READING LIST ​2020 

“But in reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself. Like a night sky in the
Greek poem, I see with a myriad eyes, but it is still I who see. Here, as in worship, in love, in moral
action, and in knowing, I transcend myself; and am never more myself than when I do.”
- C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy
 
About our list: 
  
On this list are several books that we invite you to read before, during or 
even after the trip. Most people who travel with our groups say that reading 
some of the books deepened their overseas experience greatly. However, we know 
that everyone is busy with life as well, so the books are totally ​optional!  
 
You will still have an amazing journey even if you aren’t up for reading. To 
help you prioritize, we have divided the list into the three levels: ​A​ll 
travelers, ​I​nterested, and ​S​cholars.  
 
Of course, not everything on this list will be discussed during the trip. We 
rely on you, the traveler, to weave examples and illustrations from the 
writings you found interesting into our trip conversations. The trip’s 
teaching material is drawn primarily from​ ​On Fairy Stories​ ​by J.R.R. Tolkien 
and from David’s ​dissertation​ on Tolkien’s theology of creativity.  
 
If I only have time to read one book, which one should I choose? 
 
Read ​The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe ​by C.S. Lewis. This super short book 
will give you a taste of everything the Inklings were about: Christ, fantasy, 
myth, joy, Britain, and other-worlds. 
 
Books by or about J.R.R. Tolkien:  
 
A​ books: ​The Hobbit;
​ ​Leaf by Niggle​; ​On Fairy Stories; ​   
 
I​ books: ​The Lord of the Rings; ​ ​J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography​ (by Humphrey 
Carpenter) 
 
S ​books: ​The Silmarillion; ​ ​The Children of Hurin;​ ​Beren and Luthien; ​LOTR 
Epilogue​; ​The New Shadow​ ​(pg. 412-420); ​Farmer Giles of Ham​; ​Smith of Wooton 
Major 
 
 
  
Books by or about C. S. Lewis:  
 
A​ books: ​The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe​;​The Screwtape Letters; ​“The 
Weight of Glory”​;  
 
I​ books: ​Mere Christianity; ​Remaining ​Chronicles of Narnia​; ​The Great Divorce; 
Perelandra​; ​Till We Have Faces​; S ​ urprised by Joy​; ​Jack (
​ by George Sayer) 
 
S​ books: The remaining “Space Trilogy” books; ​A Grief Observed; Reflections on 
the Psalms​; ​The Four Loves​;​ The Inklings​ (by Humphrey Carpenter); ​Miracles 
 
Books by or about J.K. Rowling: 
 
A ​books: ​Harry Potter​ #’s 1-3; ​Get Sorted Into a Hogwarts House 
 
I ​books: H​arry Potter​ #’s 4-7; ​Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 
 
S ​books: ​Harry Potter and the Cursed Child​; ​The Cuckoo’s Calling​ (Mature 
Readers Only); ​A Casual Vacancy​ (Mature Readers Only)  

SECONDARY AUTHORS 
Books by or about George MacDonald: 
 
A ​books: ​The Princess and the Goblin; Back of the North Wind  
 
I ​books: ​Phantastes; Lilith 
 
S ​books: His sermons 
 
WWI and the Inklings: 
 
A ​books: ​Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle Earth​ (John 
Garth); ​A Hobbit a Wardrobe and a Great War ​(Joseph Loconte) 
 
Books by or about Jane Austen: 
 
A ​books:​Pride and Prejudice;​ P
​ ersuasion​ (relates to Bath) 
 
I ​books:​Northanger Abbey​ (relates to Bath) 
 
S ​books: 
 
Books by or about the other Inklings and their Friends: 
 
A ​books: ​The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings: J.R.R. Tolkien, 
C. S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams​ (by Philip and Carol Zaleski) 
 
I ​books: ​Descent into Hell (
​ by Charles Williams); T​ he Silver Trumpet ​(by Owen 
Barfield); ​Many Dimensions ( ​ by Charles Williams); T​ he Mind of the Maker 
(Dorothy Sayers); ​Peter Wimsey Mysteries ​(Dorothy Sayers) 
 
S ​books: ​The Splendid Century​ (by Warnie Lewis); ​War in Heaven​ (by Charles 
Williams); ​History in English Words​ (by Owen Barfield); ​The Nine Tailors​ and 
other Peter Wimsey (by Dorothy Sayers); ​The Everlasting Man (by G.K. 
Chesterton) 

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS 
  
Books About Trip Concepts: 
 
A ​books: ​On Fairy Stories​ ​by J.R.R. Tolkien 
 
I ​books: ​Echoes of Eden (Jerram Barrs) 
 
S​ books: David’s ​dissertation​ on Tolkien’s theology of creativity.  
 
Other Authors Connected with Venues on the Trip: 
 
G.K. Chesterton 
 
Geoffrey Chaucer (London: London Tower, Westminster Abbey, Windsor)  
 
Charles Dickens (London) 
 
William Shakespeare (Stratford and London) 
 
King Arthur: ​Morte D’arthur​ by Thomas Mallory - Tolkien’s translation - , ​The 
Crystal Cave​ by Mary Stewart 
 
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, ​ Tolkien’s Translation 
 
Beowulf,​ Tolkien’s Translation 
  
Light Cultural and Historical Reading: 
 
Fun Introductory History of England; Horrible Histories Special: England 
(Terry Deary)  
 
Fun History of Royalty; Horrible Histories: Cruel Kings and Mean Queens​ (Terry 
Deary)  
 
Fun(ny) Introduction to Shakespeare; Shakespeare: The World as Stage​ (Bill 
Bryson)  
 
Fun History of England; Great Tales from English History: A Treasury of True 
Stories  
about the Extraordinary People ‐‐ Knights and Knaves, Rebels and Heroes, 
Queens and  
Commoners ‐‐ Who Made Britain Great​ (Robert Lacey)  
 
Another Fun Look at England: Notes from a Small Island! (
​ Bill Bryson)