Here are 100 books that Thoughts for Everyday Living fans have personally recommended if you like
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Throughout the years, I have experienced hard days and have helplessly watched others go through much harder ones. Poetry, I found, helped express the inexpressible and unexplainable. Like a builder of cairns, what I write helps me remember what has happened and how I got to where I am. I’m intrigued by this topic, not as an academic or a professional, but as a foot soldier deep in the trenches. I have no accolades or awards or prestige—I have a story with troubles and burdens and pain. But I also have true hope. Real peace. And a relentless desire to forge all of it into a new poem.
C.S. Lewis will always be one of my favorite authors, but many focus more on his fiction or theology than his poetry.
But I love these poems because they are ones that tackle life, wrestle until they are out of breath, and then retreat to get a better perspective on everything.
Woven into the lines, Lewis’s imagination and thoughtfulness create parables and vignettes that let the weary reader know they are not alone in the storms that often plague this race of life.
A collection of Lewis’s shorter poetry on a wide range of subjects-God and the pagan deities, unicorns and spaceships, nature, love, age, and reason: “Idea poems which reiterate themes known to have occupied Lewis’s ingenious and provocative mind” (Clyde S. Kilby, New York Times Book Review). Edited and with a Preface by Walter Hooper.
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
Throughout the years, I have experienced hard days and have helplessly watched others go through much harder ones. Poetry, I found, helped express the inexpressible and unexplainable. Like a builder of cairns, what I write helps me remember what has happened and how I got to where I am. I’m intrigued by this topic, not as an academic or a professional, but as a foot soldier deep in the trenches. I have no accolades or awards or prestige—I have a story with troubles and burdens and pain. But I also have true hope. Real peace. And a relentless desire to forge all of it into a new poem.
Similar to Lewis, I savor Henry Van Dyke’s writing.
His poems are musical, as enjoyable to hear as to read. I appreciate the sage conclusions Van Dyke often arrives at by the last stanza—while some questions are left unanswered in the moment, I found this collection of his poetry to be able to reveal the poet’s growth and discoveries along the way.
Ultimately, Van Dyke’s faith flavors his pen in the midst of his problems until we find him famously saying, “Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee…”
"The Poems of Henry Van Dyke" is a timeless collection that encapsulates the profound beauty of nature, love, and spirituality through the eloquent and introspective verses of its author, Henry Van Dyke. Written during the early 20th century, this anthology showcases Van Dyke's ability to blend heartfelt emotion with a keen sense of observation, often drawing inspiration from his experiences in the natural world. His poetry reflects a deep appreciation for the simple joys of life, infused with philosophical musings on faith, hope, and the human experience. Notable works like "The Dark Mountain" and "The Gift of Love" resonate with…
Throughout the years, I have experienced hard days and have helplessly watched others go through much harder ones. Poetry, I found, helped express the inexpressible and unexplainable. Like a builder of cairns, what I write helps me remember what has happened and how I got to where I am. I’m intrigued by this topic, not as an academic or a professional, but as a foot soldier deep in the trenches. I have no accolades or awards or prestige—I have a story with troubles and burdens and pain. But I also have true hope. Real peace. And a relentless desire to forge all of it into a new poem.
I have not found many poets from the past that relate so well to a person’s mental suffering today, but Robinson is one of them.
His lays truly are from the heart: blood-soaked and burdened. Like the other poets I have listed, he does not shy away from hardships but instead writes his way through them.
For those wrestling with angst or fear, I especially recommend his book.
""Lays of a Heart"" is a collection of poems written by George Wade Robinson and published in 1867. The poems cover a range of themes, from love and loss to nature and spirituality. Robinson's writing style is lyrical and emotive, with a focus on creating vivid imagery and exploring the depths of human emotion. The collection includes both longer narrative poems and shorter, more introspective pieces. Overall, ""Lays of a Heart"" is a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of the human experience through the medium of poetry.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain…
Separating the true stories from the myths, The Duty of Memory provides a deeper understanding of the diverse motivations that drove ordinary people to join an underground network of French Resistants despite terrible odds and horrifying consequences.
This book takes the reader inside the true story of men and women…
Throughout the years, I have experienced hard days and have helplessly watched others go through much harder ones. Poetry, I found, helped express the inexpressible and unexplainable. Like a builder of cairns, what I write helps me remember what has happened and how I got to where I am. I’m intrigued by this topic, not as an academic or a professional, but as a foot soldier deep in the trenches. I have no accolades or awards or prestige—I have a story with troubles and burdens and pain. But I also have true hope. Real peace. And a relentless desire to forge all of it into a new poem.
This book combines two of my favorites—stories and poems—into one art form.
Of special note is "Dymer," in which purpose, consequences, and the struggle between the two drive the story forward.
To see aspects of myself in a character is always intoxicating and unnerving—when they must go through various difficulties, I am left to wonder (or perhaps fear) what I myself would have done in their stead.
A repackaged edition of the revered author’s collection of four poems: "Dymer," "Launcelot," "The Nameless Isle," and "The Queen of Drum."
C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—was also a talented poet. In this collection of four longer works of verse, Lewis displays his deep love for medieval and Renaissance poetry and themes, influences that shaped—and resonate through—his fiction.
As a conservative Mennonite from Pennsylvania, I have observes many people who, despite numerous desperate attempts at locating lasting fulfillment, find themselves always craving more and never satisfied to relax and be content. I have consequently dedicated myself to helping these folks obtain the satisfaction they inwardly crave. This lead to hours of contemplating, praying, and reading numerous books on the subject.
The Kneeling Christian illustrates the importance of sincere prayer.
I read relatively short sections of this book at a time because I would get an overwhelming desire to pray. In fact, it was during a prayer that was prompted while reading this book that I had one of my most profound encounters with God.
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
Denise Kiernan is a multiple New York Times bestselling author of narrative nonfiction books including The Girls of Atomic City, The Last Castle, and We Gather Together. Throughout her career as a journalist and an author, she has explored underrepresented stories and characters and the impact they have had on history. These stories of the unsung offer fresh perspectives on historical tales we think we already know. At the heart of many of Kiernan’s nonfiction explorations are women from a variety of different backgrounds and time periods. She has devoted her last three books to the history of Thanksgiving and gratitude, writing separate books for all ages.
It’s really quite simple: if you focus on negative things, you’ll feel miserable. If you focus on the things that are wonderful in your life, you will feel better. And chances are, you’ve got plenty of wonderful things in your life.
The author of this book is a Maryland pastor, but I don’t think you need to be a Christian to enjoy or even grasp the message of the book. I like that he references the science that has brought gratitude to the masses, and written about it in such a straightforward manner.
Want to feel fully alive? You can feel your best right now by following the simple method laid out in this book. Your life is actually much better than you think it is. It all depends on what you focus on. Order now to find out how you can be your best every day by changing your focus. It is like having a magical set of glasses that you put on each morning. Your entire day will look different when you look at your life through the lens of gratitude. You will begin to notice the good that is already…
What were America's first prisons like? How did penal reformers, prison administrators, and politicians deal with the challenges of confining human beings in long-term captivity as punishment--what they saw as a humane intervention?
The Deviant Prison centers on one early prison: Eastern State Penitentiary. Built in Philadelphia, one of the…
My main goal and purpose in life is to make a difference in people’s lives by helping you overcome obstacles that hold you back, so you can make more money, work less, and enjoy having even better work-life balance. Helping you realize how you can get around roadblocks that hold you back from achieving what you truly want in life gets me excited. I think many people make business and life so much harder than it needs to be and I like to share powerful books and resources that help you focus on how you can more easily realize your potential, accelerate your results, and fulfill what's truly important to you in life.
There is so much great content in this book, it is hard to only have a few words to talk about the huge benefits of reading it. The first chapter, "Believe in Yourself", starts the book with powerful and thought-provoking content. Sometimes the older books can have the biggest impact on us as we go through our life – both for our career and in our personal life. This book has been and will continue to be one of the most recommended books in history, I believe. If you haven’t read it yet or if it has been a while, I strongly recommend you read it for the first time or read it again. The power of positive thinking can have a huge impact on your business and your life.
'you do not need to be defeated by anything, ... you can have peace of mind, improved health, and a never-ceasing flow of energy.'
The Power of Positive Thinking is a practical, direct-action application of spiritual techniques to overcome defeat and win confidence, success and joy. Norman Vincent Peale, the father of positive thinking and one of the most widely read inspirational writers of all time, shares his famous formula of faith and optimism which he developed himself by trial and error whilst searching for a way of life.
Millions of people have taken Peale's teachings as their own simple…
In my late high school years and during college I was confronted with a question that has dogged many artists over the years who are in the church: should a Christian be in the arts or not? As it turns out, the first person to be described as filled by the Spirit in the Bible was an artist. I had to wait until my college years to find that out by reading Francis Schaeffer’s book Art and the Bible. This and Madeleine L’Engle’s Walking on Water gave me a theology that valued art. Now I'm a full-time artist and curate a small art gallery, but I've never stopped looking for good books on Art and Faith.
Possibly the most helpful book for those looking to engage both Art and the Church. In Visual Faith the reader will find a wonderful overview of art history from a Christian perspective, beginning with art in the Early Church and coming all the way up to Warhol, Pollock, and art today. There is also an entire chapter devoted to making and looking at art. If there was one book I’d give to people in my church who were interested in engaging with art, this would be it.
How can art enhance and enrich the Christian faith? What is the basis for a relationship between the church and visual imagery? Can the art world and the Protestant church be reconciled? Is art idolatry and vanity, or can it be used to strengthen the church? Grounded in historical and biblical research, William Dyrness offers students and scholars an intriguing, substantive look into the relationship between the church and the world of art.
Faith and art were not always discordant. According to Dyrness, Israel understood imagery and beauty as reflections of God's perfect order; likewise, early Christians used art to…
I’m that infamous medievalist who wrote the big book on medieval race. It took 20 years of thinking and research, and a whole lot of writing, but now people are convinced that there was, indeed, such a thing as race and racism between the 11th and 15th centuries in the West (aka Christendom/Europe). I'm Perceval Professor of English and Comparative Literature, with a joint appointment in Middle Eastern studies and Women’s studies at the University of Texas at Austin.
You’ll be dazzled by the brilliance of this author, and the beauty of his writing. The book is impossible to summarize, but if you want to understand how the spread of a specifically Christian imagination around the world produces a racial grid, racial thinking, and racism, this book is indispensable. Whether you’re interested in modern race, or race in all the long centuries before, you’ll come away with a better understanding of how the spread of the Christian religion has produced race and racisms.
A ground-breaking account of the potential and failures of Christianity since the colonialist period-winner of the 2015 Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion and of an American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence
"Detailing the nooks and crannies of white supremacist Christianity, The Christian Imagination allows not only for greater sophistication when considering race and theology. It also points to possible cures to the disease so elegantly diagnosed."-Edward J. Blum, Journal of Religion
"[A] theological masterpiece."--Chris Smith, Englewood Review of Books
Why has Christianity, a religion premised upon neighborly love, failed in its attempts to heal social divisions? In this ambitious…
Pioneer Paddles of the Colonial South
by
William D. Auman,
Award-winning novelist William Auman, author of If Trees Could Testify..., takes the reader on a time-traveling odyssey featuring 345 bodies of water in six states within the historical context through which they unfold.
Journey into remaining Colonial-era wilderness with stories of pirate treasure, epic frontiersmen, Indigenous Peoples, and Revolutionary…
I’ve experienced crippling anxiety personally, to the point of nervous breakdown. I’ve researched this topic extensively and have been panic-free for over a decade due to the knowledge and coping skills accrued.
Dr. Henry Cloud, a clinical psychologist and Christian, has identified 4 areas of our lives that can really stunt us emotionally if they are out of balance. These 4 areas are bonding; boundaries; perception of good and bad; and emotional maturity. The book brings insight into these areas, which in turn brings healing. I’ve read this book twice about a decade apart, and both times, it changed my life massively for the better.
A down-to-earth plan to help us recover from the wounds of the past and grow more and more into the image of God.
Many of us struggle with anxiety, loneliness, and feelings of inadequacy. We know that God created us in his image, but how can we be loving when we feel burned out? How can we be free when we struggle with addiction? Will we ever enjoy the complete healing God promises?
Combining his professional expertise and personal experience, renowned psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud guides us through four basic ways to become joy-filled, mature followers of Christ:
