This spring, Chattanooga Christian School faculty and staff participated in a reading campaign, sharing book recommendations with one another every Monday and Thursday. The titles reflected the richness of what books offer all of us.

Books invite us into the beauty and brokenness of the world. They act as mirrors—helping us recognize pieces of ourselves and our calling to steward others and creation. They tell stories that reveal the power of relationships and stretch our capacity for empathy, critical thinking, laughter, hope. Through them, we gain a deeper awareness of the complexities of life and the human experience.

At CCS, we believe that a love of reading nurtures the heart and the mind. These titles were shared in that spirit. Please note: The recommended books are intended for adult readers, and content may vary. Read with curiosity—and discretion.

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger

After the death of his wife, Rainy heads out on a journey across Lake Superior, desperate to somehow find her again. As he weathers storms and seeks refuge in the harbors, he realizes just how broken his society has become by lawlessness, illiteracy, and the powerful wealthy class. “I Cheerfully Refuse is both familiar and strange, deeply sad and hopeful,” Ms. Monahan says. “Set in Northern Minnesota (my home state), the story unfolds like a futuristic epic where the apocalypse is threatening to break in. It's the kind of story that helps you see the world better.”

To The Moon and Back by Karen Kingsbury

Brady Bradshaw lost his mother in the Oklahoma City bombing when he was just five years old. While visiting the memorial as a teenager, he meets Jenna Phillips, who lost her parents the same day. In the decade that follows, Brady cannot get her off his mind. He leaves a note for her at the memorial every year, desperate to reconnect. “I love Kingsbury’s books because they are engaging,” Ms. Tallent says, “and they challenge and grow my faith through the character's experiences.”

Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times by Elizabeth Oldfield

Oldfield writes from a deeply thoughtful Christian perspective as she explores the seven deadly sins from a contemporary point of view to encourage peacemaking, generosity, kindness, and resilience. She explores questions such as: How can I move from sloth to attention in order to make the most of my short life and stop getting distracted by trivialities? How do I become a depolarizing person in an age of outrage, tribalism, and division? “She is looking at the particular vices attracting our modern minds and offering beautiful remedies that are richly aligned to theological truth,” Ms. Ellis says.

Universe of Two by Stephen Kiernan

Historical fiction based on the life of mathematician Charlie Fisk, this book explores the moral dilemmas faced by some of the brightest minds in the country when they were drafted into the Manhattan Project. “I liked that this story is from a perspective of innocence and the turmoil of conscience that presents itself as Charlie discovers more about how his talents are being used,” Ms. Shoop says.

Anna McLain, Lower School Paraprofessional

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Burrows

In post-World War 2 London, a writer exchanges letters with a man who finds her name in the back of a book. He tells her about the quick-witted alibi he and his friends invented when caught breaking German curfew--The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Captivated by these letters, she travels to the island of Guernsey to meet them. “I love how books bring characters together in this novel–they serve as a point of connection and community,” Ms. McLain says. “I especially love how the novel is written in letter format because I find that it allows a unique perspective into the characters.”

The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor

“Most of my favorite short stories were written by Flannery O'Connor, but this is my first time tackling her entire collection,” Mr. Marshall says. “O'Connor writes stories about Southern outcasts and weirdos, stories that are disturbing and hilarious and loaded with insight on what people and the world are actually like.” This 31-story collection of short stories includes O’Connor’s “Everything That Rises Must Converge,” “A Late Encounter with the Enemy,” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find. Mr. Marshall adds, “Her work bears witness to the fact that followers of Jesus don't have to create art that is sentimental or saccharine, that we can and should in fact be putting out the best stuff.”

Praying the Scriptures For Your Children by Jodie Berndt 

Organized by topic to quickly point adults toward Scripture related to their children’s needs, Praying the Scriptures for Your Children shows us how easily we can turn God’s Word directly into prayer. “This book is one of my single favorite tools as a parent and a teacher! It takes Scripture promises and leaves the subject line blank so that you can pray God’s promises over your children. When any child (both mine and someone else’s) demonstrates a need, I can pull out this handy book and find a Scripture promise to pray for them when my words are inadequate,” Ms. Tahere says. Chapters include collections of verses related to kindness, self control, safety, dealing with crisis, and encouraging our child’s growth in wisdom, discernment, and love of God’s Word. “Aligning to the promises that God has already given us allows me to rest in my prayers,” Ms. Tahere adds. “As a choir teacher, this one is my favorite: Let (the members of CCS choirs) use their gifts to serve others, faithfully administering your grace, so that in all things you will be praised and receive glory” (1 Peter 4: 10-11).

The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson

In this historical nonfiction thriller, Larson follows key individuals in Washington, D.C., Fort Sumter, and Charleston to paint a picture of the ambitions, relationships, miscommunications, and deceptions that made up the suspenseful months between Lincoln’s election and the start of the Civil War. “Erik Larson is a masterful storyteller who artfully researches history and weaves together unsuspecting narratives,” Ms. Ginese says. “I love Demon of Unrest because Larson is able to capture the tangible tension that existed in the U.S. prior to those fateful shots on Fort Sumter while also telling an engaging story -- all with humor and panache.“

Her Mother’s Hope & Her Daughter’s Dream by Francine Rivers

The first two books in the Marta’s Legacy series, these stories focus on a resilient woman and the generations of women that follow. Marta emigrates from Switzerland to Canada and the U.S. in hopes of a better life apart from her harsh father. Her daughter, Hildie, feels distant from her intense mother because she prefers gentleness and longs for affirmation. Book 2 begins with Hildie in nursing school in California during World War II. She marries a soldier and must relinquish her own daughter to be raised by Marta when she becomes ill.  “These are two of my all time favorite books! They are multi-generational stories of complicated mother and daughter relationships,” Ms. Cash says. “There are some difficult topics in the books, but forgiveness and love are woven throughout their relationships.”

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

Diana O’Toole is certain she’s right around the corner from a promotion, proposal from her surgical resident boyfriend, and a house in the suburbs. As Covid-19 enters New York City, her boyfriend has to bail on their trip to the Galapagos. She goes alone and forms a relationship with a local family that makes her question everything she’s always wanted. “Even though it's only been five years since the beginning of the pandemic, there was a lot I had forgotten, so it was interesting to revisit that uncertain time,” Ms. Rasmussen says. “But this book really stands out because of the big plot twist! This book was very thought-provoking but also a page-turner!”

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Set in Russia in the 19th Century, this novel explores the complex, strained relationships between Fyodor Pavlovich and his three sons. Tension brews as two of the men compete for an inheritance and the love of a woman named Grushenka while contemplating whether evil can exist apart from God. “Abstract concepts of religion, philosophy, and psychology come to life in this compelling narrative about a dysfunctional family living in late 19th century Russia,” Mr. Monahan says of this novel, which was originally published in 1880. “It might be the best book I've read to date.”

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

Cooper has moved his young daughter, Finch, to a cabin in the woods. Isolated in a remote area, her only friends are the ones she finds in nature – and an eccentric neighbor named Scotland. When Finch starts following a stranger walking through the property, her curiosity threatens the carefully built life her father has constructed for them. “This book is about the devastating choices people face when they’ve made a mistake,” Ms. Platt says. “The ending left me in complete shock. It’s a beautiful picture of sacrifice for the good of another.”