What Makes a Book Good (and my favorites)

I'm a reader. I have six books on my nightstand that take turns being picked up. One of them is my Kindle, which has probably 10 unfinished books on it that also take turns. This may say more about my attention span than about my love for reading, but really I enjoy delving into several topics at once. Reading is a surefire way to keep learning . . . that is, if you've got the right books.

She may have been only a few days old, but my baby needed to learn the basics.

What makes a book good?
Oh man, that's an SAT question. Instead of arguing for my preferred genres, I'll categorize the basic bookshelf occupants:

Books that only entertain
Books that only teach
Books that teach and entertain

Books that invoke misguided emotions and betray morality
Books that reinforce right responses: joy in family, anger at injustice, etc.

Books that paint words as art
Books that structure grammar as science
Books that understand and respect grammar and use words artistically

Books that deceive by twisting truth, even if the content is light or spiritual
Books that speak truth, even if the content is dark or worldly

So the best combination would be . . .
books that teach and entertain, that leave you inspired and challenged, that wield the art of words, and that speak truth.

I have a lot of favorites that I believe embody this winning combination. I'm happy to share my top picks in several genres. You're invited to click on the links to read reviews I've written on Goodreads. (However, they probably all contain spoilers. You'd be better off just reading the books!)

Christian Teaching and Doctrine

The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur

Biography and Memoir

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me by Karen Swallow Prior

Classical Fiction

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Cross-Cultural Fiction

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

If you'd like to know why I recommend these cross-cultural novels, I wrote a post about them on my other blog, At Home Abroad. You can read it here.

And if you'd like to read more book reviews, I'm on Goodreads! Find me there (by clicking on any of the book links above), and we'll be friends. ^^