When I first came to faith, I filled bookcase upon bookcase with Christian Literature. I just could not get enough! I was about 38 years old and I felt as though I had 38 years of not being a Christian to make up for!!! I began reading the Good News Bible, then I read about Paul the Apostle before discovering John Stott who I found most helpful. Below, I have made a list of books that I have rated 4 or 5 stars on Goodreads. Some I read a long time ago, some very recently. I have tried to divide them into different categories, however, it is sometimes the case that a book could have slid into a few categories or that a book is probably on the outer edge of that particular category but that is where I found it rested best. For anyone living close to me, you would be so welcome to borrow any of my books, for others, you could try a local library, or there are some charity shops which stock Christian material. Another option is looking at second-hand versions online. Many of mine are preloved and still in great condition! Some may be reasonably priced new and others slightly more expensive.
I pray that you uncover the same enthusiasm for Christian Literature that I did. Please do not be put off if you read the occasional book that does not resonate with you at all or that you find to be doctrinally wrong. This is inevitable if you are going through books like I did! Just read carefully, always checking Scripture references and reading your Bible alongside. If a book does not feel right, just put it down and start another one. There is such a wealth of Christian Literature that it is inevitable some will be doctrinally unsound, so just use your God given wisdom to seek out the truth from the lies.
Happy Reading!!
Love and Blessings
Louise x
Teaching on Doctrine
| Author | Title | Stars |
| ATB McGowan | The New Birth: What Born Again Really Means | 5 |
| J I Packer | Knowing God | 5 |
| A Passion for Holiness | 5 | |
| Bruce Milne | Know the Truth | 5 |
| C. S. Lewis | Mere Christianity | 5 |
Teaching on History
| Author | Title | Stars |
| Robert Huber | The One Stop Guide to the History of the Bible | 5 |
| The New Lion Handbook | The History of Christianity | 4 |
| Jenny Robertson | Strength of the Hills | 5 |
| Bruce Fisk | A Hitchhikers Guide to Jesus | 4 |
| Bernhard Anderson | The Living World of the Old Testament | 4 |
| Terry Glaspey | 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know: The Fascinating Stories behind Great Works of Art, Literature, Music and Film | 4 |
Understanding Scripture
| Author | Title | Stars |
| John Stott | Through the Bible Through the Year | 5 |
| Understanding the Bible | 5 | |
| Mark Stauss | Four Portraits: One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels | 5 |
| David Pawson | Unlocking the Bible | 5 |
Practical Help
| Author | Title | Stars |
| Craig Groeschel | Divine Direction: 7 Decisions that will Change your Life | 4 |
| R T Kendall | When God Shows Up: Expecting the Unexpected | 5 |
| Max Lucado | Outlive your Life: You were Made to Make a Difference | 5 |
| In the Eye of the Storm | 5 | |
| Come Thirsty: No Heart too Dry for His Touch | 4 | |
| John Ortberg | If you want to Walk on Water, you’ve got to get out of the Boat | 5 |
| Rod Parsley | Ancient Wells, Living Water: God Invites you to Come and Drink | 5 |
| Nicky Gumbel | Challenging Lifestyle | 5 |
| A Life Worth Living | 5 | |
| Justin Earley | The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction | 5 |
| Christina Vinson | God’s Peace When You Can’t Sleep | 5 |
| Tony Evans | Discover Your Destiny: Let God Use You Like He Made You | 5 |
| Robert J Morgan | Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation: Find True Peace in Jesus | 4 |
| Jennie Allen | Get Out of Your Head | 4 |
| Angus Buchan | Faith Like Potatoes | 5 |
| A Rushing Mighty Wind | 5 | |
| The Secret Place: Finding Quiet Time in the Presence of God | 5 | |
| Come of Age: The Road to Spiritual Maturity | 5 | |
| Celia Marie | God Given Food: A Bible Study & Beyond | 4 |
| Lee Strobel | The Case for Christ | 5 |
| The Case for A Creator | 4 | |
| The Case for Faith | 4 |
Church and Revival
| Author | Title | Stars |
| Richard Taylor | How to Read a Church | 5 |
| Jim Wilkinson | Miracle Valley: The Story of Hollybush Farm | 5 |
Missionaries
| Author | Title | Stars |
| Paul Hattaway | The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun | 5 |
| Brother Andrew | God’s Smuggler | 4 |
| Max Myers | Eyes Turned Skywards | 4 |
Autobiographies/Biographies
| Author | Title | Stars |
| Don Piper | 90 Minutes in Heaven | 5 |
| Heroes of the Faith | William Carey | 5 |
| David Livingstone | 5 | |
| Oswald Chambers | His Life and Work | 5 |
| Corrie Ten Boom | In My Father’s House | 5 |
| The Hiding Place | 5 | |
| Tramp for the Lord | 4 | |
| John Pollock | Paul the Apostle | 4 |
| Alexander Whyte | Apostle Paul | 5 |
| John Foxe | Foxe’s Christian Martyrs of the World | 5 |
| Jock Purves | Fair Sunshine | 4 |
Devotionals
| Author | Title | Stars |
| Angus Buchan | Now Is the Time Daily Devotional | 5 |
| Alistair Begg | Ruth: 30 Day Devotional | 4 |
| Oswald Chambers | My Utmost Devotional Bible | 5 |
| My Utmost for His Highest | 5 | |
| Selwyn Hughes & Trevor J Partridge | Character by Character, 365 Daily Readings | 5 |
Lastly, just a few extras.
Recently I have found the book of Common Order to be useful for prayers. When you just do not know what to say, you can have a look at this book and there are prayers for morning, evening etc.
Also, an interesting way to the read Scripture is The Books of the Bible (NIV). Here the chapters and verses have been stripped away leaving the text more like the original Scriptures. The headings and verses were added in the 1600s so they may lead us to interpretations that are not helpful. Here, you can read, for instance, the letters of Paul as a complete letter which would have been received by the addressee!!
