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If you’re looking to pack some books into your beach bag or load up your Kindle for some summer reading, here are some titles to consider. All of these are excellent, and you won’t be disappointed.

MEMOIR

Life is Mostly Edges by Calvin Miller

This is the kind of autobiography I love to read. It’s bursting with colorful memories that take you back to an impoverished childhood and it’s full of insights from decades in the tough trenches of pastoral ministry. I laughed. I cried. I took notes. How often does one do all three of those things when reading a single book?

HISTORY

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

The life story of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini, is easily one of the best books I’ve ever read. I was moved to tears by the wondrous power of the Holy Spirit to change a heart. For more information, check out: “What Finally Broke Louis Zamperini.”

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

This is one of the most riveting historical accounts I have come across. By interweaving these three individuals’ lives and the larger narrative of the Migration, she paints a stunning portrait of life in the Jim Crow era. You can read my longer review.

CLASSICS

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (new translation by Julie Rose)

I read the more common English translation a few years ago and enjoyed it (the story is a classic, after all), but Rose’s translation is like going from a black-and-white television to color. See several posts of “quotes to ponder” from this excellent work.

Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton

In my first reading, I felt a little like I was stumbling through a dense jungle while finding diamonds and jewels all around me. The density of the thought pattern was mind-bending, yet there were so many gold nuggets to be found that I couldn’t turn back. I’ve reread it several times since. This past year, Matthew Lee Anderson and I read through and discussed Orthodoxy here on the blog.

JUSTICE FOR THE UNBORN

The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf

This is an important book for the pro-life movement. Scott takes the highly sophisticated arguments made against abortion-on-demand and brings them down to a level that anyone can understand. You can read my full review of the book and my interview with Scott.

THEOLOGY

Here are two books that have recently been reissued in 25th anniversary editions, for good reason:

Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony (25th Anniversary Edition) by Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon

A thought-provoking book that has increased my passion for the local church and the extraordinary nature of living an “ordinary” Christian life, this has the effect of an earthquake that shakes things up and then leaves you with a new landscape once the dust settles. You can read my full review.

Theology of the Reformers (25th Anniversary Edition) by Timothy George

Dr. George’s book was a required text for me in seminary. It is one of the most memorable academic books I came across during my studies — concise, accessible, with a good mix of biographical information and theological exposition for four pioneers of the Reformation era. I did a two part interview with him about the book (part 1, part 2).

APOLOGETICS

Unapologetic by Francis Spufford

The brilliance of this book is in Spufford’s writing style and the fresh approach he takes to creating space for Christianity to thrive in contemporary society. The section that describes Christ’s betrayal, suffering, and death is an especially powerful and poignant potrayal of various aspects of what Christ’s work achieved. Here is my full review.

Between Heaven and Hell by Peter Kreeft

This may be marketed as a conversation between C.S. Lewis, John F. Kennedy, and Aldous Huxley, but this is clearly Lewis’ show. Kreeft does a terrific job of giving voice to Lewis’ thought, and it’s Lewis’ view that ends up most persuasive. If you want to read an engaging book that shows the collision of three worldviews, you can hardly find a better one than this. You can read my full review.

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