Recommended Books for Your Summer Reading

With so many books at our fingertips, it can be tough to find theologically sound, biblically rich, spiritually edifying works that stand the test of time. I get asked regularly to recommend books on a variety of topics pertaining to theology, apologetics, marriage and family, biblical studies, and ethics, among others. Because of this, I have put together this list of 181 of my favorite books (besides the Bible) to help those who desire to stretch themselves and grow biblically, theologically, and in deeper, more intimate communion with God.

Some of these books are more academic than others, so you will want to look up each book online to get a more detailed description and overview. That said, I recommend each of these for your intellectual and spiritual growth. This list doesn’t include every great book that is out there, obviously, but on a personal level, the Lord has used each of these books at different points in my own life and ministry to encourage me, challenge me, sharpen me, convict me, and ultimately spur me on toward greater love for God and people. I pray you can find a few on here that will do the same for you. And in case you are wondering, these books are not listed in any particular order. May you continue to grow in loving God with all of your mind that you might love Him with all of your heart and with all of your strength!

181 of my Favorite Books (besides the Bible!)

Desiring God by John Piper

When I Don’t Desire God by John Piper

The Pleasures of God by John Piper

Future Grace by John Piper

Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper

The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper

Hunger for God by John Piper

Let the Nations Be Glad! by John Piper

Finally Alive by John Piper

Reading the Bible Supernaturally by John Piper

Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey

Love Thy Body by Nancy Pearcey

The Toxic War on Masculinity by Nancy Pearcey

Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin

Basic Christianity by John Stott

The Cross of Christ by John Stott

The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul

What is Reformed Theology? by R.C. Sproul

Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul

The Promises of God by R.C. Sproul

The Imperfect Disciple by Jared Wilson

The Gospel-Driven Church by Jared Wilson

Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson

A Theology of the New Testament by George Eldon Ladd

Integrative Theology by Bruce Demarest and Gordon Lewis

Jesus and the Gospels by Craig Blomberg

Neither Poverty Nor Riches by Craig Blomberg

Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray

Principles of Conduct by John Murray

What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert

The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges

The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges

The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges

Trusting God by Jerry Bridges

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges

The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson

A Body of Divinity by Thomas Watson

Lectures to my Students by Charles Spurgeon

All is Grace by Charles Spurgeon

Smooth Stones Taken from Ancient Brooks by Thomas Brooks and C.H. Spurgeon

Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung

Homosexuality by Kevin DeYoung

The Hole in our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung

Why We Love The Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

Christ Formed in You by Brian Hedges

Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton

Gospel-Powered Parenting by William Farley

Gospel-Powered Humility by William Farley

John Owen on the Christian Life by Sinclair Ferguson

The Holy Spirit by Sinclair Ferguson

From the Mouth of God by Sinclair Ferguson

The Christian Life by Sinclair Ferguson

The Supremacy of Christ by Ajith Fernando

The Meaning of Marriage by Tim and Kathy Keller

Jesus, Justice, and Gender Roles by Kathy Keller

The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller

Prayer by Timothy Keller

God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts

The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler

Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves

Rejoicing in Christ by Michael Reeves

Delighting in the Law of the Lord by Jerram Baars

Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley

Memoir and Remains of Robert Murray McCheyne

by Andrew Bonar

The Church by Edmund Clowney

The Things of Earth by Joe Rigney

Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be by Cornelius Plantinga

When People Are Big and God Is Small by Edward Welch

Depression by Edward Welch

Running Scared by Edward Welch

Addictions by Edward Welch

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney

Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney

Repentance by C. John Miller

Holiness by Grace by Bryan Chapell

The Mark of the Christian by Francis Schaeffer

How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer

Art and the Bible by Francis Schaeffer

The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

The Apostles Creed by Albert Mohler

The Gospel According to Jesus by John Macarthur

The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness by John Macarthur

Ashamed of the Gospel by John Macarthur

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman

Good & Angry by David Powlison

Seeing With New Eyes by David Powlison

God’s Grace in Your Suffering by David Powlison

How Does Sanctification Work? by David Powlison

How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp

Chosen for Life by Sam Storms

Pleasures Evermore by Sam Storms

The Singing God by Sam Storms

Communion with the Triune God by John Owen; Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor, Editor

Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen; Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor, Editors

Sound Doctrine by Bobby Jamieson

The Joy of Calvinism by Gregory Forster

Putting Amazing Back Into Grace by Michael Horton

Note to Self by Joe Thorn

The Christian in Complete Armor by William Gurnall

Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions by Arthur Bennet

Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers by D.A. Carson

How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil by D.A. Carson

Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson

Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade

Holiness by J.C Ryle

A Call to Prayer by J.C. Ryle

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards

Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards

The Life and Diary of David Brainard by Jonathan Edwards

Preaching & Preachers by D.M. Lloyd-Jones

Spiritual Depression by D.M. Lloyd-Jones

When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty by Joni Erickson Tada

Tell the Truth by Will Metzger

Willing but Weak by Paul Williams

The Gospel Comes with A House Key by Rosaria Butterfield

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield

Openness Unhindered by Rosaria Butterfield

Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity by Mark Noll

Jonathan Edwards by George Marsden

Disciplines of a Godly Man by Kent Hughes

Wesley and the Men Who Followed by Iain Murray

The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray

Spurgeon vs. the Hyper-Calvinists by Iain Murray

Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton

George Whitefield by Arnold Dallimore

Spurgeon: A New Biography by Arnold Dallimore

Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe

Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund

The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification by Walter Marshall

A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love by Milton Vincent

Heaven by Randy Alcorn

Happiness by Randy Alcorn

God, Marriage, And Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation by Andreas Kostenberger

The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink

The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink

The Person of Christ by Donald MacLeod

Still Sovereign by Tom Schreiner

New Testament Theology by Tom Schreiner

Even Better Than Eden by Nancy Guthrie

Holding Onto Hope by Nancy Guthrie

Thy Word is Truth by E.J. Young

The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer

A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J.I. Packer

Keep in Step with the Spirit by J.I. Packer

Weakness is the Way by J.I. Packer

Worship in Spirit and Truth by John Frame

Systematic Theology by John Frame

Apologetics to the Glory of God by John Frame

Christianity Considered by John Frame

Biblical Eldership by Alex Strauch

Love or Die by Alex Strauch

Leading with Love by Alex Strauch

If They Bite and Devour One Another by Alex Strauch

Men and Women: Equal Yet Different by Alex Strauch

The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter

The Christian Ministry by Charles Bridges

Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever

New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? by F.F. Bruce

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen

Every Thought Captive by Richard Pratt

Truth Decay by Doug Groothuis

Confessions by Augustine

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes by Ken Myers

More Than A Carpenter by Josh MacDowell

Righteous Sinners by Ron Julian

The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin by Kris Lundgaard

No Place for Truth by David Wells

The Courage to be Protestant by David Wells

The Universe Next Door by James Sire

The Theology of the Reformers by Timothy George