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Standalone Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Standalone books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: March 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Standalone series? Start with "Ilsa" (1946) and follow publication order through all 18 books.
The complete Standalone reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order

Ilsa
1946

And Both Were Young
1949

A Winter's Love
1957

The Love Letters
1966

Dance in the Desert
1969

The Other Side of the Sun
1971

The Weather of the Heart
1978

Certain Women
1992

The Fact of the Matter
2020

Lines Scribbled on an Envelope and Other Poems
1969

Ladder of Angels
1979

A Cry Like a Bell
1987

The Sphinx at Dawn: Two Stories
1989

WinterSong (With: Luci Shaw)
1996

Miracle on 10th Street and Other Christmas Writings
1998

101st Miracle: Early Short Stories
1999

The Ordering of Love: The New and Collected Poems of Madeleine L'Engle
2005

The Moment of Tenderness
2020
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