Following is an evolving list of books I have read. Each had a profound impact, creatively, personally, or otherwise. The majority of books I read don’t make this list. I’ve not included any classics. They are classics. You should read them. I’ve included the author (alphabetically within category), title, year of publication, and a one sentence review. Enjoy. dm

History

Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, 2000. The utterly harrowing true adventure story on which Moby Dick was based.

Memoir

Chris Forhan, My Father Before Me, 2016. An Indiana poet’s memoir.

Novels/Story Collections

Robin Black, If I Loved You I Would Tell You This, 2010. The title story is in a rare and highly effective second person.

Evan S. Connell, Mrs. Bridge, 1959. A masterclass in story structure and a reading experience unlike any other.

Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See, 2014. A gorgeous, rich, literary, historical novel.

Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried, 1990. A classic of American (war) fiction.

Poetry

Billy Collins, The Art of Drowning, 1995. If you’re not familiar with narrative poetry, start here.

Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser, Braided Creek: A Conversation in Poetry, 2003. Two masters exchange stanzas, observations and profound insights abound.

Dana Wildsmith, One Light, 2018. Narrative poetry about survival, loss, and how we carry each other through them both.

Spiritual Formation

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: A Discussion of Christian Fellowship, 1954. If you find a more powerful treatise on life in the church, let me know.

Frederick Buechner, Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons, 2006. A writer and pastor brings his literary and practical interpretation to scripture. If you’re looking for another thoughtful writer of faith, stop here.

David Gibson, Living Life Backward:How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End, 2017. A vital exposition on an oft misunderstood text and how to live a finite life.

Henri Nouwen, The Genesse Diary, 1976. A treatise on the spiritual in the mundane.

Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, 2020. A study of what makes Jesus Christ tick, and why we should not just turn, but run to Him.

Eugene Peterson, Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading, 2006. Read this and then join me in reading every book Peterson wrote.

Philip Yancy, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, 1997. The best explanation of an inconceivable concept.

Writing/Craft of Fiction

Anne Lamott, Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, 1994. The first craft book a new writer should read.

Marilyn McEntyre, Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, 2009. Pertinent, oh so pertinent.

Steven Pressfield, The War of Art, 2002. I’ve read this book three times.