October has a wide selection of books on offer, from James Martin’s The Abbey to Joel Osteen's The Power of I Am. Also, Alex Mar's book on paganism, Witches of America, arrives just in time for Halloween this year.
Fiction
Oct. 1
The Imposter by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell, $14.99; ISBN) A new series opens with this tale of Katrina Stoltzfus, who is shocked when the man she was to marry chooses another. When farm hand Andy Miller arrives on the scene, Katrina wonders if he is too good to be true.
Oct. 13
The Abbey: A Story of Discovery by James Martin (HarperOne, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-0624-0186-1) is the revered Jesuit priest’s fiction debut. The novel follows single mom Ann, former architect Mark, and Father Paul into a Pennsylvania abbey for some soul searching.
An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti (Worthy, $15.99; ISBN 978-1-6179-5587-7) Dodie and Wilson Binder’s grandson, Micah, is planning to ask his girlfriend to marry him during Christmas so they can celebrate with the whole family, but things go very wrong when she says no.
Nonfiction
Oct. 1
At the Altar of Wall Street: The Rituals, Myths, Theologies, Sacraments, and Mission of the Religion Known as the Modern Global Economy by Scott W. Gustafson (Eerdmans, $22; ISBN 978-0-8028-7280-7) compares economic functions in our current global culture as religious complete with rituals, pilgrimmage sites, myths, prophets, sacraments, and mission of Economics to show how the Economy is our de facto God.
Every Little Thing: Making a World of Difference Right Where You Are by Deidra Riggs (Baker, $13.99; ISBN 987-0-8010-1842-8). Speaker and blogger Riggs calls women to accept God’s invitation to make a difference right where they are.
Reflecting the Eternal: Dante’s Divine Comedy in the Novels of C.S. Lewis by Marsha Daigle-Williamson (Hendrickson, $14.99; ISBN 978-1-6197-0665-1) shows how Lewis drew on the structure, themes, and narrative details of Dante’s medieval epic to present his characters as spiritual pilgrims growing toward God.
Just Show Up: The Dance of Walking Through Suffering Together by Kara Tippetts and Jill Lynn Buteyn (David C. Cook, $15.99; ISBN 978-1-4347-0953-0). As Tippetts suffered from cancer, she and her community discovered the gift of silence, the art of receiving, and the beauty of just showing up.
Better Relationships, Better Life: Encouragement and Hope for Improving Every Relationship by Pam Ovwigho (Go Tandem, $7.99; ISBN 978-1-6305-8376-7) provides a step-by-step plan to let go of grievances, learn to forgive others, love, and improve relationships at home, work, and at church.
If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God’s What If Possibilities by Mark Batterson (Baker, $19.99, ISBN 987-0-8010-1600-4). Batterson unpacks chapter eight of Paul’s Letter to the Romans to remind readers that God is for them, all the time and in every way imaginable, to inspire them to transform their regrets.
Hoping Against Hope: Confessions of a Postmodern Pilgrim by John D. Caputo (Fortress, $14.99; ISBN 987-1-4514-9915-5). The author reflects on his spiritual journey from his days as a Catholic altar boy in his 1950’s Philadelphia to his work as a philosopher after the death of God.
OMG! How Children See God by Monica Parker (HCI, $12.95; ISBN 978-0-7573-1864-1) opens a humorous window into a child’s view of God.
Morning Homilies II by Pope Francis (Orbis, $18, 978-1-6269-8147-8) is a second collection of morning homilies preached by Pope Francis at his private morning masses at the Vatican.
God is Watching You: How the Fear of God Makes Us Human by Dominic Johnson (Oxford, $27.95; ISBN: 978-0-1918-9563-2) uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine the role played by fear of punishment in the evolution of human society and cooperation.
Oct. 6
Silent Cry: The True Story of Abuse and Betrayal of an NFL Wife by Dorothy J. Newton (Zondervan, $18.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-310-34484-1). Newton shares her experiences and the hope, recovery, and victory she achieved through God who saw and heard her tears, even when no one else did.
Not in God’s Name: Confronting Religious Violence by Jonathan Sacks (Schocken, $28.95; ISBN 978-0-8052-4334-5)
Grounded: Reconnecting to the Kingdom of Heaven with Our Life on Earth by Diana Butler Bass (HarperOne, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-0623-2854-0) further explores our post-religious age.
Nothing to it: Ten Ways to Be at Home with Yourself by Phap Hai (Parallax, $14.95; ISBN 978-1-9415-2900-3) examines the many different teachings, practices, and ways of looking at things that can be gates to transformation offered by Buddhism.
Agents of Babylon: What the Prophecies of Daniel Tell Us About the End of Days by David Jeremiah (Tyndale, $24.99; ISBN 978-1-4143-8052-0) looks at prophecy through the eyes of the characters in the book of Daniel.
Oct. 13
From Nature to Creation: A Christian Vision for Understanding and Loving Our World by Norman Wirzba (Baker Academic, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-8010-9593-1). Theologian Wirzba critically examines the modern concept of nature, showing how understanding the world as creation can help heal human lands and communities.
The Many Faces of Christ: The Thousand Year Story of the Survival and Influence of the Lost Gospels by Philip Jenkins (Basic, $27.99; ISBN 978-0-4650-6692-6) argues that hundreds of alternative gospels were never lost, but survived and in many cases remained influential texts, both outside and within the official church.
Oct. 15
The Power of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today by Joel Osteen (Faithwords, $26; ISBN 978-0-8929-6996-8) reveals the importance of what you say about yourself.
Oct. 20
Witches of America by Alex Mar (FSG/Chrichton, $27, ISBN 978-0-3742-9137-2) follows Mar’s trip into Paganism, from 1950s England to the contemporary Bay Area, and asks why we choose to believe in anything at all.
Here I Am: Faith Stories of Korean American Clergywomen edited by Grace Ji-Sun Kim (Judson, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-8170-1763-7) compiles theological reflections and stories of faith from Korean-American women in various forms of ministry.
Oct. 27
The Soul Searcher’s Handbook: A Modern Girl’s Guide to the New Age World by Emma Renee Mildon (Atria/Beyond Words, $18.99; ISBN 987-1-5827-0524-8) sheds light on everything you never learned about New Age practices, from aromatherapy and numerology to healing crystals and meditation.
The Toltec Art of Life and Death: A Story of Discovery by Don Miguel Ruiz and Barbara Emrys (HarperElixir, $25.99, ISBN 978-0-0623-9092-9). The spiritual teacher and author of the bestselling The Four Agreements takes readers on a mystical Toltec-inspired personal journey.
Jesus: An Illustrated Life by Jean-Pierre Isbouts (National Geographic, $40; ISBN 978-1-4262-1568-1) brings readers into Jesus’ life story through selected historical artwork and National Geographic's photography and maps.
Brand Luther: How an Unheralded Monk Turned His Small Town into a Center of Publishing, Made Himself the Most Famous Man in Europe, and Started the Protestant Reformation by Andrew Pettegree (Penguin, $29.95; ISBN 978-1-5942-0496-8) reexamines Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the birth of publishing, on the eve of the Reformation’s 500th anniversary.
The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism by Jon D. Levenson (Princeton Univ., $29.95; ISBN 978-0-6911-6429-8) traces the origins of the concept of God’s love to the ancient institution of covenant, showing how covenantal love is a matter neither of sentiment nor of legalism.
#Struggles: Following Jesus in a Selfie Centered World by Craig Groeschel (Zondervan, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-310-34886-3) studies the impact social media has on our emotions, relationships, attitudes, and beliefs.
What Did Jesus Ask? Today’s Christian Leaders Illuminate the Words of Christ (Time, $21.95; ISBN 978-1-6189-3058-3) brings together religious figures, scholars, and thought leaders to contemplate and interpret some of the questions posed by Jesus.
Oct. 31
Renewing the Process of Creation: A Jewish Integration of Science and Spirit by Bradley Shavit Artson (Jewish Lights, $24.99; ISBN 978-1-5802-3833-5) blends Jewish theology, science, and thought in exploring Judaism and the sciences.
