Our Favorite Summer Reads
Looking for some good books to lounge with this summer?
Here are some reads we, the staff and writers of TruthMedia, have enjoyed–some just for fun, others for spiritual formation.
Happy reading!
Christian novels
Black, Red, and White: The Circle Trilogy, by Ted Dekker
With great imagination, Dekker puts the intimate relationship we can have with God into a totally engrossing story. When a young man discovers his dream world is some kind of parallel universe, he is able to predict the future and struggles to save the world from disaster. Throughout the books, I kept feeling like I was getting glimpses of how much God loves me and how amazing a relationship with him can be. ~ Suzanne Benner
Deadline, by Randy Alcorn
Alcorn vividly portrays the spiritual battle for men’s souls in a murder-mystery setting. The book brought me to my knees more than once because it talked about heaven, and how we choose to live our life here, impacts our ability to enjoy heaven forever. While his account of heaven is from a creative and fictional perspective, he does draw on portions of Scripture that talk about heaven to develop his perspective. Having loved ones in heaven myself, the book was both a comfort and a challenge. ~ Bernice Vandervalk
Leota’s Garden, by Francine Rivers
A granddaughter seeks out her grandmother that she barely knows and finds an elderly lady who appears to have little to live for. The relationship that develops brings new understanding and hope. The characters were so real with believable situations. It touched me that they really did learn to live their lives to show the unconditional love of Jesus, even to those who seem to be neglected. ~ Laurie McMahon
A Lineage of Grace: Five unlikely women who changed eternity, by Francine Rivers
These stories of five women from the lineage of Jesus will empower any woman! I was impressed with the courage these women had, the faith that they displayed and their resilience in responding with God’s grace when they made mistakes. The author makes these stories come alive through integrating historical fact with a story format. She also has added a superb study section at the end of each section to provide for group interaction and self reflection. I have read this book once, lent it to my daughter and plan to read it again in the months to come; it was a totally inspiring read! ~ Doris Beck
Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers
The fictional story of the Bible character Hosea set in the gold-mining days of California, 1850. The story of Hosea’s love for his unfaithful wife shows in great detail the love of our Lord. It makes you understand God’s love in a deeper way and appreciate it like you never have before. Any book by Francine Rivers is amazing, but this is her finest. She has a captivating way of making Bible characters relate to us nowadays. I have read this book numerous times and have recommended it to many who equally like it. ~ Candice Fast
Slaying the Shadows, by Carol Van Atta
I read the galley copy of this book written by ChristianWomenToday contributor Carol Van Atta. The first book in the Defender of Our Souls series, Slaying the Shadows, is an intriguing and thought provoking saga of good vs. evil, played out in a picturesque Oregon town. I really like how Carol emphasized prayer and protection in any situation. ~ Leah Jenvey
The Veritas Conflict, by Shaunti Feldham
A vivid picture of the spiritual battle that we are all engaged in. Our entire family read it and the book literally fell apart because so many enjoyed it and passed it on. ~ Doris Beck
Spiritual growth
Blue Like Jazz: Non-religious thoughts on Christian spirituality, by Donald Miller
I don’t like to read a book just because everyone else is reading it, but this book seemed to follow me everywhere so I finally picked it up. I’m glad I did. Blue Like Jazz is a book that is going to stay with me for awhile. In it the author takes a surprisingly honest look at what he actually thinks about God. Is God like a vending machine? Is God an angry parent? Does God really care about what I’m doing today? The conclusion he comes to is so very personal it almost feels like eavesdropping, but the message of Blue Like Jazz is that this kind of love is for me too. God is just waiting for us to curl in closer. ~ Claire Colvin
The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A heavy but compelling read. Bonhoeffer really got down to the core of Jesus’ message and dissected the Sermon on the Mount well enough to reveal new avenues of my life that had yet to be turned over to Jesus. I read the book while on missions and it made me realize the serious cost of the cross of Christ as well as the seriousness of the cross we now pick up as a result of His ultimate sacrifice. Some life-changing concepts from the book for me were “costly grace” and a “hidden righteousness,” both of which I think are chapter titles. ~ Stefanie Coutinho
Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering our Hidden Live in God, by Dallas Willard
Willard looks at contemporary Christianity and shows how our values have been turned upside down without our knowledge. He deals with heart issues, and challenges us to consider and apply the teachings of Jesus to our lives in a real and practical way. The book addresses wrong thinking, and causes one to work on protecting the heart more from lies that can seep in. ~ Bernice Vandervalk
In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart, by Ruth Graham, daughter of Billy Graham
I read this at a point when we were dealing with a family crisis and it was both encouraging and helpful. This book tells her story of Ruth’s brokenness, giving incredible insight into what is going on in the heart and mind of others who are broken. It has action points both for the person who is going through the struggles, as well as the person walking alongside. ~ Doris Beck
A Grace Disguised, by Gerald Sittser
Written by a pastor who lost his mother, wife and daughter in the same car accident when the van he was driving was hit by a drunk driver. His brutal and honest treatment of the grieving process opened my eyes and helped me to deal with personal grief, as well as others who are grieving. This is would be the first book that I would pass on to a grieving family. ~ Doris Beck
Girl Meets God, by Lauren Winner
A post-modern spiritual pilgrim, Lauren chronicles her journey to Orthodox Judaism and her later conversion to Christianity. Her voice is at once raw and winsome, while her mind excavates layers of theology, wrangles with singleness, celebrates community with books and friends, and with all earnestness, strives to love God. A testimony sans-cliches. ~ Stacy Wiebe
The God I Love, by Joni Eareckson Tada
This is the inspiring story of a woman who became a quadriplegic in a diving accident over 30 years ago. Though the hardship in my life seems miniscule in comparison to Joni’s, it was easy to connect with her as she honestly shares her struggles. I was challenged by the amazing statement which she applies to her situation, “[God] permits things he hates – really hates – to accomplish something he loves” (page 218) Suzanne Benner
The Prayer that Changes Everything: The hidden power of praising God, by Stormie Omartian
A fresh and inspiring look at worshipping God… learning to respond to His greatness in a way that pries us loose from ourselves and helps move us from holding on to all we are and have to grasping God in a fresh way. I find it is challenging the way I view everyday life. ~ Gail Rodgers
A Promise Kept, by Dr. Robertson McQuilkin
When Dr. McQuilkin walked away from his position as university president, he was at the peak of his career. Nevertheless, he chose to give up his fame, accomplishments, job and wealth solely to take care of his wife 24 hours a day. The “real world” can sometimes be cruel to people who keep their promises. According to research, when a wife is struck with a terminal disease, 90% of the husbands in that situation will choose to leave. Regardless of what our society has become, we need to stick by our principles and values. Keeping a marriage promise is always a beautiful thing that pleases God.~ Serena Wang
Sacred Parenting, by Gary L. Thomas
The book I’m telling all my “Mommy friends” about. I’ve always thought of parenting as a spiritual discipline, and Thomas’s words cemented that conviction: ”…The process of parenting is one of the most spiritually formative journeys a man or a woman can ever undertake. Spiritually speaking, we need to raise our children every bit as much they need to raise us.” ~ Stacy Wiebe
Things Unseen: Living in Light of Eternity, by Mark Buchanan
How our lives will be transformed when we start living with an eternal perspective. With Buchanan’s storytelling making it easy to read, “Things Unseen” captured my attention and fueled my desire for Jesus. ~ Suzanne Benner
Walking on Water, by Madeleine L’Engle
Because I am someone who is constantly involved with the arts (mostly painting and music) and someone who needs to incorporate creativity into daily routine somehow, Madeleine was able to connect with me on a level that most Christian authors haven’t been able to. Her book taught me a lot about how not to put God in a box, or as she calls it, pigeon-hole. She talks about what is true and about communicating truth through art and how we can see God through secular AND Christian art. She was able to verbalize thoughts I’ve had but was not able to make concrete in my head. She also affirmed many things for me. For example, she talks a lot about how we view stuff legalistically and after reading the book and understanding what she had to say, I found a lot of freedom in my own personal walk with God as well as in my art. I started to relate to God more as a Person. ~ Stefanie Coutinho
Mainstream fiction
The Broker, by John Grisham
John Grisham’s latest book draws you in right from the very first page! For those times when you just want to relax, this is a great book to put in your book bag for your vacation! ~ Doris Beck
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
Not a Christian book, but one that makes you think about what faith is. Life of Pi is a fantastic adventure. I found myself believing the unbelieveable in this entertaining story about a boy who is lost at sea, in a lifeboat that he shares with a Bengal tiger. Many times throughout the book, I found myself laughing out loud. You’ll want to read it along with a friend, so that you can discuss what you thought really happened. ~ Suzanne Benner
A Prayer for Owen Meaning, by John Irving. About a boy, Owen, who due to birth defect, is very short. Tracing the friendship between Owen and his friend, the story reminds us how experiences in our life prepare us for our purpose and our destiny. Disclaimer: There is some bad language in this one, but I really enjoyed it (not the bad language, but the book.) ~ Leah Jenvey
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, by Sophie Kinsella
It’s hilarious! I actually read it because we had to write a book review for my book marketing class this past semester and so I just wanted to find something that was an easy read. It’s not trashy in any way, though it has the occasional swear word. Other than that I think it’s clean. It’s also British humor, so if you’re into that sort of thing … it made me laugh out loud several times. I’m not ashamed to admit I enjoy chicklit! ~ Stefanie Coutinho
~ These selections reflect the opinions of individual staff members. As always, one should use discernment and measure all things against the Word of God.
