Inspired by recent conversations with friends and family, here’s a brief compendium (in no particular order) of some of my favorite nonfiction books, either reread annually or recommended often:
Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Diebler Rose. This is the best missionary autobiography ever. I cry every time I read it, but I’m also incredibly moved at how God used Darlene and her husband as His witnesses in some of the most brutal Japanese prison camps of WWII. Powerful. My scripture memorization always gets a boost after being inspired by the author.
Love Your God With All Your Mind by JP Moreland. Several recent books have tackled the problem of intellectual laziness in modern Evangelicalism; this one was the most compelling one I’ve read. I appreciate that he gives us thoughtful suggestions for how to fix things instead of just leaving us ashamed of the scandal.
Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper. According to my Amazon account, I have bought four copies of this book for friends, and I’m permanently lending out my own copy. I love Mrs. Piper’s simple and inspiring ideas for creating family traditions!
Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot. It’s hard to pick one favorite from this role model. I also love Passion and Purity, Keep a Quiet Heart, Shadow of the Almighty, Through Gates of Splendor, and The Mark of a Man, to name a few. I love the gentle encouragement that Let Me Be a Woman provides me as I strive to live out my vocation of wife and mother.
The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer (along with What is a Family?) The subtitle gives it away: Creative Ideas for Enriching Everyday Life. Since I am called to be a homemaker for this season of my life, Edith Schaeffer is an inspiration. Her style is often quaint, but I’ve already shared on this blog how her creativity has blessed me when I’m struggling to keep everything together.
Mere Christianity, The Abolition of Man, and An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis. Okay, this was really hard. I could just put down “anything Lewis wrote,” but these three books have images that have stayed with me long after rereading…MC‘s proposition that Jesus was either God or insane (not just a good man), AoM‘s “men without chests”, and EiC‘s admonition to intersperse new books with old ones for proper perspective.
Oh–and how can I forget my favorite college textbooks? I just got carried away with the Christian writers there…
A Short History of World War I and A Short History of World War II by James Stokesbury. These truly are the best “textbooks” I’ve ever “had” to buy. I actually have reread them multiple times since taking my World Wars class in college. They’re just so clear, interesting, and succinct! They’re most likely not the best histories of the wars, but they certainly are great overviews that world wars history nerds like me enjoy reading!
Emily – Thanks for the great list of books. I love Evidence Not Seen too, and have read it several times. I also have her telling the story on tape and can’t make it through without wiping the tears from my eyes.
I’ve never heard of the first book. Must add to my reading list. I love, love all the rest of your book picks.