By Paul G. Chandler
Each new year I have a practice of sharing a list of books that particularly influenced me in one way or another during the previous year. Over this last year, these books have served as inspiration, consolation, and growth. I found myself largely drawn to books that spoke to my soul, during times of personal challenge, or that related to the distinct challenges facing our world at this time. In this sense, I was reminded anew of how books often come to our rescue.
Below is my 2025 New Year Book List. It consists of 12 books that have spoken to me spiritually, emotionally or intellectually over the last year. Representative of my eclectic interests, this list consists of various literary genres – fiction, memoir, biography, poetry, history, the arts, and spirituality. The majority of these titles were published within the last year, and all within the last two.
As I think about this last year, and these books that have been my soulful companions, I resonate deeply with the words of one of the great actors of our day, Emma Thompson: "I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them."
Note: These books are not listed in any particular order.
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BURMA SAHIB: A Novel – Paul Theroux
Travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux brings Eric Blair (George Orwell) to life in this beautifully written narrative on the formative young adult years of his life while employed as a colonial police officer in Burma (Myanmar) just after the end of World War I. George Orwell’s magnificent essay, “Shooting an Elephant” (1936) seared its way into my imagination the first time I read it, as I grew up bridging two cultures myself and found myself facing similar issues when experiences clashed with my inner values. In this brilliant novel, Theroux adeptly examines the culture, religious beliefs, tensions and allusions that simmered in this exotic setting, resulting in a powerful story of self-discovery. The novel’s epigraph gives voice to its intent: “There’s a short period in everyone’s life when his character is fixed forever” (George Orwell, Burmese Days). Orwell’s anguished years of struggle in Burma, where he experienced bigotry and the abuse of power, created a deep conflict within himself. Out of his experience emerges a compelling exploration of deeper motivations and purpose that Theroux brings to life.
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder – Salman Rushdie
In this visceral recounting of his ruthless near-death trauma, which blinded him in one eye, celebrated novelist and Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie shares vulnerably about his journey from the effects of violent hatred wielded by an unknown assassin to the power of love that sustained his search to make sense of life anew. He reflects on the concept of a knife, both as a physical object that nearly ended his life and as a symbol of broader cultural and religious conflicts. During an imaginary conversation with his assailant, Rushdie writes: “Your intrusion into my life was violent and damaging, but now my life has resumed, and it is a life filled with love.” Knife is a brave exploration of loss and life, a reaffirmation of free speech, a condemnation of extremism and a unique perspective on the impact of such a life-altering experience. Ultimately it gives voice to a universal story as a testament to the inner courage and resolve needed to heal and overcome adversity.
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom – David W. Blight
“There is a prophet within us, forever whispering that behind the seen lies the immeasurable unseen.”
– Frederick Douglass, 1862
This epic recent biography by historian David Blight is worthy of the Pulitzer Prize honor it received. Drawing on the three autobiographies Douglass himself penned, as well as new research not publicly available before, the inspiring story of a great life emerges. It is a well-rounded exploration that sets aside hagiography and delves into the complexity of the most influential African American of the 19th century. After escaping a life of slavery, during which the wife of his owner courageously taught him to read, Douglass ended up as one of most renowned activists in the world. A gifted orator, his fame spread, and he became one of the most well-traveled and photographed people of the 19th century. Blight presents Douglass as a man of contradictions, addressing his strengths and weaknesses. As a result, the reason for Douglass’ greatness is all more justified. The book is fast-paced and covers his entire life, beginning on a plantation in Maryland, covering his education and eventual escape, his two marriages and complicated relationship with his family, and his tireless work to abolish slavery and secure the economic and political rights of African Americans. Set in a still misunderstood era of American history, this is an extraordinary book about an extraordinary man worthy of your time.
On Consolation - finding solace in dark times – Michael Ignatieff
The distinguished Canadian historian and political theorist Michael Ignatieff, has written an inspiring work on the wisdom of consolation in the Western tradition. Derived from the Latin consolor, consolation is the act of finding solace. It is more than mere comfort. It is a search as old as humankind for why life is the way it is and why we must keep on keeping on. begins with the exploration of the ancient religious text of Job and concludes with the story of the modern hospice movement. Through the lens of history, religion, philosophy, and the arts, Ignatieff leads readers through a series of portraits: the ancient narrative of Job, stoic tearful Cicero, Emperor Marcus Aurelius writing in secret, Boethius, El Greco’s art, Hume, ideas of Marx, Abraham Lincoln, Gustav Mahler’s music, Anna Akhmatova’s poems, physician Cicely Saunders and others. His writing is fluid and engaging, personal but not sentimental. He engages readers with stories of endurance and questions of meaning, giving context to the arc of their, and ultimately, our lives. This remarkable book takes the reader into a space where it is people, not doctrines or ideologies that console us; their examples, courage and perseverance offer us hope.
Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive – Russ Ramsey
I have always resonated with the spirituality of Vincent van Gogh; he was someone journeying ever deeper to discover what lies within the inner landscape of human existence. Through the lens of mystery and wonder, van Gogh explored the deeper dimension of life. He allowed suffering to transform him, opening his very being to a way of knowing and seeing that burst forth unfettered, finding its way to be recorded on canvas: intense charcoal sketches, vibrant paint colors, grooved dimensions of brush strokes and textured swirls. In the process, hope resonates and beauty speaks. With the guidance of Russ Ramsey, an art aficionado and ordained minister, readers are invited to engage in a thoughtful conversation about life and faith, through the lives of some of history’s most celebrated artists (van Gogh, Dore, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Turner, Rockwell, Degas, Gauguin, and numerous others). In so doing, we learn how their stories and masterpieces can inspire the ways in which we live our own lives through times of suffering and injustice, as well as through times of joy and wonder. Reproductions of the artistic works described are woven throughout the book’s pages. If you are seeking to engage with life at a deeper level, this beautiful book on the transcendent nature of art is a must read.
Journey to the Morning Light: Poems – Catherine de Vinck
One of my favorite poets, the largely unknown Belgium-American Catherine de Vinck, expresses her depth and artistry powerfully in this recent collection of her work published posthumously, following her death in 2021. Her voice is lyrical, present and healing, unafraid to place joy and sorrow side by side. Her words flow seamlessly; one moment exploring sublime realms of the ordinary and the next, transcendent in time. This compilation of her poems weaves its way through the four seasons of the year.
I lingered with inner recognition at her hope-filled words in “An Extravagant Future.”
Not everything is written down
in plain script. Mystery,
like a magician’s cloak,
covers what we cannot understand . . .
. . . transporting us beyond the edge of sight.
Enough to know we are arriving
slowly at another harbor to find
what we cannot even imagine:
an extravagant future, an encounter.
Fi: A Memoir of My Son – Alexandra Fuller
Alexandra Fuller’s latest book movingly invites readers into her journey through grief after the loss of her 21-year-old son, Fi. It is her fearsome love for him, for her two living daughters and for life itself that drives her determination to face the impossible pain rather than be destroyed by it. I read the book in the midst a time of grieving myself. Her account of loss and grief is raw, heart breaking and painfully honest. But it also speaks to resilience in a viscerally beautiful way. In her attempts to cope, she escapes to the mountains to live in a sheep wagon, visits a grief sanctuary and a silent retreat center. But only the wildness of nature is conducive to her all-consuming grief as she moves back and forth through phases of suffering, aloneness, despair, waiting, arguing, listening, gathering wisdom and healing. She observes, “…moths don’t argue the case against their transformation; that’s what I’ve never seen a wild creature do. They just transform, perfectly.” Although nothing can ever prepare us for devastating loss, we can emerge from such a journey changed, a new and deeper version of ourselves. Do not miss this wise and strengthening book by a remarkably gifted writer.
– Yuval Noah Harari
Although not brief as its title suggests, this exploration of information networks and technology by a gifted historian and philosopher, is an accessible thought-provoking read. Beginning with how humans have gathered and used information to build societies, wield power, and shape the future, we are taken from the Stone Age, the canonization of the Bible, early modern witch-hunts, Stalinism, Nazism, to the resurgence of populism and the potential risks and benefits of artificial intelligence. Harari explores the relationship between information, technology, and societal structures in the past, present and future, encouraging readers to think critically about the systems we are building, and reminding us that we are capable of creating balanced information networks that will keep their own power in check. This work combines profound philosophical questions with practical insights worth considering as we stand on the edge of a new chapter in world history.
– Sebastian Junger
This is a riveting book about the nature of life, death and the after-life, infused with best-selling author Sebastian Junger’s artistic skillfulness as a journalist, a former war reporter and a documentary filmmaker. It is Junger’s story of his sudden near-death experience during emergency surgery for an abdominal hemorrhage. After recovering, Junger was haunted by the visitation of his dead father during his brush with death, and launched an investigation into near-death experiences; this book is the result. Having been raised without religious belief by his rational engineer father, makes his search for transcendent answers all the more compelling. What unfolds is absorbing narrative that blends science, reason and spirituality. It is both thought-provoking and uplifting.
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War – Erik Larson
In his newest engaging work of historical non-fiction, Erik Larson recounts the story of the five tense months leading up to the American Civil War, a war which claimed three-quarters of a million lives. The story of events that transpired between Lincoln’s election in November 1860 and the onset of civil war sparked at the Fort Sumter outpost in Charleston, North Carolina’s harbor, reveal an intriguing and sobering tale. Larson concentrates not just on that specific time period, but does so through the lens of a small group of lesser-known individuals whose actions are ultimately absorbed into the larger historical narrative. Larson’s thorough research anchors his compelling writing, creating a sense of being emersed within the setting of a distinct historic landscape as he explores the political, social and cultural details of the impending war itself. A very engaging and timely read!
The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home – John Philip Newell
Noted spiritual teacher John Philip Newell offers a journey of depth and meaning in his latest writing quest. The great teachers he has chosen as guides, all writers of the soul, offer wisdom at a moment in time when many are seeking spiritual light both within the four walls of a religious inheritance, as well as beyond the bounds of a faith tradition. Newell draws insights from theologians, spiritual masters, poets, scientists, Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Muslims, women and men. Newell looks to wisdom teachers for life’s deepest spiritual questions: “What are we seeking?” - Thomas Berry, Nan Shepherd and Martin Buber address vision, earth and presence / “Why are we searching?” - Carl Young, Julian of Norwich and Rumi offer thoughts on awareness, wellness and love / “How are we to search?” - Rabindranath Tagore, Etty Hillesium and Edwin Muir share insights on wisdom, meaning and faith. In guiding us on a journey to explore the sacred, within and without, a profound sense of spiritual harmony and wholeness unfolds.
Beyond the Door of No Return: A Novel – David Diop
Having lived in Paris and grown up in Senegal, I was delighted to read this recent novel by Senegalese novelist and Booker Prize winner David Diop. I could visualize the settings he describes and I know the island of Gorée well; it’s just off the coast of Dakar and the site of the infamous “door of no return,” through which thousands of enslaved people were forcibly taken by ship to the Americas. It is a moving place full of stories, known and unknown. In this poignant novel Diop tells the story of a French botanist who becomes obsessed with finding a Senegalese woman who was sold into slavery but escaped. His engaging writing style draws on the lyrical richness of Senegal’s oral traditions, creating an unexpected tale of adventure and romance set against the backdrop of the Enlightenment and French colonial occupation. Adeptly weaving a love story alongside a critique of colonial violence, the novel explores the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, the human heart, and the legacy of one man's life. No matter the tragedy that befalls us, life persists. A highly recommended read!
Paul G. Chandler is an author, art curator, interfaith peacemaker, intercultural bridgebuilder and an authority on the Middle East and Africa. He grew up in Senegal, West Africa, and has lived and worked extensively around the world in senior leadership roles within publishing, the arts, relief and development and the Anglican Communion. As the Founding President of CARAVAN, he is recognized as a global leader in using the arts to build bridges, toward fostering peace, harmony and wholeness in our world. He is also a sought-after guide on the all-embracing spirituality of the early 20th century poet-artist Kahlil Gibran, the author of The Prophet. For more information, visit: www.paulgchandler.com