The month of August will see the release of a memoir by bestselling author Shauna Niequist, a story of winning an Olympic gold medal by diver David Boudia, and a book of unpublished works by Mother Teresa, as the date of her canonization approaches.
Nonfiction
Aug. 1
This Invitational Life: Risking Yourself to Align With God’s Heartbeat for Humanity by Steve Carter (David C. Cook, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-7814-1397-8) argues that only through facing our fears and working daily to follow God do we discover his true intention for our lives.
You Are the Catholic Brand: Questions for Skeptical Young Catholics by Matthew Kilmurry (Liguori, $15 paper, ISBN 978-0-7648-2641-2). Drawing on brand management principles used by successful companies, marketing executive Kilmurry explores how Catholics can help Pope Francis rebrand the Church while evangelizing others.
Aug. 2
Home: How Heaven and the New Earth Satisfy Our Deepest Longings by Elyse Fitzpatrick (Bethany House, $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-7642-1802-6) examines heaven, the afterlife, and their proximity to Earth through the lens of the Bible.
Greater than Gold by David Boudia (Thomas Nelson, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-7180-7741-9). Diver Boudia recalls the heartache of his first Olympic competition in Beijing, his faith, and the subsequent gold and bronze medal he earned in London four years later.
Doing Good is Simple by Chris Marlow (Zondervan, $15.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-3103-4357-8) offers a how-to on overcoming feelings of inadequacy to join God in the good he is doing in our broken world.
Aug. 5
Praying the Bible: Finding Personal Meaning in the Siddur, Ending Boredom & Making Each Prayer Experience Unique by Mark H. Levin (Jewish Lights, $18.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-58023-869-4). Levin argues that the Jewish prayer book is churning with the existential realities of human life and the struggles of the Jewish people.
Aug. 9
Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist (Zondervan, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-3103-4299-1) looks at how to gain connection and meaning in a culture that values speed, efficiency, image, and busyness.
Aug. 15
I Want You to Be: On the God of Love by Tomáš Halík, trans. by Gerald Turner (Univ. of Notre Dame, $25, ISBN 978-0-268100-72-8). Halík examines the connection between faith and love, meditating on a statement attributed to St. Augustine (“I love you: I want you to be”) and its importance for contemporary Christian practice.
Aug. 16
Interfaith Leadership: A Primer by Eboo Patel (Beacon, $18 paper, ISBN 978-0-807033-62-3). Interfaith leader Patel offers a guide for students, groups, and organizations seeking to foster interfaith dialogue and promote understanding across religious lines.
Assimilate or Go Home: Notes from a Failed Missionary on Rediscovering Faith by D.L. Mayfield (HarperOne, $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-062388-80-3). A social justice activist and writer shares her experiences working with refugees and describes the ways her faith has been challenged and strengthened—leading her to experience the power of God’s love and find her true spiritual calling.
God’s Generals by Richard A. Gabriel (Skyhorse, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-510708-66-2) explores the military lives of Moses, the Buddha, and Muhammad, and the role their war experiences played in their religious lives.
Counting the Days While My Mind Slips Away by Ben Utecht (Howard, $26, ISBN 978-1-5011-3660-3). After five major concussions, NFL tight-end Utecht of the Indianapolis Colts is losing his memories. This is his love letter to his wife and daughters and a message for all to live every moment fully.
A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve by Mother Teresa (Image, $25, ISBN 978-0-451498-20-5). Published to coincide with Pope Francis’s Year of Mercy and the Vatican’s canonization of Mother Teresa in September 2016, this new book of unpublished material from the Nobel Peace Prize winner brings together the holy woman’s teachings on mercy and compassion.
Aug. 25
Psychedelic Marine: A Transformational Journey from Afghanistan to the Amazon by Alex Seymour (Inner Traditions/Bear & Company, $16.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-620555-79-8). Seymour argues that ayahuasca frees your consciousness from inherited beliefs and fears, offering a transformative rite of passage.
Aug. 30
Mamaleh Knows Best by Marjorie Ingall (Harmony, $25; ISBN 978-0-8041-4141-3) by Tablet Magazine columnist Ingall confronts the myth of the Jewish mother by using personal anecdotes, humor, historical texts, and scientific research.
Starry Eyed by Mandy Arioto (Zondervan, $16.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-3103-4040-9) covers the highs and lows of motherhood and how they can bring you closer to God.
Fiction
Aug. 1
Brides of Iowa: Three Loves Are Sweet Surprises Along Willow Creek by Connie Stevens (Barbour, $12.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-628362-35-0). Three women, each with different heartaches, find hope and healing through their faith. 15,000-copy announced first printing.
Aug. 2
Seasons in Paradise by Barbara Cameron (Abingdon, $14.99 paper, 978-1-426771-92-7) follows Sam who walked away from love when he left an Amish community and followed his older brother into the English world.
Where Hope Prevails by Janette Oke (Bethany, $14.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-7642-1768-5) When Beth Thatcher returns to Coal Valley, she anticipates Jarrick's proposal of marriage and perhaps a spring wedding, but the town's rapid growth brings many challenges.
Aug. 16
The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck (Zondervan, $15.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-310341-54-3). This split-time romance novel follows the evolution of a renowned but neglected wedding store in Heart’s Bend, Tenn., over the course of several decades.
