I moved around a lot in my twenties, but four years ago, my husband and I settled into the house we're in now. We suddenly had all kinds of space—even a room for a study, where I had bookshelves built and could finally go through the boxes of books that I'd kept in storage.

Now, when I look at those shelves, the titles that have made the biggest impressions leap out at me. Some are from my childhood; some are from college.

I remember when we had to pick our major freshman year, I chose comparative religion. It came to me out of the blue. I am amazed at how interested I still am in those ideas, especially the way spirituality is expressed in the world and in art. Fifteen years later, I remain fascinated by the way the faithful need to express their inner life, to make the invisible visible. Sometimes books are a wonderful confirmation that you've found your way to something important.

What's on Amy Brenneman's Bookshelf? Read more!