4 Books That Have Inspired Me Both as a Reader/Writer & as a Believer
Today I'm super excited to bring Quill of Hope's second-ever guest poster to the spotlight, Hannah Grace!
Hannah Grace is a young Christian writer and blogger. She is one of the authors of Unmasked, a hopeful anthology that I dedicated a whole post on. Definitely check out her blog, A Reading Writer, and read interviews with numerous other young authors who are touching hearts with their words.
Hello there! Oftentimes books will inspire me. They’ll either compel me to write something or do something or they’ll simply encourage and strengthen me in my walk of faith. Those are the books to be truly treasured. Today, I’m going to share with you, 4 Books That Have Inspired Me Both as a Reader/Writer and as a Believer. I hope they will encourage you as much as they have me.
- The Eighth Ransom by Given Hoffman -
The Eighth Ransom is by far one of my favorite books in general. It is one of the few YA novels that I have read that has so profoundly impacted me both in my writing journey and in my journey of faith. The story follows the story of eight kidnapped kids who get thrust into the middle of a national security crisis. On its face, The Eighth Ransom doesn’t seem to be all that much, but throughout the story the author addresses controversial topics and issues like creation, foul language, the sanctity of life, and what it means to believe in Christ. She comes at all of those issues in a very careful yet non-compromising way, creating a clear distinction between questioning and compromising.
- The Final Storm by Wayne Thomas Batson -
The Final Storm is the final book in The Door Within trilogy. It is an allegorical fantasy, but although it is a fantasy, there is little, if any, magic in it (which is definitely a must for me.) I would say the reason that this book is on this list is because of the type of allegory it is. It’s definitely not an allegory like many out there. It doesn’t rewrite any Bible story, instead focusing on the trial and perseverance of the life of a Christian. The author uses mirror realms to describe the physical and spiritual realms, masterfully showing their interconnection and dependency on one another. Throughout it all, It inspired me to live boldly in my faith, to fight this battle with everything I have, no matter the cost.
- Ember Rising by S.D. Smith -
Now, Ember Rising is Middle Grade, not YA, but I’ve found that sometimes Middle Grade novels carry just as much weight and impact as YA.
Ember Rising is the third book in The Green Ember series and while I wouldn’t say that it was one of the best of the series, I would definitely say it was one of the most inspiring. And although it never actually talks about God or faith, nonetheless, the undertones of hope and faith and perseverance through excruciatingly hard times are there. We see the characters hold onto their hope and hold onto their faith just to make it to see the sunrise. And even though most of them don’t think that they’d ever make a difference, they still put their all into fighting for and moving towards it. It moved me much in the same way The Final Storm did and additionally showed me that hope and faith sometimes make all the difference.
- The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis -
The Screwtape Letters is a very complicated book that must be read with the right mindset. Because of it’s topic and sensitivity, I won’t go into detail, other than to say, it showed me that I could write about the spiritual battle we are a part of and still speak the truth while staying true to my beliefs and convictions and not being swept away in a labyrinth of lies and confusion.
The books we read and the stories we let our mind entertain have the ability to shape us in unbelievable ways. They shape everyone differently, everyone in their own unique and beautiful way. That being said, I have only commented on these books based on how they have affected me. I do not know how they will affect someone else, so before you choose to read any, please look into them and know what content they contain so as to make an informed decision about reading them.
And lastly, may the ultimate and supreme inspiration for our lives no matter what, be The Bible.
Psalm 43:3 KJV:
“O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.”
His Truth should be our guide and our way in everything we read and write.
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