With Mother’s Day on the horizon, titles by and about women dominate the April nonfiction bestseller list. Broadside Books' author and Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream's newest title features women's relationships in The Love Stories of the Bible Speak: Biblical Lessons on Romance, Friendship, and Faith. It debuted at #1 in March and holds on to the top rank for April. Bream's 2022 bestseller, The Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak held that spot last year and her first title, in 2021, The Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today —was drawn back to the April 2023 list at #6 in April 2023.
For her book, So God Made A Mother: Tender, Proud, Strong, Faithful, Known, Beautiful, Worthy and Unforgettable—Just Like You.(Tyndale), Leslie Means curated a collection of "essays from moms of all ages and stages," according to Tyndale v-p and publisher Sarah Atkinson. It's on the list at #4 behind Jonathan Cahn's The Return of the Gods (Frontline) at #2 and the unstoppable Sarah Young's Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence at #3.
Titles from Thomas Nelson offer advice and Bible-based encouragement. Prolific author Lysa TerKeurst's Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are is at #5 and at #7 is QVC star and beauty entrepreneur Kim Gravel's Collecting Confidence: Start Where You Are to Become The Person You Were Meant to Be.
The April list does, however, contain what may be a surprise to anyone who didn't see author, apostolic Bible teacher, and pastor Alexander Pagani featured in a movie, Come Out in Jesus' Name, released last month, about unconventional pastors sparking a national revival. The premise of the film was Pagani's 2018 debut book The Secrets to Deliverance: Defeat the Toughest Cases of Demonic Bondage (Charisma House), according to Charisma marketing manager Margarita Henry, who called it "a publisher's dream." The book, #10 on the list, offers what Pagani calls his keys to detect and drive out demons that hide in people's souls and body parts. Henry said a sequel, The Secrets of Generational Curses: Break the Stronghold in the Bloodline," is planned for September.
The top 10 also include the always-important C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity (HarperOne) at #7 and a photo-illustrated tour of the Holy Land in Israel: Beauty, Light, and Luxury (Bethany House) by Tara Leigh Cobble at #9.
In fiction, Mitch Albom's 2021 hit title, The Stranger in the Lifeboat (Harper), was released in paperback in April. It jumped to #1 on the religion list, and brought fresh attention back to the hardback version, which is now listed at #9. Another two-fer on the list is ever-popular Francine Rivers. Her new title, The Lady's Mine (Tyndale) at #5, also gave an extra bounce to her 2005 megaseller, Redeeming Love (Multnomah) at #6.
Christian romances have a ready audience. Amish country-focused author Wanda E. Brunstetter's March release, Letters of Trust: Friendship Letters Series Book 1, was #2 on the list in April. And romance + suspense attracted enough attention to pull two Harlequin titles into the ranks. Jacquelin Thomas' Cold Case Deceit is #8 and A Cowboy’s Justice by Lisa Charles is #10.
Buyers also mined for old gold: Og Mandino's The Greatest Salesman in the World (Bantam, 1983) rose to #3 in the wake of the Easter season. Johnathan Cahn's The Harbinger (Frontline), the first in Cahn's series of prophecy titles, is the #4 April bestseller, and the C.S. Lewis' classic The Great Divorce, reissued by HarperOne in 2015, stands at #7.
