What I've been reading lately (nonfiction)
I'm the kind of girl who reads five books at a time. I know...crazy. I have one by my bedside table, one next to my favorite spot on the couch, one in my car, and my Kindle is always tossed into my purse before heading out the door. Needless to say, I'm always ready to steal a few moments and dive nose-first into a book.
I thought I'd share several that I've either just finished...or am in the process of reading right now! (I'll share the fiction books I've been reading in a separate post soon).
The Con Man's Daughter - By Candice Curry
If you're going to get one book on this list...get this one. A friend mentioned they read it in one sitting and after the first page, I was ready to do the same (but hellooo...it's summertime and I have six kids at home, so it took me a little longer).
A true story told so vulnerably and with deep love, Candice shares her story (yes, her dad really was a con man). Each page is filled with such pain, devastation, and yet love and restoration as Christ uses it all for His glory.
Get it here.
Put Your Warrior Boots On - by Lisa Whittle
Go ahead, judge this book by its cover...because it's as beautiful inside as it is outside.
Living in a world of bombings, bullying, and basically, chaos wherever we turn, it's easy to become fearful (I know I sure struggle with it). But Lisa teaches us that we don't have to start brave to be strong.
This book that helps us learn to be Spiritual Warriors and discover how to keep anti-biblical messages from misleading us. Developing a passion for defending our beliefs without letting personal pride interfere, each page helps us to understand how to outfit our days to support our faith so our dedication doesn't fizzle...and we cling to Him always.
Get it here.
Not a Fan - by Kyle Idleman
I'd heard of this book for awhile, but had no idea it had sold one million copies. Wow. It's obvious that Kyle is onto something when he poses these questions:
Are you a follower of Jesus? Don’t answer too quickly. In fact, you may want to read this book before you answer at all. Consider it a “Define the Relationship” conversation to determine exactly where you stand. You may indeed be a passionate, fully devoted follower of Jesus. Or, you may be just a fan who admires Jesus but isn’t ready to let him cramp your style.
With frankness sprinkled with humor, this book invites you to live the way Jesus lived, love the way he loved, pray the way he prayed, and never give up living for the One who gave his all for you.
Get it here.
Give Your Child the World - by Jamie C. Martin
I'm desperate to raise our children to love the world we live in and to think of others before themselves. I want them to be world-changers and globally minded. I want them to love to travel and have a passion for cultures other than their own.
But how do we do this? Though I'd LOVE to do the whole "Around the World in 80 Days" thing, in reality...with six kids in preschool through high school, we're not in the position to do that. Jamie teaches how we still CAN teach our kids well and how their little (and big) hearts can still form a deep love of the world around them now.
This is seriously a MUST read...so we can help them know what to read.
Get it here.
You and Me Forever - by Francis and Lisa Chan
Since I'm a book junkie, I've read a lot of marriage books through the years. And though there are some really good ones, I haven't found anything really new and life-changing in any lately. The guys in Ben's men's group kept talking about this one by Francis Chan and his wife however, so we thought we'd check it out.
And guess what? I'd really good. I love it so much because it's dissimilar than others I read...rather than being about marriage, it's really more about your spiritual life and how important God is to you...and how that love of Christ spills over in your marriage and how you treat your spouse. Go get it. I think you might like it, too!
Get it here.
Job - by Charles R. Swindoll
My best friend had a stroke mere weeks after having her first child. A childhood friend's husband is on his deathbed. Our son's friend has leukemia. The sister of another friend has lost her entire family...they left because they couldn't handle her illness. A family member has had miscarriage after miscarriage.
Life is hard and painful and so often we want to scream, "It's NOT FAIR!!"
Charles Swindoll breaks apart the Biblical story of Job (which remember...isn't just a story, he was a real man) and teaches us how we, too, can be a person of incredible endurance and faithfulness through hard times.
Get it here.
Real Artists Don't Starve - by Jeff Goins
I was just so anxiously waiting for Jeff's new book after loving The Art of Work so much...and he did not disappoint. Whether you're a painter, musician, writer, graphic designer, or gosh...etsy shop owner...whatever makes you a creative, Jeff's wisdom will sink in deep.
Shedding ourselves of the "starving artist" mentality, Real Artists Don't Starve will help each of us understand that the idea is misguided and untrue. If you're a creative, you've GOT to read it. And if you're a note-taker and underliner (like I am), get a few new pens. 'Cuz this one will be majorly marked up by the end.
Get it here.
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
I was on the launch team of several of these books...and others were found at the Dollar Book Sale at the church where our daughter goes to preschool. Every year I look forward to the big used book sale and every year I leave with more books than I can carry in one trip (We've already uncovered that I'm a bit of a book-hoarder).
This book on Bonhoeffer is one from this year's sale and it's SO good. I'll admit I can't sit down with it at the end of the day when I'm tired because it's a tad-dry in how it's written...but the story is remarkable. Did you know he was executed because of his plan to kill Hitler?!
I love the synopsis on Amazon:
WHO BETTER TO FACE THE GREATEST EVIL OF THE 20TH CENTURY THAN A HUMBLE MAN OF FAITH?
As Adolf Hitler and the Nazis seduced a nation, bullied a continent, and attempted to exterminate the Jews of Europe, a small number of dissidents and saboteurs worked to dismantle the Third Reich from the inside. One of these was Dietrich Bonhoeffer—a pastor and author. In this New York Times best-selling biography, Eric Metaxas takes both strands of Bonhoeffer’s life—the theologian and the spy—and draws them together to tell a searing story of incredible moral courage in the face of monstrous evil.
Get it here.
Women in the Word - by Jen Wilkin
I flew out to spend the weekend with a bunch of ladies in Michigan recently. Though I was the speaker, they invited me in as one of their own and throughout our time together, they talked about their love for Jen Wilkin. After one of the girls won this book (that she'd already read) during a giveaway, she gave it to me so I could see why they loved her so much.
I poured over the pages and felt God opening up my heart for Him even wider as I acknowledged what He'd been asking of me for awhile...to write a guide to help other women know how to study the Bible.
So this really was the catalyst of my writing Bible Nerd. It's not a guide like what I created, instead it's all about the WHY the Bible was written and how to best position our hearts to learn about Him.
Read it. You'll love it.
Get it here.
What nonfiction books have you been reading (and loving)?