My favorite books to read in a world gone wrong

Why am I passionate about this?

I believe there is a supernatural spirit that guides the universe, and I am passionate about the God who created it. From the many experiences in my life, I have learned that there is a bigger picture. That picture is God. You can believe in his power to change lives or not. You can believe in him and his son or not, but that does not mean they don't exist. I may not believe in life in other galaxies, but that does not mean they are not out there somewhere.

I wrote...

The Pope and the Prostitute

By Susan Fries, Anthony Tullo,

Book cover of The Pope and the Prostitute

What is my book about?

Siblings, Charlotte and Peter, have it all loving parents and a happy home until their fragile world comes to a shrieking halt when their lives become derailed by a world war they have no business being in the path of. They find themselves in the care of a Catholic orphanage that sends them spiraling in opposite directions and drives Charlotte to the brink of emotional instability and a questionable lifestyle. Separated from each other, they have done what they must to survive.

Nearly twenty years later a mystery surrounds Peter with the sudden death of the Pope. Was it suicide or was something more sinister? Could the Pope have sealed his own fate by manipulating those within his power, leaving himself vulnerable to a personal vendetta?

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

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Etty Hillesum: A Life Transformed

Susan Fries Why did I love this book?

This is undoubtedly the most captivating biography I’ve had the pleasure to read.

This woman, in the prime of her very ‘alive’, but somewhat distorted sexually active life is confused by her childhood, accosted by the Germans during the war, yet brings inspiration and love to those in the Nazi camp she finds herself living as wars escalate. She is hope.

By Patrick Woodhouse,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

On 8 March 1941, a 27-year-old Jewish Dutch student living in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam made the first entry in a diary that was to become one of the most remarkable documents to emerge from the Nazi Holocaust. Over the course of the next two and a half years, an insecure, chaotic and troubled young woman was transformed into someone who inspired those with whom she shared the suffering of the transit camp at Westerbork and with whom she eventually perished at Auschwitz. Through her diary and letters, she continues to inspire those whose lives she has touched since. She was an…


Book cover of The Shack

Susan Fries Why did I love this book?

The Shack shook me up. It took directions I didn’t see coming and the characters were not what I expected, yet full of depth and appeal.

Heartbreak, denial, and getting turned on my head is what reading The Shack did to me, and of all the crazy things, I was inspired by it. Rocked by it and I love when a book does that.

It isn’t easy to pick up the pieces of your life when disaster strikes, but you have to keep your focus on two things; firstly, God, and secondly, the devil who constantly tries to tear you away from God.

By William P. Young,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Shack as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

After his daughter's murder, a grieving father confronts God with desperate questions -- and finds unexpected answers -- in this riveting and deeply moving #1 NYT bestseller.

When Mackenzie Allen Phillips's youngest daughter Missy is abducted during a family vacation, he remains hopeful that she'll return home. But then, he discovers evidence that she may have been brutally murdered in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness.

Four years later, in this midst of his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note that's supposedly from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment,…


Book cover of Hope for This Present Crisis: The Seven-Step Path to Restoring a World Gone Mad

Susan Fries Why did I love this book?

Michael Youssef is a Christian preacher. He has written several books but none that tell the story of what is going on in this country.

The everyday things that our government has right under our noses that we just don’t see. Because the end times are starting to show in the events around the world, we need to prepare; if we want to live in heaven, forever.

By Michael Youssef,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hope for This Present Crisis as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Our culture has lost its mind. Now, we are waging a bigger fight—a war for our soul.
 
Is it possible our world has gone mad?  We are under siege and the war is not from without; it is from within. The collapse of the Roman Empire occurred in a single generation and was not so much the result of invasions by their enemies but the result of moral decay and internal corruption. Similar patterns are emerging in America. We neglected or abandoned our traditional institutions long ago, but now it’s time to take them back. 
 
Today, forces are at work…


Book cover of Mere Christianity

Susan Fries Why did I love this book?

C.S. Lewis' understanding of the written word of God (the Bible), he has a profound understanding of it, and his translation of it into his own words far surpasses any I have read before.

If you miss reading Mere Christianity, you will have missed a great written sermon on the meaning of Christianity. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

By C. S. Lewis,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Mere Christianity as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Special 65th Anniversary Edition

One of the most popular and beloved introductions to the concept of faith ever written, 'Mere Christianity' has sold millions of copies worldwide.

The book brings together C.S. Lewis's legendary radio broadcasts during the war years, in which he set out simply to 'explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times'.

Rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity's many denominations, Mere Christianity provides an unequalled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to absorb a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith.


Book cover of The Curse of the Father: A Tale of Life After Loss

Susan Fries Why did I love this book?

This book was so fascinating and dragged me into it immediately.

There were so many twists and turns and unexpected supernatural happenings once these travelers journey into a place called Suicide Forest where many people have gone to die. If you like books that make you think and not roam around the world clueless, this is one of them.

By Chad Daniel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Curse of the Father as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

After the suicide of his father, Chad Daniel finds himself on the other side of the world, investigating the mysteries behind the Aokigahara in Japan, a forest known for the lives lost inside it. There Chad is forced to confront a ghost from his past as well as the forces out to destroy his future."The Curse of the Father is a thought-provoking and engaging message to people from all walks of life." -Joyce MeyerThere is a secret in the forest surrounding the quiet town of Aokigahara; many visitors kill themselves deep inside it. The locals don’t want to talk about…


You might also like...

Acquaintance

By Jeff Stookey,

Book cover of Acquaintance

Jeff Stookey Author Of Dangerous Medicine

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Historical fiction writer Gay male Reader History buff Curious human

Jeff's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

As a young doctor, Carl Holman has experienced the horrors of World War I and the death of his lover, a fellow officer. Back home after the War, he befriends a young jazz musician who he hopes will become a companion he can share his life with. But this is Oregon: the Ku Klux Klan is gaining influence, homosexual acts are illegal, and such a relationship will jeopardize Carl’s promising medical career.

Musician Jimmy Harper has his own dreams for the future and his own obstacles to overcome before he will allow himself to accept Carl’s love. More than a gay love story, Acquaintance is a deep dive into gay and lesbian history based on extensive period research of the 1920s.

Acquaintance

By Jeff Stookey,

What is this book about?

As a young surgeon, Carl Holman has experienced the horrors of World War I and the loss of his lover, a fellow officer. Back home after the war, he befriends a young jazz musician who he hopes will become a companion he can share his life with. But this is Oregon: the Ku Klux Klan is gaining influence, homosexual acts are illegal, and such a relationship will jeopardize Carl’s promising medical career. Musician Jimmy Harper has his own dreams for the future and his own obstacles to overcome before he will allow himself to accept Carl’s love.
Acquaintance is a…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in fundamentalism, change, and the Netherlands?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about fundamentalism, change, and the Netherlands.

Fundamentalism Explore 13 books about fundamentalism
Change Explore 39 books about change
The Netherlands Explore 75 books about the Netherlands