move you. There’s an honest simplicity [...]

God’s Rivals: Why Has God Allowed Different Religions? Insights from the Bible and the Early Church © 2007
InterVarsity Press
181 pages

This book promised more than it delivered. McDermott never gets around to suggesting an answer to the question of why God allowed different religions.
He starts with a chapter on “The Scandal of Particularity”, which only heightened [...]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo © 2005
Translation by Reg Keeland © 2008
Knopf
465 pages

I bought this because I felt like reading something different. I don’t often read murder mysteries, but Barnes & Noble had a stack of these books at the front of the store alongside a very persuasive write-up.
The book was so compelling, I [...]

The Burial of Jesus: History and Faith © 2008
James F. McGrath (Exploring Our Matrix)
142 pages

You can’t use the right tools for the wrong job. You can’t open a paint can with a Phillips screwdriver, you can’t cut a steak with a butter knife, you can’t pull a shot of espresso in a percolator, and you [...]

A Timbered Choir: The Sabbath Poems 1979-1997
© 1998
Counterpoint
216 pages

This past summer I paddled the Missinaibi River from Missinaibi Lake to Mattice. In the evenings around the campfire, I would read a poem or two from this volume.
Berry’s a farmer from Kentucky, so it might seem odd that his poems felt appropriate in the Northern [...]

The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation
© 2000
Harper Collins
205 pages

A stranger walks into an isolated village and offers unimaginable wealth to the villagers if someone is found murdered by the end of the week. What a great premise for a story! It’s sad that such an interesting idea came to such a [...]

The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible © 2008
Zondervan
236 pages

I grew up proud of the fact that my church didn’t follow a set liturgy—we followed the Spirit instead. I cringe at the arrogance while writing that now, but it used to be my reality. As I grew up I met a professor who [...]

Wise Blood: A Novel © 1962
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
236 pages

This book is overwhelming. O’Connor has a knack for placing her vividly imagined characters in bizarre (yet somehow appropriate) situations.
I’ve often thought that “classic” novels should be read for the beauty of their prose–the plot is often irrelevant. For example, you can read any random chapter [...]

Wintergreen: Reflections from Loon Lake © 1999
Key Porter Books
150 pages

Beautiful. Simply beautiful.
If you’ve ever spent time in the wilderness, you should read this book. You will find yourself mentally revisiting all the places you’ve camped. More than that, Hummel will make you want to return to the outdoors. Hummel’s love for nature is so contagious, [...]

Life with God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation
© 2008
HarperOne
224 pages

I expected a lot from this book. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline (along with Lewis’ Mere Christianity) are the two most important books I’ve ever read. I’ve followed Foster for years now, reading everything he’s written. I’ve attended a fantastic Renovaré conference, and have even used [...]