Summer Reading Recommendations--2021 Edition

 Ah, summer! The perfect time for grilling, swimming—and reading! Though maybe not all at the same time—books do not play well with either fire or water. In what may prove to be an annual tradition, I’d like to present the 2021 edition of my summer reading recommendations. With little concern for my personal health or sanity, I have continued reading at a reckless pace since I presented you with the 2020 edition of these recommendations. Okay—I actually enjoyed almost every minute of my reading time, so it wasn’t much of a sacrifice. And now, with hopefully a little something for everyone, here are my recommendations:

 

For Children

In this category, I’d like to first mention a whole series of books that are well worth your time. The series is Tales that Tell the Truth from The Good Book Company. My family owns numerous books from this series and my children have wanted to read them over and over again—and the truths from Scripture that these books express are worthy of being pondered over and over again.

 

Recently, my children and I have enjoyed Go and Do Likewise by John Hendrix, a book that re-tells some of the parables of Christ. John was an acquaintance of mine in a campus ministry during my year at the University of Kansas, and his illustrating skills are put to great use in relating truths from Scripture. His drawings are incredibly imaginative—fascinating for both young and old alike. I am interested in checking out his historical graphic novels on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the abolitionist John Brown.

 

Fiction

Though much of my reading time ends up being devoted to non-fiction works, I enjoy the slivers of time that I get to return to good works of fiction. I think it helps me become a better communicator.

 

One work of fiction I greatly enjoyed recently was Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. It is not hard to see why this book is a classic in the detective genre. Do yourself a favor and get the audiobook version read by actor Kenneth Branagh. All of the dialogue in this book makes it a perfect fit for the audiobook genre, and Branagh seems to have a great time producing the dialects of the various characters in this book, many of whom hail from different nationalities.

 

The Space Trilogy by C. S. Lewis will be of interest to anyone who enjoys science fiction as well as anyone interested in theology. The way that Lewis uses space travel to speculate about the role of angels in creation is particularly fascinating. The third book, That Hideous Strength, is Lewis’s warning about the potential dangers of an unchecked scientific community coming to dominate society.

 

Every American ought to read two books by George Orwell that skewer and lampoon the realities of life under a totalitarian state. First, pick up Animal Farm, a highly-readable novel that ought to be required reading in every high school in the United States. Follow up that book with his longer work, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

 

Non-Fiction

History buffs will love the works by Erik Larson. I particularly enjoyed Dead Wake and The Splendid and The Vile. The subject matter of The Devil in the White City made that book a little less enjoyable for me, and consequently I didn’t get through the whole thing. Isaac’s Storm was a fascinating account of a long-forgotten natural disaster in American history—the destruction of Galveston, TX in 1900 by a hurricane.

 

Born Again by Charles Colson is a good reminder that God is at work within the halls of power. This autobiography from Colson has a little something for everyone—history, political intrigue, true crime, and a conversion story to boot!

 

The nation of Israel has been in the headlines lately and the resulting discussions on social media have revealed that many people are utterly uninformed about how the modern nation of Israel came to be and how it has lived among its neighbors. Do yourself a favor and read Return to Zion by Eric Gartman. This work of history is highly readable and will leave you with a broader context for understanding current events.

 

Religious liberty has been a hot topic in the United States since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions on gatherings. Anyone interested in this subject ought to read Sacred Liberty by Steven Waldman. This book traces the history of religious liberty in the United States and shows how this “first freedom” has been understood differently at different times.

 

Christian Living

All of us will be affected at some time by a terminal illness, either in our own body or in that of someone we love. For Thou Art With Me by Bruce Baker is an excellent resource for both thinking through and living through the realities of a terminal illness. Baker is a long-time pastor and theology professor, and he knows that of which he speaks—he has been slowly progressing through his own battle with ALS for several years now.

 

Most Christians could stand to have a better grasp of church history. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History by A. Kenneth Curtis will help you achieve just that. The layout of this book will allow you to bounce around a bit in history if you’d like and then fill in the rest of the narrative in your mind by reading the remaining events on the list.

 

Heavy-Lifting

For those brave souls looking for a challenge!

 

Many Christians face absolute bewilderment as they try to make sense of contemporary society. Two books—one older, one newer—will help you get a better grasp on society as it is today in the Western world. How Should We Then Live? by Francis Schaeffer is a classic book on this subject from one of the keenest observers of society from a Christian perspective. A newer book along these lines that deserves a wide readership is The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman. Being hot-off-the-press, this book has extremely helpful discussions of ongoing debates about issues like sex and gender.

 

Happy reading!