FIVE FALL FAVORITES Blog Hop Day 2: Christian Nonfiction!

 

 

Click HERE to keep up with the rest of the blog hop!

Today's theme is EPISTOLARY, but since I haven't really read many epistolary novels, I swapped that category out for Christian nonfiction.  It's getting chilly out with the arrival of fall, so let's get our flannel blankets and cozy quilts and talk about some of my favorite nonfiction books...I hope you find a new favorite or two!  You can click on each title to be redirected to the Goodreads page for each book.  

The Invisible War by Chip Ingram

I read this book earlier in the year, as someone who enjoys Chip Ingram's books and radio sermons.  I was a little bit skeptical of what the content would be like in this book, because books like this generally try to "scare people to Heaven," if you will.  But I have to say that it's absolutely something that should be given consideration.  Ingram provides a very real, personal perspective on the forces at work below the surface - what we can't see.  It's not a scare-tactic novel, it's something to be used for information.  He doesn't gloss over everything, either -- it's neither sugar-coated nor tainted with fearmongering, and that's just the kind of book I like to read.  Very informational.  If you're interested in this kind of topic, definitely give it a read.  It made complete sense while still being staggering.  It was an easy 5/5 rating.  

There's a new edition out which was published a few years back, but the older version is the one that I read, so I can't give a review for what the newer edition talks about or adds to the discussion.  

Live by Sadie Robertson 

Sadie Robertson's nonfiction books have always been an "insta-buy" for me, so Live got to join Live Original and Live Fearless, which are all great books for teens and young adults.  This one focuses a bit more on the young adult/post-college side, which was timely since I was newly post-college when this book came out earlier this year.  She discusses some interesting topics from the perspective of having served some ladies at a women's prison, and she uses the story of the prodigal son in a few different perspectives that will make you re-evaluate the story (including from the perspective of the other brother who was sour because the prodigal got all the goodies and fanfare), and it's a great book especially for young entrepreneurs or folks who are still trying to decide where God's leading them.  Solid 4/5!   

Young & Beardless by John Luke Robertson

Maybe it was a bit weird for a girl to read a book called Young & Beardless, but this was actually a really great book.  Yeah, it's Sadie Robertson's brother John Luke (with some special appearances from his wife Mary Kate).  Some of his perspectives on living a God-driven, meaningful life were really great and thought-provoking, and this book even includes journaling prompts.  It's been a little while since I started those prompts (kind of petered out with being busy), but after I brought this one down from my shelf, I think I'll have to give it another read.  It's a great book with serious topics and prompts some good discussions, but it also combines a bit of humor and funny stories.  Great read for 2020!  Again, this was a 5/5 in my mental ratings system (which gets a lot more ratings than the actual Internet ever does...sadly, I need to work on that.)

Why I Believe by Chip Ingram

This book is a must-read, even if you're already a believer.  If you're like me and you know what you believe, but you can't exactly put it into words, this is a great book.  And if you're searching and you're not sure what you want to believe, this is a wonderful resource that I cannot recommend enough.  Inside, you'll find a lot of discussions from the basic "Why did Adam and Eve eat the fruit??!" to more complicated matters about life, death, and living as a Christian.  This book comes from a former atheist who changed paths in college and began a lifelong endeavor to find logic and knowledge in the Christian walk, and he compiles that logic in this book.  Ever hear someone say that they don't know how anyone can logically believe in God?  Well...this book works to disprove that.  If you're into debate, too, this would be an excellent resource.  5/5 once more. 

Goliath Must Fall by Louie Giglio 

This book is for the folks who struggle with anxiety, fear, anger, addiction...pretty much anything that you can be/are tempted by.  It talks about how Satan uses these tools to pry you away from God, and Giglio uses personal testimony to explain the reasons why we shouldn't embrace our "giants" (temptation) and how we can break away from them to step forward in the life God wants us to live.  He doesn't say that we should singlehandedly throw out our own problems - that's only a band-aid fix for a spiritual problem that can't be band-aided - but he explains how we should accept Jesus in our hearts for every step we take.  He's the real giant-slayer in this story, and it's only with His help that some (or all) of these temptations will ever truly be defeated.  That even includes "comfort" in one chapter --  talking about how it's so easy to live a complacent life, in which we end up afraid to step away from it in order to follow God.  Some of the time, I felt like he could've gone much deeper into certain topics, which garners a 4/5 rating from me, but it's a book that's easy to understand.  

Don't forget about the giveaway that you can enter!  Lots of great goodies by some pretty fantastic authors.  

Enter HERE!  

Have you read any of these books?  What are some of your favorite Christian nonfiction novels?