I was raised a Catholic, was married in a beautiful Catholic church, and baptized both my sons in our hometown Catholic church. Then I converted to Lutheranism.

There are many differences between Catholicism and Lutheranism, but the bottom line is I believe in Christ Jesus as my savior. I am trying to read as much as I can from great Christian authors as well as interesting biographies about important figures of the church.

I plan for this list to grow over time as I seek out more wonderful books to recommend to other Christians. Links of book titles go to my review of the book.

Biographies

Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World by Eric Metaxas – my top pick for Luther biographies. Metaxas is an excellent writer and he brings to life the wonderful history of how Luther “changed the world”. Luther’s life is as action packed as any novel and I recommend this to everyone.

A World Ablaze The Rise of Martin Luther and the Birth of the Reformation by Craig Hairline. This book is an excellent read and hits the major highlights of Luther’s life, specifically beyond Luther’s famous 95 theses.

Paul A Biography by N.T. Wright – an excellent biography of one of the most important authors of the New Testament. Wright is one of the world’s leading Biblical scholars and this biography is excellent.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. This biography covers the amazing life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor who was murdered because of a failed plot to kill Hitler. Metaxas’s writing is detailed yet readable and one of my favorite authors.

C.S. Lewis

I was first introduced to C. S. Lewis’s writing with the Chronicles of Narnia. This beautiful series was made into a television show on PBS, and that was my first exposure. It look me a lot longer to actually read the series and longer still to discover that Lewis wrote many other great works. I’m still trying to make my way through his writings, but here are some of my favorites.

The Chronicles of Narnia – consists of seven novels geared towards middle grades but highly enjoyable to all ages 8+. The reading order is sometimes in dispute because of republished volumes. This is the publication order:

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
2. Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia (1951)
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
4. The Silver Chair (1953)
5. The Horse and His Boy (1954)
6. The Magician’s Nephew (1955)
7. The Last Battle (1956)

Novels

Greene, Graham – The Power and the Glory

Gospel Analysis

Truth and Beauty by Andrew Klavan