President of the online women’s ministry Proverbs 31 Lysa TerKeurst came in at #2 on our Religion Nonfiction Bestsellers list with her new book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way. Marketing and publicity for the book included author appearances on the Today show, Focus on the Family Radio, and the 700 Club, as well as promotions and giveaways aimed at TerKeurst’s nearly two million combined followers on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Further, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way was also selected as Proverbs 31’s January online Bible Study guide.
"I want to be the voice to move forward into the healing I know is possible," TerKeurst told PW while discussing the book, which details both her battle against cancer and challenges in her marriage.
The holiday shopping season is boosting sales for devotionals: Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling for Christmas came in at #3 in Religion Nonfiction, while the 2004 original Jesus Calling followed at #4. And TerKeurst made the list once again at #8 with Embraced: 100 Devotions to Know God is Holding You Close, published earlier this year.
Karen Kingsbury took the top two slots in Religion Fiction with two books in the popular Baxter Family series: When We Were Young and A Baxter Family Christmas, just released in paperback. Both books were on sale with discounts on Amazon, Lifeway, and Barnes & Noble ahead of the holiday season. Additional yuletide-themed novels Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock and The White Christmas Inn by Colleen Wright took #5 and #7, respectively.
