Reading during a pandemic? For some, with increased pressures at home and at work, and perhaps even facing sickness and the death of others, it seems fanciful. For others, reading has been a lifeline. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, at the end of 2020 it’s good to take stock of the year’s Christian titles and select the most helpful, edifying, and truth-filled books.

If we need reminding of why we read—and teach, and build, and garden, and go on about our lives—during these uncertain times, then C. S. Lewis’s sermon “None Other Gods: Culture in War-Time” (later published as “Learning in War-Time”) can help. Lewis posed the question about whether it was worth pursuing academic study during a war. For Lewis, war wasn’t a new thing, since it “creates no absolutely new situation; it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice.” Whether it’s living through global war or pandemic, Lewis’s address reminds us that ventures like reading aren’t only permissible but good. Our labors in the Lord—including time invested in reading—aren’t in vain (cf. 1 Cor. 15:58).

This is why, even amid a pandemic, we’ve continued on with our annual book awards, taking stock of the most helpful Christian titles of the year. Take a look at the winners of The Gospel Coalition’s 2020 Book Awards and make sure to pick up a book or two from the list. Take advantage of our online bookstore to enjoy steep discounts on these titles and more.

Happy reading!