Between the rush of travel, hosting, and endless to-do lists, the Christmas and New Year season can easily become a frenzy—leaving little space for what the holidays are truly about: rest, connection, and spiritual renewal.
But as the year winds down, there’s no better moment to pause, reflect, and rediscover meaning. Sometimes, that pause begins with something as simple, and as powerful, as a book.
To that end, we turned to three of our friends from different religious traditions and asked them to recommend titles that nourish the spirit, and may bring readers closer to God. Rabbi David Wolpe, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, and Eboo Patel, the Muslim founder of Interfaith America, made some wonderful—and surprising—selections. Together, they form a rich reading list for 2026. Enjoy! —The Editors
The Imitation of Christ (1441) by Thomas à Kempis
A devotional book like no other, Thomas à Kempis’s great work teaches how we can find God through simple devotion and turning away from material things. The passing of 600 years have done nothing to dim its power.
—Timothy Cardinal Dolan
