I have a pile of to-be-read books that reflects real optimism about my longevity. Yet that never stops me from snagging another book when it’s recommended. After all, you never know when you’re going to get stuck inside for a century or two without access to more reading material.
Of course, many of the books I own but haven’t read are big and complicated. Someday I’ll actually finish The Brothers Karamazov. (I’m only a little over a quarter century behind on that college reading assignment.) But summer reading is often biased toward entertainment rather than heavy lifting.
Whether you’re overly optimistic about your potential future reading or simply don’t know what to read this summer, The Gospel Coalition’s editors have recommendations for you. These are books you can take to the beach, to the cabin, or just to the front porch as you watch the clouds roll by.
Hopefully, you’ll find something on this list you can read with a friend, share with a spouse, or discuss with the stranger you see reading it in the airport. We’ve enjoyed reading these books and hope you do too. You may also be interested in a list of recommendations for your kids from some of your favorite Christian authors.
Cassie Achermann
Elizabeth Prentiss, Stepping Heavenward: One Woman’s Journey to Godliness (1869; Barbour, 2007) (Amazon)
I bought this 19th-century epistolary novel after editing TGC’s review from last year. The book is presented as the journal of Katherine Mortimer, who is 16 years old at the beginning of the book, through decades of her life. We see Katy grow up, suffer loss, get married, raise children, and face myriad challenges—all the while learning to trust and follow God. Stepping Heavenward taught me what it looks like to grow into a mature Christian woman across various life seasons, even when our growth can feel frustratingly slow and interrupted. It’ll encourage you to live faithfully as we all continue toward our eternal home—as we step heavenward.
J. R. Miller, Home-Making (1882; Merchant Books, 2018) (Amazon)
Books about marriage, parenting, and the home from centuries past can be an adventure—they often promote practices and norms that many today would question, laugh about, or outright reject. But these books can also be refreshing when they challenge our modern-day practices and reveal blind spots. This is what I found in Home-Making by J. R. Miller, a 19th-century Presbyterian pastor. I read it as part of a summer book club, and it provoked helpful conversation and applications from women in all stages of homemaking. Miller addresses all members in the household and encourages them to play their role in cultivating a loving, God-honoring home.
Todd Henry, The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice (Portfolio, 2013) (Amazon)
If your pace of work slows over the summer, you’ve got an opportunity to step back and examine how you’re working. Todd Henry explores how we can leverage elements of our working life (like time, relationships, and energy) to dream up and execute creative projects. While I’m applying the book’s insights to my typically creative fields of editing and writing, it’d be helpful for anyone whose work involves generating ideas or solving problems—including pastors! You’ll be encouraged to stop trying to cram more and more tasks into your day but instead to create sustainable rhythms that help you do great work for the long haul.
Winfree Brisley
Sissy Goff and David Thomas, Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience (Bethany House, 2026) (Amazon)
Last summer, my husband instituted what he called “Operation Bootstraps” in our family. I tend to do too much for our three sons, and he decided it was time for the boys (and me) to realize they could do a lot more for themselves than I was giving them credit for. I knew he was right, but old habits die hard, and once we returned to school, I gradually slid back into my overhelping ways. That is, until I read David Thomas and Sissy Goff’s new book, Capable. As Christians and seasoned therapists, they produce parenting resources I’ve long appreciated. And thankfully, more than half the book is devoted to practical advice and tools for parents. Tools that we’ll be putting to use this summer for Operation Bootstraps 2.0.
Kathryn Butler, The Hunt for the Kraken: A Decide-as-You-Go Adventure (Crossway, 2026) (Amazon)
We’re big fans of Kathryn Butler’s middle-grade series, The Dream Keeper Saga, at my house. So we were delighted to learn about her new book, The Hunt for the Kraken, the first in a series of decide-as-you-go books for the same age group. A mysterious lighthouse, a pirate named Blackviper, and a giant sea monster provide the makings of an epic adventure—but with a twist. The reader gets to decide how the story develops and where it ends. There are 12 different endings depending on what you choose, some good and some bad. Kids get a chance to see how choices affect outcomes, and unlike real life, they can go back and start over if they end up somewhere they don’t want to be. With Bible verses along the way to guide them, it’s a great opportunity for kids to test biblical wisdom and see that life works best when we follow God’s Word. The Hunt for Kraken is a great beach read for kids or family read-aloud for a road trip.
Glenna Marshall, Known and Loved: Experiencing the Affection of God in Psalm 139 (Moody, 2025) (Amazon | TGC Store)
We live in a culture that talks a lot about being “seen” and “known.” And there’s a good desire there for meaningful connections and relationships with other people. But what we need even more than being seen and known by others is to understand that we’re known and loved by God. Glenna Marshall helps us really grasp that truth in Known and Loved. She walks verse by verse through Psalm 139, fleshing out what it means that God both knows us comprehensively and loves us completely. Marshall’s warm writing style makes reading this book feel like talking with a wise friend. Bring a copy on vacation for an edifying and encouraging read, or use it as a devotional companion for meditating on Psalm 139.
Collin Hansen
Harry Lee Poe, The Making of C. S. Lewis: From Atheist to Apologist (Crossway, 2021) (Amazon | TGC Store)
No matter how much you’ve read by and about C. S. Lewis, Harry Lee Poe can add to your understanding of the renowned writer, scholar, and apologist in this second of his Lewis trilogy. Lewis aficionados will want Poe’s learned takes on Jack’s relationship with Mrs. Moore and whether Owen Barfield properly belonged to the Inklings. The rest of us will just enjoy this whirlwind tour from Lewis’s unexpected conversion to his rise as a renowned apologist through World War II. Novice or not, this book will send you reaching for more Lewis on your shelves.
Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (Ballantine Books, 1953) (Amazon)
I didn’t experience the school-age rite of passage by reading Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. So I had to borrow my more erudite wife’s copy from seventh-grade advanced English. But as I plucked her 1990s paperback copy from our home-library shelves, I stumbled over the cover: “The Classic Bestseller About Censorship—More Important Now Than Ever Before.” I’ll grant some exuberant marketing exaggeration. But a book about censorship? More important in the 1990s than any (by default, earlier) time? If I’d only read the CliffsNotes, maybe I’d nod along. This 1953 book is about a time when the government won’t need to censor books because few will take any interest. I fear it’s a book about today. Read it now, before the cognitive off-loading of AI winds back the clock to before literacy.
Harper Lee, The Land of Sweet Forever: Stories and Essays (Harper, 2025) (Amazon)
Maybe it’s because I live in Alabama. Or grew up Methodist. But I read everything by and about Harper Lee. Alabama’s most famous daughter is less mysterious than she was before the publication of Go Set a Watchman in 2015. But she remains one of the most fascinating figures in American literary history. We catch a few new glimpses into her wit and wisdom from this new collection, introduced by Casey Cep, who wrote one of the most fascinating stories of modern Southern history with her 2019 book Furious Hours. The eponymous story carries the freight of this collection, opening in Austenian fashion: “It is a truth generally acknowledged by the citizens of Maycomb, Alabama, that a single woman in possession of little else but a good knowledge of English social history must be in want of someone to talk to.” No story has ever felt more true to Lee’s particular personality, her defiant individuality and undying loyalty to Monroeville, er, Maycomb, Alabama.
Megan Hill
Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking (1945; Puffin Modern Classics, 2005) (Amazon)
Who doesn’t remember their childhood summer friends? For me, there was the friend from camp with whom I kept up a pen-pal relationship. And the girl who lived next door to my grandmother whom I only saw in the summers but with whom I covered miles and miles exploring on bike. And the friend from our family’s summer in Scotland with whom I reconnected during our college years. Reading Pippi Longstocking with my daughter this year reminded me of those relationships—intense, brief, and tinged with magic. Astrid Lindgren’s classic tale of the eccentric 9-year-old girl who moves onto an ordinary Swedish street and turns her two young neighbors upside down (literally) is both unexpected and unforgettable. For kids, it’s a fun story. For adults, it’s also a chance to relive the unique joy of childhood friendship.
Robert A. Caro, Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing (Knopf, 2019) (Amazon)
It might feel odd to pull a book titled Working out of your beach bag this summer, but I’ve found that breaks are sometimes the best time to get a fresh perspective on work. I read this book on a recent trip, and it gave me a chance to think about my own work habits in light of Robert Caro’s. Famous for his decades-long biography project about the life of LBJ, Caro is a model of tenacity and commitment to excellence. As a nonfiction editor and writer, I especially appreciated Caro’s insistence that nonfiction prose should be just as immersive and engaging as any novel’s: “Rhythm matters. Mood matters. Sense of place matters.” This seems obvious while sitting on the beach; the trick is to take it back to work on Monday morning.
Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen), Babette’s Feast and Other Stories (1958; Penguin Classics, 2015) (Amazon)
After my pastor husband preached recently from 1 Timothy 4:1–5 (“who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving”), I couldn’t stop thinking about a short story I first read decades ago by Out of Africa author Isak Dinesen. In “Babette’s Feast,” a French woman works for two Danish sisters who are part of an ascetic religious sect. Before she leaves their employ, Babette prepares an extravagant feast for the community. What happens at that feast reveals deeply-held assumptions about abstinence, thanksgiving, generosity, and community. In a time when we’re quickly being overwhelmed by robot-generated slop, the answer is not to withdraw from the world but, like Babette, to lean into our humanity and our environment, using our creativity, our hands, and our resources to spread a tangible “feast” for people in our communities to enjoy.
Betsy Childs Howard
Gladys M. Hunt, Honey for a Child’s Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life (1969; Zondervan, 2002) (Amazon)
If I let my children choose their own books at the library, they’ll come home with nothing but LEGO superhero stories. While there’s nothing wrong with these, I want them to also encounter books that are beautifully written and that stimulate and shape their imagination. Honey for a Child’s Heart is a treasure map that guides parents to excellent and enjoyable books for children. The first half makes the case that good books matter at a young age, but the tone is one of inspiration rather than reproach. The second half is a series of booklists of recommended reading by age and genre. I keep it in my library bag so that when I’m looking for books for my kids, it can guide my browsing.
Elizabeth Enright, Gone-Away Lake (1957; Clarion, 2000) (Amazon)
If you’re looking for a great summer-themed kids’ chapter book, I recommend this Newbery Honor book. When 10-year-old Portia and her cousin, Julian, spend the summer exploring outdoors, they discover a (seemingly) abandoned Victorian resort community next to a bog. The deserted town becomes the setting for their summer adventures. Portia and Julian are a good example to children who might complain that there’s nothing to do in the summer, though kids today may be amazed at the freedom to roam that children enjoyed in rural New York in 1957.
Jonathan Tepper, Shooting Up: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Addiction (Infinite, 2026) (Amazon)
The Tepper family moved to Madrid as missionaries in 1985. Although they initially expected to minister to university students, they shifted the focus of their ministry when they found greater need and receptivity among heroin addicts. Jonathan Tepper has done what few writers can do: He has written a page-turner about something good and beautiful. It’s easy to write a memoir trashing your parents and calling them hypocrites. It’s much harder to show their genuine love and faith along with their imperfections. I knew that this book would give a first-hand account of a unique moment in a unique place; I didn’t know that it would tell a riveting family story that moved me to tears.
Jared Kennedy
Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time (1962; Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2007) (Amazon)
I first read Madeleine L’Engle’s sci-fi children’s novel in sixth grade. More than 30 years later, I still love it, though I don’t love the newer movie adaptations. Don’t let those keep you away from this Newbery Award winner. The movies—like the publisher’s current preface (written long after the book’s original release)—imply that A Wrinkle in Time was meant to teach individuality, perhaps even individualism. L’Engle’s story does center around breaking free from conformity, particularly from conformity to darkness. But in that way, the book isn’t about individuality at all. Rather, it’s about true freedom within constraints. As Mrs. Whatsit says when describing sonnets and sovereignty, “A strict form, but freedom within it.” Or as Jesus says, “The truth will set you free.” The weak (but loved and justified!) find such freedom only as Meg does at the end of the novel, when they submit to the command to sacrificially love.
Tremper Longman III, How to Read the Psalms (IVP, 1988) (Amazon)
Recently, I’ve been rereading some of my Bible-college textbooks. While working on a forthcoming writing project at the end of 2025, I reread Anthony Hoekema’s Created in God’s Image. Then, this spring, when teaching on the Psalms for my church’s discipleship program, I picked up Tremper Longman’s classic on the psalter. How to Read the Psalms isn’t exactly a beach read, but it’s short and informative. The book explains the Psalms’ background, its genres, its use of imagery, and the typical shape of Hebrew poetry. Longman’s writing is both principled and practical, his perspective both covenantal and Christocentric. I appreciated his view that psalms of confession of sin, imprecatory psalms against enemies, and psalms that wrestle with God amid suffering are all forms of lament.
Russ Ramsey, Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith (Zondervan, 2022) (Amazon | TGC Store)
Are you heading to an art museum during your summer travels? Read this first. Russ Ramsey surveys the life and work of Western artists from Michelangelo to Edward Hopper. I enjoyed exploring the mystery behind the photorealistic works of 17th-century Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer, and I was moved by Lilias Trotter’s sacrificial decision to put God’s call ahead of fame. The book also includes three helpful appendixes to train your discipline of attention: “How to Visit an Art Museum,” “How to Look at a Work of Art,” and a brief outline of Western art history. I’ll be reviewing these before each visit to a new exhibit.
Brett McCracken
Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It (1976; University of Chicago Press, 2017) (Amazon)
My summer-reading recommendations this year are inspired by America 250. What better way to celebrate this nation’s Semiquincentennial than to read books that are distinctly American in form and content? I’m such a fan of Maclean’s novella—which turns 50 this year—that I’m flying my family to Missoula this summer as part of a larger Montana trip. The story’s exploration of faith, frontier, individualism, family, past, and future feels like American in microcosm. And once you read the book, be sure to watch the Robert Redford–directed film, which made my recent list of 25 Edifying Movies to Appreciate America at 250.
Garrett M. Graff, The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb (Avid Reader Press, 2025) (Amazon)
Garrett Graff is sort of becoming the Ken Burns of American history literature. That is, he takes iconic American moments (D-Day, September 11, Watergate) and gives them a comprehensive treatment that focuses on primary sources and objective narration. His latest oral history explores the Manhattan Project and the creation of the first nuclear weapon. It’s a heart-pounding page turner, not only because of how momentous and high-stakes the project was but also because of how timely its implications feel for a world racing to develop technologies it might be unable to control.
Wallace Stegner, Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West (1953; Penguin, 1992) (Amazon)
I’ve been on a Wallace Stegner binge for several years now, and Beyond the Hundredth Meridian is a Stegner classic. It’s more timely than ever as the Colorado River—an iconic American river that arguably did “open the West”—is in a serious crisis that’s coming to a head this year due to historically low snowpack. But Stegner’s book isn’t just about stewarding the natural resources we’ve been given. It also honors the spirit of American exploration, innovation, and frontier risk-taking, embodied in the figure of 19th-century geologist (and one-time Wheaton College student) John Wesley Powell. If you’re visiting the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, or really anywhere in the Southwestern United States this summer, add this to your reading list.
Andrew Spencer
Ben Sasse, The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis—and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance (St Martin’s Press, 2017) (Amazon)
When Ben Sasse announced his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis at the end of 2025, it hit me hard. He’s only a few years older than I am. Like me, he still has kids at home. His “dated death sentence,” as he calls it, is a profound reminder that we have an obligation to redeem the time. As I listened to several interviews he gave in the early months of 2026, it struck me how his message hasn’t changed much over the years. So I decided to dig back into this 2017 book, as well as his 2018 book, Them: Why We Hate Each Other—and How to Heal. His analysis and advice from nearly a decade ago has aged well. Some of his suggestions are worth implementing in your life this summer, especially for those trying to raise kids in a tech-saturated world.
Joseph Loconte, The War for Middle-earth: J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933–1945 (Thomas Nelson, 2025) (Amazon)
I’m a sucker for pretty much anything Inklings, so it’s no surprise that I enjoyed this book. Joseph Loconte’s best-selling 2015 volume, A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War, reflects on how World War I shaped Tolkien’s and Lewis’s imaginations. This book explores the way Lewis and Tolkien participated in World War II, as well as how echoes of that global conflagration can be heard in their later literature. It’s a delightful book to read while sitting on the porch sipping tea.
Alex Mayyasi, et al., Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (W. W. Norton, 2026) (Amazon)
When the Planet Money podcast hits my headphones while I’m in the gym, I know I’m going to be interested. This book is a work of art. With full-color illustrations, charts, and well-considered explanations for economic concepts, it’s a delight to read whether you’re a wannabe economist or just trying to figure out what makes markets work. There’s always plenty to disagree with in the subtle policy recommendations the Planet Money hosts make, but the book is valuable because it explains complicated economic concepts in a way that makes sense to ordinary people.
Sarah Zylstra
Joe Posnanski, Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments (Dutton, 2025) (Amazon)
Sports (and politics) seem to be taking the place of organized religion in America; as such, it can be easy to give them too much of our emotions and energy. But sports are also beautiful, inspiring, and unifying for a community. Joe Posnanski does a great job finding the beauty of baseball in some of the sport’s best games, players, and moments. He’s a gifted, conversational writer, and short chapters make this an easy read.
Edmund Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament (1988; P&R, 2013) (Amazon | TGC Store)
If you’ve read Tim Keller, you may already be familiar with most of these concepts. But the ones that surprise you will take your breath away. I highly recommend you read this with a friend or a spouse, or in a book club or study group. It’s broad enough to instruct newer believers and deep enough to feed older saints.
Dashiell Hammett, The Thin Man (1934; Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 1989) (Amazon)
This fast-paced plotline is perfect for those who love clever mysteries and the 1930s. Dashiell Hammett is best known for hiding what his main characters are thinking, for accurately describing life on the seedy side of society during Prohibition, and for his best-selling book The Maltese Falcon. Nick Charles, his Thin Man protagonist, is Bondesque in his snappy quips, mental capabilities, and drinking habits. Short and quick, this would make an easy vacation or beach read.
