Second this. If you have any interest in the scholarship behind the ancient world, Bart Ehrman's books are phenomenal. He is one of the few people who can be bo

Second this. If you have any interest in the scholarship behind the ancient world, Bart Ehrman's books are phenomenal. He is one of the few people who can be both world leading scholar, and great writer who can really connect with a layperson and academic alike. He is also genuinely one of the best human beings I know, and I don't say that lightly. I also really enjoyed his book about suffering. If you've struggled with your faith over the amount of suffering in the world, and/or yearn for answers to those hard questions, I highly recommend "God's Problem: The Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question - Why We Suffer." It actually goes far beyond just the Bible (though that is covered very, very well) and includes much philosophy and other things. It's a deeply personal book where he opens up about his own struggle and really allows himself to be vulnerable. For me, I was struggling deeply with these questions and had nobody to talk to. Everyone close to me in life had strong faith and was perfectly satisfied with dismissing the problem as "God knows. He is perfect. That's enough for me." The book was like having a brilliant and deeply thoughtful friend to have a conversation with, and it was an important point in my life. I'll be forever grateful to Bart for writing it. Disclaimer: Bart is a friend of mine, but I read most of his books before meeting him.