I’m not much of a re-reader. Few and far between indeed are the books I read more than once, and even with authors, my reading list is far wider than it is deep. This week, however, instead of a brief look at 4 individual books I’ve read recently, I’m going to highlight 4 authors to which I’ve repeatedly turned.
James Herriot bears responsibility for my childhood aspirations to the work of a veterinarian. (Those were short-lived, and doomed by my distaste for the soft and squishy parts of biology.) Herriot wrote about his work as an English veterinarian, making house calls and birthing lambs and calves. This is a quintessential comfort read in my book (no pun intended) – easy to understand, asks for limited emotional investment, and requires little to no analysis, but still provides valuable information about a life that differs so drastically from mine. Perhaps best of all, binging on his books won’t leave you sick afterwards, as your favorite comfort food might. His varied collections are titled All Creatures Great and Small, Every Living Thing, and All Things Wise and Wonderful, but he also has published more specific collections of dog stories and cat stories, as well as several picture books for children.
Stephen Ambrose is probably most famous for Band of Brothers, on which the hit TV series was based, but he writes more widely on military history in general, and World War II in particular. Though I have a higher tolerance for dry history than many other individuals, it’s unneeded for his readers. His books are rooted in oral accounts, and thus are far more easily read than several other authors I’ve read. (I’m looking at you, Nathaniel Philbrick.) I wouldn’t call his books light – they are about war, after all, and don’t paint rosy pictures – but they’re not gut-wrenching either, as James Bradley’s books for example can be.
David Powlison served as the executive director of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation for several years prior to his death in 2019. His books cover the broad range of topics on which you might expect a counselor to write, but with an uncommon gentleness and humility. Tone is hard to convey through the written word, but I never interpreted his as condescending or condemning. Rather, it felt like I was sitting down with a wise older Christian who had been through – or was still in – the same hard places that I was in, and was offering compassionate, encouraging words that only the hardest of hearts would not hear, a kind of hope that is only found in Christ.
Nancy Guthrie is a Bible teacher, speaker, and author, perhaps best known for her book(s) about grief/suffering. She also hosts a podcast, in which she interviews various pastors and professors about the intricacies of teaching the Bible in general and also specific books of the Bible. Personally I enjoy her speaking more than her writing, but her books are not to be missed either. Wise, gentle, with a little bit of a dry wit, and so knowledgeable about Scripture, she’s basically who I want to be when I grow up. Her books are an encouragement regardless of current circumstances.
So there you have it: 4 authors that I consider always worth the time, regardless of the actual topic. Have you read any work by one of these? What author would you recommend without qualification?