Blogger: Rachel Kent
What is your favorite nonfiction read right now? Do you have an all time favorite? (Besides the Bible, please!)
One of my all time favorite nonfiction books is The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. It’s an amazing story of great faith during the torture of WWII.
A current favorite is Don’t Hide Your Light Under Your Laundry Basket: 150 Bright Ideas for Wannabe World Changers by Jenny Rae Armstrong. It’s a book for moms (though I think busy dads could enjoy it very much, too!) about doing more than just motherhood. It’s a book about still being involved in the missional world–even in a small way–during these crazy days filled with diapers, crackers, toys, and mess. It encourages moms (and dads) to continue to use their spiritual gifts even in the midst of the gargantuan task of parenting. And it is done in a wonderful format! Little essays and stories that can be read in five minutes of less. It is an easy read and I took a lot away from it. Jenny Rae Armstrong has a beautiful writing voice and style.
GIVEAWAY
I have a copy to give away! If you leave a comment below you will automatically be entered in a drawing for a copy of the book. I will do the drawing Monday morning, so please leave your comment today or over the weekend. I’ll announce the winner in the comment section of this blog and I will try to reach out via email to notify the winner as well!
Have a great weekend!
No need for thought on this one! For me it’s Shunryu Suzuki’s “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind”.
* I first read it many, many years ago and have gone through countless copies, either worn to pieces or given to friends. It’s now a terrific resource; dealing with unrelenting pain, I’ve learned that I can stay with it in the now, and treat each moment as the treasure it is, a true gift from God.
* Our moments may come to us crippled or harsh or ugly, but we are constrained to love them nonetheless, for is not this how we come to God?
Most of the non-fiction I read are about writing. I’m torn between Susan May Warren’s The Story Equation and Randy Ingermanson’s How to Write a Novel Using the Story Method.
I loved The Hiding Place, too. I really enjoyed Kisses from Katie (about a young lady, probably 19 at the time, who moves to Africa and ends up adopting over 20 children), but I guess my favorite would have to be Same Kind of Different As Me. My second novel in my series was inspired in many ways by Ron Hall and Denver Moore’s story. But I had the sweet privilege of interviewing and writing about them twice, even got a hug, so their story is very special to me.
Oh yes, I love anything by John and Elizabeth Sherrill. The laundry basket is too funny, Rachel. Makes me wonder if she came up with the title or if her publisher did. Right now I’m reading The Miracles of Smith Wigglesworth by Dr. Michael Yeager. It’s outstanding, and includes some of the miracles of the author’s as well. Have any of you seen Jesus or had a vision of heaven?
Sounds like a wonderful book, Rachel.
It would be tough for me to choose a favorite among these three amazing books by Kathi Macias: Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today, How Can I Run a Tight Ship When I’m Surrounded By Loose Cannons? – Proverbs 31 Discoveries for Yielding to the Master of the Seas and Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World. All of these books have touched my heart and inspired me to accept myself as I am and reach out to make the world a better place.
Love the concept of Don’t Hide Your Light. Big goals seem to shrivel as time to implement them is shaved away by the dailiness of life. Sounds like that book will empower many good things.
Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life Hit me like a tidal wave. And my favorites (aside from devotional & Christmas regulars!) all seem to revolve around hope: Children of Hope by Vernon Brewer, Hope Rising by Kim Meeder, Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis, and The Bishop of Rwanda by John Rucyahana ~ all inspiring stories.
Tough question! I mostly only read non-fiction, but if I have to pick just one, I’ll say: Me Talk Prtetty One Day.
Goodness, it’s difficult to choose. One of my favs would be Soul Survivor: How Thirteen Unlikely Mentors Helped My Faith Survive the Church by Philip Yancey.
Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss is one I like to go through with my teenage students. I don’t agree with every single thing she says, but it speaks a lot of truth and is a great starting point for a lot of good discussions with my girls.
Only one? That’s hard. I love just about anything by Paula D’Arcy. I recently finished reading Lou Ann Granger’s “With Love for the Journey: Life Lessons from the Artist’s Travel Journals” and I loved it. As I was reading it, the book made me think of all my travels and all the places I want to or need to go someday.
I love lists of other folks’ favorite reads; such a fun way to my TBR pile. I looked this one up, Lori. Seems chock-full of creative inspiration!
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls was captivating.
I recently re-read (after many years) Your God is Too Small by J.B. Phillips. It was okay, but a bit too academic for pleasure reading. My favorite non-fiction book is his The New Testament in Modern English. Yes, I know some people say it’s only a paraphrase, but I think it captures the essence of the New Testament better than most versions.
That’s a great one to share with a seeker. I read it first about 20 years ago. I reread it this year, and it’s still just as good.
Among my favorites are anything by John Stott or Andrew Murray. Right now I’m reading Stott’s Life in Christ: A Guide for Daily Living. I finished it and started over right away. Crystal clear but profound. Too much to fully absorb in a single reading.
My favorite non-fiction book besides the Bible is “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale.
I love that one, too.
Hi Rachel,
You said leave out the Bible, so I’ll leave out Bible studies as well.
My youngest son encouraged me to read The Heart and The Fist a few years ago. It’s written by Eric Greitens. So much of his story has stayed with me, and it’s caused me to read other books written by military heroes.
Years ago I read everything I could by or about Corrie ten Boom. She is truly inspiring. She and Eric have made me consider how I can do more to help others.
One of my favorites would probably be Peace Child by Don Richardson, a pioneer missionary to the Sawi tribe of Irian Jaya.
I mentor a group of young moms – so this book really intrigues me Rachel. So glad you brought it up. I will have to look into it. I was blessed to take a writer’s course with John and Elizabeth Sherrill a few years ago – so anything they have written I truly enjoy. My all time favourite book though would have to be My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I’ve read and re-read it several times.
Half the Sky and A Path Appears. I’m a big Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn fan! This looks like a great book!
Shannan Martin’s Falling Free: Rescued from the Life I Always Wanted inspired me to open my heart, and especially my front door, to people I hadn’t in the past–not some day in the future, but right now. It connected with me, big-time.
And I recently finished Anne Lamott’s Hallelujah Anyway, a rich source of creative writing grease for my current NF project.
The laundry basket book looks like something my daughter would adore. Thanks for holding a giveaway, Rachel!
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell which explores why we humans can make split second decisions that turn out to be right ones. It’s a very thought provoking book. Also, the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo really gave me the liberty to toss stuff I didn’t need. Her philosophy toward inanimate objects may not sit well with some Christians, but I wasn’t offended. I took the great advice and left the rest. .
Life Is A Gift by Tony Bennett, the singer. Although is is written by a celebrity this is not a celebrity book. It is a book of faith and inspiration which I read a couple years ago and still draw upon for strength.
This is my first post on this blog and it reveals the value of a proofreader.
Welcome, Stephen! Even when I proof, I still hit send and then roll my eyes at what slipped through. Happens to us all.
Binding The Strong Man in The United States
https://www.fiverr.com/sohail7960/convert-your-word-or-pdf-file-to-e-pub-format
Any biography I’m reading at the moment is my favorite. Even as a little kid I loved biographies!
Beauty for Ashes Joyce Meyer.
“Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen” by Bob Greene, about the people in a large area who came together to ran a free canteen and met every troop train from shortly after WWII started until a year or so after the war ended, and all on war rations.
One of my favorites is The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning. Impacted me a lot when I was younger!
Also love Ann Voscamp’s One Thousand Gifts.
Thanks for this WONDERFUL list of books, everyone! I’ve read a few of them, but I have a lot to add to my TBR pile.
Our drawing winner is Katie Robles! Congratulations, Katie! I will contact you via email to get your mailing address for your copy of Don’t Hide Your Light Under A Laundry Basket.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
I discovered your blog in my “to read” section –just today, July 1. So I am not commenting in order to be eligible for your giveaway. I simply want to name my favorite non-fiction book: A Book of Uncommon Prayer:100 Celebrations of the Miracle & Muddle of the Ordinary by Brian Doyle.