Darkness at Noon, by Arthur Koestler. There’s not a lot of difference between religious fundamentalism and Soviet-style communist doctrine - both demand unthinking faith in God or Party above all other virtues. Koester’s novel, if you don’t know it, follows a former Party apparatchik through his incarceration and slow development of self-awareness and skepticism. It’s a good read, and a real classic.
Linden’s The Accidental Mind is a fun read on the evolution of the human brain, but it gets a bit challenging in places - the book doesn’t shy away from the occasional bit of organic chemistry.
You say “almost all.” Any idea what they left behind in fantasy?
For mid-teens, I’d say go with some girl power, strong female heroines:
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
First Test by Tamora Pierce
Shadowland by Meg Cabot
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
YA is chock full of Buffy wannabes right now. I consider it a great trend, showing girls that it isn’t just males who get to kick ass and take names.
Okay…I’m trying for lighthearted and fun. The fact that the first things that came up dealt with religion is purely coincidental. They are however, very fun reads more than books on religion.
Good Omens- Neil Gaiman, Terry Prachett
Lamb- The gospel according to Biff, Christ’s childhood pal -Chris Moore (actually, anything by him. Funny stuff.)
Everyone should read at least one Ayn Rand book in their lifetimes. You might not agree with anything she says, and it might not be literary greatness, but I’ve never read anything like her before or after. I read “Atlas Shrugged” as a teen, and clichéd as it might be, I had never thought about things like that before.
I dunno; there were parts in the final book where I was crying as I was reading it (last year). There was something to the series that truly touched me.
Ah, that makes perfect sense!
ETA: She might enjoy some Dave Barry, too. He is incredibly funny, but his irreverence should be good for a skeptic.
As odd as it may sound, I’d recommend 1491, by Charles C. Mann. Not only is it engaging and informative, Mann repeatedly tells the traditional version of pre-Columbian history at the beginning of a chapter without lacing it with any conditionals or supposedly’s.
That is then followed with the new version, based on evidence, well-reasoned arguments and cited sources. It tells the reader that what is presented as simple truth in textbooks might not be fully true, and even this new version isn’t 100% known for sure, but is the best we can gather. It leaves a good impression of what “reliable knowledge” is.
If nothing else by Ayn, ANTHEM. It’s short, atheistic, individualistic but not ruthless like ATLAS and FOUNT… are.
Question- is it atheistic/agnostic skepticism you want or rational open-mindedness?
Would you respect her decision if, after reading & thinking all she could, she decided to adhere to a religion, even if it is her parents’ (Oneness?) Pentecostalism?
If she’s interested in our somewhat twisted history?
Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History by Richard Shenkman
The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy by Rick Beyer
Legends , Lies & Cherished Myths of World History by R. Shenkman
That’s Not in My American History Book: A C… by Thomas Ayres
Don’t Know Much About History: Everything Y… by Kenneth C. Davis
Apologies if one of these was listed above.
“Midnight ride of Paul Revere” - absolute horse pucky
“The Stranger” by Albert Camus. When questioned about his religious beliefs, the protagonist says he believes in the “benign indifference of the universe”. (always loved that phrase).
I agree with those who are offering suggestions for books that deal with misreported history in general; they serve multiple purposes, in opening eyes to the fallibility of supposedly accurate textbooks, teaching skepticism in general, and doing so in a way that allows her to develop critical thinking skills without seeming to attack specific religious beliefs.
This is a good idea, though I’m sure it wasn’t Skald’s intent to necessarily undermine her Christianity or to counteract fundamentalist propaganda with atheist propaganda. (He did, after all, mention that he had plenty of Tolkien and Lewis.) Other examples might include Madeleine L’Engle or some of the people Philip Yancey writes about in Soul Survivor.
Btw, I do recall now it wasn’t Oneness that is Skald’s background- it’s Church of God in Christ.
However, Skald is asking for books for a young “skeptic”, not a young “searcher”, so I’m don’t know if he’d want to give books that ultimately did support religious faith.
Fabulous Science by John Waller is a good one. It’s very easy to read yet thoroughly researched. It also devotes a whole chapter on misconceptions about the Victorian view of Darwinism (i.e. the Huxley-Wilberforce debate) which is still relevant today.
I didn’t mention L’Engle, though I adore her, because we have at least three copies of all the Murray & Austin books, as I began my replace-all-paperbacks-with-hardbacks with her.
And I see no reason to undermine her Christianity and encourage her skepticism; getting grounded for being honest and for having a lean and hungry look will do that nicely.
I don’t care if she’s Christian or not. Kim is Christian, and so are my nieces, and that detracts not a jot from their loveability. I just want her to be free to think for herself.
All of them are fantasies, and all have female leads. I’ll put them in order from youngest to oldest:
First Test by Tamora Pierce is the first of a four book series about a young girl who decides to become a knight. The first book is only okay, but as the series progresses, the story, and the character, become more and more interesting. The whole series, though, might feel a bit young for your niece, depending on her tastes.
Sabriel by Garth Nix is the first of a four book series about a young girl whose father is a necromancer. He is killed and she has to take on his role to control the dead. This is a brilliant series and I recommend it for everyone.
Green Rider by Kristen Britain is the first of (I think) three books about a girl who wants to be a messenger.
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs is about a woman who can turn into a coyote. This is by far the most adult of the books I recommended, though it’s not extremely graphic. There’s definitely sex and violence, so this would be if your niece is advanced and mature.
I would suggest any of the several books by Sarah Vowell. A little unorthodox, seeing as most of them are more center-left political commentary than skepticism, but Vowell is an atheist and they provide (to me) a good perspective of an atheist reacting to the influence religion has had on history and current events.