Non-Fiction

There is so much to learn and know. Biographies of fascinating lives, advice from saints and scholars, truth in a variety of formats.

The Rhetoric and the Poetics of Aristotle -- We read from this book for my Writing Theory & Ethics course, and I remember being so intrigued with the art of persuasion. Interesting! Take a look.

Confessions by Saint Augustine -- Augustine's journey to faith and his thoughts on many topics. Very interesting book! I appreciate Augustine's honesty and thoroughness. Struggle through the old-school language, folks! This one is definitely worthwhile!

Life on the Edge by Dr. James Dobson -- I taught senior high girls Sunday school from this book one summer. A terrific book of life advice for teenagers by a wonderful man.

Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris -- A book about courtship, worthwhile for Chapter 11 which asks 10 questions; it was this chapter that sparked the end of several relationships I know of. In fact, I think when Tracy started dating Bryan, I told her to read Chapter 11 and see if they survived that. :-) They did. :-)

Transformed into Fire by Judith Hougen -- Judy is my college mentor and a strong woman; this book is her contribution to the Christian community with encouragement to live life in the TRUE self, not performing for the approval of others, but resting in our belovedness as the bride of Christ. Great book!

A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis -- Written after the death of his wife Joy, this book is a valuable collection of thoughts on death and faith. If I'm remembering right, I read this book in one night. Very worthwhile.

Letters to Children by C.S. Lewis -- A delightful collection of letters from Jack Lewis to children on a variety of topics. Fun for Lewis fans.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis -- Lewis' popular book of Christian apologetics, his VERY rational defense of the faith. I especially love the first part of the book in which Lewis takes concepts and explains them so clearly that the READER feels smart!

Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis -- Lewis' autobiography, the story of his journey to faith in Jesus. Interesting for a Lewis fan to read (although not one of my favorites of his).

Traveling Light by Max Lucado -- Lucado takes apart the comforting 23rd Psalm in an effort to encourage readers to lay down their burdens.

When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric and Leslie Ludy -- YES! A practical book about dating. The Ludys don't make you feel like a dirty sinner if you want to hold a boy's hand! Brice Hemmer once gave a speech and said that he thought this book should be required reading for anyone before dating, so I thought, Sigh. I guess I'd better read it, and I did, and it was fantastic.

Fish Out of Water by Abby Nye -- Abby is a Christian student at a secular college. This is what she faced and how she survived. I want my campers to read this and see just how important Christian education is -- and how muffled sin and evil can seem in certain environments. Good read. Great for teens who are deciding between a Christian or secular college -- and also for any Christian student who decides on a secular school.

Traveling Light by Eugene Peterson -- I've said before that, after the Bible, this was the second most impactful book I've ever read. Peterson, the translator of The Message version of Scripture, examines the book of Galatians and writes a lovely book on freedom in Christ. After reading this book, I felt more liberated than I had in quite a long time. PLEASE read this book. Please.

TrueFaced by Thrall, McNichol, and Lynch -- GREAT BOOK. GREAT. BOOK. READ THIS BOOK. I sat down with it at Northwestern Bookstore and almost cried right then and there. The idea is this: if our main motivation is to please God, we will always fall short, but if our motivation is to trust God, that is pleasing to Him. If I enter the Room of Grace and start living out of Who God Says I Am, I can experience freedom. I repeat: READ THIS BOOK.

Can Man Live Without God? by Ravi Zacharias -- Apologetics unlike you've experienced before. Ravi almost goes backward and says, "Ok, if God is not real, is life worth living?" INTELLECTUAL arguments. Oh, I love Ravi.

Walking from East to West by Ravi Zacharias -- Ravi's autobiography. His journey to Jesus Christ and from India to America is interesting, and God's call on his life is amazing. One part of this book made me weep.