Family Christian Stores has named 2008’s Crazy Love by Francis Chan (David C. Cook) its 2011 Book of the Year. The book has now sold more than 1 million copies. Beginning last month, the book was to be featured in all Family Christian Store catalogs throughout the year and was to receive front placement in stores all year long.   ?

Thomas Nelson’s Jesus Callingby missionary Sarah Young has achieved platinum status, selling 1 million copies. Written from Jesus’ point of view, the devotional aims to help readers commune with God in dialogue.   ?

In Oneness Embraced, pastor and best-selling author Tony Evans offers a legacy message that details why oneness between the races is lacking, what to do to get it and what it looks like in practice. Evans offers kingdom-minded approaches for biblical justice and social restoration, and includes a section on black church history. Releasing from Moody Publishers this month, the book retails for $22.99.   ?

Released May 4 last year, Radical by David Platt—at No. 2 on the CBA’s Top 50 for January and on the New York Times Paperback Advice list for the 28th week, at No. 4—has become a sleeper hit.  Multnomah Books plans a follow-up, Radical Together, to release one year after the Platt’s debut released.   ?

Harvest House Publishers releases Running With Joy by the American half-marathon record holder, Ryan Hall, this month. Hall journals his training for the 2010 Boston Marathon and offers a glimpse into his path to joy and fulfillment in Christ. The book retails for $13.99.   ?

Through practical insights and inspiring stories, author Ryan Rush aims to guide readers to break through the walls holding them back from experiencing a freedom-based faith. Releasing this month from Tyndale House Publishers, Walls: Why Everybody’s Stuck (and nobody has to be)retails for $14.99.

TOP PICK

Read the Bible for Life

George H. Guthrie

B&H Books (B&H Publishing Group)

softcover, 304 pages, $14.99

978-0-805-46454-2

In Read the Bible for Life: Your Guide to Understanding & Living God’s Word, Union University Bible professor Guthrie converses with 17 down-to-earth Bible scholars, including authors Darrell Bock, Michael Card and Andreas Kostenberger. The reader seeking to understand the Old Testament prophets can flip to Guthrie’s conversation with professor Gary V. Smith, while the reader confused about how to responsibly and fruitfully apply the Bible to life can turn to Guthrie’s humorous—yet profound—conversation with himself on “Reading the Bible for Transformation.”

Deciding on this book’s greatest value is difficult. On the one hand, Guthrie’s style allows the reader to feel as if he or she is actually sitting in on a casual conversation between the author and the experts. On the other, the content presented is as relevant as it is comprehensive. Guthrie boils down the most significant, or most troubling, issues related to the given topic, making them accessible.

Read the Bible for Life should prove helpful in improving biblical literacy in the church.

—Dave Stuart Jr.

Courage to Stand

Tim Pawlenty

Tyndale House Publishers

hardcover, 273 pages, $26.99

978-1-414-34572-7

The former governor of Minnesota, takes readers into his heart, history and rise to power as a Republican governor in a traditionally blue state.

The fifth child of Gene and Ginny Pawlenty, the governor was raised in meat-packing mecca South St. Paul, where he regularly attended church and learned the value of hard work. His mother died when he was 16, but Pawlenty forged ahead to attend college and law school, marrying along the way.

He became governor in 2002, leading his state through crushing finance wars to a balanced budget, losing Minnesota’s soldiers in war, missing out on a vice-presidential bid in 2008 and seeing the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis. 

In Courage to Stand: An American Story, Pawlenty shows himself to be unrelentingly honest and optimistic, presenting a chatty, cheerful look at his past and his years as governor, along with glimpses of national and international politics.

He speaks openly of his faith, which will interest readers who are seeing Pawlenty’s name bandied about as the 2012 elections loom.

—Ann E. Byle

Running Scared

Robert Leon Davis

Monarch Books (Kregel Publications)

softcover, 190 pages, $13.99

978-1-854-24993-7

By the time Davis turned himself in to authorities after 22 years of living as a fugitive, he had collected a grocery list of crimes worth many years in prison—but God proved Himself merciful. 

Despite his Christian upbringing, he was unable to live untainted by Hollygrove, a “crime-infested” area of New Orleans, where he learned to steal cars.

In hopes of making something good out of his life, Davis joined the New Orleans Police Department, but, like many of his fellow cops, he eventually began practicing “crooked justice.” Running scared, as the book’s title suggests, he hit the road and lived alone in the woods, venturing out from time to time and racking up more crimes. In the Tennessee woods, Davis put out a fleece before God and finally submitted his life to Him, though not before contemplating suicide. 

Running Scared will keep the reader turning pages to see what’s going to happen. Davis’ heart-wrenching story demonstrates the power of God’s unconditional love to get the attention of the wayward soul.

—Sarah Stegall

The Heart Revolution

Sergio De La Mora

Baker Books (Baker Publishing Group)

hardcover, 288 pages, $17.99

978-0-801-01384-3

De La Mora—founder and pastor of San Diego’s Cornerstone Church, one of the country’s fastest-growing churches—compels readers to rise out of spiritual complacency and toward personal transformation, in The Heart Revolution: Experience The Power of a Turned Heart.

The son of Mexican immigrants, De La Mora’s young life was swallowed up by drugs and gangs. In the eighth grade he was nearly paralyzed after being stabbed in the back. By 16, he owned a successful deejay company, but a cocaine habit owned him—until the Holy Spirit brought about a heart revolution. 

Along with his own hard-earned wisdom, De La Mora shares stories he has gathered through years of seeing how God’s power enabled His children to turn away from alcohol, sexual sins, drugs, self-righteousness, cancer and other struggles.

The Heart Revolution offers a 40-day plan aimed at turning hearts toward a life of love and grace.

—Andrealynn Boyd

Trusting God to Get You Through

Jason Crabb 

Charisma House (Strang Book Group)

softcover, 224 pages, $14.99

978-1-616-38174-5

Crabb, a soulful Southern gospel celebrity who left his family group and embarked on a more eclectic solo career, encourages readers who are going through hard times, in Trusting God to Get You Through: Lessons I’ve Learned Through the Fire About Grace, Loss and Love.

Lyrics from “Through the Fire,” a song his father wrote, accompany each of the book’s eight chapters, which address topics including loneliness, finding strength in weakness, God’s protection and refusing to give in to the enemy of the believer’s soul. 

The oldest son in The Crabb Family, he tells of the challenges and blessings of being raised in a traveling, gospel-singing group, and of his own personal trials, such as his parents’ eventual divorce and the miscarriages his wife, Shellye, suffered before the birth of their two daughters.

Crabb focuses the reader’s attention on God’s character, reassuring them that they can walk through the fires of adversity with His help. Readers needing compassion and encouragement will find it here, and this debut book should draw fans of the GRAMMY-nominated artist and his well-known family.

—Christine D. Johnson

Book of Days

James L. Rubart

B&H Books (B&H Publishing Group)

softcover, 400 pages, $14.99

978-1-433-67151-7

Rubart combines scripture with legend to create an engaging tale of self-discovery in Book of Days. The title refers to a book, mentioned in Ps. 139:16, in which God recorded every life before time began.

When Seattle video producer Cameron Vaux begins to lose his memory, he fears he will die young like his father. He recalls conversations with his late wife, Jessie, and his dad about a legendary book in Three Peaks, Ore., which tells the future.

Aided by telejournalist Ann Banister, Cameron follows cryptic clues and runs afoul of colorful locals like Jason Judah, seeking the book to bolster his New Age cult—all the while wary that the book might be a hoax.

Though prolonged somewhat by overly obstructionist characters, Rubart’s narrative remains suspenseful and involving. An afterword and discussion questions help the reader digest his message.

—John Leatherman

Softly & Tenderly

Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck

Thomas Nelson

hardcover, 320 pages, $19.99

978-1-595-54490-2

Taking a long road trip home often means friends and fun, but not for Jade Benson, who is traveling with her mother, Beryl, who is battling leukemia, and her mother-in-law, June, whose husband was caught in an affair.

Though Beryl left Jade and her two siblings in the care of their grandparents, that doesn’t stop Jade from wanting to be there for her—after all, Jade is a Christian—and though she is running two boutiques and trying to start a family with second husband Max, she wants to help.

But Jade discovers that Max is dealing with a drug addiction and also that he had a child with his ex-fiancée. When the child’s mother dies, Max wants to take him in. The women have their faith tested, but in the end do what is right.

Fans of Sara Evans’ music or previous novel, The Sweet By and By, are ready-made readers for this, the second in the “Songbird” series.

—Tanya Ohle

Tyndale House Publishers’ Sanctuary NLT is a New Living Translation devotional Bible designed to help women set aside the distractions of life and focus on God, His Word and His desires for their lives. The daily devotions were chosen to offer a place of safety, encouragement and growth. Monday?s devotional includes a heartfelt prayer. Tuesday through Friday feature devotionals from the writings of Corrie ten Boom, Teresa of Avila, Elisabeth Elliot, Anne Graham Lotz and others. Each weekend features a hymn and the story behind it. The LeatherLike, espresso/vintage floral fabric edition releases this month and retails for $49.99.

Hendrickson Publishers is releasing more Bibles in its value-price program, including the Large Print Thinline Reference Bible, KJV. The Flexisoft edition features large, 10-point type and comes in violet/lilac and slate/blue. Special features include a presentation page, end-of-verse cross-references, gilded edges, sewn binding, words of Christ in red, a 76-page concordance, full-color maps and ribbon marker. Value pricing is available to U.S. retail stores, with this Bible tagged with a $24.95/$19.97 sticker.

The Four Holy Gospels is a specially designed and produced edition of the four Gospels in the English Standard Version (ESV). The ESV text is highlighted by newly commissioned original paintings by acclaimed artist Makoto Fujimura representing the four Gospel writers, illuminated initial letters and other embellishments in a genuine-leather collector’s edition artist. Printed in full color throughout on high-quality art paper and housed in a permanent slipcase, The Four Holy Gospels features a highly readable 13.25-point type in a double-column, paragraph format. It retails for $349.99. 

The HCSB UltraThin Bible offers a reduced trim size for increased portability. The Holman Bible Publishers edition comes in dark brown/brown and black/pearl gray Duotone simulated leather each for $24.99 retail and in black calfskin genuine leather for $119.99, with all three releasing this month. Features include an introduction to the Holman Christian Standard Bible translation; an eight-page, four-color map section; words of Christ in red; plan of salvation; and ribbon marker in a two-piece, die-cut gift box. 

The ESV Study Bible, Personal Size from Crossway includes nearly all of the features found in the ESV Study Bible but in a smaller size. The more compact edition retains all of the original’s 25,000 study notes, 240 full-color maps and illustrations, charts, timelines, introductions and more. Some of the extensive articles have been moved online for free access. The personal size Bible comes in black letter text and is available this month in a number of editions, including hardcover for $44.99; TruTone olive/Celtic design for $64.99; and black genuine leather for $84.99.

Barbour Publishing is releasing its The KJV Study Bible, which aims to bring the King James Version into “21st-century context,” this month. Marking the 400th anniversary of the King James, the Bible offers more than 5,000 brand-new notes from the “Simplified Bible Commentary Series,” book introductions, full-color maps, dictionary/concordance of key names and terms, words of Christ in red. The bonded leather Bible retails for $29.99.

Each of Tyndale’s Faith, Hope and Love purse-sized New Testaments features devotional content in the front—30 days on the topic of faith, hope or love. Each has interior colors with endsheets and ribbons to match. The Faith Devotional New Testament includes Psalms and Proverbs, and verses on faith are highlighted throughout. The hardcover New Testament editions in the “NLT Vintage Gift Collection” retail for $12.99 each.

Barbour Publishing author Wanda E. Brunstetter has passed the 5 million mark in book sales. The New York Times best-selling author of Amish-themed novels introduces her next series, “Kentucky Brothers,” in April.   ?

Thom S. Rainer and son Jess W. Rainer focus on the 78 million people born between 1980 and 2000 in The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation. Releasing from B&H Books, the January title reports on a 2009 study and discusses Millennial views on diversity, money and more.

Best-selling author and pastor John MacArthur discusses a striking word that Scripture uses to describe the believer in Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ. MacArthur asserts that translators have covered up the word’s true meaning, substituting “servant” for “slave,” but he sees the word as key to the believer’s freedom. The Thomas Nelson title releases this month for $22.99 retail.

A New Kind of Big examines how churches of any size can partner to transform their communities. Chip Sweney—a Presbyterian Church in America pastor who serves as a leader of Perimeter Church’s Community Outreach in Atlanta—presents a model of collaboration in the Baker Books title, releasing this month from Baker Publishing Group.   ?

Candace Cameron Bure—best known for her child-acting role on Full House and as sister of Kirk Cameron—aims to motivate women to embrace a healthier lifestyle. Bure shares her experience with a food addiction and her now-healthy outlook on weight. Releasing this month, Reshaping It All (B&H Books) includes a 16-page black-and-white photo insert and retails for $14.99.   ?

Pastor Gregg Matte invites readers to shift their thinking about God’s will from an event to a process. In Finding God’s Will, he shows that God’s will is what happens when believers seek Him. The $19.99 Regal title releases this month.

God, I'm Ready to Walk in Faith

Thelma Wells

Harvest House Publishers

softcover, 224 pages, $11.99

978-0-736-93036-9

Exploring Scripture with an eye to what it takes to trust in God with a modern-day faith, popular women's conference speaker Wells encourages readers to "Put on Your Shoes, Step Out, and Get Ready to Win!" in God, I'm Ready to Walk in Faith.

Using a shoe metaphor, her story starts with baby shoes, which she uses to represent the faith formation of her early years. Tying her personal story to Scripture, she observes that Hannah trusted God enough to give up her mothering role so her son could honor God in temple service. But, during successful times, Wells wears her "Bling Bling" shoes. Similarly, Esther's life demonstrates how faith can bring victory in the bleakest of circumstances. 

Whether in baby shoes or combat boots, Wells encourages readers to walk in faith, discerning God's will through personal Bible study and prayer. In God, I'm Ready to Walk in Faith, she offers a rich perspective on matters of faith.

—Bonnie Bruner

The Power Based Life

Mike Flynt

Thomas Nelson

softcover, 224 pages, $14.99

978-1-401-60434-9

Flynt, who chronicled his return to college football at age 59 in The Senior, goes into further detail about the fitness and spiritual philosophies that give him strength in The Power Based Life: Realize Your Life's Goals and Dreams by Strengthening Your Body, Mind, and Spirit. 

The book uses sports, business and Christian parallels to encourage readers to maximize their potential. Flynt writes in a relatable style, offering directives for success like "Playing to Your Strengths" and "Defying the Skeptics." 

Although much of the content will not be particularly revelatory, such as surrounding oneself with good teammates and visualizing one's goals, the author's passion will help underscore the simple message of faith-driven mental and physical health. 

The Power Based Life will appeal to those  in need of a pep talk from someone who's lived his own inspirational adventure.

—DeWayne Hamby

The 60 Minute Money Workout

Ellie Kay

WaterBrook Press

softcover, 224 pages $14.99

978-0-307-44603-9

The 60 Minute Money Workout: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Finances Into Shape goes beyond the traditional budgeting steps of saving, tithing, spending and debt elimination. Kay, a finance expert known for her "Focus on the Family" commentary, encourages a hands-on approach to personal finance that takes only an hour a week, encouraging families to live a full lifestyle with her thrifty tips on anything from food to vacations. 

Kay's advice—on buying cars with cash, exploring retirement and college plans, starting a successful home-based business and more—makes personal economic stability obtainable. Spreadsheets provided in the book and calculators on her Web site are helpful financial tools.

Showing step by step how financial stability is within reach, The 60 Minute Money Workout aims to motivate the reader to action and is useful for anyone who wants to brush up on their money skills, from newlyweds to those in the financial pits. 

—Andrealynn Boyd

An Amish Love

Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller & Kelly Long

Thomas Nelson

softcover, 400 pages, $14.99

978-1-595-54875-7

An Amish Love is a collection of three romance novellas on matters of the heart.

Long's Marriage of the Heart sees Abigail Kauffman wanting to escape the Amish way by deceiving Joseph Lambert into marrying her. Her patience helps Joseph in his return from English life, including facing his struggles with drug addiction.

Fuller's What the Heart Sees is the story of Ellie Chupp, blinded in a car accident that killed her best friend, Caroline. Five years later, Ellie's courage to overcome her disability impacts Caroline's former fiancé, Christopher Miller.

Finally, Wiseman's Healing Hearts deals with the struggles in marriage as Naaman Lapp returns to his wife of 31 years, Levina, after spending a year in Ohio. Levina hopes that one day they can return to the love they once knew.

Entertaining and heartwarming, the three novellas in this collection weave together true characters of faith. A glossary of Amish terms, a group study and recipes are added bonus materials in the reading experience.

—Nicole Anderson

Serendipity

Cathy Marie Hake

Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group)

softcover, 352 pages, $14.99

978-0-764-20321-3

Though skilled in bartering, Maggie Rose takes a risk every time she trades one of her many treasures with those who visits her home in Carver's Holler. But when Todd Valmer stumbles upon her doorstep carrying his very sick mother, Maggie soon realizes she is about to barter her heart. 

Struck by her beauty, her tenderness with his mother, not to mention her ability to cook, Todd is more than confident Maggie would make a wonderful helpmate on his Texas farm. With little time to spare, he proposes, promising Maggie that love will grow. He also agrees to let her bring along her treasures, not knowing just how much she has collected. 

Leaving her Arkansas home, Maggie soon fears she has made a terrible mistake as she adjusts to living in a one-room cabin with a mother-in-law who seemingly despises her and a husband who fails to understand her chatty, headstrong ways and her love for roses.

Hake's Serendipity is a beautiful, well-written story of the love and respect that can grow between a husband and wife when they learn to trust God and each other.

—Sarah Stegall

A Rabbi Looks at Jesus of Nazareth

Jonathan Bernis

Chosen (Baker Publishing Group)

softcover, 240 pages, $15.99

978-0-764-29506-1

Throughout his traditional Jewish upbringing, Bernis was taught that being Jewish was not compatible with believing in Jesus as Messiah. Yet, through Bible study and a variety of divinely appointed encounters, Bernis was eventually faced with a startling realization: Jesus of Nazareth's claim of Messianic status is supported with overwhelming evidence from the Jewish Scriptures.

In A Rabbi Looks at Jesus of Nazareth, Bernis presents the historical facts concerning Jesus with warmth and respect. Bernis is intentionally transparent about his journey to faith and the limitations of his writing. Though he takes great pains to thoroughly defuse common Jewish protests to Jesus' Messianic status, Bernis affirms that facts alone cannot give 100% certainty that Christ was who He said He was.

Readers of A Rabbi Looks at Jesus of Nazareth will meet numerous Jews throughout the ages who have paid enormous earthly costs for the sake of following Jesus. This book is a companion, hopeful and trustworthy, for the Christian who desires to share Jesus with Jewish friends in a respectful, honest way.

—Dave Stuart Jr.

As part of the effort to eliminate abortion as a solution to unplanned pregnancy, Tyndale House Publishers is releasing the Beautiful Everyday (Inspire Life) NLT this month. Published in cooperation with Care Net—an organization that supports women by offering free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting classes, material assistance and other services—the Beautiful Everyday Bible aims to equip counselors in crisis pregnancy centers with free Bibles. It has a dedication page that customers can sign in a Christian bookstore, then a local crisis pregnancy center is invited to pick them up and personalize them for each recipient. A letter from artist-actress Rebecca St. James and other resources offer encouragement and hope in this New Living Translation edition. Available in compact softcover, it retails for $5.99.

Danteck Group released The Word of Promise NowBible Color Audio/Visual Bible Reader 4 GB with the New King James Version last month. The Word of Promise, featuring a cast of well-known actors, motion-picture sound effects and an original music score, is now available on the NowBible Color electronic/audio Bible reader. TheNowBible Color device includes the complete NKJV Bible with viewable text and synchronized audio narration, the text and audio of The Word of Promise broken down to verse level, a built-in speaker or accessory earphones, the Quick Jump navigation feature to help users find verses quickly, “history” arrows enabling the user to skip to previously viewed passages, Smith’s and Easton’s Bible dictionaries, electronic concordance, Bible promises section, Bible in a Year reading plan and large and giant print text modes. An MP4 player supports MPEG video files and widescreen format, and an MP3 player supports MP3/WMA sound files. It retails for $189.99.

The KJV TakeNote Bible has wide, lined margins to record sermon insights and observations. Handy for notetakers, the Bible includes an interior storage pocket useful for holding church bulletins and other materials. The Bible’s resources include more than 60,000 center-column references, translation and textual footnotes, in-text subject headings, a concordance and four-color maps for more in-depth study. Available in Leathersoft, it releases Dec. 7 for $44.99 retail from Thomas Nelson.

Hendrickson Publishers releases a blue, large-print edition of the KJV Compact Reference Bible this month, retailing for $24.95 with magnetic closure or for $19.95 without. The 8-point-type portable King James edition comes in a Flexisoft binding and features an end-of-verse cross-reference system, concordance, full-color maps, Words of Christ in red, presentation page, gilded page edges and ribbon marker.

The Revolve Dream on BibleZine, New Century Version focuses on the many things teen girls dream about—who she’ll be, what she’ll do, where she’ll go—and on God’s plan for a young person’s life. With all new articles, interviews, devotions, quizzes and notes, Thomas Nelson releases Revolve on Dec. 28. It retails for $16.99.