10 Top Books to Take to a Desert Island (2025)
The ship is going down! You are carrying the whole library of all the books you have ever read with you but you heard the bang and then…clunk! “Passengers, you have 3 minutes to pack just one small bag to take with you and to meet out on the Desert Island Deck”.
“Just one small bag! Well… I want my toothbrush and I’ll need a warm jacket (wait I can wear that now) and I’ll need some spare clothes and maybe some of my first aid supplies. I have my Bible. What else can I fit in?” Your love of books culminates in this one moment.
“I need my books. But I have so many…sob! I absolutely, positively could not survive without my books. I can squeeze in 5, maybe 6. But, if I…Oh ok I’ll ditch that extra hoodie… 10! I can fit in 10 books! OK, I have 90 seconds left to scan through the shelves and boxes of my cabin and choose. Which ones? Which ones? Which ones to read for possibly the rest of my life…?”
“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.”
– oscar wilde
Now…picture yourself stranded on the deserted island with your ten books. The days blur together with the sound of waves against the shore and the rustle of palm leaves in the breeze. On this small island, which books are you clinging to for encouragement, comfort, and inspiration?
This is an honest booklist based on votes from surveys I conducted. I received 118 nominations for the adult category and although I stated that book nominations could be of any genre, it is interesting to see that amongst Christians, it is the enduring classics that ultimately come out on top. The scope of titles and authors was broad, testament to the endless abundance of literature that we have access to here in the 21st century.
The Top 10 stories are absolute favourites that are brimming with faith, wisdom, and beauty that nourish and educate as much as they entertain. In this Top 10 List of old favorites, you just may find your new favorite book as you imagine your new island life.
1. The Hiding Place
The first book on our list, sharing equal first place with the second book, is a well-loved Christian biography. If there was a perfect book that reminds us of God’s faithfulness and presence, even in the darkest of places, it would be The Hiding Place. Corrie ten Boom tells the true story of her Dutch family who sheltered Jews during World War II and ended up in a Nazi concentration camp. She and her sister Betsy became beacons of hope in the darkest places as they shared their faith in Jesus and read God’s word together with the camp inmates.
Why this book belongs on the island:
- It testifies to God’s sovereignty in suffering.
- Corrie’s unwavering faith reminds us that no prison, literal or metaphorical, can confine the love of Christ.
“This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”
– corrie ten boom, The hiding Place
2. Pride and Prejudice
The second book on the list but in equal first place with The Hiding Place is a favorite classic and Jane Austen’s masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice. With sparkling dialogue and sharp social observations, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s story of love includes pride humbled and prejudice overcome. This is a book to re-read endlessly, each time discovering new shades of irony and wisdom that will enthral to the very last page.
Why this book belongs on the island:
- Austen’s humour lightens the moment amid the challenges of survival.
- It reminds us of the beauty of humility, integrity, and love that sees past appearances.
“There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.”
– Jane austen, pride and prejudice
3. Jane Eyre
Alone on an island, you might identify with Jane Eyre’s solitude. An orphan with a strong moral compass, Jane navigates hardship, love, and temptation with fierce integrity.
Why this book belongs on the island:
- Jane’s faith and moral courage provide a mirror for our own trials.
- The novel’s themes of redemption, forgiveness, and steadfast love echo the biblical truths we cling to.
“Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilised by education: they grow there, firm as weeds among stones.”
– charlotte bronte, jane eyre
4. Emma
Austen makes a second appearance with Emma, the story of a well-meaning but meddlesome young woman who learns humility and the true nature of love.
Why this book belongs on the island:
- Emma’s growth from vanity to maturity encourages our own self-reflection.
- It brings laughter and warmth, balancing the more serious titles on this list.
“Indeed, I am very sorry to be right in this instance. I would much rather have been merry than wise.”
– jane austen, emma
5. Mere Christianity
Lewis’s Mere Christianity is based on a series of BBC radio talks during World War II, laying out the essentials of the Christian faith in plain terms. Being a non-fiction book, it is crucial to always read these alongside your Bible, to test all things to see if they are true (Acts 17:11).
Why Mere Christianity is popular:
- Lewis’ analogies are vivid companions for reflection.
- It reminds us that even in isolation, we are part of a larger story: God’s story.
“When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall.”
– C. S. Lewis
6. The Screwtape Letters
Where Mere Christianity instructs, The Screwtape Letters warns. Through fictional letters from a senior demon (Screwtape) to his apprentice (Wormwood), Lewis exposes the subtle strategies of spiritual warfare.
Why The Screwtape Letters is popular:
- It can help to sharpen discernment, recognising that we are never free from temptation, wherever we are.
- Alone on an island, we can be vividly reminded: the real battle is not survival of the body but steadfastness of the soul.
“The safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”
– c. s. lewis, the screwtape letters
7. The Count of Monte Cristo
Shipwreck, betrayal, hidden treasure; what better book for a desert island than one brimming with adventure? The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favourite books. Edmond Dantès is wrongly imprisoned, escapes, and seeks both revenge and justice in this sweeping tale.
Why this book belongs on the island:
- Its sheer length will keep you entertained through countless sunsets.
- It wrestles with themes of vengeance, mercy, and providence, perfect material to consider as you read about themes of justice, forgiveness and redemption in God’s word.
“The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.”
– alexandre dumas, The count of monte cristo
8. Les Miserables
This monumental story plunges into the depths of human suffering and rises into the heights of grace. Jean Valjean, the ex-convict turned public figure, embodies redemption in the face of relentless pursuit by Inspector Javert.
Why this book belongs on the island:
- Its exploration of law versus grace points directly to the gospel.
- It’s a perfect reminder that even when the world misunderstands or condemns, Christ redeems.
“But listen, there will be more joy in heaven over the tears of a repentant sinner than over the white robes of a hundred just men.”
– victor hugo, les miserables (based on luke 15:7)
9. Anna Karenina
Tolstoy’s sweeping novel captures the beauty and tragedy of human relationships. The story of Anna’s doomed affair contrasts with Levin’s search for faith and meaning.
Why this book belongs on the island:
- It reminds us of the consequences of sin and the emptiness of worldly pursuits.
- Levin’s final reflections on the purpose of life can resonate deeply with our own solitude.
“What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness.”
– leo tolstoy, anna karenina
10. The Lord of the Rings trilogy
This one also made it onto the Top 10 Desert Island Books for Teens. The trilogy, which includes The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, details Frodo’s quest through Middle-earth. This is more than fantasy, it’s an epic of good versus evil, courage versus despair, friendship versus corruption.
Why this book belongs on the island:
- Its vast world keeps our imagination alive when the horizon seems endless.
- Sam’s loyalty, Frodo’s perseverance, Aragorn’s kingship—each points us toward Christlike virtues.
“I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can’t be right. I need a change, or something.”
– J. R. R. tolkien, the lord of the rings
11. The Complete Works of Jane Austen
I love the fact that many who voted for the Top 10 were not afraid to decline from singling out a single work from a given author but unashamedly voted for entire collections of their favorite author. I mean let’s face it, in this day and age we can often access entire brick volumes of complete collections and if a collection can count as just one book, I am all for it. 😁
One voter commented, “I am aware these don’t all exist, but I demand they be created for the singular purpose of accompanying me to my desert island”. I heartily agree!
So not a single book, The Complete Works of Jane Austen made it into the Top 10 receiving as many votes as Jane Eyre but I chose to keep this as a number 11 bonus seeing as it represents all of her works.
“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves; it is not my nature.”
– Jane austen, Northanger abbey
Honorable Mentions
These four books didn’t receive enough votes to make it into the Top 10 but still received several votes each.
The stories above, each in their own way, point us toward truth, beauty, and goodness. And while none can replace the Scriptures, our first choice before we pack our Top 10, these desert island books make worthy fellow travellers.
So, if you ever find yourself under a palm tree with nothing but the sound of the sea and the sand beneath your feet, may these books keep you company until the day of rescue, and may they remind us of the one who never leaves us stranded.
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