What’s in My Book Basket {Fall 2024}
Here are some books that I’ve been reading recently that I think you may enjoy. So, grab some hot cider or a maple latte and kick back in the fall sunshine to read a while.
NOTE: Know that in featuring these books here, I am not saying that I endorse everything written within them, nor all the theological or political views of the authors. I just think they are books that are worth reading, either because they are helpful, entertaining, or thought-provoking.
A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon
I love historical fiction and I enjoyed reading this over the summer. From New York Times bestselling author Amy Harmon comes the saga of a young woman who dares to chart her own destiny in life and love during the American Revolutionary War.
In 1760, Deborah Samson is born to Puritan parents in Plympton, Massachusetts. When her father abandons the family and her mother is unable to support them, Deborah is bound out as an indentured servant. From that moment on, she yearns for a life of liberation and adventure.
Twenty years later, as the American colonies begin to buckle in their battle for independence, Deborah, impassioned by the cause, disguises herself as a soldier and enlists in the Continental army. Her impressive height and lanky build make her transformation a convincing one, and it isn’t long before she finds herself confronting the horrors of war head-on.
But as Deborah fights for her country’s freedom, she must contend with the secret of who she is―and, ultimately, a surprising love she can’t deny. If you like fiction that is rooted in history, you can grab your copy here.
Can I Say That?: How Unsafe Questions Lead Us to the Real God by Brenna Blain
Can God handle our hardest questions, biggest struggles, and secret doubts? We instinctively assume he cannot. We figure giving voice to those things will bring shame, rejection, and distance from him. But what if our hard questions don’t need to function as an off-ramp from Christianity but can lead us closer to his heart? What if he is not afraid of our doubts but instead reveals himself in them?
In Can I Say That?, my fabulous friend Brenna Blain brings her fresh voice to those who feel unsafe or unwelcome in the church, acknowledging the incongruity between the church’s actions and believers’ lived experiences. As a Bible teacher and an advocate for those who have experienced abuse, molestation, and mental health crises, she creates space for readers to be radically honest and ask tough questions—Am I safe here? Why does your presence feel so lonely, God?—while pointing them to biblical, foundational truth.
Brenna shares her journey of wrestling with God and building intimacy with him as a result. This valuable resource will help you to:
- Know in your guts that God accepts you as you are—even as you question, struggle, doubt, and hurt
- Be reassured that he is bigger than anything you face and can handle anything you bring to him
- Experience his love in the most tender and needy parts of your heart
- Engage complex questions about the institution of the church, wrestle with its abuses, and advocate for the Body of Christ to more closely reflect his heart
God sees you and knows you—better than you know yourself. He doesn’t need you to change in order for him to love you. He doesn’t require you to be free of struggles in order for him to be close to you. He wants you to be your true self with him and be willing to engage with him deeply, so he can wow you with the beauty of his heart and character. Can God handle our hardest questions, biggest struggles, and secret doubts.
To experience this tool, click here.
The Fight for Female: Reclaiming Our Divine Identity by Lisa Bevere
The very idea of womanhood is being assailed on all fronts: sexualized by our culture, eliminated from language, and silenced by the church. For decades, both sexes have been systematically undermined and stripped of their strength. Male and female were originally created as a power union, but that turned into a power struggle. For years, women listened to the lie that to be powerful they needed to act like men. Now the tables have turned, with men acting like women.
This attack is more than cultural, it is spiritual. Revelation 12:17 portrays a dragon enraged with women who has declared war on our children. Our enemy, terrified of what–and whom–we were made to reflect, seeks to blur the lines, distorting the very idea of what it means for women to bear God’s divine image.
Author and speaker Lisa Bevere believes that we were made for this fight. It will require honest, intimate conversations to emerge with God-inspired answers equal to the challenges of our day. Our marriages, children, churches, communities, and futures depend on it. It’s time to unite, confident in our divine identity, clear in our commission, and courageous in our calling, to confront the darkness with love and light. It’s time to fight for female!
To purchase, click here.
For centuries, discussions of early Christianity have focused on male leaders in the church. But there is ample evidence right in the New Testament that women were actively involved in ministry, at the frontier of the gospel mission, and as respected leaders.
Nijay Gupta calls us to bring these women out of the shadows by shining light on their many inspiring contributions to the planting, growth, and health of the first Christian churches. He sets the context by exploring the lives of first-century women and addressing common misconceptions, then focuses on the women leaders of the early churches as revealed in Paul’s writings. We discover the major roles of people such as:
- Phoebe, Paul’s trusted coworker
- Prisca, strategic leader and expert teacher
- Junia, courageous apostle
- Nympha, representative of countless lesser-known figures
When we understand the world in which Jesus and his followers lived and what the New Testament actually attests about women in the churches, it becomes clear that women were active participants and trusted leaders all along. They were welcomed by Paul and other apostles, were equipped and trained for ministry leadership, instructed others, traveled long distances, were imprisoned―and once in a while became heroes and giants.
The New Testament writers tell their stories. It’s time for the church to retell them, again and again.
To get your own copy of this book, click here.
This book was invaluable to me when our kids were younger and I still have my well-worn copy. I took it to the library with me so I could know which books to check out for our kids. A good book is a gateway into a wider world of wonder, beauty, delight, and adventure. But children don’t stumble onto the best books by themselves. They need a parent’s help. Author Gladys Hunt, along with her son, Mark, discusses everything from how to choose good books for your children to encouraging them to be avid readers.
Illustrated with drawings from dozens of children’s favorites, Honey for a Child’s Heart Updated and Expanded includes completely updated book lists geared to your child’s age and filled with nearly one thousand longtime favorites, classics, wonderful new books, and audiobooks that will enrich your child’s life. It will also show you how to:
- Understand the importance of being a read-aloud family, enjoying books together by reading aloud
- Give your children a large view of the world, of truth, and of goodness
- Encourage each child’s imagination and good use of language
- Find the best books for your children
Thousands of parents have used this guide to furnish their children’s inner spirit with the wonder and delight of good reading. Updated and expanded to keep pace with the ever-changing world of children’s literature, it is sure to enrich the cultural and spiritual life of your home.
Get this book by clicking here.
The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible (CSB Translation)
I’m often asked by women who read my books or do one of my Bible studies, how I am able to unearth the deeper meanings of certain verses in scripture. One of the tools I use is this Bible. There are times when a Greek or Hebrew word has a distinct meaning that seriously affects the proper interpretation of Scripture. Unless you are familiar with these languages, you will not be able to determine what word in the original text was used or the differences between these words-until now.
The Hebrew-Greek Key Word® Study Bible identifies the key words of the original languages and presents clear, precise explanations of their meaning and usage. Those who love God’s Word will treasure this Bible, for it contains a whole library of biblical helps within its covers.
This version includes:
- Wider Margins on Pages of the Bible Text
- Key Words in the Biblical Text Coded to AStrong’s Numbers
- New Word Studies with AMG’s Annotated Strong’s Dictionaries
- Red Letter Edition of the Authorized Version, King James Bible
I use the one in the CSB translation. To purchase, click here.
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NOTE: When I began my website in 2007, I did it only to help and encourage others trying to live their priorities and love their life. After several years of blogging, I have decided to become an Amazon Affiliate to help cover the costs of running my ministry. Being an affiliate costs you, as a buyer, nothing and simply means that if you make a purchase following one of my links, I earn a slight percentage of commission. 100% of the small income that I will receive from this will be used to pay for the cost of running this website. If you desire to be a part of my team by supporting this ministry then I encourage you to use this link whenever you make a purchase on Amazon. You will be helping to fund this website and help other women to live their priorities, love their lives, and live out the gospel message.
