Annie Dillard wrote, “Who would call a day spent reading a good day? But a life spent reading – that is a good life.” Bibliophiles, take note. Whether you plan to read 10 books or 100 this year in 2026, below are recommendations from 2025.
1. Practical Religion, J.C. Ryle – Ryle, an Anglican English bishop and prolific author in the late 1800s, covers numerous topics from the importance of the Lord’s Supper, the centrality of Scripture, and the importance of prayer to worldliness and charity in the Christian life.
2. Conflict of Visions, Thomas Sowell – Sowell provides a cogent, densely-packed overview of two contrasting visions that affect how we view every area of life, from politics to social issues to economics to public policy. His thesis is as relevant today as when published in 1987, perhaps more.
3. The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan – The classic allegory highlighting the journey of faith as Christian battles through a host of challenges to reach the celestial city. A must read given its importance throughout history and its ease of reference.
4. Rembrandt is in the Wind, Russ Ramsey – Many books can inform, challenge, and engage the reader, but few can inspire. With a keen eye for detail and through biographical sketches of the masters such as Van Gogh, Caravaggio, and Vermeer, Ramsey inspires his readers to consider beauty and aesthetics, and to pursue observation, reflection, and contemplation of great art.
5. The Completion of C.S. Lewis, Harry Lee Poe – This third book in a Lewis biographical trilogy is lively, well researched, and for the most part honest aside from some tendency toward hagiography – easy to do with someone so admired and gifted as Lewis.
6. In Harm’s Way, Doug Stanton – A harrowing history about the torpedoing of the USS Indianapolis and a fight for survival. Astounding true story that reads like a thriller. Incredible story.
7. Something Wicked this Way Comes, Ray Bradbury – A master of the science fiction genre, Bradbury tells the story of two children who meet an ominous carnival traveling through their fictional small town in Illinois. This book is best read in the fall to get the maximum effect of setting, a literary device at which Bradbury excels.
8. Scrolling Ourselves to Death: Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age – Brett McCracken, et al. – A tribute to Neil Postman’s seminal work in 1985, Amusing Ourselves to Death. The Christian contributors bring Postman’s observations to current technologies for challenging our humanity.
9. Jubal Sackett, Louis L’Amour – L’Amour’s novels about Western expansion and exploration mix history, adventure, and man’s desire to conquer and take dominion. The fourth book in the engaging Sackett saga, comprised of nineteen books (!).
10. Perfect Eloquence: An Appreciation of Vin Scully, Tom Hoffarth, ed. – This collection of essays features reflections and testimonies to the professionalism, competence, and integrity of debatably the best sportscaster ever (with perhaps local favorite Dave Neihaus a close second).
11. The Last Kalethar, Gerrit Hansen – That’s not a typo! Our own Gerrit Hansen (secondary history and rhetoric teacher) published a book last year that blends Indonesian history, fantasy, science fiction, and a classic good vs. evil plotline. Buy a copy and he may even sign it for you!
