Fairy tales are a wonderful place to find reminders of what the good things in life are really made of, as well as a respite from the holiday rush. Review by Megan Foster

A short, unusually structured novel, Whole illustrates the path to spiritual growth in both its form and the story it tells. Review by Liv Ross

Haines-Eitzen brings the sounds of the desert to an uninitiated audience, showing what can be learned through deep listening. Review by Micah Clark

When we chase after greatness, who and what are we leaving by the wayside? Review by Heidi Klumpe

A poet-priest who loves the sea knows how to balance the regular rhythm of death and life with its wild turns. Review by Peter Lilly

In A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara presents an argument for why some lives aren’t worth living. She gets it wrong. Review by Najma Zahira

"Thirteen" by Frances Victory Schenkkan

In recounting the stories of black Americans who have sought to build utopias, Robertson reveals their absence of a true refuge in this world. Review by James E Cherry

Brad East’s Letters to a Future Saint offers a different kind of introduction to Christianity: with less theological abstraction and more attention to the givenness of Christian worship and practice. Review by Will Bryant

Shark-attack movies can remind us to resist the hubristic belief that we can control the wild, and to instead respect the power of nature. Review by Brigitta Nortker