There are some books (fiction and non-fiction) that have a lasting impact on your life once you’ve read them. One of those, as a Christian, is of course the Bible, but I’m not going to talk about that here. However, it has turned out that these are all books written by Christians and basically all of them are “Christian” books. Christian books are the non-fiction books I’m drawn to the most as I ride the rollercoaster that is a life of faith. I appreciate not everyone who reads this blog are of the Christian faith, but I hope you might find it an interesting read anyway!

Pure: Sex and Relationships God’s Way by Linda Marshall- there is a lot to be said about Christian purity culture, largely negative. However, when I read this book at the age of 20 after being in an on-off relationship with a non-Christian for years, I received the conviction I had been running away from our entire relationship. It gave me the courage and determination to leave what was, in retrospect, a pretty toxic relationship. It’s hard to describe to anyone who hasn’t experienced God speaking to them through what they read but one sentence jumped out to me like it was being shouted in my ears. That was all it took for me to make an ultimately life altering decision. I’ve never read the book since and I’m not sure I’d recommend it to anyone as I think it was quite condemning of certain relationships. But God used it anyway to change my life’s direction, so I’m profoundly grateful for it.

The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi– the one practical book on this list! I love this book, the podcast that accompanies it and the author who is hilarious, practical and so wise. Her mantra is “Be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t.” The book covers 13 principles which, instead of promising “life hacks” or supercharged productivity, help you manage your life and decisions you have to make kindly. These are the 13 principles:

Simple right? I highly recommend the book and her podcast for practical solutions to many different obstacles in life. You can apply the principles to anything in life, from wardrobe decluttering to moving house.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan– I think any millennial Christian will have read this book and recognise its impact. The incredible stories of people who have shown Jesus’ love so practically and powerfully are inspiring. I’ve read it multiple times and even now I’m thinking I want to read it again. Sometimes when your own faith is lacking, seeing how God is working in other people’s lives and seeing their strong faith can help stoke the dwindling flame of your own. Red Moon Rising and Dirty Glory by Pete Grieg are other examples of this for me.

Garden City by John Mark Comer– disclaimer: I’m a huge JMC fan so could probably list all his books here. However, Garden City is the first of his books that I read and I read it at a time I was feeling really stuck and bored in my job. It showed me that it didn’t matter what I did for work, be it a CEO, gardener or stay at home mum, I can do it all for God’s glory. Plus his teachings on Sabbath are so inspiring and convicting that, even though it seems almost impossible right now, both Sam and I really hope to instill it in our family in the future.

Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldridge– I don’t think there’s another book I’ve read that has so beautifully revealed Jesus as a real, breathing human being. It looks at the personality of Jesus shown through the Gospels and helps bring the stories to life. Occasionally it helps to have a different lens to read the Bible through when you’ve been reading it for years, and this book definitely provides that.

There are probably plenty more books I could add here (I haven’t even mentioned Sarah Bessey who has been a hugely comforting companion on my faith journey), and I’m sure there are more to be added in the future. But these are the ones I can think of right now!

Which books have changed your life? What other book themed posts are you interested in reading? Let me know!