Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife
by Bart D. Ehrman

What it is: an accessible and thought-provoking look at historical conceptions of heaven and hell across continents, cultures, and faiths.

Topics include: the Epic of Gilgamesh, Homeric Hades, Plato's views on the idea of an immortal soul, and what the Bible actually says about the afterlife.  

About the author: Noted biblical scholar Bart D. Ehrman is the author of numerous books about early Christianity, including Misquoting Jesus and Jesus Before the Gospels.

Thin Places: Essays from in Between
by Jordan Kisner

What it is:  Pushcart Prize-winner Jordan Kisner's thoughtful and engaging essays about her roller coaster teenage relationship with Christianity, with reflections on similar trends in American society as a whole. 

Topics include: the religious ripple effects of American attitudes toward race; discomfort with the body; Mormon social media influencers; hip young pastors who "could be J. Crew models;" and Kierkegaard's relationship with doubt.

Anchor and Flares: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hope, and Service
by Kate Braestrup

What it is: the popular author's candid, bittersweet memoir detailing the intersections of her Christian faith, work as a chaplain, inclusive social beliefs, and her role as a mother (and stepmother). 

Reviewers say: "Sensitive and wholesomely charming" and "another appealing, tenderhearted memoir braiding faith and family" (Kirkus Reviews).

Joan of Arc: A History
by Helen Castor

What it's about: the life and legend of Joan of Arc, the devout peasant girl who galvanized a divided France to defeat their English occupiers and later became a Catholic saint.

What sets it apart: rather than a biography, this history of the Hundred Years' War examines the "Maid of Orléans" as a social force, from the circumstances that allowed for her ascent to the later attempts to control her legacy.

Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution
by Mona Eltahawy

What it is: a well-researched, impassioned critique of difficulties faced by women in parts of the Arab world, with an exploration of their social and religious origins and the continued efforts of women to advocate for themselves.

Is it for you? Egyptian-American author Mona Eltahawy isn't afraid to discuss distressing topics in depth, from her own experiences with sexual harassment and assault to the difficult-to-eradicate practice of genital mutulation.

The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem
by Stacy Schiff

What it's about: the road to and fallout of the notorious witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692.

Read it for: the analysis of the social, political and religious forces that created the perfect circumstances for paranoia and superstition to spiral out of control.

Author alert: Guggenheim fellow and Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff has also written biographies of historical and cultural notables such as Cleopatra, Vera Nabokov, Benjamin Franklin, and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.