The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

By C.S. Lewis

Narnia…a land frozen in eternal winter…a country waiting to be set free. Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia- a land enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change…and a great sacrifice

So I haven't read this since I was a wee child of about ten, and it was fun to read again. But it was kinda boring because I've read/watched the story so much that it just didn't keep my interest unless there were differences from the movie or things I'd forgotten about. Still super good, but probably not worth a readthrough if you are like me and have read it before and seen every television/movie/animated movie that has come out. C.S. Lewis still rocks though!

The Magician's Nephew

By C.S. Lewis

Narnia…where the woods are thick and cool, where Talking Beasts are called to life…a new world where the adventure begins. Digory and Polly meet and make friends one cold, wet summer in London. Their lives burst into adventure when Digory’s Uncle Andrew, who thinks he is a magician, sends them hurtling to…somewhere else. They find their way to Narnia, newborn from the Lion’s song, and encounter the evil sorceress Jadis, before they finally return home.

This is the first book in the series...if you go by the chronological order. There is much debate about which way is best to read the seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia, but I'm not even going there. This book was so much fun to read read out loud. I had so much fun reading the dialogue, that is so witty and funny you can't help but laugh. I enjoyed the parallels to Christianity and the overall feel-goodness of the book. I'd never read this one and I heartily enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who enjoys C.S. Lewis, or has loved 'The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe'.

The Screwtape Letters

By C.S. Lewis

A masterpiece of satire, this classic has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below." At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the worldly-wise old devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging and humorous account of temptation-and triumph over it-ever written.

I don't care what religion you are, if you're trying to life a good life, you need to read this book. It is, like the summary said, hilarious yet very thought-provoking. It certainly made me more aware of why I choose to do things for good or ill. It tuned me in to how a Screwtape might be subtly pulling me off the path. At the beginning, it took a while to get used to C.S. Lewis's way of writing. It takes a bit more brain power to stay on track with what is going on, so it is a little hard at first if you're used to easy reading (like youth books). But it definitely makes my list of 'books everyone should read before they die'.