Book Recommendations

Reading Log · Working Bookshelf

Book Recommendations

A list of some of my favorite books — biblical and theological, non-fiction, and fiction. The shelf I keep coming back to.

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I — Biblical / Theological

Scripture, ANE context, and the supernatural worldview. Heiser · Walton · Wright · Bailey · and the wider library.

Michael Heiser

Divine council · ANE · supernatural worldview of the biblical authors

• The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible
• The Unseen Realm (Expanded Edition)
• Supernatural (companion to The Unseen Realm)
• Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers & the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ
• Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness
• I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible

John Walton

ANE cosmology · Old Testament context · the Lost World series

• The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate
• The Lost World of Adam and Eve
• The Lost World of the Flood
• The Lost World of the Prophets: Old Testament Prophecy and Apocalyptic Literature in Ancient Context

N. T. Wright

Pauline theology · Second Temple Jewish context · narrative theology

• The Day the Revolution Began
• Paul and the Faithfulness of God
• Simply Christian
• Surprised by Hope
• Luke for Everyone (New Testament for Everyone series)

Larry Hurtado

Earliest Christian devotion · Christology

• One God, One Lord: Early Christian Devotion and Ancient Jewish Monotheism
• Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity

Kenneth E. Bailey

Middle Eastern cultural reading of the Gospels and Paul

• Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels
• Poet and Peasant / Through Peasant Eyes
• The Cross and the Prodigal
• Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes

Other Biblical Scholarship

• Judges, Ruth (New American Commentary) — Daniel I. Block
• The Message of Judges — Michael Wilcock
• The Rational Bible: Exodus (and the wider Rational Bible series) — Dennis Prager
• 1 Enoch (Nickelsburg/VanderKam translation; R. H. Charles translation)
• The Books of Enoch: The Angels, The Watchers and The Nephilim — With Extensive Commentary — Joseph Lumpkin
• Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible — Richards & O’Brien
• Noah’s Flood Revisited: New Depths of Insight from Science and Scripture — Hugh Ross

Christian Living · Apologetics · New Believer

• Mere Christianity — C. S. Lewis
• The Reason for God — Tim Keller
• How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth — Fee & Stuart
• The Cost of Discipleship — Bonhoeffer
• Knowing God — J. I. Packer
• The Case for Christ — Lee Strobel
• Blue Like Jazz: Non-Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality — Donald Miller
• The Message: The New Testament in Contemporary Language — Eugene H. Peterson

Ancient Near Eastern Texts

Biblical background · the literary world Genesis emerged from

• The Epic of Gilgamesh — Andrew George trans. (Penguin Classics)
• The Eridu Genesis
• The Atrahasis Epic

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II — Non-Fiction (Non-Biblical)

Philosophy, mindset, history, science. Stoics · Peterson · Goggins · Sapiens · the wider shelf.

Philosophy & Stoicism

• Meditations: A New Translation — Marcus Aurelius (Gregory Hays)
• The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living — Holiday & Hanselman
• Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius — Holiday & Hanselman
• Right Thing, Right Now: Good Values. Good Character. Good Deeds. — Ryan Holiday
• How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius — Donald J. Robertson
• Think Like a Stoic: Ancient Wisdom for Today’s World — Massimo Pigliucci (Great Courses)
• The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained — DK
• The Art of War — Sun Tzu

Jordan Peterson

Psychology · maps of meaning · biblical narrative

• 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
• Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life
• Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief
• We Who Wrestle with God: Perceptions of the Divine

Self-Improvement & Mindset

• Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds — David Goggins
• Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within — David Goggins
• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones — James Clear
• The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business — Charles Duhigg
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck — Mark Manson
• Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life — Gary John Bishop
• You Are a Badass® (Ultimate Collector’s Edition) — Jen Sincero
• How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age — Carnegie & Associates
• Effective Communication Skills — Dalton Kehoe (Great Courses)
• The Eagle and the Dragon: A Story of Strength and Reinvention — Chris Duffin

Leadership & Business

• The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership — John C. Maxwell
• Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams and Why People Follow — Tom Rath

Health & Nutrition

• Wired to Eat: Turn Off Cravings, Rewire Your Appetite for Weight Loss — Robb Wolf

History, Science & True Stories

• Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind — Yuval Noah Harari
• The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined — Steven Pinker
• American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer — Bird & Sherwin
• The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe — Steven Novella et al.
• The Disappearing Spoon — Sam Kean
• A Grown-Up Guide to Dinosaurs — Ben Garrod
• Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World — Scott McCormick
• In the Matter of Nikola Tesla — Anthony Flacco
• Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders — Bugliosi & Gentry
• Lone Survivor — Marcus Luttrell
• Into Thin Air — Jon Krakauer
• Into the Wild — Jon Krakauer
• Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail — Cheryl Strayed
• Badass — Ben Thompson

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III — Fiction

Sci-fi, fantasy, horror, crime, the rest. PKD · King · Tolkien · Herbert · and a long shelf.

Philip K. Dick

Consciousness · reality · the questions science fiction was built to ask

• The Man in the High Castle
• VALIS
• Ubik
• A Scanner Darkly
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (basis for Blade Runner)
• “The Minority Report” (short story)
• “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” (basis for Total Recall)

Stephen King

Standalones

• It
• The Stand
• Fairy Tale
• Billy Summers
• Doctor Sleep (sequel to The Shining)
• UR

The Dark Tower Series

• Book 1 — The Gunslinger
• Book 2 — The Drawing of the Three
• Book 3 — The Waste Lands
• Book 4 — Wizard and Glass
• Book 5 — Wolves of the Calla
• Book 6 — Song of Susannah
• Book 7 — The Dark Tower
• Book 8 — The Wind Through the Keyhole

Bill Hodges Trilogy

• Book 1 — Mr. Mercedes
• Book 2 — Finders Keepers
• Book 3 — End of Watch

C. S. Lewis — The Chronicles of Narnia

• The Magician’s Nephew
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• The Horse and His Boy
• Prince Caspian
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• The Silver Chair
• The Last Battle

J. R. R. Tolkien — The Lord of the Rings

• The Hobbit
• The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Two Towers
• The Return of the King
• Unfinished Tales

Frank Herbert / Brian Herbert — Dune Universe

Original Frank Herbert series

• Dune
• Dune Messiah
• Children of Dune
• God Emperor of Dune
• Heretics of Dune
• Chapterhouse Dune

Prelude to Dune (Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson)

• House Atreides
• House Harkonnen
• House Corrino

Legends of Dune

• Dune: The Butlerian Jihad

Schools of Dune

• Sisterhood of Dune
• Mentats of Dune
• Navigators of Dune

George R. R. Martin — A Song of Ice and Fire

• A Game of Thrones
• A Clash of Kings
• A Storm of Swords
• A Feast for Crows
• A Dance with Dragons
• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO Tie-In Edition)
• The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros
• Rogues (anthology) — Martin · Dozois · Flynn · Gaiman

Brandon Sanderson — The Stormlight Archive

• Book 1 — The Way of Kings
• Book 2 — Words of Radiance
• Book 2.5 — Edgedancer
• Book 3 — Oathbringer
• Book 4 — Rhythm of War
• Book 5 — Wind and Truth

Pierce Brown — Red Rising Saga

• Book 1 — Red Rising
• Book 2 — Golden Son
• Book 3 — Morning Star
• Book 4 — Iron Gold
• Book 5 — Dark Age
• Book 6 — Light Bringer
• Book 7 — Red God

Larry Correia

Saga of the Forgotten Warrior

• Son of the Black Sword
• House of Assassins
• Destroyer of Worlds
• Tower of Silence
• City of Demons
• Heart of the Mountain

Monster Hunter International

• Monster Hunter International
• Monster Hunter Vendetta
• Monster Hunter Alpha
• Monster Hunter Legion
• Monster Hunter Nemesis
• Monster Hunter Siege
• Monster Hunter Guardian
• Monster Hunter Bloodlines
• Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge
• Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners
• Monster Hunter Memoirs: Fever
• Monster Hunter Fantom (anthology)
• The Monster Hunter Files (anthology)

Other Correia

• Academy of Outcasts
• The Adventures of Tom Stranger, Interdimensional Insurance Agent
• A Murder of Manatees
• #1 in Customer Service
• Murder on the Orient Elite (Grimnoir Chronicles)

David Wong / Jason Pargin — John Dies at the End series

• John Dies at the End
• This Book Is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don’t Touch It
• What the Hell Did I Just Read
• If This Book Exists, You’re in the Wrong Universe

Zoey Ashe series

• Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits
• Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick
• Zoey Is Too Drunk for This Dystopia

Other Pargin

• I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom

Dean Koontz — Odd Thomas series

• Book 1 — Odd Thomas
• Book 2 — Forever Odd
• Book 3 — Brother Odd
• Book 4 — Odd Hours
• Book 5 — Odd Apocalypse
• Book 6 — Deeply Odd
• Book 7 — Saint Odd
• Special — Odd Interlude

Graphic novel prequels

• In Odd We Trust
• Odd Is on Our Side
• House of Odd

Drew Hayes

Villains’ Code

• Forging Hephaestus
• Bones of the Past
• Villains’ Vignettes Volume I
• Chilling Reflections

5-Minute Sherlock

• The Case of the Damaged Detective
• The Case of the Haunted Haunted House
• The Case of the Felonious Faire

Other Hayes

• Split the Party (Spells, Swords, & Stealth, Book 2)
• Second Hand Curses

Sherlock Holmes & Cosmic Horror

• Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection — Doyle (Stephen Fry intros)
• James Moriarty, Consulting Criminal — Andy Weir

Mycroft Holmes (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse)

• Mycroft Holmes
• Mycroft and Sherlock
• Mycroft and Sherlock: The Empty Birdcage

The Cthulhu Casebooks (James Lovegrove)

• Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows
• Sherlock Holmes and the Miskatonic Monstrosities
• Sherlock Holmes and the Sussex Sea-Devils
• Sherlock Holmes and the Highgate Horrors

Classic Horror & Cosmic Horror

The King in Yellow — Robert W. Chambers

• “The Repairer of Reputations”
• “The Mask”
• “In the Court of the Dragon”
• “The Yellow Sign”

H. P. Lovecraft & related

• Necronomicon — H. P. Lovecraft
• The Nameless City — H. P. Lovecraft
• H. P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I (1917–1926)
• The Complete Fiction Omnibus, Second Edition: The Prime Years (1926–1936)
• Frankenstein — Mary Shelley
• The Picture of Dorian Gray — Oscar Wilde
• Carter & Lovecraft — Jonathan L. Howard

H. G. Wells

• H. G. Wells: The Science Fiction Collection
• The War of the Worlds
• The Island of Doctor Moreau
• The Invisible Man

Dystopian / Classics

• 1984 — George Orwell
• 1984: An Audible Original adaptation — Joe White
• American Psycho — Bret Easton Ellis
• No Country for Old Men — Cormac McCarthy
• The Godfather: 50th Anniversary Edition — Mario Puzo
• Earth Abides — George R. Stewart
• Starship Troopers — Robert A. Heinlein
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer — Mark Twain

Chuck Palahniuk

• Fight Club
• Rant
• Damned
• Invisible Monsters Remix

Sci-Fi (the wider shelf)

• The Martian — Andy Weir
• Project Hail Mary — Andy Weir
• Artemis — Andy Weir
• The Egg and Other Stories — Andy Weir
• Ender’s Game: Special 20th Anniversary Edition — Orson Scott Card
• Ready Player One — Ernest Cline
• Seveneves — Neal Stephenson
• Dark Matter — Blake Crouch
• Recursion — Blake Crouch
• Pines (Wayward Pines, Book 1) — Blake Crouch
• Altered Carbon (Takeshi Kovacs Trilogy) — Richard K. Morgan
• Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas — John Scalzi
• Not Alone — Craig A. Falconer
• Kindred — Octavia E. Butler
• Ordinary Monsters: The Talents, Book 1 — J. M. Miro

Bobiverse — Dennis E. Taylor

• Book 1 — We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
• Book 2 — For We Are Many
• Book 3 — All These Worlds
• Book 4 — Heaven’s River
• Book 5 — Not Till We Are Lost

Thrillers · Crime · Mystery

• Gone Girl — Gillian Flynn
• The Exorcist — William Peter Blatty
• Psycho — Robert Bloch
• Beat the Reaper — Josh Bazell
• Wild Thing — Josh Bazell
• I Am Not a Serial Killer — Dan Wells
• The Snowman: A Harry Hole Novel — Jo Nesbo
• Bad Monkey — Carl Hiaasen
• Darktown — Thomas Mullen
• Lullaby — Jonathan Maberry
• The Neon Lawyer — Victor Methos
• The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge — Michael Punke
• Red Rabbit — Alex Grecian
• The Rook — Daniel O’Malley

Stieg Larsson — Millennium Series

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• The Girl Who Played with Fire
• The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
• The Girl in the Spider’s Web — David Lagercrantz
• The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye — David Lagercrantz
• The Girl Who Lived Twice — David Lagercrantz

Christopher Moore

• Fool
• A Dirty Job

Ted Dekker — The Circle Series

• Book 1 — Black
• Book 2 — Red
• Book 3 — White
• Book 0 — Green (The Beginning and the End)

Patrick Rothfuss — Kingkiller Chronicle

• Book 1 — The Name of the Wind
• Book 2 — The Wise Man’s Fear

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The shelf I keep coming back to · Soli Deo gloria