Here are 100 books that Divine Design fans have personally recommended if you like Divine Design. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God

Pamela Henry Author Of Soul Custody

From my list on Christian books to help you bust a divorce legacy.

Why am I passionate about this?

Sixteen years married and 17 years divorced, I have retraced my steps to assess the damage from my childhood and adult divorce scenarios. In reconstructing a new path with the hard lessons learned, I’ve assembled a 5-book toolkit just for you to spare your children the divorce legacy. Think of these books as five pavers leading you safely through the minefield of married parenting life. To enter this territory, there's one password: put the children first so that divorce isn't an option. 

Pamela's book list on Christian books to help you bust a divorce legacy

Pamela Henry Why Pamela loves this book

It should have been required reading for me in premarital counseling because it would have provided the template I lacked and failed to construct for myself before getting married. It also would have provided me with a blueprint for what it was going to take in the years ahead to remain together with my children’s father.

Because it was so profound to read in hindsight, I’m thinking of how much foresight it could give you while there’s still time to save your family. One sentence of this book could save your marriage. 

The wisdom just permeated my soul like a healing balm, weaving its way into the broken, sharp pieces and reassembling them into a mosaic, as if the truth was enough to restore the damage.

For instance, just knowing that we are to live for the other, we can’t look to our spouse for what only God can do,…

By Timothy Keller , Kathy Keller ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Meaning of Marriage as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Incredibly rich with wisdom and insight that will leave the reader, whether single or married, feeling uplifted." -The Washington Times

Based on the acclaimed sermon series by New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller, this book shows everyone-Christians, skeptics, singles, longtime married couples, and those about to be engaged-the vision of what marriage should be according to the Bible.

Modern culture would have you believe that everyone has a soul mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that your spouse is there to help you realize your potential; that marriage does not mean forever, but…


If you love Divine Design...

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Book cover of Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs

Scott LaPierre Author Of Your Marriage God's Way

From my list on Christian marriage (from the author of a best-selling Christian marriage book).

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the teaching pastor of Woodland Christian Church, and in 2016, I published a best-selling marriage book, Your Marriage God's Way, with an accompanying workbook. Soon after that, I began receiving invitations to put on marriage conferences across the nation. My experience teaching on marriage, performing marriage counseling, and meeting so many married couples has given me a strong biblical understanding of marriage.

Scott's book list on Christian marriage (from the author of a best-selling Christian marriage book)

Scott LaPierre Why Scott loves this book

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs has been helping couples have happier, healthier marriages by teaching husbands how to love their wives as Ephesians 5:25 commands, and by teaching wives how to respect their husbands as Ephesians 5:33 commands.

Despite what the world says today, men and women are different and they have different, not just desires, but needs. The book also contains testimonies of transformed marriages. Husbands and wives will learn principles for talking to, thinking about, and treating each other biblically. 

By Emerson Eggerichs ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Love and Respect as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times best-selling marriage book making a difference! More than one million copies sold!

Based on over three decades of counseling, as well as scientific and biblical research, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs and his wife, Sarah, have already taken the Love & Respect message across America and are changing the way couples talk to, think about, and treat each other. What do you want for your marriage? Want some peace? Want to feel close? Want to feel valued? Want to experience marriage the way God intended? Then why not try some Love and Respect.

A wife has one driving…


Book cover of Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?

Scott LaPierre Author Of Your Marriage God's Way

From my list on Christian marriage (from the author of a best-selling Christian marriage book).

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the teaching pastor of Woodland Christian Church, and in 2016, I published a best-selling marriage book, Your Marriage God's Way, with an accompanying workbook. Soon after that, I began receiving invitations to put on marriage conferences across the nation. My experience teaching on marriage, performing marriage counseling, and meeting so many married couples has given me a strong biblical understanding of marriage.

Scott's book list on Christian marriage (from the author of a best-selling Christian marriage book)

Scott LaPierre Why Scott loves this book

The subtitle of the book helps you understand Gary Thomas’s purpose: he wants to help his readers see that marriage is not primarily for our happiness.

Although it is a gift and frequently fills us with joy, marriage is also very sanctifying, which is to say it makes us holy. Few things in life help us grow spiritually as much as marriage. When we get married we learn to be patient, gentle, and we frequently have to find ourselves being forgiving. And these are all wonderful graces.

By Gary Thomas ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sacred Marriage as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What if God designed marriage to make you holy instead of happy? What if your relationship isn't as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God?

In Sacred Marriage, bestselling author Gary Thomas uncovers the ways that your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God and with each other. Join over one million others who have already uncovered Thomas's tips for fostering a sacred marriage.

Within the pages of Sacred Marriage, Thomas invites you to see how God can use your relationship with your spouse as a discipline and a motivation…


If you love John F. MacArthur...

Book cover of Tangle of Time

Tangle of Time by Maureen Thorpe,

A spellbinding journey through time and cultures.

When Annie Thornton, midwife and apprentice witch, falls through time to a 15th-century Yorkshire village with her telepathic cat, Rosamund, she befriends Will and Jack, two soldiers returning from the French Wars. Mistress Meg, Annie’s ancestral aunt living in the 15th century, is…

Book cover of What Did You Expect?: Redeeming The Realities Of Marriage

Scott LaPierre Author Of Your Marriage God's Way

From my list on Christian marriage (from the author of a best-selling Christian marriage book).

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the teaching pastor of Woodland Christian Church, and in 2016, I published a best-selling marriage book, Your Marriage God's Way, with an accompanying workbook. Soon after that, I began receiving invitations to put on marriage conferences across the nation. My experience teaching on marriage, performing marriage counseling, and meeting so many married couples has given me a strong biblical understanding of marriage.

Scott's book list on Christian marriage (from the author of a best-selling Christian marriage book)

Scott LaPierre Why Scott loves this book

My wife and I have been fans of Paul David Tripp for years. We have listened to many of his sermons, conference messages, and read his books on parenting.

I am currently listening to one of his books on pastoring. Years ago, our church put on a marriage conference using his conference material on What Did You Expect?. We purchased numerous copies of the book for couples in our church and still make it available.

The book approaches marriage with the foundational points that it consists of two sinful, selfish people. With that understanding there can be growth and sanctification.

By Paul David Tripp ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What Did You Expect? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

More couples than I can number have been surprised that their marriage needs the regular rescue of grace. And because they did not take their Bible seriously they were caught short in that moment when the rubber meets the road in daily live, where grace was their only hope...
'So when you are sinned against or when the fallen world breaks your door down, don't lash out or run away. Stand in all your weakness and confusion and say, 'I am not alone. God is with me, and he is faithful, powerful and willing.' You can be realistic and hopeful…


Book cover of Royal—A Divine Design...Dream Your Dreams and Push Through

K.A. Mulenga Author Of Chuck the Cheetah

From my list on with an important life lesson.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion is writing. I started writing when I was 10 years old and my passion was reignited by my 11-year-old son. Writing runs in my blood as my late father was a journalist and the first black editor of the Zambia Daily Mail and my late brother was a poet. To date, I have published 17 children's books. I love writing children’s books with a positive message and also to make them laugh and entertained.

K.A.'s book list on with an important life lesson

K.A. Mulenga Why K.A. loves this book

This is a lovely book with beautiful illustrations. Kids will learn that nothing is impossible as long as their parents are there to encourage them. It really hit home as I am a father and have 3 kids, my son has a dream of becoming a professional soccer player, my firstborn daughter has a dream of becoming a renowned fashion designer and my 2nd born daughter wants to be a world-famous make-up artist. I encourage them all the way and this book just drives that point further.

By Latisha Carey , Blueberry Illustrations (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Royal—A Divine Design...Dream Your Dreams and Push Through as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Royal, A Divine Design…Dream your Dreams and Push Through is about a boy who experiences challenges in the form of criticism, rejection, and physical limitations that should’ve caused him to quit on life. Instead, he determines in his heart that he will embrace his uniqueness and dream to inspire others. Through his journey, he understands that he is special and that all things are possible if you believe. His determination, courage, and hope will inspire you to not only embrace your own uniqueness, but the uniqueness of others. So, no matter what challenges you face, you can Dream your Dreams…


Book cover of The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien's Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings

Richard Middleton Author Of The Wyrm Conspiracy

From my list on Tolkien that will astonish you with his genius.

Why am I passionate about this?

I read The Hobbit when I was in primary school and was immediately captivated by the world of magic, dwarves, and dragons. Perhaps because in the North of England where I grew up, this world seemed often to be just around the next corner! I grew up writing, and as I learned my craft I naturally turned to books on Tolkien to see what inspired and drove him. I found that every writer on Tolkien brings a new and surprising perspective on his work, each revealing a little more of Tolkien’s genius, and inspiring me to demand ever more of myself as a writer.

Richard's book list on Tolkien that will astonish you with his genius

Richard Middleton Why Richard loves this book

There’s a paradox at the heart of The Lord of The Rings. Tolkien wrote that it is “a fundamentally religious and Catholic work,” yet Middle-earth is pre-Christian and has little-to-no trace of religion evident within it. So how to reconcile the two? In The Battle for Middle-earth, Rutledge, a priest, brings his own knowledge and understanding of scripture to bear on The Lord of the Rings, to reveal how Tolkien’s plots, themes, and characters can be understood from a Catholic perspective. One thing shines clear from this book: just what a great storyteller Tolkien is. He never seeks to dictate or persuade (unlike C.S. Lewis in his Narnia series), but allows each reader to discover for themselves the treasures within his stories. 

By Fleming Rutledge ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Battle for Middle-earth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings has long been acknowledged as the gold standard for fantasy fiction, and the recent Oscar-winning movie trilogy has brought forth a whole new generation of fans. Many Tolkien enthusiasts, however, are not aware of the profoundly religious dimension of the great Ring saga.

In The Battle for Middle-earth Fleming Rutledge employs a distinctive technique to uncover the theological currents that lie just under the surface of Tolkien's epic tale. Rutledge believes that the best way to understand this powerful "deep narrative" is to examine the story as it unfolds, preserving some of…


If you love Divine Design...

Book cover of Chasing Light

Chasing Light by Traci Medford-Rosow,

Chasing Light is a lyrical meditation on grief, memory, and the fragile beauty of everyday life. At its core, it is a story of resilience, forgiveness, and the transformational power of human connection. It sheds light on the overlooked realities of homelessness and addiction, while emphasizing the importance of compassion…

Book cover of Let Me Be a Woman

Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal Author Of Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl's Heart: Discovering the Beauty and Freedom of God-Defined Sexuality

From my list on Christian books on marriage and sexuality.

Why are we passionate about this?

We are sisters and the co-founders of Girl Defined Ministries, where our goal is to help modern girls understand and live out God’s timeless truth for womanhood. Through Girl Defined we talk about such topics as biblical womanhood, relationships, love, marriage, sexuality, identity, and much more.

Kristen's book list on Christian books on marriage and sexuality

Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal Why Kristen loves this book

A wonderful must-read about femininity and womanhood as God defines it. Elisabeth Elliot (a woman worth reading about herself) wrote this as a wedding gift to her daughter. Thankfully we can all learn from the wisdom in those pages now! Drawing from the Bible, Elisabeth addresses many different topics related to marriage, masculinity and femininity, and what it means to be a woman. If you want to know more about God’s design for women, definitely give this a read!

By Elisabeth Elliot ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Let Me Be a Woman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“In order to learn what it means to be a woman, we must start with the One who made her.” Working from Scripture, well-known speaker and author Elisabeth Elliot shares her observations and experiences in a number of essays on what it means to be a Christian woman, whether single, married, or widowed. Available in trade softcover and as a Living Book.


Book cover of Reaching for Heaven on Earth: The Theological Meaning of Economics

Ronnie D. Lipschutz Author Of Political Economy, Capitalism, and Popular Culture

From my list on explaining how capitalism works.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a product of Sputnik and the threat of nuclear war. Both turned me into a long-time reader of science fiction and a perpetual student in trying to understand how the world works and why? If we have free will, why do so many things seem to be predetermined? If we are rational beings, why do so many of our choices seem so absurd? And if a new world is possible, why can’t we bring it into existence? I was a professor of politics for 30 years (and I was respected! See “Soylent Green.”) and most of my research and writing try to answer these questions.

Ronnie's book list on explaining how capitalism works

Ronnie D. Lipschutz Why Ronnie loves this book

Did it ever occur to you that economics might be theological, even a form of religious idolatry?

This is not, by the way, about the Worship of Mammon; it is about capitalism as a system of beliefs and practices.

Nelson carefully maps out the genealogy of modern economics, showing that its underlying foundation can be traced back to competing Greek philosophies as filtered through Catholicism and Protestantism. We have never been secular!

By Robert H. Nelson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Reaching for Heaven on Earth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

this is the most profound book on the boundary of theology and economics in the past couple of decades. It has a depth of perspective, a scope of scholarship and a discernment that is rare in this field.-CHRISTIAN CENTURY


Book cover of The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

Brian Lofton Author Of Broken Boots, Redeemed Soul: A Veteran’s War with Sin and Salvation

From my list on finding grace and redemption after hitting rock bottom.

Why am I passionate about this?

I care about stories of redemption after service because I have lived through the collapse that can follow it. After my time in the U.S. Army, I struggled with addiction, shame, and spiritual distance that almost defined my life. I have seen how uniforms can hide internal battles. I am drawn to books that help remind me that failure is not final and that grace reaches deeper than shame. Today, I serve fellow veterans through benefits advocacy. I am moved by stories that show no one is too far gone for God’s redeeming work.

Brian's book list on finding grace and redemption after hitting rock bottom

Brian Lofton Why Brian loves this book

This book supported me when I was questioning who I was without my past mistakes.

I remember feeling uncertain, and Warren’s focus on God’s purposes gave me guidance when I needed it most. I love how practical it is—it does not just motivate, it directs.

For me, it shifted the question from “How do I fix my failures?” to “How do I live faithfully today?” That reframing was liberating.

By Rick Warren ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Purpose Driven Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Discover and fulfill your God-given purpose by joining the more than thirty-five million others who have embarked on a spiritual journey that started with this #1 New York Times bestselling book by Pastor Rick Warren.

Before you were born, God knew what your life had in store for you. His hope for you is to discover the life he created just for you--both here on earth, and forever in eternity. Let Rick Warren guide you as you learn to live out your true purpose.

The Purpose Driven Life is more than a book; it's a road map for your spiritual…


If you love John F. MacArthur...

Book cover of Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman by Alexis Krasilovsky,

Kate from Jules et Jim meets I Love Dick.

A young woman filmmaker’s journey of self-discovery, set against a backdrop of the sexual liberation movement of the 1970s and 1980s. In Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman, we follow Ana Fried as she faces the ultimate…

Book cover of Jesus Through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture

John Tolan Author Of Faces of Muhammad: Western Perceptions of the Prophet of Islam from the Middle Ages to Today

From my list on making you realize you don’t know what religion is.

Why am I passionate about this?

In the 1980s, I was living in Spain, teaching high school. On weekends and vacations, I traveled throughout the country, fascinated with the remnants of its flourishing medieval civilization, where Jews, Christians, and Muslims mingled. When I later became a historian, I focused on the rich history of Jewish-Christian-Muslim contact in Spain and throughout the Mediterranean. I also wanted to understand conflict and prejudice, particularly the historical roots of antisemitism and islamophobia in Europe. I have increasingly realized that classical religious texts need to be reread and contextualized and that we need to rethink our ideas about religion and religious conflict.

John's book list on making you realize you don’t know what religion is

John Tolan Why John loves this book

If Donner shows that Muslims don’t necessarily know who Muhammad was or agree about him, Pelikan shows that the same is true for Christians and Jesus. He looks at various ways in which Christians over twenty centuries have conceived of Jesus: a sage Jewish rabbi? An apocalyptic preacher, warning of the imminent end of the world? King of the universe, destined to preside over the final judgment, model for worldly judges and kings? The paradigmatic monk and mystic? An egalitarian preacher of social justice? He has been all of these things to different Christians over the ages, and Pelikan shows how different people in very different circumstances have reinterpreted Jesus the better to fit their own ideas of what Christianity should be.

By Jaroslav Pelikan ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Jesus Through the Centuries as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A rich and expansive description of Jesus' impact on the general history of culture. . . . Believers and skeptics alike will find it a sweeping visual and conceptual panorama."-John Koenig, front page, New York Times Book Review

Called "a book of uncommon brilliance" by Commonweal, Jesus Through the Centuries is an original and compelling study of the impact of Jesus on cultural, political, social, and economic history. Noted historian and theologian Jaroslav Pelikan reveals how the image of Jesus created by each successive epoch-from rabbi in the first century to liberator in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries-is a key…


Book cover of The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God
Book cover of Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs
Book cover of Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?

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