This list is for women looking for a reliable recommendation of Christian books. These books are a great reference in learning how to become a woman through the help of a Biblical lens. These books provides women with a plethora of knowledge about Christian living and women empowerment.

Top Christian Books for women # 1) It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered

Book Summary: New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances and shows readers how to live assured when life doesn’t turn out like expected. What do you do when God’s timing seems questionable, His lack of intervention hurtful, and His promises doubtful? Life often looks very different than we hoped or expected. Some events may simply catch us off guard for a moment, but others shatter us completely. We feel disappointed and disillusioned, and we quietly start to wonder about the reality of God’s goodness. Lysa TerKeurst understands this deeply. But she has also discovered that our disappointments can be the divine appointments our souls need to radically encounter God. In It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa invites us into her own journey of faith and, with grit, vulnerability, and honest humor helps us to:

• Stop being pulled into the anxiety of disappointment by discovering how to better process unmet expectations and other painful situations.
• Train ourselves to recognize the three strategies of the enemy so we can stand strong and persevere through unsettling relationships and uncertain outcomes.
• Discover the secret of being steadfast and not panicking when God actually does give us more than we can handle.
• Shift our suspicion that God is cruel or unfair to the Biblical assurance that God is protecting and preparing us.
• Know how to encourage a friend and help her navigate hard realities with real help from God’s truth.

A 5-Star Review: This book was what I hoped Uninvited would be. While that was tame and I kept thinking … a friend at a PTO meeting rejects you… that isn’t true rejection, come on now, Lysa… that book didn’t hit the spot.

THIS BOOK DID.

It was raw without being jaded, real without being cynical, heartbreaking without being hopeless, and Exactly what you can relate to if you have, quoting Lysa, “licked the floor of hell.”

If you’ve “licked the floor of hell” then Uninvited is like a band aid on an amputated leg.

THIS BOOK is not.

It’s like Streams In The Desert… one of the few Christian books that does not minimize pain in an effort to maximize God. It is both validating of where you’re at (or where you’ve been) while always pointing to Jesus.

A Critical Review: The BIG problem the author faces is divorce. If you face earth shattering soul and heart crushing loss or life altering tragedy this book and it’s sunny Jesus focused message will seem trite. The basic message is restated repeatedly. Might be most useful to a very young woman, young Christian with little life wisdom. For an older adult the book is too theologically shallow.

Top Christian Books for women # 2) Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life

Book Summary: With nearly a million copies sold, Joanna Weaver’s popular book shows women how to blend intimacy with Jesus and service for Him.  An invitation for every woman who feels she isn’t godly enough… isn’t loving enough… isn’t doing enough. The life of a woman today isn’t really all that different from that of Mary and Martha in the New Testament. Like Mary, you long to sit at the Lord’s feet… but the daily demands of a busy world just won’t leave you alone. Like Martha, you love Jesus and really want to serve Him… yet you struggle with weariness, resentment, and feelings of inadequacy. Then comes Jesus, right into the midst of your busy Mary/Martha life-and he extends the same invitation he issued long ago to the two sisters of Bethany. Tenderly he invites you to choose “the better part”- a joyful life of “living-room” intimacy with Him that flows naturally into “kitchen service” for Him. How can you make that choice? With her fresh approach to the familiar Bible story and its creative, practical strategies, Joanna shows how all of us – Marys and Marthas alike – can draw closer to the Lord, deepening our devotion, strengthening our service, and doing both with less stress and greater joy. This book includes a twelve-week Bible study. Also look for the ten-week DVD study pack companion product to this book, which includes three DVDs and a separate, revised, and expanded study guide.

A 5-Star Review: This is such a great book for all women to read.. Many of us fall under the same patterns that Martha did, but in this world the Lord calls us to be more like Mary, sitting at the throne and allowing Him to pour into us and love us and mold us. I recommend this to any woman who is constantly on the go and feels the need to always be busy to feel validated; I know this is me many times.

A Critical Review: Good book but repetitive. I was afraid a whole book with a small selection of verses would be too repetitive and I was right. She does a good job of bringing in other verses that relate, but by the time I finished this, I was very done with Mary and Martha for a while.

Top Christian Books for women # 3) The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions

Book Summary: Nothing gets our attention like an unmade decision: Should I accept the new position? Which school choice is best for my kids? How can I support my aging parents? When we have a decision to make and the answer isn’t clear, what we want more than anything is peace, clarity, and a nudge in the right direction. If you have trouble making decisions, because of either chronic hesitation you’ve always lived with or a more recent onset of decision fatigue, Emily P. Freeman offers a fresh way of practicing familiar but often forgotten advice: simply do the next right thing. With this simple, soulful practice, it is possible to clear the decision-making chaos, quiet the fear of choosing wrong, and find the courage to finally decide without regret or second-guessing. Whether you’re in the midst of a major life transition or are wary of the low-grade anxiety that daily life can bring, Emily helps create space for your soul to breathe so you can live life with God at a gentle pace and discern your next right thing in love.

A 5-Star Review: Being an Enneagram 1, I have a very loud inner critic. I call her my inner hag. My inner hag uses a megaphone to remind me that my biggest weaknesses revolve around fear: fear of failure, fear of doing the wrong thing, fear of not being good enough, and fear of making the wrong decision.

In Emily P. Freeman’s latest book, she writes about how she was in an Uber with her bestie, and the driver told started to tell her a story about a difficult passenger she had driven. But instead of telling the two women about this passenger she said, “But we’re not going to give her words, ‘cause that’s exactly what she wants.’”

Each time I have tried to decide what my next right steps are, my inner hag bellows out all the reasons I’m choosing wrong: all the ways I can fail, all the things that might go wrong, and all the ways I’m going to disappoint not only myself but all those around me. It’s crippling and it keeps me from moving forward.

Emily’s book offers gentle and compassionate ways for you to consider what’s keeping you from making your next right step (and I resonate with almost all of them), as well as practical steps to help you to move forward.

This book came at a perfect time. I’m in a period of transition in my life, and my husband is getting ready to make a big decision that will impact our family in many ways. This is a book I will be reading again. Next time I’m going to go slower and take more notes. I highly recommend it

A Critical Review: I ordered this book solely off the one sentence description. I am in the midst of life altering decision making right now. I got it, opened it up and realized it wad very heavily religious… not that thats a bad thing but I am not Christian in the slightest. I started an Amazon return and I almost packaged it up. But I thought, now who’s to say it isn’t full of good advice anyway. Maybe I can still relate to some of it. So I read it. I skimmed a handful of it and most of the prayers as I am not religious. I got to the end and I think there were a couple of morsels of good advice and sound realizations but for the most part, it was entirely unrelatable for me. It was heavy on, “let God be with you and guide you”. I don’t believe in God in that sense nor the thought of something else helping to make decisions for me. I get that as a spiritual person, this book may be very helpful but from someone who doesn’t follow that area of religion, it wasn’t for me. I think this book has a very specific target group and I am not it.

Top Christian Books for women # 4) Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer

Book Summary: You have an enemy . . . and he’s dead set on destroying all you hold dear and keeping you from experiencing abundant life in Christ. What’s more, his approach to disrupting your life and discrediting your faith isn’t general or generic, not a one-size-fits-all. It’s specific. Personalized. Targeted.   So this book is your chance to strike back. With prayer. With a weapon that really works. Each chapter will guide you in crafting prayer strategies that hit the enemy where it hurts, letting him know you’re on to him and that you won’t back down. Because with every new strategy you build, you’re turning the fiercest battles of life into precise strikes against him and his handiwork, each one infused with the power of God’s Spirit.  New York Times bestselling author Priscilla Shirer, widely known for her international speaking, teaching, and writing ministries, brings her new role from the 2015 film War Room into the real lives of today’s women, addressing the topics that affect them most: renewing their passion, refocusing their identity, negotiating family strife, dealing with relentless regrets, navigating impossible schedules, succeeding against temptation, weathering their worst fears, uprooting bitterness, and more. Each chapter exposes the enemy’s cruel, crafty intentions in all kinds of these areas, then equips and encourages you to write out your own personalized prayer strategies on tear-out sheets you can post and pray over yourself and your loved ones on a regular basis. Fervent is a hands-on, knees-down, don’t-give-up action guide to practical, purposeful praying.

A 5-Star Review: The enemy has been plotting and scheming and studying how to take you out. He has been keeping record of all your fears, doubts, and insecurities. He has been trying to distract you and isolate you so he can throw you off your game. But devil, watch out. This book will help you pull back the curtain and see what’s really going on. So you can fight with the right tools and the best strategy to win this war . Spoiler alert – the answer is Fervent Prayer!

A Critical Review: I liked this book but to be honest I feel like most of the content was not for me. I initially picked it up and I had to set it back down because I didn’t feel like my spirit was right with God. I prayed on it and a few weeks later I returned to the book but it wasn’t too much better.

The reason for the three stars is because I paired this book with another Christian book I was reading (don’t allow the enemy a seat at your table ) and I know God was speaking to me because the authors just about touched on the same subjects on practically the same days.

So I received the lessons God was showing me. 😊

Top Christian Books for women # 5) Rhythms of Renewal – International Edition: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose

Book Summary: If you’re ready to conquer stress and embrace the peace that your soul longs for, New York Times bestseller Rhythms of Renewal is your new go-to guide to transforming your life, one day at a time. Join Rebekah Lyons as she invites you to trade your anxiety for the vibrant life you were meant to live through four profound rhythms: rest, restore, connect, and create. As a society, we are in the throes of a collective panic attack. Anxiety and loneliness are on the rise, with 77 percent of our population experiencing physical symptoms of stress on a regular basis. We feel pressure chasing careers, security, and keeping up. We worry about health, politics, and many other complexities we can’t control.

Eventually, we find our minds spinning, trying to cope or manage a low hum of anxiety, unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. But Rebekah reminds us that it doesn’t have to stay this way. Rebekah draws from her own battle with depression and anxiety to share a pathway to establish four life-giving rhythms that quiet inner chaos and make room for you to flourish. By taking time to truly rest, restore, connect, and create, you’ll discover how to:

• Lead with vulnerability
• Take charge of your emotional health and inspire your loved ones to do the same
• Overcome anxiety by establishing daily habits that keep you mentally and physically strong
• Find joy through restored relationships in your family and community
• Walk in confidence with the unique gifts you have to offer the world
• Build these rhythms into your daily life — no matter what you’re facing

You deserve to break the cycle of anxiety, restore balance in your hectic life, and live each day to the fullest. Let Rebekah be your guide as you learn firsthand how these spiritual rhythms can enable you to finally live a life full of peace, passion, and purpose.

A 5-Star Review: “Trading stress and anxiety for a life of peace and purpose…. This off the cover of Rhythms and Renewal grabbed my attention I thought “”um yes please sign me up! “”
Have you ever struggle with reoccurring anxiety, depression, group social settings, friendship struggles, insane schedule, or wonder where your identity is? I have! I will be good for awhile then it hits me like a truck. My faith has made me stronger but I still struggle.
I read Rebekahs book “”you are free”” when I saw she had a new book coming out I had to read it because she gets it! She has been where I’ve been and she opens the book with wondering why this anxiety came back when she knows she’s been free from it! Same here I’ve wondered the same.
I recommended this book because of its authenticity and practicalness. She goes into detail about each Rhythm and how to apply them to your life. The Rhythms are rest, restore, connect, and create.
The rhythm connecting with me the most right now is connect. I struggle with social anxiety and she doesn’t hold back she dives right into friendships being lonely and disconnected, feelings of being too much and not enough. She gives great examples in each chapter to help connect the reader with what they are reading and I absolutely love the quick journaling at the end of each chapter to help absorb what you read and think of how to apply it.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever struggled with anxiety, depression, relationships ect.. it is so good and helpful.”

A Critical Review: I was so excited about this book looking at the table of contents. I can get on board with every one of the topics as needing to be addressed and become intentional in our lives. I didn’t love this book because of it’s lack of depth or realness. The author rarely showed any true vulnerability or flaws. Every one of the chapters started with her facing a “problem” and tackling it and getting it “right/fixed” on the first try with what seemed like a small tweak to her lifestyle. She never went any deeper that suggesting the reader do the same and *poof* problem solved, move on to the next chapter. Every chapter just left me wanting more. There are many better books on these topics that delve deeper into the issues and face them more realistically. (Digital Minimalism, Refresh, The Sleep Revolution, to name a few)

Top Christian Books for Women # 6) I Give Up: The Secret Joy of a Surrendered Life

Book Summary: Most of us long to be in control — of our schedule, our relationships, and our future. Newlywed Laura Story thought she had control over the great life ahead of her. After all, she followed Jesus and had a promising new job as a worship leader. Why would God not want to fulfill her dreams? But when Laura and her husband, Martin, faced a brain tumor, infertility, and a son’s birth defect, she realized she’d been looking for happiness that comes from circumstances, rather than a deeper joy that comes from God.

Again and again, Laura had to surrender her vision for her life so she could embrace God’s vision. And again and again she learned that even in the midst of shattered dreams, God’s plan brought greater joy than she could have imagined. Now the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter known for such hits as “Blessings,” “Indescribable,” and “Mighty to Save” shares her powerful story of finding blessing in her deepest pain.

As Laura writes, she no longer wants to be in control of her life. She wants to be rooted in the God who is in control. I Give Up will help you discover a deeper life of worship, fuller life of joy, and a freer life of true surrender as you open your hands to God. And give up.

A 5-Star Review: You know those books that God seems to deliver to you at just the right time in your life? Well this was it for me.

I Give Up has been in my library for quite some time, and though I’ve always been thrilled to read it, I just never seemed to pick it up.

Backstory: We can all probably attest to the fact that in some form or fashion, 2020 has been a doozy… from covid, quarantine, and all the struggles that stem from the combination of the two, I needed God to pour some love and healing into my heart.

We have moved 3 times in the past 3 years. I don’t know about your experience with moving, but for me, it is stressful. Each time we have to move, I can honestly feel and see the most where God has worked in our lives, but also each time I struggle with trying to figure every minute detail out myself.

As we embark upon yet another move in just a few months, I could feel my heart becoming filled with anxiety and unease. As soon as I opened this book, I was reminded that all God needs me to do is surrender. His plan is infinitely better than my own and his plans for our life are good.

It’s so easy to try to plan out every little detail of life to a degree that will drive you mad when life throws a curveball, but if we just trust in his plan and pray for him to make it known, our hearts will rest and enjoy the fleeting moments we have instead of worrying over things we can’t control.

If you are struggling, please read this book. Even if you aren’t struggling, this book is a lighthouse in a dark sea.

A Critical Review: I wanted more of her story and less of her examples of how it relates to our relationship with God. Sometimes people’s stories lead us to see how God is working in our lives without being told. I still admire her and her story and I love her songs and singing.

Top Christian Books for Women # 7) Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode – and into a Life of Connection and Joy

Book Summary: In the wise and soulful tradition of teachers like Shauna Niequist and Brene Brown, therapist Aundi Kolber debuts with Try Softer, helping us align our mind, body, and soul to live the life God created for us. In a world that preaches a “try harder” gospel — just keep going, keep hustling, keep pretending we’re all fine — we’re left exhausted, overwhelmed, and so numb to our lives. If we’re honest, we’ve been over-functioning for so long, that we can’t even imagine another way. How else will things get done? How else will we survive? It doesn’t have to be this way.

Aundi Kolber believes that we don’t have to white-knuckle our way through life. In her debut book, Try Softer, she’ll show us how God specifically designed our bodies and minds to work together to process our stories and work through obstacles. Through the latest psychology, practical clinical exercises, and her own personal story, Aundi equips and empowers us to connect us to our truest self and truly live. This is the “try softer” life.

In Try Softer, you’ll learn how to:

• Know and set emotional and relational boundaries
• Make sense of the difficult experiences you’ve had
• Identify your attachment style—and how that affects your relationships today
• Move through emotions rather than get stuck by them
• Grow in self-compassion and talk back to your inner critic

Trying softer is sacred work. And while it won’t be perfect or easy, it will be worth it. Because this is what we were made for: a living, breathing, moving, feeling, connected, beautifully incarnational life.

A 5-Star Review: I am so grateful to see more and more conversations (and BOOKS!) taking place in the faith community regarding mental health, trauma, therapy, etc. Try Softer fills a much-needed gap, and it does not disappoint! As someone who has dealt with the trauma of losing a child, who has spent over a decade as military spouse in a world at war, who has uncovered childhood trauma, and who has been on my own healing journey — this book felt like a long-lost friend. It was like an open-door invitation into healing and hope with author Aundi Kolber standing there with her arms open wide ready to receive you gently. Ultimately, the author extends to us what our Heavenly Father offers. Kolber interweaves some of her own personal stories and struggles as well as those of her clients (she’s a therapist), but this book really differentiates itself by the wealth of clinical information and expertise Kolber shares. For someone who loves stories and loves information, this book has both!

This book really helped usher in God’s compassion and gentleness into my life and helped me relinquish areas of captivity by finding freedom and rest in “trying softer.” There are treasures in this book that have taken me over a decade to learn as well as new ones I’ve never before uncovered. Kolber’s knowledge, wisdom, relatability, and the inclusion of practical tools were immensely helpful. I have already returned to it a handful of times since finishing and will continue to use it as a resource in my own life.

If you’re a fan of Brene Brown (but want something more Christ-centerd), if you’re ready to do some “soul work” as I like to call it, if you’re tired from the exhaustion of striving, if you have a loud inner critic, I highly recommend you grab this and start reading. While I read through it quickly, you may want to move slowly through it if you’re new to some of the concepts Kolber writes about. She does an excellent job articulating and explaining the information but some areas by nature may weigh heavy on you. I think you’ll also find the reflective questions helpful in absorbing and finding transformation as you read like I did.

Thank you Aundi Kolber for sharing this work with the world! I know the world is going to be a better place as people learn to “try softer” after reading your book.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes:

“Every sorrow we’ve grieved, every fear we’ve felt, every trauma and all the pain we’ve lived through—it’s all valid, and it all matters. More significantly, the hard things that cracked us open have the potential to create space for deeper joy and resilience. As we try softer with ourselves by attending to and listening to our bodies and emotions, we become vast like the Grand Canyon, because our ability to hold the full experience of our humanity increases.”

A Critical Review: **Christian – please be warned – while this book does have some truth in it, it also has some of the prosperity gospel interwoven into it as well.**

This book was suggested to me by my counselor. I come from childhood trauma. I was emotionally, verbally, and physically abused by my mother. I was emotionally neglected by my father. There was no love in our home. I am now in my early thirties and have since become a Christian, praise be to the LORD God for His saving grace! My life has been transformed by the gospel in the person and work of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I recently discovered that I have C-PTSD as a result of my past trauma. It is extremely difficult to find Christian resources on trauma/abuse, so I desperately wanted to like this book. However, what I found in it was troubling. I’ll only mention a few problems I saw:

1) In chapter 3, the author tries to draw – attachment to our Heavenly Father – from the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. This seems like a bit of a stretch, to me, to approach any parable from an “attachment perspective.” Yes, I believe this parable shows the love and forgiveness of the Father, but it’s also a picture of what true repentance looks like and how He delights to save the contrite in spirit.
2) In chapter 4, she says: “We have the power to change our futures.” Only God has that power because He is the one who holds the future in His hands. We don’t write our story. Scripture is clear that it’s already been written, by a sovereign, loving God. We are graciously woven into His story for His purposes and plan.
3) In chapter 7, possibly the most problematic chapter, she says very confusing, troublesome statements like: “Jesus’ body didn’t serve Him; it was Him. Jesus was His body.” ?? “…His life on earth is a love letter to an aching humanity that teaches us how to try softer.” That is not what Christ’s life on earth was for. Jesus’ coming was to save His people from their sins while displaying God’s faithfulness in fulfilling the covenant to His people by sending the promised Messiah and Redeemer. He lived the perfect life we could not, so that His death on the cross, in our place, would be sufficient. He taught us about the kingdom of God and how to live in obedience to the Father and His will…not how to “try softer.” The most concerning statement in the whole book was when she said: “Jesus’ life on earth says, ‘I choose to sacrifice my body so you can honor and pay compassionate attention to yours – this is the length to which I’ll go to love you’.” **This is a prosperity gospel.** (And Jesus never said this.) This says that God doesn’t mean for His children to suffer in our earthly bodies because Jesus did that for us. Jesus did suffer and die the death we deserved, but what she’s saying is opposite to what God’s Word teaches us. Jesus tells us throughout His life on earth to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him, which will include suffering for His namesake. He assures us that we will have troubles in this world and that suffering and persecution are included in that. We’re told that we should rejoice in our sufferings because it is only those who share in Christ’s sufferings, that will be glorified with Him when He returns!

Christian, please be careful if you read this book! It is not thoroughly sound in doctrine, portrays a fluffy God, and also teaches a “gospel” contrary to the gospel of Christ Jesus.

“I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me. For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.” (2 Corinthians 11:1-4)

Top Christian Books for Women # 8) The Lazy Genius Kitchen: Have What You Need, Use What You Have, and Enjoy It Like Never Before

Book Summary: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the New York Times bestselling author of The Lazy Genius Way comes a fresh perspective for getting the most out of your kitchen! “An empowering, transformative, and slightly sassy guidebook.” — Jenna Fischer, actress, author, and producer/cohost of Office Ladies podcast You want your kitchen to be the heartbeat of the home, but you’re overwhelmed and out of breath trying to make it happen. Meals are on a never-ending loop, and you don’t have time to prepare dinner, much less enjoy it. Popular Lazy Genius expert and bestselling author Kendra Adachi is here to help! Packed with proven Lazy Genius principles, the book will teach you to: • name what matters to you in the kitchen—whether that’s flavor, convenience, or something else entirely • feed your people with efficiency and ease • apply a simple, actionable five-step process—prioritize, essentialize, organize, personalize, and systemize—to multiple areas of your kitchen, empowering you to enjoy your kitchen the way you’ve always wanted You don’t need magical recipes, fancy gadgets, or daunting lists to follow to the letter; you just need a framework that works whether you’re cooking for one or for twenty. Straightforward, strategic, soulful, and a little sassy, The Lazy Genius Kitchen will turn your hardest-working room into your favorite one, too.

A 5-Star Review: I have been cooking for my family of six for a long time, and even though I have a decent system in place, sometimes I feel like I’m in a rut or am curious about how other people run their kitchens (and what I can learn from them). Kendra applies her Lazy Genius principles to the hardest-working room of the house, walking through different parts of kitchen organization, meal planning and prep, and cooking using those principles. If you haven’t read The Lazy Genius, not to worry – she gives you a crash course in the first few pages.

This isn’t a cookbook, which is fantastic for those of us who have plenty of recipes but struggle with things like where to put all of the ingredients when we stock up at the grocery store or why weeknight dinner prep is entering hour two at 7:00 p.m. I love that her recommendations are customizable based on what’s important in each individual kitchen; in other words, she’s not telling me to sacrifice nutrition for convenience or to spend all of our money on specialty ingredients. I get to decide what’s important to me and base my kitchen organization and meals around that. She also gives the reader permission to reconsider how the kitchen is used and what meals are served based on the season you’re in. It’s nice to have someone tell me that while my kids are young, it’s ok to eat hot dogs sometimes to make life easier or to move the dishes to a lower cupboard so that my kids can unload the dishwasher (and stop climbing on the counters every time they need a cup!). I’ll definitely be making some changes as a result of things she said in this book that I hadn’t really considered before.

Even though this book seems to be geared a little more toward moms, I think it would make a great wedding or housewarming gift as well. I know I’ll be returning to it time and again as life changes and my kitchen needs to adapt.

A Critical Review: Kendra Adachi‘s first book was life-changing for me. The Lazy Genius Way changed my mindset for the better! I was on the fence about buying this new book because I’m a homeschooling mom of three who practically lives in her kitchen. I love being in the kitchen and have good routines in place. I meal plan each week and really enjoy cooking.

I fell for the promises from other reviewers that even if you’re a pro in the kitchen, you will learn things from this book. I’m not a pro, but several chapters in, I closed the book. I like Kendra and I don’t mind supporting her, but I feel frustrated that I spent my money on this book. It would be excellent for a newly married couple or a college grad, or someone who had no training in the kitchen and is just feeling their way around. For me, there wasn’t much new. I did not finish the book but I did browse through the rest of it.

I hope this review helps someone like me, who may be on the fence.

Top Christian Books for Women # 9) The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

Book Summary: Over 500,000 Sold. Foreword INDIES 2016 Book of the Year Awards Finalist.

Ignorance is bliss ― except in self-awareness. What you don’t know about yourself can hurt you and your relationships ― and even keep you in the shallows with God. Do you want help figuring out who you are and why you’re stuck in the same ruts? The Enneagram is an ancient personality typing system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings are wired, both positively and negatively. In The Road Back to You Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile forge a unique approach―a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of ourselves, compassion for others, and love for God. Witty and filled with stories, this book allows you to peek inside each of the nine Enneagram types, keeping you turning the pages long after you have read the chapter about your own number. Not only will you learn more about yourself, but you will also start to see the world through other people’s eyes, understanding how and why people think, feel, and act the way they do. Beginning with changes you can start making today, the wisdom of the Enneagram can help take you further along into who you really are ― leading you into places of spiritual discovery you would never have found on your own, and paving the way to the wiser, more compassionate person you want to become.

A 5-Star Review: Although I had already read up on the different types and basic theory of the Enneagram for free online and then explored the exhaustively detailed Riso and Hudson text, none of that quite hit me like The Road Back to You. Ian and Suzanne bring so much character and compassion to their descriptions of the types – with significant suggestions for growing in spiritual/emotional health within your type – that you start to find yourself plotting ways to care for people you’ve now recognized weren’t the horrid beasts you thought they’d always be (including yourself). That’s all quite a stretch for a 5, even with a 4 wing. This book functions as both warm and friendly introductory material for newbies and a point of meaningful reconnection and application for the already initiated. Also, Ian has a fun perspective to try on for a bit and some great jokes and stories scattered here and there that add so much life to what could have just been a dry, lifeless typology manual – it’s worth the read just for the personality.

A Critical Review: I really like this book and think the insights are helpful. That said, I’m giving it 3 stars for the deceptive branding and marketing technique. By that I mean that the only thing “Christian” about this book is that the author claims to be one. The Reformation (and evangelicals in general) have long held that the Bible is the sole and final authority on matters of faith and practice, so the “Enneagram” is no more Christian than, say, my 2010 Toyota Yaris. So with that in mind, I will say that I don’t believe the Enneagram (much like my Toyota) is necessarily at odds with the Christian faith. It’s a common grace. I found the insights to be quite profound and helpful in growing in self-discovery and self-awareness. I’d highly recommend people (Christian or not) familiarize themselves with some of the methods contained within this work. I simply want to be cautious about putting this on the same shelf as the God-inspired words of Scripture. The insights into human nature are remarkable, but there is nothing infallible about them. I’ve taken many personality tests and this is perhaps my favorite of all. I wouldn’t fault the authors at all if they added a little nuance instead of trying to exploit the monolith that is modern Christian publishing. Read this book and examine yourself, but as a Scottish pastor once said, “for every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ” (Robert Murray McCheyne). His character and work are much more important than our own inward examination of ourselves.

Top Christian Books for women # 10) Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life

Book Summary: Join the millions who have learned how to take control of their lives by setting healthy boundaries with their spouses, children, friends, parents, coworkers, and even themselves, in order to live life to the fullest. Do you feel like your life has spiraled out of control? Have you focused so much on being loving and unselfish that you’ve forgotten your own limits? Do you find yourself taking responsibility for other people’s feelings and problems? In Boundaries, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend teach you the ins and outs of setting the boundaries that will transform your daily life.

Boundaries, a New York Times bestseller, will give you the tools you need to learn to say yes and know how to say no. Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend are here to share the lessons they’ve learned in their years of practicing psychology and studying the patterns and practices that support clear biblical boundaries. Since it was first published, Boundaries has supported millions of people around the world as they discover the importance of understanding their limitations and upholding their boundaries. In this updated and expanded edition of Boundaries, Dr. Cloud and Dr. Townsend answer the most common questions they’ve received in more than thirty years that they’ve studied the science behind establishing boundaries: Can I set limits and still be a loving person? What are legitimate boundaries? How do I effectively manage my digital life so that it doesn’t control me? What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? How do boundaries relate to mutual submission within marriage? Aren’t boundaries selfish?

Discover the countless ways that Boundaries can change your life for the better today!

A 5-Star Review: [Note: although I’m not religious, I still found a ton of value out of this book]

Cloud and Townsend do a great job of using boundaries to illustrate why we grew up certain ways. For example, you probably know someone who has a money problem. He spends recklessly and doesn’t really think about the consequences of his actions. This can be traced back to his parents never establishing their own boundaries. They would always bail the son out whenever he ran out of money and tell him to be better next time. They never let him “feel” the consequences. And so he never learned.

There’s so many other brilliant examples of the importance of boundaries and how they affect the people around us.

I learned a lot about myself through the sections that detail boundaries with friends, family, and work. The one that impacted me the most was the section on Boundaries with Myself. I grew up with parents who while loving, also created situations for me where I was not able to feel the consequences, and so I behave in certain ways that I’m trying to fix.

When I was first referred to this book, I wasn’t told this book had a heavy religious undertone (the conflict of setting boundaries and being a good person in the eye of God). I’m not religious, so the biblical references didn’t really matter to me much, but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn from them. The concepts themselves made sense to me and I would recommend this book to anyone who believes they have boundary problems.

A Critical Review: Getting through even one chapter of this book requires complete agreement with and acceptance of Christianity. It does not merely inform the work, it doesn’t make sense without it. This book is so God preachy that unless you are extremely religious you are unlikely to find any of this compelling. Very disappointed.

Top Christian Books for Women # 11) Shame Interrupted: How God Lifts the Pain of Worthlessness and Rejection

Book Summary: Shame controls far too many of us. Worthless, inferior, rejected, weak, humiliated, failure … it all adds up to wishing we could get away from others and hide. We know what shame feels like. The way out, however, is harder to find. Time doesn’t help, and neither does confession because shame is just as often from what others do to you as it is from what you have done. But the Bible is about shame from start to finish, and, if we are willing, God’s beautiful words break through.

Look at Jesus through the lens of shame and see how the marginalized and worthless are his favorites and become his people. God cares for the shamed. Through Jesus, you are covered, adopted, cleansed, and healed. Shame Interrupted is a perfect book if you are feeling left out or marginalized because it will help you understand that all Christians are loved by God. You’ll learn that through faith there is nothing to be ashamed about and you should celebrate your differences.

A 5-Star Review: I’ve never written a review of a book. But after reading it I want to shout it’s contents to the world. Or at least I want to start digging deeper into the Word so I can shout that content and truth to the world.

I have described this book as sitting in a counselor’s office after having poured out my heart to him/her (which I have been doing lately). But instead of just listening, the counselor stops me and defines me. All my problems, hurts, etc., are simply shame. He defines different types of shame and helps me see myself. Then he goes on to teach me about the Bible. He makes connections in scripture, especially passages I’ve known all my life, and demonstrates how I can be seen in the passage. I see Jesus as I should now. For the longest time I would have people counsel me “Preach the gospel to yourself. You know the truth.” Sure I did. But that didn’t change the fact that I still believed myself to be unworthy. I knew my guilt before God. I knew how to handle that. But I never knew what to do with the childhood memories when even bad things that happened TO me were also my fault. I’ve learned they aren’t. Someone finally took the little girl inside me and told me those were things for which Jesus also died. And they weren’t my fault. The author got personal at times but he was right. It’s taken me 4 weeks to read this book. If you asked my family, it’s made a dramatic impact on me in that time.

I think I’m beginning to understand that other people do not always carry the same amount of shame I have carried. I am a very emotional person. I feel deeply. Hurt, embarrassment, shame? Well, they dug down deep in there. I still have mistakes and embarrassed that happened as a child that I remember like yesterday. And I want to hide because of it. That is shame. But I am learning to believe truth now. It’s a daily battle and the enemy hates me, so it’s not easy. But this book has brought all of that into perspective and taught be a better way. And it’s deeply Biblical. He just helped my visual mind see it so I could understand it. Telling me doesn’t often help. But showing me through illustration or stories, I’m hooked.

I suppose if you see yourself in my words this book is for you. But really, I think everyone should read it. Why? Because there is bound to be someone in your life that as you read you will see clearly why they say things and act the way they do. If you struggle to grasp the love of Jesus, this book is for you. If you want a deeper understanding of human nature and God’s response to it, this book is for you.

One final “who is this book for” comment. I’ve wondered if this wouldn’t also make a great read for someone seeking to know more about Jesus or maybe someone who grew up in the church and that is where they experienced their greatest amount of shame; now they’ve walked away from their faith. Honestly, I often think that only by God’s grace am I still a believer. Some of my greatest shame was suffered in the walls of the church. And although I no longer believe it, for many years I blamed myself. It had been my fault for what happened. I don’t think that anymore. I’ve learned to confess my part, forgive, and let it go. I’ve learned to trust what the Father says about Himself. It’s not about me. And really, I no longer want it to be.

Read it slowly. Dig into the scripture he gives you. Ponder the Biblical stories he uses and tells in a different light. Put yourself in those stories.

I’m am sure this book won’t be for everyone. God may not use it the same way He did for me. But there might be someone you know and love that will benefit. I pray it will be impactful for someone and the Lord will use it to set others free.

One final thought. I’ve never been much of a Bible reader. I’ve wanted to be. The more I have read through this book, the more I want to dig into the Word. I guess maybe just understanding some of the gospel stories and passages a little better has moved me to dig more. Or maybe it’s just simply that I finally allowed myself to believe God and trust the Holy Spirit to do what he’s supposed to do.

A Critical Review: Never written a review but felt called to here. I am really glad this book has been helpful to so many based on the other reviews and I don’t want to diminish that. I believe the distinction is that if you are steeped in a penal substitution atonement theory view of the scripture this book does the best it can to help those with that view deal with shame in their lives.

I found this book incredibly frustrating though as that theory of scripture interpretation is steeped in fear of separation from relationship with the Trinity at the core of it. He acknowledges that shame is fear of separation from relationship but then goes on to explain the core story of humankind is God separating himself from us due to our sin and sin of Adam and Eve. That means at our core nature we are unworthy of relationship with the Trinity. The truth of our being creates the way of our being. Sadly this book is trying to reconcile shame in light of a theology that says my core nature is unworthy of relationship with the Father. That by the authors own definition is shame.

Yes Jesus came and took all the shame upon Himself, but in 26 years of believing this theology I personally never broke out of the shame of my ongoing sin and my old (original) nature rising back up. I always trusted Jesus for what He did for me but always struggled with the heart of Father God for me when as this book explains I was worthy of all the shame the Father poured out on Jesus. This book describes that it wasn’t enough for Jesus just to die but that shame had to be poured out by the father on Him. Beaten, spit on, humiliation, SEPARATION was what God wrath needed for his required price to be paid by Jesus’ death.

The shame-based atonement theory held by this author is only a few hundred years old and one that Christians did not believe for the first 1600 years of following Jesus. The original understanding of why Christ died was to defeat death not pay a (shame/sin) debt the Father required.

As a defender of this atonement theory most of my life I understand well where it is interpreted out of scripture. I have healed a lifetime of shame though in focusing and prioritizing what Jesus said and did. So I really struggle with this author saying on page 187 that Jesus “omits” the debt payment part of the story of the Prodigal Son!!!! Really?? I have to believe Jesus told that story incorrectly or left out the most important aspect of the story to accept the authors theology and atonement theory??

Why can’t the truth of the whole gospel be the story of the prodigal EXACTLY as Jesus told it! The Father did not need a price paid to accept His son back. The gospel that Jesus told in this parable removes all shame that the author says the Father requires. The author quotes Matt 9:10-13 where Jesus says “learn what this means, I desire MERCY NOT SACRIFICE” to make a different point but just ignored what Jesus said in light of many chapters about how sacrifice helps us atone for the shame God would otherwise require.

Freeing myself from the authors atonement theory has healed me from so much shame I previously lived in as a lifelong believer in this scriptural interpretation. God is the great Father that always loved and forgave me when I turned my back on Him. There never was any shame payment required because He always forgives freely. I should not feel shame in my failure or nature as I was created in His image. He shows me the way of humility by accepting me just like the prodigal father did. That causes me to want to forgive myself and others more freely. He heals me from as the great physician by never having separated Himself from me. Yes this is a different interpretation of scripture that hundreds of millions of Christians follow today and was the original interpretation for 1600 years before some religious leaders learned the power of shame for control. I am oversimplifying something far more nuanced with some broad statements.

This book made me feel that shame is a part of the nature and character of God the Father. That belief harmed me most of my life and kept me from trusting the Trinity completely. Finding the original interpretation of scripture from early church fathers freed me from that and drew me into a shame free relationship with the Trinity unlike I ever had before.

Another book “The Soul of Shame” by Curt Thompson uses a far better scriptural interpretation on how it has been the desire of the Trinity to rid us of the effects of shame from the beginning without all the complicated back bends explaining a God that requires sacrifice to appease his wrath (shame toward us) to forgive and reconcile to man.

Top Christian Books for Women # 12) Beholding and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship

Book Summary: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER ●  PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER

Ruth is such a gift to us — her voice is strong and honest, yet believably grace-filled and kind. We learn and grow into who we want to be when Ruth’s words and art lead us. — Annie F. Downs, bestselling author of 100 Days to Brave and host of That Sounds Fun 

Every day is an opportunity to be shaped and formed by what moves your heart … drives your thoughts … captures your gaze. Is it any wonder that where you direct your eyes and your heart matter in your day-to-day?  We become what we behold when we set our hearts and minds on Christ and His redemption story here in the details of our daily lives. Not just on Sunday, not just on holidays, not just when extraordinarily hard or wonderful things happen … but today.     

Bestselling author and artist Ruth Chou Simons invites you on a new journey to Beholding and Becoming.  With more than 850 pieces of intricate, original artwork, Ruth encourages you to elevate your gaze to the One who created all things. Today is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His love and His faithfulness in the midst of your mundane. No circumstance is too ordinary or too forgotten for Him to meet you there in worship. His transforming grace turns your “everyday ordinary” into a holy place of becoming.

A 5-Star Review: Beholding and Becoming is filled with some of my favorite things: bees, blackberries, thistles and peonies, and love for our God who made them all in delightful detail. Ruth paints the page with words and watercolors illustrating in living color how touchable worship can be in everyday life. There are simple prompts on full-color pages in each chapter for ways to behold your people and this wild world – and not only in its beauty but in its tears as well.

When you read this book, you’ll remember our world is a cathedral. As soon as I reached the last praising page, I began again, this time more slowly in awe of my ordinary and wonderful life, and wondering about yours, too.

Beholding and Becoming is an invitation to slow down, notice small things, and smile in alleluias. We walk every step of this bittersweet life with a beautiful, star-flinging, tear-catching God. Ruth’s book will remind you just how near is the One who loves us fiercely, tenderly, truly.

A Critical Review: I was so curious to check out this book when it arrived today! When I opened the front cover and flipped a few pages I found that I was looking at the upside pages of the end of the book. If you flip it over to the back cover and rotate it around do the bottom of the back cover is on the top you can start to read the book at the beginning. You might want to check this before sending out any more books. Fortunately, this is a book I bought for myself and did not send it as a gift to someone else.

Top Christian Books for women # 14) 100 Days to Brave: Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self

Book Summary: You were meant to be brave. Whether you’re coping with loss, making a major decision, or facing a fear, 100 Days to Brave will give you the courage and confidence to move forward. With honesty and relatable humor, New York Times bestselling author Annie F. Downs invites you to embrace the path and plan God has for you.

Stop allowing your fears to hold you back. Face them head-on with 100 Days to Brave as your devotional guide to walking the road to your most courageous self. Dare to spend the next 100 days discovering how to: Experience personal growth, navigate difficult transitions, and overcome anxiety. Conquer your fear so it doesn’t hold you back. Establish daily habits to keep you mentally strong.

Impacting 400,000 individuals and families, 100 Days to Brave is for: Women (and men, too) of all ages. Individuals wanting to ignite hope in their lifeDevotions by yourself, with a small group, or a youth group. Gifts of self-care and self-discoveryBirthday gifts, Mother’s Day, National Best Friends Day, and holiday giving

As a society, we are going through a lot! With anxiety and loneliness at all-time highs, it’s important that you take the next 100 days to discover that you are braver than you know and stronger than you thought possible. Look for additional inspirational books from Annie: Let’s All Be Brave Let’s All Be Brave Perfectly UniquePerfectly UniqueSpeak LoveSpeak Love

A 5-Star Review: I’m only on Day 67 (which is actually a REALLY great day in the book!), but this book has challenged my heart in ways I never expected. A lot of the verses that are chosen for each chapter are jumping out at me in ways they never have before, and Annie’s personal touch and voice is both gentle and unrelentingly encouraging. After I finish, I have a feeling ill come back to this over and over.

A Critical Review: The idea behind this devotional is great, 100 days of growing in bravery and learning more about yourself. HOWEVER each day’s devotional only contains 1 verse, the author’s personal story behind that day’s theme, and a reflection question. I feel like devotionals are supposed to use God’s word to lead you to a new understanding. This author mainly uses her personal experiences and stories. I don’t want to learn about her life. I want to learn more about God’s word and how I can apply His truth in my own life.

Top Christian Books for Women # 15) Embraced: 100 Devotions to Know God Is Holding You Close

Book Summary: God doesn’t pull back from your sharp edges. He pulls you close. In Embraced, beloved Bible teacher and bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst offers 100 devotions that will resonate with women in all stages of life by giving you a godly perspective on the issues you face each day. A real embrace indicates an intimate level of closeness. It’s not a high five or a casual handshake. The best kind of embrace is when someone we know deeply loves us, flings their arms wide open, and pulls us in close. Through these 100 devotions, daily scriptures, and prayer prompts, you will be equipped to: Begin finding freedom from the struggles that have held you, hostage, by learning new ways to experience God’s love. Surrender your deepest hurts by processing them in a godly way with Lysa, a friend who understands your pain. Hear the Lord speak intimately to your heart by learning how to seek His direction. Release the tension of wondering, If God is near why does He sometimes feel far away? by spending guided time with Him each day.

A 5-Star Review: Things aren’t easy for a pastor’s wife. This was recommended to me after going through some very difficult times. I’m LOVING reading it each morning.

A Critical Review: The book is beautiful and well laid out. I would have given it five stars until I reached day 35: Physically Overweight and Spiritually Underweight. Although the author is talking about herself, this seems a blatant invitation to judge. Then, day 36 becomes downright dangerous.

“Each lost pound was not a quest to get skinny but evidence of obedience to God,” writes Terkeurst.

Eating disorders are rampant these days, and that statement is the perfect fodder for them. For women who may be teetering already on the edge of self-hate and guilt, it seems unbearably cruel to add the label of “disobedience” to God; to add yet another way for her sisters to judge her. Terkeurst goes on to describe how, one day, God called her to run far past the point of exhaustion, more than twice her longest distance, to better learn to lean on Him.

Another symptom of an eating disorder is over-exercising, either to earn food or to punish oneself for “eating too much.” Not exactly the same as what she described, but close enough to harm a woman who is struggling with this.

The point is valid that as Christians, we should learn to go to Christ, not food, for comfort. But to equate weight loss to Christian obedience and over-exertion to following God is irresponsible in our current climate.

A woman who doesn’t have these struggles will likely (hopefully) take away from this what the author surely intended: that thing you go to for comfort pales in comparison to God’s comfort. But to those of us who struggle with eating disorders, it feels like a slap in the face and a condemnation.
Statements like these can send us spiraling into dark places. Readers, please keep this in mind when choosing this otherwise wonderful book. (I have not yet read beyond day 36)

Top Christian Books for Women # 16) Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study (Christian Weight Loss)

Book Summary: You know those early days of a weight loss program? When you’re sick of following the program and you just want to quit? Taste for Truth will help you keep going when you’d like nothing better than to quit. This 30-day Bible study offers 30 days of renewing-of-the-mind help. Through Bible study, evaluation, practical tips, and daily assignments, you’ll learn to throw off the lies that make you eat and put on the truth that will set you free from the control of food. Taste for Truth is a companion Bible study to I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat).

A 5-Star Review: Used this book to get control of my eating habits with the emphasis on creating a healthy dwelling place for the Holy Spirit as well as a stronger, more energetic life style, Just the jump start I needed, great biblical principles to apply to my everyday life to keep me on track. Bought the second book as a gift for a 19 yr. old young lady who is also seeking to change her body and lifestyle, she was excited about what she saw in the book .I am 35lbs lighter and so much more healthy. not stopping here, this is a lifestyle changer.

A Critical Review: Here’s the truth: I really LOVE this bible study. I feel like Barb Raveling is REALLY on to something here, and by focusing my eyes on the Lord and my spiritual battles, I’m able to overcome my battles with food/eating.

HOWEVER, I’m very disappointed that I feel like (the first time reading through this bible study) I’m really missing out by not having ALL of the necessary resources in this ONE book. I would need to buy at least TWO MORE books to really get the full experience:

1. The Renewing of Mind Project by Barb Raveling
2. I Deserve a Doughnut by Barb Raveling

I just wish I would have known upfront that I needed to purchase two other books inorder to have a successful experience with this one. If this was a money-making scheme, then I wish the publishers would have just combined all three books into one and just charged $20 more dollars for the whole set!

Top Christian Books for Women # 17) The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming

Book Summary: How to make home your family’s favorite place to be . . . all year long. Does your home sometimes feel like just a place to eat, sleep, and change clothes on the way to the next activity? Do you long for “home” to mean more than a place where you stash your stuff? Wouldn’t you love it to become a haven of warmth, rest, and joy . . . the one place where you and your family can’t wait to be? There is good news waiting for you in the pages of The Lifegiving Home. Every day of your family’s life can be as special and important to you as it already is to God. In this unique book designed to help your family enjoy and celebrate every month of the year together, you’ll discover the secrets of a life-giving home from a mother who created one and her daughter who was raised in it: popular authors Sally and Sarah Clarkson. Together they offer a rich treasure of wise advice, spiritual principles, and practical suggestions. You’ll embark on a new path to creating special memories for your children; establishing home-building and God-centered traditions; and cultivating an environment in which your family will flourish. (Don’t miss the companion piece, The Lifegiving Home Experience.)

A 5-Star Review: Okay, I really, really wanted to like this book. And I DO–parts of it, and I love the heart behind it. That being said, I found the tone a bit sappy at times, and a bit too utopian in its outlook as well. BUT, if you can wade past that, it does come with some really practical wisdom, some great reminders, and some thoughtful ideas about how to make your house a home with a lot of heart. Basically, if you’re prone to feeling overwhelmed or guilty about the state of your life/home/situation, this is NOT the book for you. But, if you can let that sappy, this-is-the-way-you-should-do-it tone roll off your back and glean the real heart and wisdom behind her words, then I really DO recommend it. Hope that helps.

A Critical Review: I wanted to love this book. I really did. I just DON’T. The whole thing is all about how Sally perfectly raised her children, how perfect their adventures in the world were, and how she perfectly lights her candles every day all day. People coming over? LIGHT A CANDLE. Eating a meal or snack? LIGHT A CANDLE. Relaxing with a book? LIGHT A CANDLE. Feeling sad? There’s a CANDLE for that too!
I mean, don’t get get me wrong, I like a good candle in my life….but just… C’mon!
Oh and in just about every section theirs some sort of obviously exaggerated, highly unlikely, perfectly worded quote from her kids. She writes it as if kids actually talk that way…I have a very difficult time believing they actually said any of it. I’ll add a picture of one of the quotes.

Top Christian Books for women # 18) Daily Light on the Daily Path

Book Summary: This is probably the most widely read collection of daily readings from the Bible ever published, and it is presented in this edition in the words of The New International Version (North American Edition). For three generations, Daily Light on the Daily Path has been a classic religious work, and it has gone through countless printings. It was compiled by the descendants of the London bookseller, Samuel Bagster. Bagster’s grandson, Robert, who died in 1924, wrote of the origins of this book, “Daily Light on the Daily Path was prepared entirely within the family. Few are able to appreciate the heart-searching care with which every text was selected, the days, nay the weeks of changes, alterations, and improvements until at last each page was passed to the printer.” Here are two selections of Bible readings for every day of the year — Morning and Evening.

A 5-Star Review: Daily readings with scriptural references for morning and evening readings. The readings are scriptural, not the opinions of a writer for daily meditations, I prefer that rather than having a writer’s take on morning and evening readings, Scriptural references are numerous and directly relate to reading for the day. It’s exactly what I was looking for giving me the opportunity to reflect on the guidance of the Holy Spirit for meditation rather than the experiences of a writer/individual relating their experiences and keying those to biblical references. Readings are separated into morning and evening segments for each day by calendar day date so this devotional can be used multi-years. Since there are numerous scriptural references with each morning and evening devotional, you can spent more or less time on the devotion for that day depending on your time schedule.

A Critical Review: you see I don’t recall if it was advertised with using” old english” such as thee thou thy etc and in the 21st century I stop using bibles with old english. Perfer to read NIV Bibles

Top Christian Books for Women # 19) What’s So Amazing About Grace?

Book Summary: OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD! Discover grace as you’ve never known it before: the most powerful force in the universe and our only hope for love and forgiveness. Grace is the church’s great distinctive. It’s the one thing the world cannot duplicate, and the one thing it craves above all else–for only grace can bring hope and transformation to a jaded world.

In What’s So Amazing About Grace? award-winning author Philip Yancey explores grace at the street level. If grace is God’s love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy? Yancey sets grace in the midst of life’s stark images, tests its mettle against horrific “ungrace”: Can grace survive in the midst of such atrocities as the Nazi holocaust? Can grace survive in the midst of such atrocities as the Nazi holocaust? Can it triumph over the brutality of the Ku Klux Klan? Can it triumph over the brutality of the Ku Klux Klan? Should any grace at all be shown to the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed and cannibalized seventeen young men? Should any grace at all be shown to the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed and cannibalized seventeen young men? Grace does not excuse sin, says Yancey, but it treasures the sinner.

True grace is shocking, and scandalous. It shakes our conventions with its insistence on getting close to sinners and touching them with mercy and hope. It forgives the unfaithful spouse, the racist, and the child abuser. It loves today’s AIDS-ridden addict as much as the tax collector of Jesus’s day. In his most personal and provocative book ever, Yancey offers compelling, true portraits of grace’s life-changing power. He searches for its presence in his own life and in the church. He asks, How can Christians contend graciously with moral issues that threaten all they hold dear? And he challenges us to become living answers to a world that desperately wants to know, What’s So Amazing About Grace?

A 5-Star Review: This book wrecked me.

Ignore the negative comments and negative reviews. What interests me most about those reviews is that this book is all about grace and the people leaving negative reviews still miss the point. They don’t give grace on what they disagree with.

Phillip Yancey’s use of stories and modernized parables help paint a picture of grace that, if I’m honest, I knew already…but I never really envisioned. This book and the idea he presents are both game changers for the Christian community, and in our society today it couldn’t be more relevant.

Read this book. Buy this book. Live this book.

A Critical Review: I have wanted to read this book for a long time. It has been highly recommended to me many times by dear friends. I have a lot of questions about grace. I jumped in expecting something, well, amazing. This is a good book, but for me, not amazing. Yancey is a skilled writer and a captivating storyteller. The book is filled with tales of forgiveness and healing and sometimes the absence of forgiveness. He spends a lot of time talking about community sin like racism and hatred. This makes a lot of sense since he grew up in a church that struggled with these issues.

At the end of the first chapter, Yancey makes it clear that he does not intend to plumb the theological depths of the doctrine of grace. He says, “…I will rely more on stories than on syllogisms. In sum, I would far rather convey grace that explain it.” I applaud his intent and the spirit of this idea. But, as I read through the book I kept wanting something more – or perhaps something else. The stories were nice and encouraging to be sure, but somewhat unsatisfying for my own quest to understand grace.

How could it be, after all, that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood? Amazing love, how could it be that thou my God should die for me? These questions — my questions — linger on.

Top Christian Books for Women # 20) Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart (The Knights of Arrethtrae Book 3)

Book Summary: Sir Dalton, a knight in training, seems to have everything going for him. Young, well-liked, and a natural leader, he has earned the respect and admiration of his fellow knights, and especially the beautiful Lady Brynn. But something is amiss at the training camp. Their new trainer is popular but lacks the passion to inspire them to true service to the King and the Prince. Besides this, the knights are too busy enjoying a season of good times to be concerned with a disturbing report that many of their fellow Knights have mysteriously vanished. When Sir Dalton is sent on a mission, he encounters strange attacks, especially when he is alone. As his commitment wanes, the attacks grow in intensity until he is captured by Lord Drox, a massive Shadow Warrior. Bruised and beaten, Dalton refuses to submit to evil and initiates a daring escape with only one of two outcomes–life or death. But what will become of the hundreds of knights he’ll leave behind? In a kingdom of peril, Dalton thinks he is on his own, but two faithful friends have not abandoned him, and neither has a strange old hermit who seems to know much about the Prince. But can Dalton face the evil Shadow Warrior again and survive?

A 5-Star Review: Have you ever doubted when it comes to Christianity and the Bible? Well this epic adventure is one book you don’t want to miss!! It’s about a young knight of the Prince, Sir Dalton, who’s got popularity, a potential love (Lady Brynn), and skills just waiting to be developed but something is missing in his life. Also, He and all the other knights, except for two, at his local haven don’t seem to be worried about some other young people who start disappearing while on missions. One day, Sir Dalton gets attacked and captured by Lord Drox, an evil Shadow Warrior. Can Sir Dalton break out of the bonds holding him down or will he be a prisoner forever?

This was the third book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series and was as engaging as the first two. I liked how Chuck Black started the book off at the middle of the story and then did a flashback. This technique worked really well by grabbing my interest right off the bat. The theme of the book was helpful and thought-provoking. When I was younger, I remember having problems with what the theme addresses and really wish I had read this book then. I also like the mysterious mountain hermit that helps Sir Dalton. I would recommend this book to teens and older kids who have trouble with doubt in their lives. I know this book will encourage and teach you to be a stronger Christian.

A Critical Review: This CD will not play it only repeats the same sentence again and again.