10 Lies Men Believe

J. Lee Grady

Charisma House (Strang Book Group)

softcover, 240 pages, $14.99

978-1-616-38137-0

Following up his 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, Grady, best-selling author and former Charisma magazine editor, offers the counterpart for men, 10 Lies Men Believe: The Truth About Women, Power, Sex, and God-and Why It Matters. 

Tackling such common beliefs as "A real man is defined by material success", "Real men don't need close male friendships" and "Real mend don't cry", Grady addresses the roots of these lies, counters with wisdom based on the Scriptures and affirms men as God has fashioned them. 

Grady speaks plainly about sex , male pride and priorities, yet asserts that spiritual breakthroughs are possible.  Men will relate will to him, as he opens up about his own insecurities and personal life.  

Each Chapter-beginning with sometimes startling quotes from sources ranging from movie actors to church fathers-includes discussion questions and a brief prayer. The book closes with an appendix offering keys to spiritual power in a man's life, including how to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

-Christine D. Johnson

Deep Like Me

Rick Bundschuh

Regal Books

softcover, 192 pages, $12.99

978-0-830-74688-0

In Deep Like Me: Extremely Profound Thoughts on Faith From a Disciple in Over His Head, Bundschuh, a teaching pastor and popular conference speaker, provides 31 short-essay examples from his own life, showing how following Jesus is not a prescribed walk of faith.

With wit and humor, Bundschuh offers hope and encouragement to believers struggling in their spiritual walk. With a reassuring voice, he lets them know they are not alone if they are questioning their faith, or the theology or actions of others—such as holding a John 3:16 sign at a football game.

In discussing topics such as honesty, judgment and forgiveness, the author challenges readers to think for themselves and consider what Jesus is really saying in His teachings rather than swallowing everything they’ve been taught.

Readers will enjoy Bundschuh’s conversational style. With Scriptures to reinforce each life lesson, Deep Like Me will support readers in their own spiritual journey.

—Nicole Anderson

Hope for Your Heart

June Hunt

Crossway

softcover, 224 pages, $14.99

978-1-433-50397-9

Biblical counselor and radio host Hunt adds the encouraging Hope for Your Heart: Finding Strength in Life’s Storms to her numerous books on the subject. With insights gleaned from her longtime counseling ministry and award-winning radio programs, she focuses on biblical hope as an anchor for the soul. 

Hunt describes the kinds of anchors used by sailors depending upon the situation and the need. She likens the function of an anchor to the role of Christ in the believer’s life, whether in safe harbor or severe storms. The reader will learn many interesting facts about the oceans and how navigating them relates to life’s circumstances. Experiences from Hunt’s own life and those seeking counsel underscore the effective role of God’s Word as the believer’s sure hope. 

Hunt shows that Christian hope is much more than wishful thinking or mere sentimentalism. Each chapter centers on a Scripture passage and emphasizes the power of hope to heal. Written for all Christians, Hope for Your Heart will also aid pastors and counselors in their ministry.

—Eilene Ishler

Lazarus Awakening

Joanna Weaver

WaterBrook Press

hardcover, 240 pages, $19.99

978-0-307-44496-7

Best-selling author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World and Having a Mary Spirit, Weaver concludes her look at New Testament siblings Martha, Mary and Lazarus in Lazarus Awakening: Finding Your Place in the Heart of God.

With sometimes humorous real-life illustrations, Weaver instructs and inspires readers with the story of Lazarus’ resurrection. Taking readers step by step through the story, she helps believers who question God’s love, just as Mary and Martha did. She helps readers move beyond “why” and learn that even in difficult circumstances, God is trustworthy.  She challenges believers to not get too comfortable in the tombs of their old selves and urges them to pull off the graveclothes that hinder freedom in Christ.

Well-written and insightful, Lazarus Awakening will not disappoint Weaver’s fans. It also includes a 10-week Bible study. 

—Johnson

The Brotherhood

Jerry B. Jenkins

Tyndale House Publishers

hardcover, 384 pages, $24.99

978-1-414-30907-1

softcover, pages, $14.99

978-1-414-30922-4 

Author Jenkins gives a look inside the life of a policeman struggling with his faith in The Brotherhood, the first in the “Precinct 11” series. Set in the near future, the book takes a frank look at the question of why God allows suffering.

Raised Christian but never passionate about his faith, Chicago police officer Boone Drake shuns religion after an accidental fire claims his wife and 3-year-old son. An expected promotion lifts him out of depression until a wrongful brutality charge threatens to end his career. When the case gets dismissed, he begins to appreciate the value of prayer. 

Reassigned to the Organized Crime Division, he finds himself positioned to topple all four of the gangs terrorizing Chicago and finally accepts that God has an unknowable yet masterful plan for his life.

Jenkins’ simple, expressive style brings gangland Chicago to life, and though some readers may find the resolution simplistic, Boone’s struggle to make sense of God’s sovereignty is easily relatable for believers.

—John Leatherman

Words

Ginny L. Yttrup

B&H Books (B&H Publishing Group)

softcover, 352 pages, $14.99

978-1-433-67170-8

Ten-year-old Kaylee Wren has a giant vocabulary—evidence of hours spent pouring through the pages of her mother’s dictionary. However, Kaylee doesn’t speak, and why would she?

Abandoned by her parents, molested by her mother’s former boyfriend time and again in a cabin in the redwoods, Kaylee has every reason to shut herself away emotionally. The many words she has collected in her mind are her only companions, a hollowed redwood her only refuge. 

Kaylee’s future seems hopeless until, from the security of her tree, she spots gifted artist Sierra Dawn Bickford. Tormented by the death of her newborn daughter 12 years earlier—a result of drug use during pregnancy—Sierra needs a chance to be the mother she always wanted to be, and she gets that chance with Kaylee. 

Beautifully written, Yttrup’s first novel is also captivating, as the story is told from both Kaylee’s and Sierra’s perspectives. Words vividly demonstrates how lives can be saved by the healing power of Jesus.

—Sarah Stegall

Luke: The Gospel of Amazement

Michael Card

IVP Books (InterVarsity Press)

softcover,  284 pages, $18

978-0-830-83835-6

Luke: The Gospel of Amazement is the first release in the “Biblical Imagination Series,” which will also engage the rest of the canonical Gospels. In the series, Card, an award-winning musician, pays homage to his mentor, scholar William Lane, who taught him how to read the Bible with “informed imagination,” linking the mind and heart. 

Card, who holds a master’s degree in biblical studies, works his way through Luke’s Gospel not line by line, but with blocks of text and bigger themes. For instance, he explains that Luke serves as a bridge between the Old Testament faith of waiting for Christ to the New Testament faith of following Him. 

Readers will come to understand that Luke was not an eyewitness. Rather, he was a meticulous historian as well as a doctor, a Gentile and perhaps even a slave. 

Though Card taps into the discoveries of scholars, his work is accessible to the lay reader. Overall, he lives up to his goal of providing a fresh, rich approach to the biblical text.

—Brian Smith McCallum

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

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.

The Narnia Code

Michael Ward

Tyndale House Publishers

softcover, 208 pages, $13.99

978-1-414-33965-8

It's difficult, if not impossible, to approach Ward's The Narnia Code: C. S. Lewis and the Secret of the Seven Heavens without a giant's share of skepticism. Would Lewis have kept such a major underpinning of his most popular books secret? And yet, hard as it is to believe, Ward's answer to this question, and his explanation of his theory, has been joyfully convincing for many scholars and fans alike.

After describing how he came to his discovery, Ward examines how each of the "Narnia" books, while clearly retaining their biblical connections, are thematically linked to one of the seven planets—or "heavens"—of medieval cosmology. Intimately familiar with Lewis' work, Ward explains that Lewis, a literary classics scholar, admired the medieval "heavens" as portraits of the wonder of God's creation.

Aslan's faithful need not fear: The "code" does not diminish the centrality of Aslan, nor his role as a Christ figure. Ward's discovery does no harm to the biblical connections present in the series; on the contrary, it makes them clearer.

—Dave Stuart Jr.

Our Witchdoctors Are Too Weak

Davey and Marie Jank

Monarch Books (Kregel Publications)

softcover, 224 pages, $14.99

978-1-857-21008-1

Calling to mind Don Richardson's missions autobiography Peace Child, with its profound story of an unreached tribe receiving "God's Talk" for the first time, Our Witchdoctors Are Too Weak: The Rebirth of an Amazon Tribe tells of the Janks' 10 years among the Wilo from the Amazon village of Pikali.

Among witchdoctors and jungle animals, hiking trails and riding by canoe or outboard motor, the authors show how difficult it can be to live in a place with limited medical treatment, where the food is strange to one's palate and with people who have never had an opportunity to hear God's words to them.

With a sometimes humorous story that emphasizes the power and simplicity of God's Word, Our Witchdoctors Are Too Weak reads quickly, and will give each reader an understanding of the significance of being a witness, wherever one may be.

—Jennifer Toth

God's Guest List

Debbie Macomber

Howard Books

hardcover, 208 pages, $23

978-1-439-10896-3

Macomber—herself admired by fans as an author of New York Times best-selling fiction—confesses that she longed to meet certain people she admired or who inspired her. But, in doing so, she discovered some weren't all she had expected. Disappointed, she soon realized that the people who had the most profound effect on her life were the ones God wanted her to meet.

In God's Guest List: Welcoming Those who Influence our Lives, Macomber encourages readers to take their focus off of those they perceive to be important and begin to view every person as an opportunity to bless and be blessed. In her case, one of the people God wanted her to "meet" was her own mother, who she felt was perpetually disappointed in her, and one of her assistants, who was fond of being in control.

With humility, Macomber admits that she fell into a focus on celebrity. In God's Guest List, she helps readers who, like herself, are ready to take on God's priorities and look for His hand in their lives.

—Heidi L. Ippolito

Dancing With the Avatar

Jovan Jones

Destiny Image

softcover, 336 pages, $16.99

978-0-768-432718

Dancing With the Avatar, book two in the "Descent" series, is a continuation of Jones' fiction based on her true life story. In the novel, she incorporates her experience of living in India and exposes the spiritual powers of Hinduism.

Maya, a young American, continues her spiritual quest with guru Cha Ma while living at an ashram in India. As she dutifully participates, she seeks to reach enlightenment, but what she does not see is a spiritual realm where her chant for the deity Kali invites demons to surround her—demons who are trying to kill her.

With Christian parents back home praying for her, angels are positioned to protect her from the plans of the enemy. The battles between the angels and demons lay a foundation for the plans the Lord has for Maya and her parents.

Jones' characters address the differences of Western and Indian civilization and culture. She also provides a glossary and pronunciation aid to assist readers with unfamiliar terminology. With the popularity of best-selling book Eat, Pray, Love, Dancing With the Avatar should ride the wave of recent interest in Indian culture.

—Nicole Anderson

Dining With Joy

Rachel Hauck

Thomas Nelson

softcover, 320 pages, $14.99

978-1-595-54339-4

In Beaufort, S.C., Joy Ballard has become the host of her own cooking show; there's only one problem—she can't cook. In Dining With Joy: A Low Country Romance, Joy promises her father minutes before he dies that she will take on his show. All is well until her producer decides to sell the show to Allison Wild of Wild Women Productions—who was never told of Joy's lack of cooking skills.

Enter chef Luke Davis, who has lost his Manhattan restaurant and ends up working at a local café to pay off his debts. Joy and Luke, who is also in the dark about her secret, fall in love and, as young Christians, must fight the physical chemistry they feel for each other. Joy's secret is revealed on national television, and now both she and Luke must regain their dignity.

Hauck, a former president of the American Christian Fiction Writers, will attract fans of Southern fiction who have read her previous novels in the genre, including Sweet Caroline and Lost in NashVegas. Dining With Joy is a quirky romance to be enjoyed by readers even if they have never visited the South.

—Tanya Ohle

Common Prayer

Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoko

Zondervan

hardcover, 512 pages, $24.99

978-0-310-32619-9

Not to be read alone but in community, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals was not written alone either. Claiborne, an activist who lives in a "new monastic" community in inner-city Philadelphia; Wilson-Hartgrove, a Baptist minister also in a monastic community; and Okoko, a woman who was formerly director for Duke Divinity School's Center for Theological Writing, came together to create this volume.

Seeing liturgy as a tool to bring unity, the authors encourage every Christian, from the Pentecostal to the Benedictine, to use this volume of songs, prayers, ideas and memories meant to be spoken aloud and shared in some kind of community. Along with a well-organized liturgy, the guide includes prayers for special occasions and a selection of songs ranging from the Doxology to Taize chants and African-American spirituals.

Appealing to the liturgy veteran as well as the novice, Common Prayer encourages active prayer and worship as believers join to regularly refocus their lives on God.

—Christine D. Johnson

Letters to a Young Calvinist

James K.A. Smith

Brazos Press (Baker Publishing Group)

softcover, 160 pages, $14.99

978-1-587-43294-1

The apostle Paul wrote epistles, or letters, to instruct, edify and encourage. So, too, do contemporary authors such as Christopher Hitchens (Letters to a Young Contrarian) and George Weigel (Letters to a Young Catholic).

Drawing inspiration from this genre, philosopher Smith writes a series of letters and postcards to "Jesse," a fictional recipient who represents an amalgam of young believers—and their questions—whom Smith encountered during his ministry in Los Angeles. These letters serve as an introduction to Calvinism and the Reformed tradition.

Smith's work is especially relevant because Time magazine recently listed New Calvinism as one of today's most influential ideas, and this year marks the 500th anniversary of John Calvin.

Letters to a Young Calvinist is a crisp, conversational collection of theological education and spiritual formation presented in digestible form.

—Brian Smith McCallum

Generous Justice

Timothy Keller

Dutton Adult (Penguin Group USA)

hardcover, 172 pages, $19.95

978-0-525-95190-2

How does the gospel affect our attitude toward the poor? In an intensely biblical, immensely practical eight chapters, pastor and best-selling author Keller provides the what, why and how of living justly in response to God’s grace. Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just argues that “our heart attitude toward the poor reveals our heart attitude toward Christ.”

And yet, Keller’s book is not a guilt-laden, moralistic journey through the Bible. On the contrary, he points out that guilt is not adequate motivation for doing justice—it may goad us into volunteering occasionally, but it will not lead us to “ponder long and hard about how to improve [the] entire situation” of the powerless.

Only the One who considered humanity’s miserable situation, entered it and sacrificed everything to free us from it can lead us into such a rigorous approach to justice. This is why Keller repeatedly draws his readers to consider the cross.

Readers will be strengthened in joy and inspired to seek genuine justice in practical ways, and their walk with the Lord will be renewed by Keller’s intimacy with the gospel.

Adventures in Daily Prayer

Bert Ghezzi

Brazos Press (Baker Publishing Group)

hardcover, 160 pages, $17.99

978-1-587-43267-5

In the well-named Adventures in Daily Prayer: Experiencing the Power of God’s Love, Ghezzi shares his experience in daily communication with God and encourages the reader to begin his or her own adventure of meaningful prayer.

Along with relating his personal experience, Ghezzi, a Catholic charismatic Christian, also offers the testimonies of Catholic saints and evangelical Christians as they developed their prayer life. At the end of each chapter, he encourages readers to think, pray and act, as they practice a more disciplined prayer time.

Adventures in Daily Prayer is a book to be experienced, not simply read. With topics such as praying in the Spirit and relying on God, it has the potential to lead to a richer, more rewarding prayer time for anyone seeking to draw near to God. It could also serve well as a study guide for prayer groups.

Between a Rock and a Grace Place

Carol Kent

Zondervan

hardcover, 224 pages, $22.99

978-0-310-33098-1

Best-selling author and speaker Kent continues the story of her son Jason’s life imprisonment and the emotional consequences to his family, in Between a Rock and a Grace Place: Divine Surprises in the Tight Spots of Life.

Kent reveals the hard truths she had to re-learn more than 10 years after Jason murdered his stepchildren’s father in order to protect the children after all other avenues seemed lost. She introduces people she has met along life’s road—from one woman who suffered with postpartum depression to another whose choir-director husband was arrested for homosexual activity. Kent reminds the reader that the cross is for everyone and that no matter how devastating their experience, the grace, mercy and love of God is always greater.

Mixing her heartbreaking tale with the redemptive qualities of the cross, Between a Rock and a Grace Place is for people in any stage of the grief process and for those who support them. 

The Next Christians

Gabe Lyons

Doubleday Religion

hardcover, 240 pages, $19.99

978-0-385-52984-6

In 2007’s UnChristian, Lyons and David Kinnaman shared research indicating what Christians had long been uneasily surmising: that younger generations were disenchanted with “church as usual.” In The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America, he builds on this work by describing the type of Christian practice that is drawing in new generations.

This is not a book of “relevant” techniques or successful programs. Rather, the Christianity that Lyons describes is rooted in historical orthodoxy and centered in a full-fleshed gospel. He portrays Christians who are viewing the world not as it is, but as it ought to be, and who fight for these “oughts.” The bulk of the book describes “restorers” who are creators of culture (rather than critics), who are living in community (rather than in isolation) and who are called (rather than merely employed).

With Lyons’ gift for observation, The Next Christians offers a glimpse at the Holy Spirit’s overall work in America today.

The God Hater

Bill Myers

Howard Books

softcover, 320 pages, $14.99

978-1-439-15326-0

Myers blends philosophy, science fiction and modern-day action in The God Hater, a tale that keeps the reader thinking while flipping pages.

Professor Nicholas Mackenzie loves to flay Christians with his razor-sharp thinking and atheistic philosophy, yet he’s loveless and friendless except for Annie Brooks, a molecular biologist who is also a Christian. Enter Travis Mackenzie, Nicholas’ errant brother who kidnaps him and starts him on a journey of self-discovery, thanks to Travis’ highly advanced cyberworld.

Nicholas tests all his pet philosophies—Darwinism, existentialism, relativism, Buddhism—yet none can save the cyberworld. He’s left with only one option—offering his cyber self as a sacrifice to save the people there. As Nicholas becomes enmeshed in the cyberworld, Annie and Travis must contend with enemies from all sides eager to steal or destroy the technology Travis created.

In The God Hater, Myers offers a well-thought novel that challenges ancient and modern philosophy, while offering a logical metaphor for creationism.

The Twelfth Imam

Joel C. Rosenberg

Tyndale House Publishers

hardcover, 384 pages, $26.99

978-1-414-31163-0

Author Rosenberg combines fears of a nuclear-armed Iran with speculation, in the espionage thriller The Twelfth Imam,the first of a new series. The title alludes to an event in Muslim eschatology tantamount to Christ’s Second Coming.

Iranian by blood, but born American after his parents fled Khomeni’s 1979 revolution, David Shirazi excels as an undercover CIA operative in the Middle East hoping to gain intelligence on Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

While Israel prepares for a pre-emptive strike on Iran, a miraculous healer reveals himself to Iran’s leadership as the long-awaited Twelfth Imam, calling for an apocalyptic attack on Israel and America to usher in the end of the age. Shirazi’s best hope for averting the crisis may be a high-ranking Iranian nuclear scientist who has begun to question the Muslim faith and converts after an encounter with Jesus.

Rosenberg’s narrative is fast-moving and engaging, despite a shifting point of view. Some readers may find the resolution overly dependent on the supernatural, but others will appreciate the reference to visions that many believe still lead Muslims to Christ today.

The Coming Economic Armageddon

David Jeremiah

FaithWords

hardcover, 272 pages, $23.99

978-0-446-56594-3

A pastor and author whose recent works have centered on the End Times, such as the New York Times best-seller What On Earth Is Going On? (Thomas Nelson), Jeremiah continues that trend with his debut FaithWords title, The Coming Economic Armageddon: What Bible Prophecy Warns About the New Global Economy.

Looking through the lens of biblical prophecy, Jeremiah presents the signs leading to a new global economy under the control of the Antichrist, including the recent economic recession, American debt and unemployment figures. He compares current news with historical milestones that brought the world to this point. At the same time, the book includes personal warnings to readers, such as resisting materialism and debt.

The Coming Economic Armageddon is sobering for casual readers, although the author still delivers encouragement for Christians in the Last Days.

Hope Unseen

Capt. Scotty Smiley with Doug Crandall

Howard Books

hardcover, 256 pages, $24.99

978-1-439-18379-3

Smiley, a U.S. Army captain tells of his recovery from a life-altering injury in Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Army’s First Blind Active-Duty Officer. Blinded by an Iraqi insurgent car bomb in 2005, Smiley forges a new way to serve his country, teaching leadership skills at the United States Military Academy.

Desiring a military career from an early age, Smiley descends into despair after losing his sight less than two years into his first deployment. He relies on his family to get through his rehabilitation, particularly his wife, who refuses to sign papers that would have discharged him as a wounded veteran. Smiley eventually accomplishes many things he had once written off as impossible: attending graduate school, extreme sports—surfing, skydiving, mountain climbing—and raising two sons.

Smiley’s autobiographical account is mostly chronological, though he flashes forward or back at appropriate times for effect. Readers will appreciate how Smiley’s faith gives him the will to believe that God still has a purpose for his life. The book includes eight pages of black and white photos.

—John Leatherman

The Faith and Values of Sarah Palin

Stephen Mansfield and David A. Holland

FrontLine (Strang Book Group)

hardcover, 256 pages, $22.99

978-1-616-38164-6

Best-selling author Mansfield and writing partner Holland reflect on the life of 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate in The Faith and Values of Sarah Palin: What She Believes and What It Means for America. The book investigates the ways her faith informs and influences her personal and political choices.

Palin took seriously her youth pastor’s challenge to be salt and light, sensing she was destined to serve. Devoted to family, with husband Todd his own man but ever supportive, she is strongly pro-life, which led her to carry her Down’s Syndrome baby, Trig, to full term against medical advice. The authors also write of her stand to see the creation account given a fair hearing in public schools.

Seeking to explain Palin and her views, the authors pause after each of the book’s three sections to learn from her beginnings, reflect on her politics and even offer her advice. The reader will see her as a devoted servant of the people aiming to practice her faith in the public square.

—Christine D. Johnson

City On Our Knees

TobyMac

Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group)

hardcover, 224 pages, $19.99

978-0-764-20865-2

TobyMac’s song “City on Our Knees” took the Christian music world by storm, and now the musician takes his lyrics one step further with this book, which “reflects the message of the song,” he says.

In the song, 
TobyMac sings, “when we step across the line, we can sail across the sea”; in the book he illustrates the lyric with numerous stories of people who have stepped across lines of persecution, doubt, prejudice or despair to change the world one bit at a time. From Augustine of Hippo to young Alexandra Scott and her lemonade stand, from John Wesley to Haiti earthquake survivor Dan Wooley, all have helped create a better world.

Many stories are familiar—George Mueller’s orphanages, The Blind Side’s Michael Oher’s journey to football fame—but just as many aren’t, such as Jeannine Brabon’s work in a Colombian prison.

Yet all, including TobyMac with his own insights, will inspire readers with a strong message of action and love to step across the line.

—Ann E. Byle

Stronger

Jim Daly

David C. Cook

softcover, 240 pages, $14.99

978-1-434-76446-1

Daly, who serves as president and CEO of Focus on the Family, writes about one of the paradoxes of the Christian—the blessing of brokenness—in Stronger: Trading Brokenness for Unbreakable Strength.

No stranger to suffering, as a boy he was abandoned by his alcoholic father and then lost his mother to cancer. He not only shares vignettes from his own life—his marriage and his wife’s struggle with depression—but also relays the stories and struggles of others who’ve crossed his path, offering no easy answers to the “Why, God?” question.

Drawing from David’s Psalms and Paul’s writings, Daly explains that life’s tribulations cause people to become beaten, bitter or broken. The path of brokenness is the preferred road, he says, reminding readers of Paul’s signature philosophy in 2 Cor. 12:10: “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Believers will especially appreciate Daly’s teaching on the different facets of hope. Ultimately, he steers readers’ attention to the source of eternal strength, closing with a quote from Psalm 62: “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone.”

—Brian Smith McCallum

Immanuel’s Veins

Ted Dekker

Thomas Nelson

hardcover, 384 pages, $25.99

978-1-595-54009-6

When advance publicity material warns that Dekker’s latest is for everyone, but “not everyone is for this story,” it’s either nervousness or clever marketing. Certainly in this tale of vampires and seduction set in 18th-century Russia, Christian fiction’s favorite provocateur once more pushes the boundaries as he depicts the lure of sin in a way that may make some frown. But there is a strong redemptive thread woven into the adventure for those who persist beyond any initial discomfort.

It’s not all subtle: IV (Get it?) features an ancestral being named Alucard. Yet, the story of warrior Toma Nicolescu’s heroic love for beautiful but bewitched Lucine Cantemir is fast-paced—like a period-themed music video—and rich in imagery about the power of blood to infect or deliver.

This edgy parable—while maybe not for everyone—could entice and then entreat “Twilight” fans to shine a light into the dreamy shadows cast by the vampire series and discover that temptation demands a price that only true love can pay.

—Andy Butcher

Naomi and Her Daughters

Walter Wangerin Jr.

Zondervan

hardcover, 228 pages, $24.99

978-0-310-32734-9

Based on Judges and Ruth, Naomi and Her Daughters weaves the history of ancient Israel into the drama of Naomi’s life as a 
storyteller-poet.

Naomi enters the homes and hearts of the residents of Bethlehem where she ministers to their physical needs, and as their wise woman or Hakamah, teaches them their history. Wangerin’s Boaz becomes a grief-stricken wanderer through the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah as he remembers Naomi’s stories.

With Wangerin’s descriptive touch, even characters briefly mentioned in the Bible seem to take on flesh and blood. Readers will come to care about the pain and struggles, the defeats and victories of Naomi’s contemporaries. The familiar story of Ruth and Boaz retold by this award-winning author affirms the founding of the lineage of Jesus Christ.

—Eilene Ishler

Dancing With Max

Emily Colson

Zondervan

hardcover, 200 pages, $16.99

978-0-310-29368-2

Being a parent of a child with special needs can be isolating and difficult—and a challenge when it comes to faith—or so Colson found her experience with her now 19-year-old son, Max.

In Dancing With Max: A Mother and Son Who Broke Free, Colson shares her experience. Colson—whose husband left when Max was an infant—was overwhelmed with the lack of progress Max was making early on as she saw others his age get along in life just fine, while she suffered through his repeated setbacks and, at times, embarrassing incidents. Finally finding answers, she discovered that Max had autism, enabling her to move forward and grow with Max.

In sharing her discovery of God’s gift to Max of seeing the world with a different but uncluttered view, Colson will bring hope and encouragement to those who have a child with autism. The book includes a prologue and epilogue by author—and Max’s grandfather—Charles Colson.

—Heidi L. Ippolito