Books Everyone Should Read (2023)

Literary Lists, Part 4

About a year ago I asked many of my friends and acquaintances to share with me three books that they think everyone should read in their lifetime. As the weeks went by, the titles poured in, and as I compiled my list, I found that these recommendations helped me to understand the people around me, book by book. I compiled an extensive spreadsheet but didn’t know how to share the list so everyone could peruse it. However, once I started a Substack this past July, I finally found a good place to share the list with everyone. Check out the 2022 list below:

Books Everyone Should Read

I decided to continue this year-end tradition once again, but this year I’ve gathered recommendations from you, my dear Substack readers. If you haven’t been able to submit your recommendations yet, please feel free to add a comment below!

Happy reading!

Books Everyone Should Read, 2023 Edition

• Little Women Louisa May Alcott

• Emma Jane Austen

• Lord of the World Robert Hugh Benson

• The Mad Farmer Poems Wendell Berry

• The Bait of Satan John Bevere

• The Mindful Catholic Dr. Gregory Bottaro

• The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett

• JRR Tolkien: A Biography Humphrey Carpenter

• Death Comes for the Archbishop Willa Cather

• The Cardinal of the Kremlin Tom Clancy

• Silas Marner George Eliot

• Adam Bede George Eliot

• The Lord Romano Guardini

• The Snowden Files Luke Harding

• The Embrace of Buildings Lee Hardy

• Beowulf Seamus Heaney translation

• Dune Frank Herbert

• Unbroken Lauren Hillenbrand

• Wisdom of the Heart Dr. Peter Kreeft

• The Four Loves C.S. Lewis

• A Grief Observed C.S. Lewis

• The Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis

• Letter to the American Church Eric Metaxas

• Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne

• A Bloody Habit Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

• Simplicity Parenting Kim John Payne

• Leisure, the Basis of Culture Josef Pieper

• When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing Daniel H. Pink

• The Case for Jesus Brant Pitre

• Pastoral Song: A Farmer’s Journey James Rebanks

• A Treasure in Clay Fulton Sheen

• Frankenstein Mary Shelley

• Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters Abigail Shrier

• Talks to Farmers Charles H Spurgeon

• Heidi Johanna Spyri

• Dracula Bram Stoker

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

• From Christendom to Apostolic Mission University of Mary

• A Gospel Primer Milton Vincent

• In the House of Tom Bombadil CR Wiley

• The Salt Path Raynor Winn