These aren't your typical commentary books. I compiled a list of books to read as companions with books of the Bible. They might include narrative or context or citations, but not in an overly scholarly way. I hope you find this list helpful. You'll notice a few blanks. If you know of books that fit this category, feel free to reach out.

 

Whole Bible - The Book of God (Walter Wangerin Jr)

 

Old Testament - The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament (Chad Bird)

 

Old Testament

Genesis - The Genesis Trilogy (Madeleine L’Engle), Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters (Carmen Joy Imes)

 

Exodus - The Tender Commandments (Ron Mehl), Defiant: What the Women of Exodus Teach Us About Women (Kelley Nikondeha), One in a Million (Priscilla Shirer), Fire by Night: Finding God in the Pages of the Old Testament (Melissa Florer-Bixler), Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters (Carmen Joy Imes)

 

Leviticus - Leviticus as Literature (Mary Douglas)

 

Numbers - Out of Step With God: Orthodox Christian Reflection on the Book of Numbers (Patrick Henry Reardon)

 

Deuteronomy - The Rational Bible: God, Blessings, and Church (Dennis Prager)

 

Joshua - Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua (Barb Roose)

 

Judges - Hearts of Iron: Feet of Clay: Practical and Contemporary Lessons from the Book of Judges (Gary Inrig); There Are No Strong People (Jeff Lucas)

 

Ruth - Gospel of Ruth (Carolyn Curtis James), Finding God in the Margins (Carolyn Custis James)

 

Samuel - Men Behaving Badly (John Goldingjay); The Making of a Man of God (by Alan Redpath)

 

Kings - King David and the Kings of Israel: Lessons from Their Lives by Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen

 

Chronicles - Chronicles of History and Worship (Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon)

 

Ezra/Nehemiah - A Great Work: A Conversation With Nehemiah For People (Who Want To Be) Doing Great Works (Jon C Swanson); Nehemiah For You: Strength to Build for God (Eric Mason)

 

Esther - Faith Among the Faithless (Mike Cosper)

 

Job - The Trial of Job (Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon), The Stars Beneath Us (Paul Wallace), Answer to Job (C.G. Jung)

 

Psalms - Christ in the Psalms (Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon), Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life (W. David O. Taylor), A Long Obedience in the Same Direction (Psalms of Ascent), Praying the Psalms (Walter Brueggemann), Reflections on the Psalms (CS Lewis), Finding Jesus in the Psalms: A Lenten Journey (Barb Roose)

 

Proverbs - The book of Proverbs in Social and Theological Context by Katharine J. Dell

 

Ecclesiastes - Recovering Eden: The Gospel According to Ecclesiastes (Zack Swine)

 

Song of Songs - The Sexual Reformation: Restoring the Dignity and Personhood of Man and Woman (Aimee Byrd)

 

Isaiah - The Prophecy of Isaiah (J. Alec Motyer), Stump Kingdom (Dale Ralph Davis)

 

Jeremiah - Run With the Horses (Eugene Peterson)

 

Lamentations - Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times (Soong-Chan Rah)

 

Ezekiel

 

Daniel - Daniel: Servant of God Under Four Kings (Geoff Thomas), Daniel the Prophet (Noah Hutchings)

 

The Minor Prophets by Charles L. Feinberg

 

Hosea - Reedeeming Love (Francine Rivers)

 

Joel/Amos/Obadiah

 

Jonah - The Prodigal Prophet (Tim Keller), Under the Unpredictable Plant (Eugene Peterson)

 

Micah

 

Nahum - Piles of Slain, Heaps of Corpses: Reading Prophetic Poetry and Violence in African Context (Jacob Onyumbe Wenyi)

 

Habakkuk - Habakkuk: Faithful Doubt (Travis Scott)

 

Zephaniah/Haggai/Zechariah/Malachi

 

New Testament

Matthew - The Divine Conspiracy (Dallas Willard), Matthew and the Margins (Warren Carter)

 

Mark - Jesus: A Theography (Leonard Sweet/Frank Viola)

 

Luke - The Return of the Prodigal Son (Henri Nouwen), Come With Me Devotional (Suzanne Eller)

 

John - Jesus: A Biography (Leonard Sweet/Frank Viola

 

Acts - The Mission of the Triune God (Patrick Schreiner)

 

Interpreting the Pauline Epistles (Thomas R. Schreiner); Paul and the Power of Grace

(John M. G. Barclay)

 

Romans - Lutheran Theology: Doing Theology (Steven D Paulson), The Normal Christian Life (Watchman Nee); When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel According to Paul (Beverly Roberts Gaventa)

 

1/2 Corinthians - Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural Studies in 1 Corinthians (Kenneth E. Bailey; The Cross and Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons From 1 Corinthians (D.A. Carson); Paul Decentered: Reading 2 Corinthians with the Corinthian Women (Arminta M. Fox)

 

Galatians - Galatians Re-imagined (Brigette Kahl)

 

Ephesians - Practice Resurrection (Eugene Peterson)

 

Philippians - Think Good (JL Gerhardt); Lydia (Paula Gooder)

 

Colossians - Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire (Brian J. Walsh)

 

I/2 Thessalonians - The Practice of Hope: Ideology and Intention in 1 Thessalonians (Nestor O. Miguez

 

1/2 Timothy - Nobody’s Mother (Sandra Glahn)

 

Titus/Philemon

 

Hebrews - An Unshakable Kingdom: The Letter to the Hebrews for Today (David Gooding)

 

James - Radically Whole: Gospel Healing for the Divided Heart (David Gibson)

 

1/2/3 John - Maximum Joy (Dave Anderson)

 

Jude

 

Revelation - Hallelujah Banquet (Eugene Peterson), Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple (Scot McKnight), The Joy of Hearing: A Theology of the Book of Revelation (Thomas R. Schreiner)