In this episode of Gospelbound, Collin Hansen takes the interviewee seat, diving into the abiding value of reading fiction. Guest host Kendra Dahl asks Collin about his favorite genres to read, from historical to Scandinavian, Russian, and Southern fiction, and how each offers unique perspectives on humanity and culture. Hansen shares personal connections to these genres, recommending books that have deeply affected him, from his personal faith to his evangelism. They also discuss how fiction can cultivate empathy, deepen our understanding of others, and help us appreciate the complexities of human nature—all through the art of storytelling. Collin Hansen’s fiction recommendations: Historical Fiction Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Scandinavian Fiction A Fortunate Man by Henrik Pontoppidan The Emigrant series by Vilhelm Moberg (4 books) Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy by Sigrid Undset The Hammer of God by Bo Giertz Giants in the Earth by O. E. Rölvaag Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen and Karen Blixen The Good Hope by William Heinesen Russian Fiction War and Peace / Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy The Brothers Karamazov / Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Life and Fate / Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman Southern Fiction To Kill a Mockingbird / Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (see also Atticus Finch: The Biography by Joseph Crespino) Theo of Golden by Allen Levi Jayber Crow / Hannah Coulter / The Memory of Old Jack by Wendell Berry Authors: Flannery O’Connor / Robert Penn Warren / William Faulkner / Pat Conroy Also Mentioned: The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (nonfiction) The Civil War trilogy (Shelby Foote wrote history as a novelist) Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri Gilead by Marilynne Robinson How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder Collin’s Top Recommendations: Historical: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel Scandinavian: A Fortunate Man by Henrik Pontoppidan; Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen and Karen Blixen Russian: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky; One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Southern: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Special Council Jack Smith asked a judge to dismiss the charges against president-elect Donald Trump, citing the Justice Department’s policy of not indicting sitting presidents. The U.S. says it is…

Scott Presler is a master at fending off the legacy media's attempts to paint Trump supporters as violent, and this exchange is no exception:NEW: @ScottPresler masterfully shuts down CNN reporter's…

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the raw milk so far, according to the state health department.Raw Farm, a dairy farm located in Fresno County, California, issued a voluntary recall…

White House press briefings could soon be a lot more informative, truthful and entertaining. Donald Trump, Jr. says his father is warming to the idea of opening up the White House press room to independent…

In Ashes and Diamonds, Jerzy Andrzejewski’s 1948 novel of postwar power-jockeying in Poland, the aristocratic, anti-communist Col. Staniewicz asserts, “In today’s set-up we Poles are divided into…

Universities are known for taking pains to avoid bad publicity, so when a top university makes an unforced error in its treatment of a student, it’s always interesting to ask why. A petition to allow…

Walmart says it will also ‘identify and remove inappropriate sexual and/or transgender products marketed to children.’Walmart plans to end its diversity, equity, and inclusion—or DEI—initiatives,…

A potential new approach to fighting cancer?