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My Personal Library
60
items Welcome to my personal library of favorites! From powerful true stories and faith-filled reads to inspiring business books and page-turning series, each recommendation here has left a lasting impression on me. You’ll find a mix of history, heart, and...
Sections
7
Adult Homeschooling Reads
Homeschool Supplemental Reading
Journals
Faith Based
Black History Month
Series
Adult Homeschooling Reads
Books for parents that will help give insight on education and teaching your children.
The Anxious Generation tackles the youth mental health crisis head-on. Jonathan Haidt argues that we’re overprotecting kids in the real world while letting them run wild online, trading a healthy, play-based childhood for an addictive, phone-based on...
The Anxious Generation: Childhood Rewiring & Mental Illness
A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille flips traditional schooling on its head, moving away from rigid testing toward true academic excellence. Instead of teaching kids what to think, it focuses on teaching them how to think by using the clas...
A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching Leaders
Education of a Wandering Man is Louis L’Amour’s unique, hands-on roadmap to becoming a truly self-educated thinker. Moving away from rigid, traditional classrooms, he shares how he shaped his own massive intellectual life through real-world experienc...
Education of a Wandering Man: A Memoir
The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy by William Strauss and Neil Howe is an eye-opening, strategic roadmap for understanding how history moves in predictable cycles. Instead of viewing history as a straight line, the authors reveal a recurring pa...
The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy
Homeschool Supplemental Reading
Books we have used and enjoyed on our homeschooling journey.
A fun, easy-to-read journey into the Middle Ages that introduces kids to knights, castles, battles, and daily medieval life. Filled with charming illustrations and engaging facts that make history feel like an adventure.
Why You’ll Love It:
Perfect ...
Medieval Castles and Knights for Kids: An Enthralling Guide to Strong Fortresses and Brave Heroes of the Middle Ages|Hardcover
Journals
For the dreamers, the thinkers, and the ones finding their way. These books and prompts help you reflect, reset, and reconnect with yourself one page at a time.
Step into the minds and lived experiences of real people in Los Angeles and Indianapolis. This two-book collection brings together 40+ heartfelt responses, over 20 from each city. Capturing thoughts, feelings, and ideas from members of two vibrant co...
A Book For People Who Love People: Indianapolis & L.A.
DAILY isn’t just a journal, it’s a 30 day companion for transformation. Designed to help you reflect, stay consistent, and take action, DAILY turns small, intentional steps into lasting success.
Daily Journal
Faith Based
Uplifting reads that strengthen your spirit and deepen your faith. These books offer encouragement, wisdom, and gentle reminders of grace in every season of life.
This one hits deep. Pastor Rashad breaks down how to create healthy boundaries and emotional “spaces” rooted in biblical truth. It’s relatable, eye-opening, and written with real-life transparency.
Why You’ll Love It: It meets you where you are; hel...
S.P.A.C.E.S.: Permission-Based Discipleship Journey|Paperback
Lewis takes big theological ideas and makes them simple, clear, and compelling. He explains what it truly means to live out the Christian faith — not religion, but relationship.
Why You’ll Love It: It’s timeless wisdom from one of the greatest Chris...
Mere Christianity|Hardcover
Told through the letters of a senior demon mentoring a junior one, this book turns temptation and spiritual warfare into something startlingly insightful. Lewis's wit and wisdom will make you more aware of how subtle evil can be and more determined t...
The Screwtape Letters: Annotated Edition
Amir dives into prophecy with clarity and conviction, connecting the dots between Scripture and current events without sensationalism. It's like sitting down with a trusted teacher who helps you understand the times through a biblical lens; hope-fill...
Exploring Ezekiel: The Next Big War, Earth's Final Days, and Your Eternal Destination|Paperback
Written for ministers but relevant to anyone who leads or serves while hurting. Rev. Hicks shows how God's Word sustains us when life feels unbearable. It's a masterclass in perseverance and faith, reminding you that even in storms, your voice and pu...
Preaching Through a Storm: Confirming the Power of Preaching in the Tempest of Church Conflict
A spiritual classic that helps you recognize how God is working around you and invites you into His plan. It shifts your mindset from asking God to bless your plans to joining Him in His; a powerful perspective change that deepens your walk.
Experiencing God (2021 Edition): Knowing and Doing the Will of God
A powerful collection of sermons filled with poetic rhythm, truth, and timeless encouragement. Hicks preaches hope that feels like a song. Each message lifts your spirit and grounds your soul; perfect for when you need to feel God's steadiness again.
My Soul's Been Anchored: A Preacher's Heritage in the Faith
Daniels helps you evaluate the relationships in your life through spiritual discernment: who to connect with, who to let go, and how to love wisely. It's empowering, practical, and freeing, especially for anyone who tends to give too much or struggle...
Relational Intelligence: The People Skills You Need for the Life of Purpose You Want
Bevere tackles one of the enemy's most effective weapons: offense. Learning to forgive and let go is at the heart of this convicting read. It's freeing and challenging in the best way, helping you heal from past hurts and reclaim peace in your spirit...
The Bait of Satan, 20th Anniversary Edition: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense
A gripping testimony of deliverance from witchcraft and the occult. Kristine's story shows the power of Jesus to transform even the darkest past. It's raw, redemptive, and faith-affirming; proof that no one is ever too far gone for God's grace.
Escaping the Cauldron: Occult Influences
A 40-day journey that helps you uncover your God-given purpose and live it out with intention. It's accessible, encouraging, and practical; the kind of book that reshapes how you see your daily life.
The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?
Chan invites you to fall in love with God all over again. The real, radical kind of love that changes everything. It's passionate and convicting, perfect for when your faith feels routine and you need your heart reignited.
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
Written during one of history's darkest times, Bonhoeffer challenges readers to embrace "costly grace"; faith that acts, not just believes. It's humbling and inspiring, a call to live boldly for Christ no matter the cost.
The Cost of Discipleship
Scazzero reveals how emotional health and spiritual maturity go hand in hand; you can't have one without the other. It helps you slow down, heal old wounds, and build a faith that's steady, honest, and whole.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature|Paperback
A beautiful guide to the classic spiritual disciplines: prayer, fasting, simplicity, and more. It reminds you that spiritual growth isn't about striving; it's about surrender and daily rhythms that draw you closer to God.
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (Special Anniversary Edition)
A former atheist journalist investigates the claims of Christianity and discovers overwhelming evidence of Jesus. It's perfect for both seekers and believers, offering logical, heartfelt proof that faith and reason can beautifully coexist.
The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
Rev. Hicks opens up about ministering through pain, loss, and personal struggle with raw honesty and grace. It's not just for preachers but for anyone who's ever had to keep going when their heart was breaking
Preaching While Bleeding: Is There A Prophet in the House?
Black History Month
This collection highlights powerful stories, essential history, and unforgettable voices that have shaped culture, challenged injustice, and changed the world. From deeply moving memoirs to groundbreaking historical accounts and beautifully written f...
If you love uncovering the stories history books left out, this one is a must-read. Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage explores the powerful and often overlooked connections between African Americans and Native Americans throughout U.S. history.
Will...
Black Indians: A Hidden Heritage|Hardcover
An empowering celebration of lineage and survival.Instead of starting a family's story with slavery, this lyrical children's book begins with a rich heritage across the ocean, detailing a culture of creators, thinkers, and builders. It is a deeply mo...
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water
Series
For when one book just isn’t enough! Dive into captivating series that keep you turning pages late into the nigh. Rich stories, complex characters, and worlds you won’t want to leave.
Gritty, grounded, and unforgettable! Bosch is a detective who lives by his own code: “Everybody counts or nobody counts.” Connelly’s most iconic series dives deep into justice, loss, and the cost of truth.
Harry Bosch Series
Smart, slick, and full of legal twists. Mickey Haller works from the back of his Lincoln and outsmarts the courtroom at every turn. My favorite Connelly series for its mix of charm, grit, and moral gray.
Lincoln Lawyer Series
Because every visit to Three Pines feels like coming home, until a mystery reminds you that even the kindest places have secrets. Penny’s blend of wisdom, warmth, and suspense will leave you thinking long after the last page.
Chief Inspector Gamache Series
If you crave intelligent mysteries with layered characters, this British series delivers. Lynley and Havers are an unlikely but perfect duo, balancing class and conscience while tackling the toughest cases.
Inspector Lynley Series
It’s sharp, modern detective fiction that actually keeps you guessing. Strike and Robin’s partnership is full of tension, respect, and depth—proof that great mysteries don’t need graphic content to grip you.
Cormoran Strike Series
Part mystery, part emotional healing. Maisie’s quiet intelligence and compassion make her stand out in a genre full of detectives who rely only on logic. It’s thoughtful, moving, and historically rich.
Maisie Dobbs Series
This one is pure comfort reading. Precious Ramotswe solves small mysteries in Botswana using warmth, humor, and intuition. It’s not about high stakes—it’s about community, wisdom, and finding joy in simple things. Every book feels like a cup of tea w...
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Follett takes you on an unforgettable ride through the 20th century, following five families across two world wars and a changing world. It’s grand, sweeping, and full of heart. You’ll learn a ton of history while being totally absorbed in the charac...
The Century Trilogy
Romance, rivalry, and rebellion in 18th-century Cornwall. Graham's storytelling captures human ambition and love amid hardship. If you liked the PBS series, the books are even richer, more intelligent, more emotional, and more grounded in real histor...
The Poldark Saga
Part Sherlock Holmes, part modern thriller. Rhyme, a quadriplegic forensic genius, solves crimes using brilliant deduction and technology. The plots twist until the last page, making it impossible to put down. Clean but intense, ideal for puzzle love...
Lincoln Rhyme Series
Timeless, enchanting, and filled with truth. Whether you read it as fantasy or as a faith-based allegory, Narnia is a world of courage, sacrifice, and wonder. The perfect reminder that goodness and imagination matter. ...
The Chronicles of Narnia
It's the ultimate story of friendship, courage, and light defeating darkness. Tolkien's world-building is unmatched, and his message that even the smallest person can change the world still gives chills.
Lord of the Rings
It starts with laughter and ends with tears of awe. This series deepens with every book, weaving faith, family, and fantasy into something both whimsical and significant.
Wingfeather Saga Andrew Patterson
Sanderson doesn't just tell a story; he builds a universe. The characters wrestle with faith, failure, and heroism in ways that will challenge and inspire you; a masterpiece for thoughtful fantasy fans.
The Stormlight Archive
If dragons, destiny, and courage speak to your soul, this series is pure magic. It's classic fantasy adventure done right; epic, clean, and full of heart.
The Inheritance Cycle
Sometimes you just need a story that restores your faith in people. Mitford is that place. Father Tim's adventures are gentle, funny, and filled with grace; perfect for your cozy reading nights.
The Mitford Years
Few series stir the spirit like this one. Set in ancient Rome, it's about faith, courage, and redemption in the face of impossible odds. You'll close the book feeling braver, stronger, and deeply moved.
Mark of the Lion Trilogy
WWII
A powerful collection of stories that bring history to life—from the front lines to the home front, and every act of courage in between. These books remind us of resilience, sacrifice, and the strength of the human spirit during one of the world’s mo...
What I loved most about The Hiding Place is how ordinary people, like Corrie, Betsie, and their father, chose to do extraordinary things through faith and love. Corrie’s honesty about her fears and flaws made her story deeply relatable, while Betsie’...
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, Elizabeth ...
The Watchmaker’s Daughter is a captivating look into the life of Corrie ten Boom before The Hiding Place, showing how her quiet courage was forged long before the war. I loved how it revealed the deep roots of her faith, family values, and the small ...
The Watchmaker's Daughter: WWII Heroine Corrie
Told through the haunting voice of Death, this story shows the beauty of words even in the midst of war’s destruction. Liesel’s courage and love for books remind us how stories can heal and connect hearts. It’s both heartbreaking and breathtaking—one...
The Book Thief: Zusak, Markus: 9780375842207
This is a stunning novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose lives collide during WWII. The prose is luminous, the characters unforgettable, and every page feels like a prayer whispered in the dark. It’s a story of resilience, humanity, ...
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
An extraordinary true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner turned WWII survivor. His endurance through unimaginable suffering is both humbling and inspiring. It’s a book that shows the power of faith, grit, and forgiveness in the face of absol...
Unbroken: WWII Story of Survival & Redemption
This powerful history follows Easy Company from training to victory in Europe. Ambrose makes you feel the brotherhood, bravery, and heartbreak of men bound together by war. It’s both deeply human and profoundly heroic.
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment
A haunting, true account of one man’s courage to save over a thousand Jews during the Holocaust. It’s devastating and redemptive, showing how even a flawed person can become a light in unbearable darkness. A story that defines moral courage.
Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
Anne’s voice captures both the innocence and wisdom of a young girl living through unimaginable fear. Her words are honest, hopeful, and timeless. Reminding us of the beauty of humanity even when the world is cruel. It’s impossible to read without be...
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl - Books
Darkly funny and tragically honest, this anti-war classic bends time and sanity to reveal the absurdity of war. Vonnegut’s voice is unlike anyone else’s; biting, tender, and unforgettable. It leaves you questioning what it really means to survive.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Brilliantly absurd, this novel captures the chaos and madness of war through sharp humor and irony. It’s both hilarious and horrifying, often in the same breath. A must-read for anyone who loves clever satire with a sting of truth.
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Raw, gritty, and brutally realistic, Mailer’s debut novel strips war down to its psychological core. It’s not glamorous. Just deeply human, showing fear, power, and survival in their truest forms. A powerful early masterpiece of modern war literature...
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
Charming, heartfelt, and hopeful, this novel unfolds through letters after WWII. It’s about friendship, love, and the healing power of books amid loss. It’s the kind of story that feels like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel|Paperback
An epic, harrowing account of one of WWII’s most brutal battles. Beevor’s research is incredible, yet he never loses sight of the human cost behind the statistics. It’s both informative and deeply moving. History that feels alive.
Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege 1942-1943|Paperback
This chilling nonfiction reads like a novel, following the U.S. ambassador and his family in 1930s Berlin as Hitler’s power rises. It’s eerie and fascinating, showing how denial and diplomacy can blind even good people to evil’s early steps. Impossib...
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin|Paperback
Lyrical and haunting, this novel blends love, loss, and memory against the backdrop of WWII. The writing is pure poetry, weaving together lives scarred by war yet searching for beauty. It’s the kind of story that lingers long after the last page.
The English Patient (Booker Prize Winner)|Hardcover
Levi’s memoir is a masterpiece of quiet strength and unflinching truth. His calm, humane voice makes the horror of Auschwitz even more powerful. It’s essential reading. A testament to dignity, intellect, and the will to survive.
Survival in Auschwitz
The Nightingale pulled me in from the very first page. It’s a beautiful and emotional story about two sisters finding their own kind of courage during WWII. I loved how it showed the strength of women and the power of love, even in the hardest times....
The Nightingale Deluxe Edition: A Novel|Hardcover