10 New Books You Need to Read This December 2019 + January 2020

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The holiday season is in full swing among us. We set up a Christmas tree last night and pulled out all of the Christmas dishes. (Spoiler alert: They're green plaid with dogs in reindeer antlers. We're not that fancy!) I absolutely love the magic, wonder and love that is celebrated throughout this season. I started my Christmas list weeks ago. I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping too. YIPPEE! I gathered a few books that I'd like to pass along in case you're looking for a present. There's even a few on here that are on my own Christmas list. (This one and this one.)

If you’re looking for a book that you can already get your hands on (because waiting for books is really exciting but really hard too and some of these won't ship until after Christmas!), feel free to check out the last of my new book arrivals edition for October + November here or the entire series here.

 

Coming in December 2019 + Ready for Preorder

 

December 3 –Everywhere Holy: Seeing Beauty, Remembering Your Identity, and Finding God Right Where You Are by Kara Lawler

Popular writer and blogger Kara Lawler shows women how to embrace the sacred in the everyday so that they can see the holy and the beautiful--and in the process, discover themselves.

Life doesn't have to be lived on grand mountaintops for it to be meaningful. We can find holiness in the small, moss-covered rocks along the paths of our everyday lives. We can see God at work right where we are: in our ordinary routines, in the faces of our family and friends, and--especially--in nature.

In Everywhere Holy, Kara Lawler speaks to the hearts of those who find themselves stumbling and faltering and, sometimes, even falling, face down, in the midst of their chaotic schedules and weary attempts to be all that is expected of them. It's for everyone who longs for more connection with the sacred, for the gratefulness, peace, and blessings that holiness brings, and for the reminder that our identities are grounded in the beauty around us. It's an invitation to view life as an adventure, to consider simple observation a form of prayer, and to embrace noticing beauty as a spiritual practice.

In beautiful prose, Lawler describes the unique sacredness found in God's creation and offers sixteen inspiring insights for cultivating it day-to-day. She encourages readers to make this lifestyle change through the observance of small acts. In so doing, they will discover a holy space that honors God and the lives they've been given—and will discover themselves and their unique place in the holy that is everywhere.

 

December 3 –Meg and Jo by Virgina Kantra

The timeless classic Little Women inspired this heartwarming modern tale of four sisters from New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.

The March sisters—reliable Meg, independent Jo, stylish Amy, and shy Beth—have grown up to pursue their separate dreams. When Jo followed her ambitions to New York City, she never thought her career in journalism would come crashing down, leaving her struggling to stay afloat in a gig economy as a prep cook and secret food blogger.

Meg appears to have the life she always planned—the handsome husband, the adorable toddlers, the house in a charming subdivision. But sometimes getting everything you’ve ever wanted isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

When their mother’s illness forces the sisters home to North Carolina for the holidays, they’ll rediscover what really matters.

One thing’s for sure—they’ll need the strength of family and the power of sisterhood to remake their lives and reimagine their dreams.

 

December 6 – I Am My Own Sanctuary: How A Recovering Holy-Roller Found Healing and Power by Meggie Lee Calvin

Meggie was a weird teenager. We're talkin' so weird that her parents worried about her being too religious.

After a divine nudge to preach at the age of thirteen, she answered the call to full-time ministry as a sixteen-year-old. She became a paid church staff member a year later, and from 18-32, served in the same church. While creating sacred space for others, Meggie forgot to nurture her own. In the rush of ministerial leadership, she allowed many limiting beliefs to hold her back. She searched for validation from others but failed to look within and find that she was already enough. These pages tell her satirical, yet "holy," tale of discovering that because the Divine dwells within, she already possesses enough grace for every wound and enough grit for every goal.

She now offers this gift to you, to encourage you toward the same end. You, yes, all of you, are your own sanctuary. Part memoir, part self-help book, and part spiritual devotional, Meggie will make you laugh, disrupt your thought-patterns, and above all else, empower you to become that which you were meant to be--a sanctuarium tuum. (If you want to know what that means, ya gotta read the book!)

 

December 10 –The Enneagram Type 9: The Peaceful Mediator by Beth McCord
(Part of The Enneagram Collection which includes individual books on each type.)

Type 9: The Peaceful Mediator, from The Enneagram Collection, is for anyone who loves the Enneagram and wants to go deeper with this interactive book exploring the unique motivations, longings, and strengths and weaknesses of a Type 9—those who have a core desire to have inner stability and peace of mind.

The Enneagram has never been more popular. This ancient personality typing system identifies nine types of people and how they relate to one another and helps people discover what motivates them, their fears, and how best to interact with others. With the growing popularity of this self-assessment tool in all spheres of life, including personal relationships, professional relationships, faith communities, students, and even pop culture, these interactive books are great for anyone newly interested in the Enneagram or the longtime Enneagram enthusiast. With space to journal about the unique motivations, longings, and strengths and weaknesses of a Type 9—those who have a core desire to have inner stability and peace of mind, Beth McCord shows how to transform self-limiting behaviors into life-enhancing personal empowerment.  

In addition to deeply informative content from Enneagram expert Beth McCord, the pages include interactive prompts and space provided for reflection and notes. Each book teaches about the strengths, challenges, and opportunities for that personality type in order to lead to a more meaningful life, lasting relationships, and a deeper understanding of God and yourself.

 

December 31 –Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg Ph.D

The world’s leading expert on habit formation shows how you can have a happier, healthier life: by starting small. 

Myth: Change is hard. Reality: Change can be easy if you know the simple steps of Behavior Design.

Myth: It’s all about willpower. Reality: Willpower is fickle and finite, and exactly the wrong way to create habits.

Myth: You have to make a plan and stick to it. Reality: You transform your life by starting small and being flexible.

BJ FOGG is here to change your life—and revolutionize how we think about human behavior. Based on twenty years of research and Fogg’s experience coaching more than 40,000 people, Tiny Habits cracks the code of habit formation. With breakthrough discoveries in every chapter, you’ll learn the simplest proven ways to transform your life. Fogg shows you how to feel good about your successes instead of bad about your failures. Whether you want to lose weight, de-stress, sleep better, or be more productive each day, Tiny Habits makes it easy to achieve.

Already the habit guru to companies around the world, Fogg brings his proven method to a global audience for the first time.  Whether you want to lose weight, de-stress, sleep better, or exercise more, Tiny Habits makes it easy to achieve.

 

Coming in January 2020 + Ready for Preorder

January 7 –The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby

Anacclaimed, timely narrative of how people of faith have historically--up to the present day--worked against racial justice. And a call for urgent action by all Christians today in response.

The Color of Compromise is both enlightening and compelling, telling a history we either ignore or just don't know. Equal parts painful and inspirational, it details how the American church has helped create and maintain racist ideas and practices. You will be guided in thinking through concrete solutions for improved race relations and a racially inclusive church.

The Color of Compromise:

  • Takes you on a historical, sociological, and religious journey: from America's early colonial days through slavery and the Civil War

  • Covers the tragedy of Jim Crow laws, the victories of the Civil Rights era, and the strides of today's Black Lives Matter movement

  • Reveals the cultural and institutional tables we have to flip in order to bring about meaningful integration

  • Charts a path forward to replace established patterns and systems of complicity with bold, courageous, immediate action

  • Is a perfect book for pastors and other faith leaders, students, non-students, book clubs, small group studies, history lovers, and all lifelong learners

The Color of Compromise is not a call to shame or a platform to blame white evangelical Christians. It is a call from a place of love and desire to fight for a more racially unified church that no longer compromises what the Bible teaches about human dignity and equality. A call that challenges black and white Christians alike to standup now and begin implementing the concrete ways Tisby outlines, all for a more equitable and inclusive environment among God's people. Starting today.

 

January 14 –Dear Edward: A Novel by Amy Napolitano

What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live? 

One summer morning, twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his beloved older brother, his parents, and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. Among them are a Wall Street wunderkind, a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured veteran returning from Afghanistan, a business tycoon, and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. Halfway across the country, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor.

Edward’s story captures the attention of the nation, but he struggles to find a place in a world without his family. He continues to feel that a part of himself has been left in the sky, forever tied to the plane and all of his fellow passengers. But then he makes an unexpected discovery—one that will lead him to the answers of some of life’s most profound questions: When you’ve lost everything, how do you find the strength to put one foot in front of the other? How do you learn to feel safe again? How do you find meaning in your life?

Dear Edward is at once a transcendent coming-of-age story, a multidimensional portrait of an unforgettable cast of characters, and a breathtaking illustration of all the ways a broken heart learns to love again.

 

January 14 –Lent in Plain Sight: A Devotion through Ten Objects by Jill J. Duffield 

God is often at work through the ordinary: ordinary people, ordinary objects, ordinary grace. Through the ordinary, God communicates epiphanies, salvation, revelation, and reconciliation. It is through the mundane that we hear God’s quiet voice.

In this devotion for the season of Lent, Jill J. Duffield draws readers’ attention to ten ordinary objects that Jesus would have encountered on his way to Jerusalem: dust, bread, the cross, coins, shoes, oil, coats, towels, thorns, and stones. In each object, readers will find meaning in the biblical account of Jesus’ final days. Each week, readers encounter a new object to consider through Scripture, prayer, and reflection. From Ash Wednesday to Easter, Lent in Plain Sight reminds Christians to open ourselves to the kingdom of God.

 

January 21 –Saints: Becoming More Than "Christians" by Addison D. Bevere

The Bible uses the word Christian to describe followers of Jesus a grand total of three times. But there's another identifier that fills the pages of the New Testament--a word we've mistakenly reserved for the halo-wearing elite, losing something profound in the process.

Saints.

Wrapped in this ancient word is a divine invitation to discover who God created you to be and awaken to the life you were meant to know. Using Scripture and stories from his own experience, Addison Bevere makes a compelling case that the life you desire is found in the mystery of this sacred identity.

If you want to exchange lifeless religion for the wonder of following Jesus, this book will spur you onward in your journey.

 

January 21 –All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living by Morgan Harper Nichols

A celebration of hope. An encounter with grace. A restoration of the heart. A healing of wounds. An anthem of freedom. All Along You Were Blooming is the ultimate love letter from the pen of popular Instagram poet Morgan Harper Nichols to your mind, to your heart, to your soul, and to your body.Morgan Harper Nichols delivers a striking collection of illustrated poetry and prose, inviting you to "stumble into the sunlight" and delight in the wild and boundless grace you've been given. There is a purpose in every season, and no matter how you want to race through this day or run away from this place, rest assured that you are invited to live fully—right here, right now. Light will always find you, and even when the sun sets and you sit awaiting the dawn, know you are still blooming in the way you were meant to. And in each small moment, whether in the light or the dark, you can make room for becoming, for breathing, for stumbling, and for simply being—for there is Grace, today and every day.

 
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