20 Books To Read In Your Twenties
Recommendations to Help You Love God and Love People
This list was surprisingly hard to make. Call me a nerd, but I love to read, and leaving off SO MANY incredible books was a real challenge. Some of you feel my pain… others of you, not so much. Maybe reading feels more like a chore. You know it’s good for you, but you’d rather give me a list of 20 Things I’d Rather Do Than Read!
I understand, and we all have our reasons for not reading—or at least, not reading like we’d like to. But reading is a pleasure worth learning to love and pursue, even if it requires some effort at first.
Good leaders are good readers. Find me a great leader whose mind was shaped by television, and I’ll show you a thousand who were shaped by books. As Charles Spurgeon famously said, “The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves he has no brains of his own.”
So these aren’t the best 20 books ever written. They aren’t even my 20 favorite books, but they are 20 books that have real potential to help you love God and love people better. Don’t read to impress anyone—read for your soul. Find books that strengthen your faith and make you want to live all out for God. These are such books…
Mere Christianity — C.S. Lewis
You may have heard Lewis quoted a hundred times but never actually read his books. Start with this one as he makes a rational case for the Christian faith, and you’ll see how Lewis typically packs more into one sentence than most authors do in a paragraph. Grab some friends to read it together and discuss what you’re learning.
Every Good Endeavour — Tim Keller
Have you ever thought about why you work and why it matters to God? Keller connects your work and your faith by giving a fresh vision on what each of us do 40+ hours every week. Much-needed perspective!
The Jesus I Never Knew — Philip Yancey
We all have preconceptions and assumptions about Jesus, but this book puts you in the Gospels and gives a fresh perspective on who He really was, why He came, and what He left behind. Billy Graham said of Yancey, “There is no writer in the evangelical world that I admire and appreciate more.”
Welcome to Adulting — Jonathan Pokluda
If you can get past the fact that “adulting” isn’t really a phrase anymore, this is such a good resource. JP breaks down some of the biggest challenges you’re facing in your 20s and how to approach them with biblical wisdom. Highly recommend.
Single, Dating, Engaged, Married — Ben Stuart
I can 1000% guarantee that you will be in one of these stages during your 20s. For some of you, you’ll go through all four! So it’s good to think rightly about each of these stages of a relationship. Read it not just for you, but also for your friends who will be asking your advice on their relationships as well.
A Meal With Jesus — Tim Chester
How did Jesus do evangelism and discipleship? By eating meals with people. This is a refreshing reminder to engage with the people around you and redeem your mealtimes.
Everybody Always — Bob Goff
Bob is one of the most joyful and fun people on the planet, and his outlook on life just rubs off on you as you read. This book encourages you to give away love like you’re made of it!
One At A Time — Kyle Idleman
This book reminds us not only of the best way to do ministry, but also the way Jesus did it: by loving people one at a time. One name. One story. It reminds me that Jesus isn’t asking me to do everything for everyone, but instead to slow down, take a genuine interest in the person right in front of me, and follow His example.
Garden City — John Mark Comer
Work, rest, and the art of being human. Theologically rich, yet down-to-earth and practical. It’s especially good for young adults to get a biblical vision for vocation, calling, and partnering with God’s redemptive plan.
Shadow of the Almighty — Elisabeth Elliot
One of the great missionary stories of modern times. This is the account of the martyrdom of Jim Elliot and four other missionaries at the hands of the Auca Indians in Ecuador. Make biographies a regular rotation in your reading. You get history, theology, and psychology all in the form of a good story. Find a godly person in church history who intrigues you and read about their life.
A Long Obedience In The Same Direction — Eugene Peterson
Peterson may be famous for The Message translation of the Bible, but his books have been very formative for me. Long Obedience is all about discipleship in our instant society. Plus, you can’t go wrong with a guy named Eugene!
Knowing God — J.I. Packer
A classic that stretches your heart and mind to understand more of who God is. With the heart of a pastor, the understanding of a theologian, and the passion of a prophet, Packer powerfully introduces us to God: His attributes, actions, and, most importantly, His grace.
Core 52 — Mark Moore
If you’ve been wanting to know the Bible better but don’t know where to start, this is a 15-minute daily guide to build your Bible IQ in a year. It walks through 52 of the most important passages in the Bible and will equip you and strengthen your understanding of God’s Word.
The Secular Creed — Rebecca McLaughlin
Timely wisdom on cultural issues of our day. She applies a biblical worldview to the topics of Black Lives Matter, “love is love,” gay rights, women’s rights, and transgenderism.
Life Together — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Jesus’ teachings weren’t meant to be studied. They were meant to be lived out. This book will challenge you to embrace following Jesus with other people and live out all the “one anothers” in the Bible.
Dangerous Wonder — Mike Yaconelli
Such a needed reminder about what childlike faith looks and feels like, and to open our eyes to the beauty all around us. Following Jesus is not about religious duties, rigid rules, and making you a nice person—it’s meant to be awe-inspiring and life-changing.
Strange New World — Carl Trueman
If you’ve ever wondered why our culture is obsessed with the sexual revolution, gender fluidity, and expressive individualism, this book will help you understand why. It’s one of the best diagnoses of our culture that is often hostile to Christian beliefs.
Celebration of Discipline — Richard Foster
This book walks through twelve spiritual disciplines that we do inwardly, outwardly, and corporately. It has been a perennial bestseller for 40+ years and will help you begin to put these disciplines into practice. So helpful to start as a young adult.
The Meaning of Marriage — Tim Keller
This is one of the first books I recommend to engaged couples, but it’s just as beneficial to read when you’re single. Having a right view of what marriage is and why God designed it is crucial, especially in our world of skyrocketing divorce rates and trite marriage advice.
The Problem of Pain — C.S. Lewis
I limited myself to just one more C.S. Lewis book, but the Problem of Pain explores a question we all must face: How can an all-loving, all-powerful God allow pain and suffering in this world? Lewis works to disentangle this knotty issue with his signature compassion and insight.
One Book To Rule Them All
As good as these books are and as much as they talk about God—proving God, describing God, explaining God—there’s only one book that is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Only one that is “alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12). Only one you should “meditate on day and night” (Psalm 1). It’s the best-selling and the most scrutinized book of all time. There is none like it. There is no substitute. Other books can be beneficial, but only the Bible is inerrant, sufficient, and supreme. It explains where we came from and where we are going. It answers our biggest problem and our greatest need.
So this list of twenty books technically should be #67-86, after the 66 books of the Bible. Start with those first, and then pick a few off this list. Let me know what you think of my list and what should’ve made the cut!
P.S. Books make great gifts. They’re easy to find, simple to wrap, and truly are a gift that keeps on giving. Books can change, stretch, revitalize, encourage, challenge, and refresh like nothing else. Consider buying a friend a book for their birthday or Christmas this year. Or better yet, get two copies and commit to reading it with them!
Evan Wehrle
Young Adults Pastor
