Why am I passionate about this?

Life is an adventure! Part of the adventure is exploring this fascinating world – from the Mississippi River of Mark Twain to the Mesopotamian valley in my book, Searching for Eden. But an even more exciting adventure is the exploration of self these books are about. I continue to be challenged by that adventure. I have explored my “dark side” during times of divorce and financial crisis, and I have explored my brighter, giving side as I have served as a Christian minister throughout the U.S. and Haiti, an AmeriCorps volunteer teaching ESL classes, and as a teacher of chess to young people. I continue to enjoy this exciting adventure!


I wrote

Book cover of Searching for Eden

What is my book about?

When Evan Jordan's 14-year-old daughter dies of cancer, he goes on a quest to find the Garden of Eden, a…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Unbroken

Keith Madsen Why did I love this book?

This book is so edge-of-your-seat exciting that you would swear it was a well-crafted work of fiction. It’s not. It’s the story of Louis Zamperini whose plane is shot down in World War II. He is left adrift by himself, with thousands of miles of treacherous ocean to cross, just to reach enemy territory and have a chance at survival. Even then he faces captivity and abuse. The only resources he has are the resources he has within himself. He emerges unbroken! Have you ever wondered what you might have inside yourself to face extreme crisis? I have! In this book, Zamperini discovers the resources within himself to face each challenge.

By Laura Hillenbrand,

Why should I read it?

16 authors picked Unbroken as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the author of the bestselling and much-loved Seabiscuit, an unforgettable story of one man's journey into extremity. On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood,…


Book cover of Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Keith Madsen Why did I love this book?

At the beginning of this book, Pino Lella is a typical teenage boy, obsessed with girls, even though the world is falling apart. Benito Mussolini has allied with Hitler and the world is embroiled in World War II. Still, Pino’s main question about himself is, will he ever be able to attract the girl of his dreams? I related to that (Been there, done that!). In this book, Pino is forced to grow out of that mindset. The Nazi’s take over in Italy, and he ends up smuggling Jews across the border to Switzerland, as well as acting as a spy for the resistance. Even as he grows in physical strength, he finds within himself a strength of character that turns him into a hero of the Italian resistance. 

By Mark Sullivan,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Beneath a Scarlet Sky as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Soon to be a major television event from Pascal Pictures, starring Tom Holland.

Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, the USA Today and #1 Amazon Charts bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man's incredible courage and resilience during one of history's darkest hours.

Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He's a normal Italian teenager-obsessed with music, food, and girls-but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape…


Book cover of Devolution

Keith Madsen Why did I love this book?

What I especially liked about Devolution is that some spy novels portray the protagonist as a larger-than-life superhero who knows more than everyone else and is never beset by personal uncertainty and struggle. John Casey, however, has created a character in Michael Dolan who has been wounded by a past trauma, and shows his humanity. I found myself identifying with him. I have never been able to identify with seemingly invulnerable superheroes. John Wayne or 007, I am not, nor will I ever be. Still, in Devolution, Michael Dolan is a man who is committed to the truth and fighting for what is right. Confronting truths about himself helps him to do that powerfully. 

By John Casey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Devolution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Michael Dolan is a stoic perfectionist and former special operations pilot working a staff job at the Pentagon when he is approached by the CIA with an improbable request, to help prevent impending terrorist attacks in Europe. As his deep-cover role in OPERATION EXCISE evolves, Dolan finds that of all the demons he must prevail against, the most terrible are from within...

Fans of Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity will appreciate the internecine struggle and cryptic complexity of the protagonist, Michael Dolan, as will fans of Tom Clancy's Patriot Games who savor a page-turner about an unlikely spy thrust into…


Book cover of Life of Pi

Keith Madsen Why did I love this book?

This book grabbed my interest and never let go. A young boy, Pi Patel, survives 227 days after a shipwreck while stranded on a boat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger. Talk about an adventure! But as with the other adventure stories I have chosen, his outward adventure brings about inward transformation. Even before, the young Pi had an intense spiritual interest (a young boy who dared to be both Hindu and Christian!) But with his trek across a vast ocean, he even more intensely explores himself and the nature of his spirituality. Some find the book hard to believe. But as Pi discovers, the unbelievable is at the heart of life. 

By Yann Martel,

Why should I read it?

25 authors picked Life of Pi as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

After the sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a wounded zebra, an orangutan—and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger.

Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi Patel, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with the tiger, Richard Parker, for 227 days while lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his…


Book cover of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Keith Madsen Why did I love this book?

I had to include this classic adventure. Part of the reason is I was born in Missouri and spent many vacations exploring the region Mark Twain (Samuel Clemmons) called home. But the main reason I have included this story is Twain’s character, Huck Finn, discovers some important things about himself in this adventure. Huck lives in a racist, slave-owning culture, and at first, he accepts that without question. That is the reason why some see this as a racist book, and I can see the argument. But as he rafts down the Mississippi with Jim, the escaped slave, the two become friends who depend on each other and learn from each other. He even decides he would prefer going to hell over hurting his friend. That is a vital self-discovery.

Explore my book 😀

Book cover of Searching for Eden

What is my book about?

When Evan Jordan's 14-year-old daughter dies of cancer, he goes on a quest to find the Garden of Eden, a place where children don't die, and where life is still good. Evan's story intersects with those of a beautiful, divorced archaeologist and a 14-year-old Hispanic prostitute; both of whom have their own reasons for interest in the quest. The three Americans are thrown into the turbulent chaos of Iran and the political turmoil surrounding that country’s nuclear capability. In this quest, they dig in ancient cemeteries, climb ziggurats, race through war zones, and confront ISIS, all the time seeking the secret to humanity's foundational story. Will Evan discover within himself the strength he needs to make life good again??

You might also like...

Black Crow Cabin

By Peggy Webb,

Book cover of Black Crow Cabin

Peggy Webb Author Of Black Crow Cabin

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Bookworm Pianist Master Gardener Gigi to 4 grands Lover of porches and hot tea

Peggy's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

A small town in the grips of evil... a single mom with nowhere to turn... and a madman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

He is the Collector, and he's taking prized possessions, pets, and children, keeping what he wants, and burying his rejects in shallow graves. When he comes after Rachel Logan, an ordinary schoolteacher living on a ranch with her grandmother and her two children, she has no weapon except her wits.

But how can she stop a monster who outdoes Hannibal Lecter in cunning and depravity?

Black Crow Cabin

By Peggy Webb,

What is this book about?

A small town in the grips of evil... a single mom with nowhere to turn... and a madman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

He is the Collector, and he's taking prized possessions, pets, and children, keeping what he wants, and burying his rejects in shallow graves. When he comes after Rachel Logan, an ordinary schoolteacher living on a ranch with her grandmother and her two children, she has no weapon except her wits.

But how can she stop a monster who outdoes Hannibal Lecter in cunning and depravity?


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in survival, satire, and presidential biography?

Survival 202 books
Satire 165 books