Literature that Kindles My Mind

Here’s a list of some books that have entertained me, given me thoughts to ponder, inspired me, moved me.

Nonfiction

• The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food and Love by Kristin Kimball (reconfirmed for me that farm living was not the life for me—would probably have been the death of me—but still glad it is for others)
• The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness by Brianna Karp (hard-hitting, raw)
• One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp (Christian inspirational. I’m in process of reading it now for a book discussion group I’m in)
• Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard (Christian Inspirational classic; my sister Robyn gave me this when I was at a fearful, lonely, low place—such a blessing)
• Bad Girls of the Bible; Really Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs (Sort of a Bible study but reads like fiction; love her style and wit)
• Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Classics

• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (my all-time favorite. I re-read it every other year or so)
• The Robe by Lloyd Douglas (also read this one every few years)
• Lost Horizon by James Hilton
• The Listener by Taylor Caldwell
• Anne of Green Gables; The Story Girl by Lucy Maud Montgomery
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Christian Fiction (for the most part non-sappy)

• The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt
• The Silver Sword; Golden Cross; The Velvet Shadow; The Emerald Isle (The Heirs of Cahira O’Connor series) by Angela Hunt (historical fiction)
• All Together in One Place; No Eye Can See; What Once We Loved (Kinship & Courage Series; historical fiction) by Jane Kirkpatrick
• Mad Mary by Liz Curtis Higgs
• Mitford Series; Father Tim Series by Jan Karon
• Firebird Trilogy by Kathy Tyers (Sci-fi)

Fiction / Mystery / Sci-fi / Horror

• The Testament by John Grisham
• The Alienist; The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr (Historical mystery series)
• Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake series) by C. J. Sansom (historical mystery; I haven’t read them all yet)
• The Confession; A Lonely Death (and several more in the Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery series) by Charles Todd
• An Unmarked Grave; Bitter Truth (and several more in the Bess Armstrong mystery series) by Charles Todd
• The Pawn; The Rook; The Knight (the Bowers Files series) by Steven James (Suspense)
• The Best of Evil; A Shred of Truth (Aramis Black series) by Eric Wilson (Suspense)
• Deadfall; Germ by Robert Liparulo (Suspense)
• Open Season; Savage Run; Winterkill (and several more in the Joe Pickett, Wyoming Game Warden series) by C. J. Box
• Track of the Cat; A Superior Death; Ill Wind; Firestorm (and several more in the Anna Pigeon, Park Ranger series) by Nevada Barr
• The Stand; The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
• Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
• The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
• Stones From the River by Ursula Hegi
• The Sparrow; Children of God by Mary Doria Russell
• Out of the Silent Planet; Perlandra; That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis

Mythical / Fantasy

• Taliesin; Merlin (and several more in the Pendragon Cycle series) by Stephen Lawhead
• Hood; Scarlet (and several more in the King Raven series) by Stephen Lawhead
• Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead
• The Hobbit; The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkein
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis