BIBLE STUDY

If God Is For Us: The Everlasting Truth of Our Great Salvation (by Trillia J. Newbell)  

This is our next Bible study. I have the box of books in my library. Six weeks going through Romans 8. The daily homework offers teaching and story, with a series of questions at the end that will be discussed when a group comes together the following week. It's a slow and steady walk through this one chapter and I'm super excited.

NONFICTION

Putting Joy Into Practice: Seven Ways To Life Your Spirit From The Early Church (by Phoebe Mikhail)

Author Phoebe Mikhail is a great storyteller. She's also well-educated and immersed in things of the Coptic Orthodox tradition. She moves readers from a story about a village in Egypt to a quote from a first century Father to a passage of Scripture to her family's bedtime routine effortlessly. I wasn't familiar with all of these seven practices but they are easy to understand and will be of great benefit to implement into my everyday life. This book is an ecumenical gift.

We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship, and the Community of God (by Kendall Vanderslice)

The whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking of a quote I read years ago. I could not find the source right off but it went like this, "There are ways of doing church we haven't even thought of yet." This book is kind of like that but also a step back to a time when the early church held church in their homes. Author Kendall Vanderslice talks with the pastors of several churches who center their worship services around a community meal. Much food for thought in this one. Truly.

Mended: Restoring The Hearts of Mothers And Daughters (by Blythe Daniel and Helen McIntosh)

If you have an estranged mother/daughter relationship, or if you just wish the communication could be better, this is the book. Full of practical examples and biblical advice. I appreciated the authors' willingness to be open and honest about areas where they haven't gotten mothering or slaughtering quite right.

Placemaker: Cultivating Places Of Comfort, Beauty, And Peace (by Christie Purifoy)

If you're a fan of great literature, read Christie. She puts together beautiful sentences. This book tells about the neighborhoods her family has called home by telling about the trees they found there. It encourages readers to pay closer attention to place.

Homespun: Amish and Mennonite Women in Their Own Words (by Lorilee Craker) 

I wanted to meet these women! It's a collection of essays about marriage and children, joy and sorrow, family and strangers. Mentioning Scripture throughout the narratives of their own stories came naturally to these women. I could tell they had a sweet, sweet fellowship with the Lord.

Book Girl: A Journey Through The Treasures And Transforming Power of a Reading Life  (by Sarah Clarkson)

Seriously, how do writers get these projects? Author Sarah Clarkson is an avid reader. Like me (ahem) she's always giving out book recommendations and makes it her job to find the right book for the right reader. In this book, she tells stories, gives lists of books and basically, just celebrates the life of a reader. The end.

Fire by Night: Finding God In The Pages Of The Old Testament (by Melissa Florer-Bixler)

I want to hear this author preach. She has great command of Scripture. This book left me with so many new ways to interpret Old Testament passages of Scripture. I kept thinking to myself I'd never looked at things from that angle before. In her words, "The rabbis showed me skilled and often playful interpretations of the Bible." YES!

Unraptured: How End Times Theology Gets It Wrong (by Zack Hunt)

Another book that will have me thinking for some time. Like Zack, I grew up hearing about things like the Rapture and the second coming. I saw the original "Thief in the Night" movies. While it didn't impact me quite as strongly as Zack, he like got majorly into it, I knew the references he made. What I really liked about this book were Zack's alternative interpretations. They're biblical and other scholars have supported them. Again, a book I'd have to go through a few times to glean all the new things he encourages readers to consider.

Fifteen Spirituals That Will Change Your Life (by Henry L. Carrigan, Jr)

Along with some of my readers, we focused on hymns for the 40 days of Lent this year. When Paraclete read about this, they offered to do a giveaway of this book. It's FULL. Some gospel music history, reflection questions and stories about each of the songs featured as well. If you love the hymns like I do, get yourself this book.

MEMOIR

God's Many Voices: Learning To Listen. Expectant To Hear. (by Liz Ditty)

It was as an adult that Liz learned how to discern God's voice. Through spiritual practices and doing the most ordinary of things, she teaches us how to hear him. More than that, how to have an ongoing conversation. If you've ever wondered how to do this for yourself, Liz will be a good guide.

HISTORICAL FICTION

Phoebe: A Story (by Paula Gooder)

I have a thing for biblical historical fiction. This book was on the shorter side but I loved the picture it painted of Phoebe... and Priscilla and Junia. We know so little about these influential early church women and this book made it fun to imagine their different personalities. Also what they thought of Paul. Really good.

FICTION

The Dream Daughter (by Diane Chamberlain)

Everything you're looking for in a pageturner. Time travel brings Hunter Poole into the 1960's where he meets physical therapist Caroline Grant. Hunter is introduced to Caroline's sister who becomes his wife. Everything is going swimmingly until Caroline's unborn child experiences health issues that are treatable in the future. Read it already!

I've compiled two other book lists recently that are definitely worth checking out. "10 Alternative Book Titles To Girl, Wash Your Face" and "Bible Studies, Devotionals and Living By Faith Books for Teen Girls, Oh My!"

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 I received a copy of "Homespun," "Book Girl," "Fire By Night, "God's Many Voices," "Phoebe," and "The Dream Daughter" from NetGalley for the purpose of generating a review. I received a copy of "Putting Joy Into Practice" and "Fifteen Spirituals That Will Change Your Life" from the publisher, Paraclete Press, for the purpose of generating a review. I received a copy of "If God Is For Us" from the publisher, Moody Publishers  for the purpose of generating a review. I received a copy of "Unraptured," "Placemaker," "Mended," and "We Will Feast" from the author for being on his or her launch team. The opinions expressed here are my own.