10 Books To Read For Lent
The Lenten season has officially begun. Beginning on Ash Wednesday (February 22nd this year) and lasting all the way through Holy Thursday (April 6th this year), Lent is a season during which we focus deeply on reflection, prayer, fasting, and giving, remembering Christ’s suffering, sacrifice, and love for us—all to prepare ourselves for Good Friday, and then Easter.
One of the best ways to truly dive into Lent this year? With a book, of course. Here are 10 of our best suggestions for books to act as your companion through this season.
01 | Show Me the Way by Henri Nouwen
For those looking for guided, daily readings, Show Me the Way is a wonderful option. Starting on Ash Wednesday (don’t worry, you can catch up quickly!) and taking readers all the way through Easter, Nouwen’s wise, poetic words will help you reflect and stay connected to Christ.
02 | Preparing for Easter by C. S. Lewis
Lewis always has something insightful to say, making him (in our opinion) required reading for Christians looking to deepen their faith in Christ and their knowledge of this holy season. Written both brilliantly and concisely, this will be a book that you return to each year.
03 | Confessions by Saint Augustine
Confessions is easily one of the greatest classics for philosophy, theology, and Christian history. It takes an intimate, personal look at the life and conversion of Saint Augustine, acting as his “confessions” as he reckons with the weight of his own sins and the sins of the world—all the while, growing closer to Christ.
04 | Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey
One of the main focuses for Christians during Lent is deepening their prayer life. And yet, prayer can sometimes feel meaningless, like we are speaking our greatest desires into a void. We wonder if God is even listening. Here, Yancey helps us understand the purpose of prayer and how to approach it from a new perspective.
05 | Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich
Julian of Norwich was no stranger to suffering, which is what makes so moving. Revelations of Divine Love so moving. It’s her reflection on a series of sixteen revelations she experienced after falling seriously ill about Christ, the mystery of faith, and God’s powerful love for us: “Truth sees God, and wisdom contemplates God, and from these two comes a third, holy and wonderful delight in God, who is love.”
06 | The Seven Last Words by Fulton J. Sheen
Archbishop Sheen helps readers reflect on Christ’s last words, guiding them through prayer and offering them a profound understanding as he examines each phrase in depth. The Seven Last Words reminds us of the weight of Christ’s suffering and sacrifice.
07 | The Word in the Wilderness by Malcolm Guite
If you’re a poetry lover, this one is for you. Beloved Christian poet and priest Malcolm Guite offers readers a collection of his favorite poems that can be read all throughout Lent, as well as his own unique thoughts. This book acts as a companion as we seek and pursue a more significant connection with Christ.
08 | Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter from Orbis Books
Teeming with some of our favorite literary voices (Chesterton, L’Engle, Buechner, Berry, and Rossetti, just to name a few), this collection of more than seventy readings is sure to inspire, challenge, and encourage you as you soul-search throughout Lent.
09 | The Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Avila
Lent encourages us to look inward, wrestle with our sins, and engage in prayer. Saint Teresa of Avila’s The Interior Castle outlines the seven stages of our faith journey, inspired by her vision of our soul as a diamond-shaped castle with seven different wings.
10 | Bitter and Sweet by Tsh Oxenreider
Oxenreider uses the word “bitterness” to describe the sin our broken world is fraught with, and yet it is this bitterness that makes Jesus’ “sweetness” such a salve. In Bitter and Sweet, she beautifully explores how we can finally begin to live in the direction of beauty, truth, grace, and goodness as we prepare for Easter.