85 books like A Wind in the Door

By Madeleine L'Engle,

Here are 85 books that A Wind in the Door fans have personally recommended if you like A Wind in the Door. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Further Education of Oversoul Seven

Joe Stillman Author Of The Man Who Came and Went

From my list on to inspire your personal mystical quest.

Why am I passionate about this?

Back in New York, while struggling to be a screenwriter, I was spiritually questing. My friends and I read “books that change lives”. New age books, self-help, mystical, spiritual. We meditated with crystals. We dabbled in tofu. And our lives did change. Some moved to Santa Fe. Some took up Reiki. I found my way to LA to write for TV and film. Throughout my time there, I was working on my own story to tell, like the ones I had loved in New York. That story eventually morphed into The Man Who Came and Went. For me and my friends at least, these books really did change lives.

Joe's book list on to inspire your personal mystical quest

Joe Stillman Why did Joe love this book?

This is a work of fiction written by Jane Roberts, famous as the writer of the Seth books. Through the novel form, Roberts gets across a plausible way to look at life, the fluid nature of time and some possible meaning and purpose to be found in reincarnation. It’s also pretty entertaining. Yay novels! There are three books in the Oversoul series. This, the second, is my favorite. 

By Jane Roberts,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Further Education of Oversoul Seven as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The ageless, timeless entity Oversoul Seven must deal with the problems of an unusual assortment of mortals that includes a young man reluctant to be a father, a student contemplating suicide, and a woman unhappy with her reincarnation


Book cover of The Crystal Cave

Tina Zee Author Of Fires of Brigantia

From my list on romantic Celtic Britain: Druids, Romans and female warriors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love British history. I am fascinated by ancient roots; legends and myths arising from around the Roman invasion. Stories of Boudicca, Casswallen, Celtic legends, and Arthurian tales hold me in a world of imaginings and anticipation. These exciting stories have been told and retold, but Cartimandua, Warrior Queen of Brigantia is new to me. She, a Yorkshire lass like me – led the largest tribe in Britain. I have become absorbed into the iron-age lives and loves of her Brigantia. The interwoven links between known facts and fantasy intrigue me. My favourite books here encouraged my journey of discovery; the old birthing the new. The legends from Britain grow.

Tina's book list on romantic Celtic Britain: Druids, Romans and female warriors

Tina Zee Why did Tina love this book?

Through the pages of this book, unfolds a tangible reality of the birth and boyhood of Merlin the magician, leading up to his central position in the legend of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

As I read, I saw how Stewart wove a story using some accepted historical facts and myths, to create something new and solid. I saw the way Stewart used mystical moments and magical spells to sit above common logic.

Her ability to write in this imaginative way makes her characters more believable. And I do believe it. I have feelings of satisfaction at the end of the book, which inspired me to write my own historical story.

By Mary Stewart,

Why should I read it?

14 authors picked The Crystal Cave as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The spellbinding story of Merlin's rise to power.

Vivid, enthralling, absolutely first-class - Daily Mail

So begins the story of Merlin, born the illegitimate son of a Welsh princess in fifth century Britain, a world ravaged by war. Small and neglected, with his mother unwilling to reveal his father's identity, Merlin must disguise his intelligence - and hide his occasional ability to know things before they happen - in order to keep himself safe.

While exploring the countryside near his home, Merlin stumbles across a cave filled with books and papers and hiding a room lined with crystals. It is…


Book cover of Emmanuel's Book: A Manual for Living Comfortably in the Cosmos

Joe Stillman Author Of The Man Who Came and Went

From my list on to inspire your personal mystical quest.

Why am I passionate about this?

Back in New York, while struggling to be a screenwriter, I was spiritually questing. My friends and I read “books that change lives”. New age books, self-help, mystical, spiritual. We meditated with crystals. We dabbled in tofu. And our lives did change. Some moved to Santa Fe. Some took up Reiki. I found my way to LA to write for TV and film. Throughout my time there, I was working on my own story to tell, like the ones I had loved in New York. That story eventually morphed into The Man Who Came and Went. For me and my friends at least, these books really did change lives.

Joe's book list on to inspire your personal mystical quest

Joe Stillman Why did Joe love this book?

I saved the best for last. In the mid-’80s, I was in a meditation group, and though we were centered around the teachings of Edgar Cayce, we read every new age and self-help book that came along. Far and away our favorite, with the most inspiring viewpoint, was Emmanuel’s Book. It was written a bit like poetry and I think there’s a reason for that. Emmanuel had a way of bypassing the human mind and speaking to us on a level deeper. As he liked to say: “Your life is none of your mind’s business.” Emmanuel has a way of putting you in contact with a knowing place within. As to whether or not you stay there, well that’s your personal mystical problem. 

By Pat Rodegast, Judith Stanton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Emmanuel's Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Here is the revealing underground classic, a work  that stands beside the "Seth" books as a  delightful and invaluable guide to our inner  spirit and our outer world. Emmanuel speaks to us  through Pat Rodegast and shares his wisdom and  insights on all aspects of life. Beautifully written and  illustrated, Emmanuel's Book I  is to be treasured, enjoyed and passed on to a  friend. Emmanuel says: "The gifts I wish to  give you are my deepest love, the safety of truth,  the wisdom of the universe and the reality of God .  . . . The issue of whether there…


Terracolina: A Place to Belong

By Carla Kessler, Richard Kessler (illustrator),

Book cover of Terracolina: A Place to Belong

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Carla Kessler Author Of Terracolina: A Place to Belong

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Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, one of my favorite places was in the top branches of a tree. From up there I could watch the world pass by, remaining invisible. I could make up stories about the world below and no one would challenge me. The second best place for me was inside the story of a book, the kind that took you to magical places where children always found a way to win the day. I knew when I “grew up” I would write one of those empowering books. I became a middle school teacher and have since read many wonderful books for this age. Enjoy my list of favorites.  

Carla's book list on where kids who believe in nature make a difference

What is my book about?

Where do you turn when the only adult who gets you, your grandpa, is gone, and the world seems to be in self-destruct mode?

On his 12th birthday, Thomas runs away to the forest he used to visit with Grandpa. It is dying. Will saving it from a deadly parasite bring him closer to Grandpa or make his world safer? Before he can find out, he is enticed into a magical world under an attack of a different kind.

Welcomed by a garden of talking plants, mind-reading creatures, tree-climbing, nature-loving beings, Thomas conquers the stinging, prickly hedge that guards the…

Book cover of The Pathwork of Self-Transformation

Joe Stillman Author Of The Man Who Came and Went

From my list on to inspire your personal mystical quest.

Why am I passionate about this?

Back in New York, while struggling to be a screenwriter, I was spiritually questing. My friends and I read “books that change lives”. New age books, self-help, mystical, spiritual. We meditated with crystals. We dabbled in tofu. And our lives did change. Some moved to Santa Fe. Some took up Reiki. I found my way to LA to write for TV and film. Throughout my time there, I was working on my own story to tell, like the ones I had loved in New York. That story eventually morphed into The Man Who Came and Went. For me and my friends at least, these books really did change lives.

Joe's book list on to inspire your personal mystical quest

Joe Stillman Why did Joe love this book?

Mystical quests are all well and good, but most things, even our quests, can be fodder for self-delusion. That’s just how humans are built. Learning the particulars of how we’re built is a powerful way to lessen that delusion. Sooner or later, some actual self-work becomes necessary. I haven’t come across a more effective roadmap to the self than what’s found in the Pathwork Lectures of Eva Pierrakos. This is channeled work, the idea of which may make you punch your computer screen. But the information in these lectures, about the inner workings of the human psyche, seems spot on. This book contains a sampling from a few of the lectures, a sort of dim sum of psychological wisdom.

By Eva Pierrakos,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Pathwork of Self-Transformation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“The gift of Eva Pierrakos’s Pathwork has been with me for twenty years. It is the deepest and most effective spiritual work I have found, and it has helped me realize my dreams. Each time I read it, I am amazed at the depth and breadth of wisdom and love it teaches. It is a practical way of truth that will change your life.”—Barbara Ann Brennan, author of Hands of Light

For more than twenty years, Eva Pierrakos was the channel for a spirit entity known only as the Guide. Combining rare psychological insight with an inspiring  ision of human…


Book cover of The Cabinet of Dr. Leng

Gary Gerlacher Author Of Last Patient of the Night: An AJ Docker Thriller

From my list on thrillers featuring a medical professional.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a pediatric emergency physician turned author, and I am passionate about sharing an insider’s view of the emergency room, as well as addressing larger health issues that should be more visible to the general public. The emergency room is a world unlike any other, filled with humor, drama, emotions, and energy twenty-four hours a day, and I like to bring that energy to my stories. I’ve worked in many different medical settings, and every day, I find a new story that is worth sharing. 

Gary's book list on thrillers featuring a medical professional

Gary Gerlacher Why did Gary love this book?

I never said medical professionals had to be heroes. Dr. Leng is a world-class villain who challenges Hannibal Lecter, and I love how this book shows the scope of destruction that can be created when science is used for evil purposes.

Dr. Leng is so evil you can’t wait to read what he does next while rooting for someone to stop him, and only someone as capable as Agent Pendergast can do so. This is the culmination of the battle, and I recommend reading all of the books in this series. 

By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Cabinet of Dr. Leng as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How can you stop a serial killer who has been dead for a hundred years? FBI Special Agent A. X. L. Pendergast always wants to protect his protegee Constance Greene from harm. But, against all odds, Constance has found a way to travel back in time. Heading to New York City in the late 1800s, Constance returns to the century of her birth to embark on a dangerous quest: stopping the era's most infamous serial killer, Dr. Enoch Leng, from bringing his nefarious plans to fruition. If Constance can stop Dr. Leng, she can finally prevent the events that led…


Book cover of The Dragon and the George

Chrys Cymri Author Of The Temptation of Dragons

From my list on great dragon characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

My first toy was a plastic dinosaur, which I took to school and it bears my toothmarks on the tail. As a young teenager, I stumbled across the Dragonriders of Pern books, and my allegiance transferred to dragons. I find them fascinating, both beautiful and dangerous, and prefer books in which they have their own cultures and are strong characters in their own right. The novels I’ve recommended have great world building to draw you into the fascinating lives of dragons, and the humans who come to know them. 

Chrys' book list on great dragon characters

Chrys Cymri Why did Chrys love this book?

What would it be like to become a dragon? Jim Eckert finds out when his consciousness is projected into a medieval fantasy world, and his mind ends up in a dragon. I loved him working out how to convince people like his girlfriend, Angie, who he is and how others join him on his quest to free Angie after she’s been captured.

The dragon rescuing the lady inverts the normal trope and makes the novel great fun to read. 

By Gordon R. Dickson,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Dragon and the George as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Through no fault of his own, the once human Jim Eckert had become a dragon. Unfortunately, his beloved Angie had remained human. But in this magical land anything could happen. To make matter worse, Angie had been taken prisoner by an evil dragon and was held captive in the impenetrable Loathly Tower. So in this land where humans were edible and beasts were magical--where spells worked and logic didn't--Jim Eckert had a big, strange problem.


Book cover of The Dragon and the Double-Edged Sword

J.V. Hilliard Author Of The Last Keeper

From my list on fantasy that have unconventional elements.

Why am I passionate about this?

Before I was published, I played Dungeons and Dragons for years. I grew up on games involving fantasy, and though my career took me into government, it stayed my passion. I’m well on my way to publishing the last two books in my four-part saga as well as venturing into Kindle Vella, and I can’t wait to see what is next for me in the realm of fantasy. When writing in the genre, it’s easy to fall into the same old tropes and utilize the same creatures. These five books are atypical in this age of overdone plots and monsters. I hope you find your next read among them.

J.V.'s book list on fantasy that have unconventional elements

J.V. Hilliard Why did J.V. love this book?

The Dragon and the Double-Edged Sword is a fantasy-adventure novel that incorporates rarely used mythical creatures like harpies, aswangs, buso, and even a lava monster. Set in 2599, The novel takes an unorthodox approach to dystopia by asking, “What if humans went extinct?” The story has time travel and an interesting system of magic. What really impressed me about this story is how it started off with a bang and didn’t let up. Even as it switched between two different timelines, there weren’t any filler scenes where the story dragged. Every character had a clear purpose and something to connect with.

By Allison Ivy,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Dragon and the Double-Edged Sword as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With the human race gone, mythical creatures roam ...
In the year 2599, Lysandra, mermaid princess of the sea, loves all things human. It’s why she can’t resist helping a dragon who claims to be one. Sixteenth-century Duke Virginio Ormani II is cursed to walk as a dragon in daylight, and he’s stumbled into the twenty-sixth century.
Dragging her elven warrior boyfriend, Cyali, along for the ride, Lysandra and her friends will face conjurers, harpies, and overgrown rats on their journey across the western lands.
And that’s the least of their worries.
When a cabal of witches plans to bring…


Book cover of Restoree: A Novel

Sally Odgers Author Of Elysian Dawn

From my list on set on distant worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m Tasmanian. I’ve loved books set in other worlds since I encountered Robert Heinlein’s juveniles in my teens. I often find books set in the mundane world of here-and-now implausible or dull, because the adventures seem contrived or else result from characters doing something stupid or bad. If characters venture to other worlds, or other planets though—that’s a different ballgame! I read a great deal of fantasy and sci-fi, and when I was fourteen, I started writing my own. I enjoy a wide variety of genres, but my favourite stories are those where I can follow relatable characters through wild adventures and believe every line.  

Sally's book list on set on distant worlds

Sally Odgers Why did Sally love this book?

Restoree is a stand-alone novel by Anne McCaffrey of the Dragon Riders of Pern fame. The protagonist, Sara, is swept up in a mass kidnapping and carried away to a planet where she ends up in a new body. She is given the job of caring for a man who seems largely unresponsive. Sara and the reader slowly come to understand what’s happening and she makes a bold move to rescue herself, her charge, and the other restorees. Like all the best science fiction, Restoree is less about the trappings and more about the human story. 

By Anne McCaffrey,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

There was a sudden stench of a dead sea creature. There was the sudden horror of a huge black shape closing over her. There was nothing...

Then there were pieces of memory, isolated fragments that were so horrible her mind refused to accept them. Intense heat and shivering cold; excruciating pain; dismembered pieces of the human body. Sawn bones and searing screams.

And when she awoke she found she was in a world that was not earth, and with a face and body that were not her own. She had become a Restoree...


Book cover of King of Shadows

Fred Van Lente Author Of Never Sleep

From my list on historical mysteries/thrillers set before World War II.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love historical fiction because it’s the next best thing to the invention of time travel. Books can immerse you in a time and a place in a way that comics and movies can only gesture at. For books like Never Sleep I even make sure to cook the foods my characters are eating, to make sure the era is evoked for the readers in all five sense. I love fantasy and science fiction as the next person, but the idea of transporting people to times and places that actually happened, to the best of my skill as a dramatist and researcher, is a challenge I find irresistible as an author. 

Fred's book list on historical mysteries/thrillers set before World War II

Fred Van Lente Why did Fred love this book?

This is cheating a little bit because it’s about a modern-day American boy who gets whisked back to Shakespeare’s time and befriends the playwright as a young man.

Our young actor has to figure out why he’s been sent back to this time and escape before a terrible plague wipes out much of London. I bought this book at the Globe Theatre gift shop (!) on an overseas trip on the basis of Susan Cooper’s name alone.

She wrote The Dark Is Rising Series and this is a thrilling modern classic by her. 

By Susan Cooper,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked King of Shadows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

I lay very still, with all my senses telling me that I had gone mad. The plague? Nobody's had the plague for centuries . . .

Nathan Field, a talented young actor, arrives at the newly rebuilt Globe Theatre in London to play Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream. As rehearsals begin, eerie echoes of the past begin to haunt Nat, and he falls sick with a mysterious sickness.

When he wakes, Nat finds himself in 1599, an actor at the original Globe - and his co-star is none other than the King of Shadows himself: William Shakespeare.

Nat's new…


Book cover of The Innocents

Amy M. Reade Author Of Cape Menace: A Cape May Historical Mystery

From my list on mysteries that make you wish you had a time machine.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been a lover of historical mysteries ever since I realized it’s possible to read mystery fiction and learn history at the same time. Every time I pick up a mystery set in the past, whether it’s the ancient past, the more recent past, or somewhere in between, I know I’m going to be intrigued and challenged by a great story and come away with a greater understanding of the people, culture, customs, and events of that time period. It’s a win-win. I write historical mysteries because I want to share with readers what I’ve learned about a particular time or place in a way that’s compelling and engaging. 

Amy's book list on mysteries that make you wish you had a time machine

Amy M. Reade Why did Amy love this book?

This first-in-series book takes place in 1868 in the American West, a place I would visit in my time machine (I wouldn’t stay because I’m not a fan of dust and dirt and there was plenty of that in the early American West, but that’s on me).  

Abigail (Abi) MacKay is a Pinkerton detective who has to do her job twice as well as any man to prove she deserves the position. Nat Quinn and Jake Conroy are leaders of the payroll train-robbing gang known as The Innocents. Nat and Jake are supposed to be the sworn enemies of the Pinkertons, but as luck would have it, Abi and the two men are forced to team up after the men save her life and she promises to help them find the person who murdered a friend of theirs.  

But once their collaboration is over, what’s going to happen? Abi is…

By C. A. Asbrey,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Pinkerton Detective Abigail MacKay is a master of disguises—and of new crime-solving technology! But she’ll have to move fast to stay a step ahead of Nat Quinn and Jake Conroy.

Nat and Jake are the ringleaders of The Innocents, a western gang that specializes in holding up trains carrying payrolls—and Nat is pretty savvy when it comes to using the new sciences of 1868 in committing his crimes.

Charismatic Nat and handsome Jake are on the run, and they’ve always gotten away before—before Abi. But when Abi is caught by another band of outlaws during the chase, there’s no other…


Book cover of The Further Education of Oversoul Seven
Book cover of The Crystal Cave
Book cover of Emmanuel's Book: A Manual for Living Comfortably in the Cosmos

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