Between all the classes, assignments, endless scrolling and work, finding the motivation to read is nearly impossible. However, getting out of the reading slump — or becoming a person who enjoys reading in their free time — may be easier than you think.
Reading is beneficial to mental health. By immersing yourself in a fictional world, you can decrease your cortisol levels, which reduces anxiety. Reading regularly also increases brain function because as the brain absorbs more information, the increased brain activity helps with cognitive resilience, according to Psychology Today.
Bearing in mind all the benefits of reading, here are my top five recommendations to add to your To Be Read list.
- “Mark of the Lion” trilogy by Francine Rivers
The “Mark of the Lion” trilogy consists of “A Voice in the Wind,” “An Echo in the Darkness” and “As Sure as the Dawn.”
“A Voice in the Wind” follows a young Jewish-Christian girl named Hadassah who is captured by the Romans and sold into slavery. She becomes a lady’s maid for a young girl, and through all the danger and chaos, she clings to her Christian faith in secret. The family she works for has an older son, Marcus. In addition, the story follows Atretes, a Germanic warrior, who is forced to become a gladiator in the Colosseum.
“An Echo in the Darkness” continues the story, following Marcus, who is tormented by grief, as he travels to Judea to learn more about the Christian faith.
In “As Sure as the Dawn,” Atretes, who has won his freedom, finds out that his son was saved by Hadassah and goes on a journey to find him.
- “The Day the Angels Fell” duology by Shawn Smucker
This duology is a young adult supernatural fantasy with Christian themes. “The Day the Angels Fell” follows a young boy named Samuel Chambers. After the death of his mother, he goes on a journey to find the Tree of Life. His best friend, Abra Miller, helps him on his journey, and they explore ancient conflicts between good and evil.
In “The Edge of Over There,” four years after their quest, Samuel and Abra are no longer friends, but Abra sees something that she is determined to find the answer to. Her curiosity leads her to the Over There, also known as the afterlife.
- “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis
This religious satire is told through the letters from an experienced demon named Screwtape writing to his novice demon nephew, Wormwood, who has been sent to Earth to corrupt a British man. Screwtape offers Wormwood advice on how to erode the man’s Christian faith.
The book has elements of tragedy and comedy, which makes it an engaging read.
- “The Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins
Set in a dystopian America called Panem that is split into 12 districts, Katniss and Peeta, two tributes from District 12, are reaped for the annual Hunger Games — chosen to be put in an arena along with two tributes from each of the other districts and forced to fight to the death.
“Catching Fire” follows Katniss and Peeta in the 75th annual Hunger Games. Following their act of defiance at the end of their games, the districts are rioting. To punish Katniss and stop the riots, President Snow, for this year’s Quarter Quell, has the tributes reaped from the existing pool of victors, which means Katniss and Peeta must enter the arena again.
In “Mockingjay,” Katniss must battle her PTSD and step into her role as the symbol of the revolution.
There are also two prequels. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” follows the backstory of Coriolanus Snow, president of Panem. “Sunrise on the Reaping” follows young Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor, and tells the story of how he became a victor.
- “The Inheritance Games” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
“The Inheritance Games” series has nine books containing three trilogies.
The original trilogy starts with “The Inheritance Games,” in which Avery Kylie Grambs receives an inheritance from a family she didn’t know existed, and in order to get it, she has to solve riddles and puzzles.
In “The Hawthorne Legacy,” Avery and the Hawthorne brothers search for their grandfather’s long-lost son, who is believed to be Avery’s father.
“The Final Gambit” follows Avery as she is about to receive her inheritance as described in the will. When trouble arises, she has to go on one last adventure to solve deadly puzzles.
The bridge trilogy begins with “The Brothers Hawthorne,” which is about two brothers, Grayson and Jameson, who are grandsons of the man that added Avery to his inheritance. There are also two novellas called “Games Untold” and “The Same Forward and Backward” which take place before the first trilogy.
The final trilogy begins with “The Grandest Game,” which is about a game that has been created on Hawthorne Island, full of high stakes and mysterious riddles. In the following book “Glorious Rivals,” the competition on Hawthorne Island intensifies as the players trek across the island. The series ends with “The Gilded Blade,” a story in which the characters unite to solve a deadly puzzle.
So, I know a nine-book series may seem daunting, but I have good news. They are each broken into different sections like they are above, so there is no need to read all nine, unless you love it like I do. I fully believe the first three are a necessity though. Keep in mind not all my recommendations are written by Christian authors, so you may want to decide how each options fits with your own convictions before deciding what to read.
I hope you take some inspiration from this list and find a new favorite series to read!
Sizemore is the opinion editor for The Liberty Champion.