No, gentle reader, it’s not a reading list for me... it’s for you.

I was responding to a thoughtful post from artist/author Wes Molebash yesterday and what was intended to be a quick affirmation of his wisdom with a bit of added "spiritual stuff" from me turned into an epic list of novels/graphic novels/series that I heartily recommend.

Here’s the original post from Wes:

I replied that reading fiction has had the same kind of impact on my faith in God... both the reality of sin and the hope of truth & grace stand in stark relief in well-written stories. And then I was off to the races.

So, rather than waste all that effort on a mere Facebook post, I decided to revise my list and share it with the kind souls who read my blog. I’ve arranged the list in alphabetical order by author name.

• Shardik (Richard Adams)

• He’s better known as the author of Watership Down... but this epic fantasy novel explores the nature of faith, religion, and politics in ways that profoundly affected me.

• **Astro City **(Kurt Busiek)

• superhero graphic novel series set in its own universe that focuses on characters & motivations rather than fight scenes

• currently published in six really large (nearly 500 pages each) Metrobooks

• I’ve re-read the series multiple times - it’s tremendous.

• also recommended by Kurt Busiek - Superman: Secret Identity (the best "Superman" story ever... yes, even better than Alan Moore’s "For the Man Who Has Everything" and "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"

• **Codex Alera **(Jim Butcher)

• a six novel fantasy series that surprised me multiple times as it built a fascinating world and developed characters over time

• also recommended by Jim Butcher - the Cinder Spires fantasy/steampunk series... so far there are only two books of a planned six books, but what is out there is really good.

• Saint Ben (John Fischer)

• a slice-of-life story from Southern California that turns out to be much deeper than anticipated.

• also recommended by John Fischer - his non-fiction book entitled Real Christians Don’t Dance.

• **Amulet **(Kazu Kibuishi)

• I’m not sure how to describe this nine-volume graphic novel series... it has elements of science fiction, fantasy, and definitely pays homage to Studio Ghibli.

• In the process, there’s a lot about loyalty, trust, healing from abuse, facing tragedy and death... though intended for middle schoolers, the series got under my skin.

• **Bright Empires **(Stephen Lawhead)

• a five-volume time-travel (sort of!) epic filled with wild settings, characters who actually grow and change, and fascinating plot twists

• also recommended by Stephen Lawhead - I’d recommend his Pendragon Cycle (seven books) as well as Empyrion (two novels) and the Celtic Crusades trilogy

• I have specifically chosen not to watch the new streaming series of the Pendragon novels - it is financed and broadcast via the Daily Wire.

• **To Kill A Mockingbird **(Harper Lee)

• chances are excellent you read it as a student (it’s often taught/read in 8th grade)... but you should read it again as an adult

• on the other hand, I would not recommend reading Go Set a Watchman - it is essentially an early draft of what became To Kill a Mockingbird and has a much darker/nastier tone

• Travis Daventhorpe (Wes Molebash)

• These funny & family-friendly graphic novels are filled with lots of pop-culture references and homages, esp. for kids who love video games. The tinges of "afterschool special" conversations are offset by some great twists, clever Easter eggs, and thoughtful bits of philosophy/theology.

• The third book is due out this year!

• The Twenty-One Balloons (William Pène du Bois)

• this Newberry Award-winning book builds an amazing world and then tells a fantastical story (with lovely illustrations)

• it was a favorite of mine as a kid... and reading it to my boys when they were younger made me fall in love with it all over again

• **Mouse Guard **(David Petersen)

• a graphic novel series with stunning artistry and stirring tales of faithfulness and betrayal

• I’m reasonably sure that these tales of brave mice inspired not only the role-playing game directly based on the Mouse Guard books (and the Bloomburrow Magic: The Gathering set that included some Petersen art)... but also board games like Mice & Mystics and Everdell.

• Wingfeather Saga (Andrew Peterson)

• the four book series is whimsical, nail-biting, heartbreaking, hopeful... evil isn’t glossed over, heroes can be hurt, and actions have consequences - and I love it.

• also recommended by Andrew Peterson - well, he’s one of my favorite singer/songwriters

• Usagi Yojimbo (Stan Sakai)

• Stan Sakai has been writing the story of Miyamoto Usagi, a rabbit samurai (ronin) in a world of anthropomorphic animals set in 17th-century Japan for forty-two years.

• I rejected reading this for years... but finally tried it and was sucked into the excellent storytelling, sly humor, and real emotion.

• **Stormlight Archive **(Brandon Sanderson)

• Sanderson is brilliant at world-building and writing intriguing characters... and the events/revelations of the last section of the book wouldn’t land with the same impact if you hadn’t lived with the characters through the admittedly long lead-up portion of the first novel.

• I’m midway through Oathbringer (the third book) and enjoying it immensely.

• East of Eden (John Steinbeck)

• As part of working on an honors thesis in college, I read almost everything John Steinbeck wrote. This massive novel is - in my opinion - his magnum opus. (The thesis - which I did not finish - was titled "Theodicy in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden.")

• Also recommended by John Steinbeck: You likely had to read The Pearl, Of Mice and Men, and/or The Grapes of Wrath in high school. While I think The Grapes of Wrath is brilliant, I’d recommend Cannery Row & Sweet Thursday.

Finally, I would remiss if I didn’t heartily endorse C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy & Chronicles of Narnia as well as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings. (And, for that matter, the excellent graphic novel about their friendship entitled The Mythmakers.)