She’s Got the Wrong Guy: Why Smart Women Settle

Deepak Reju

Pastor Deepak Reju offers encouragement and caution to young Christian women who are single but want to be married. His message is clear from the initial chapters: “The best way to find a husband is not to search for a man, but to fall in love with your Savior.” Reju explains factors that lead girls to settle for guys who are not marriage material, then takes readers through 10 portraits of men Christian women should avoid. His last two chapters offer encouragement and hope: “Why Waiting Is Okay.”

In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character

Jen Wilkin

Wilkin explains attributes of God that Christians can imitate with the goal of being a better person, not just making better choices. Each chapter begins with a relatable and sometimes humorous illustration, a description of an attribute of God, and an application of that attribute for the reader. Chapters end with verses for meditation, questions for reflection, and a prompt to pray. Wilkin writes about dense theological themes with grace and simplicity, anticipating questions and sharing examples from her life. It’s a good follow-up to her book None Like Him, which was about God’s incommunicable attributes.

Eve in Exile

Rebekah Merkle

With witty and intelligent writing, Merkle pokes holes in wrong ideas people have about femininity. She gives the history of the feminist movement, showing its roots and results, and explains that women are designed to subdue, fill, help, and glorify. Merkle explains Biblical womanhood in light of the creation mandate, with a uniquely balanced emphasis on women’s calling “to enflesh the weighty truths of our faith.” Readers will appreciate Merkle’s nuance, readability, and ability to challenge some aspect of their view of womanhood, no matter which extreme they lean toward.

Why Can’t We Be Friends? Avoidance Is Not Purity

Aimee Byrd

Many Christians pull back from friendships with those of the opposite sex as a way of avoiding temptation. Byrd challenges this thought process: “If you are born into a family full of siblings, you can’t pretend you’re an only child. It just doesn’t work that way.” She writes that Biblical purity means more than avoiding extramarital sex, and Christians are called to love one another, not steer clear of everyone but their spouses. With humor and distinction, she presents a compelling picture of godly friendship as siblings in Christ.

AFTERWORD

In On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos Press, 2018) English professor Karen Swallow Prior uses virtue as a lens through which to read some classic books, and uses the books as a way to understand virtue. The goal: to become a better reader and better person. Each chapter pairs one novel and one virtue—for example, patience in Jane Austen’s Persuasion. The literary criticism format makes it especially appropriate for students.

Two resources for comic-book lovers:

The Kingstone Bible mimics the sleek style of DC and Marvel comics. Spanning 2,000-plus pages and three volumes, Kingstone is a delightful epic—though it takes creative liberties that may trouble or confuse some readers. Caution: intense illustrations, particularly in Revelation.

Parents of children with wandering attention spans may appreciate the soft-cover comic Heroes of the Bible by Adam Boggs (CreateSpace, 2017). It introduces Bible characters with quirky illustrations, short written descriptions, and Scripture references. —Harvest Prude