The second-half of 2017 is jam-packed with amazing books releasing! Y’all…Ann Voskamp, Holley Gerth, Sara Hagerty, Melanie Shankle, Annie Downs, Anne Bogel… just to name a few!

You already know this but I have no problem saying it again: I’m absolutely obsessed with books. And based on the number of shares and pins on previous book round-up posts, y’all feel the same way!

If you want to skim previous lists, check out 12 Can’t-Miss Books Coming in 2016 or 13 Can’t Miss Books Coming in 2017. (Since so many books are releasing in 2017, consider this the fall/winter release round-up.)

I’ve included a blurb (pulled from Amazon descriptions) about each book and they’re listed below in order of release date. At the end of the list you’ll find a extra-special “stay tuned” section for 2018 releases!

If a book grabs your attention — for yourself or a friend — you might want to consider preordering. It’s always a nice surprise when you forget you’ve ordered something and then it magically appears in your mailbox on release day!

Why I love preordering through Amazon: First, you’re guaranteed to pay the lowest price advertised (Example: if you preorder on August 1st when it’s $10.00, then it drops to $9.00 in September and is $12.00 when it releases on October 3rd, you’ll only pay $9.00). Second, you aren’t charged until the book releases. Third, if you’re going to buy the book anyway, you might as well preorder it so you can submit your receipt and receive free gifts (most authors now offer freebies on their site to anyone who preorders).

15 *More* Can’t-Miss Books Coming in 2017

 

Remarkable Faith: When Jesus Marveled at the Faith of Unremarkable People :: Shauna Letellier

Remarkable Faith tells the stories of people whose faith was of such quality that Jesus himself marveled at it — people who were broken, needy, and dependent. These eight inspiring vignettes weave history, theology, and fictional detail into their biblical accounts to bring relief and a new perspective to those whose faith feels unremarkable.

Written to encourage and relieve discouraged Christians who wonder if their faith is a disappointment to God, this book will demonstrate that remarkable faith — the kind Jesus marveled at — isn’t about achieving or performing. Readers will discover they can exchange their performance-based evaluation of their faith with a fresh, life-giving intimacy with the Jesus who delights in transforming inadequacies into irrepressible affection.

++++

Almost There: Searching for Home in a Life on the Move :: Bekah DiFelice

On the move . . . again? Wondering when you will “arrive”? Sometimes God leads people out of familiar territory so He can tell them who they are.

Almost There is for those on the move and those who feel restless right where they are. It’s for those who struggle with not belonging, with feeling unsettled, with believing that home is out of their reach — at least for the moment.

With imaginative storytelling and witty, relatable prose, Bekah DiFelice offers wisdom for those struggling to belong in a world where home is constantly shifting. When our hope of home is rooted in an unchangeable God, we are not uprooted, lost, or made homeless by change. We become found ones on the move.

My note: If you follow me on Instagram then you already know my feelings about Almost There. I won’t blubber on and on, but basically here’s the thing: I randomly found this book (knowing nothing at all about Bekah or the message behind the book) and by chapter four, I had declared it one of the best books I’ve read all year. (At the time I was at 31 books read in 2017, so that’s saying something.)

++++

Come Find Me, Sage Parker :: Aliza Latta

For nine years Maeve Parker has been waiting for her mother to come home. “I’ll be back soon, my darling,” her mother, Sage, said the day she left. “Don’t you worry. I just need to go find myself.”

Do you have to run away in order to find yourself? Maeve wondered. When, exactly, do you know when that self you were so desperately looking for is found? Now Maeve is sixteen-years-old and Sage still hasn’t returned.

Fiercely independent and disillusioned, Maeve has grown up with her mother’s ex-boyfriend as her only companion. Giving up all hope of Sage’s return, she convinces herself that mothers and people are unnecessary. When she meets Ky and Levi, she is adamant about keeping them at arms length. But Ky, the only true friend Maeve knows, and Levi, the boy with the startling blue eyes, crash through Maeve’s walls.

Then one of them is wrenched away permanently. And Maeve is left dangling with the final words they left behind: go find Sage Parker.

++++

Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World That Loves to Be Noticed :: Sara Hagerty

Every heart longs to be seen and understood. Yet most of our lives is unwitnessed. We sometimes spend whole seasons feeling unnoticed and unappreciated. So how do we find contentment when we feel so hidden?

Our culture applauds what we can produce, what we can show, what we can upload to social media. But as Hagerty writes, “Maybe my seemingly unproductive, looking-up-at-Him life produces awe among the angels.” Through an eloquent exploration of both personal and biblical story, Hagerty calls us to offer every unseen minute of our lives to God. God is in the secret places of our lives that no one else witnesses and His invitation is not just for a season or a day. It is the question of our lives: “When no one else applauds you, when it makes no sense, when you see no results—will you waste your love on Me?”

++++

Why Motherhood Matters: An Invitation to Purposeful Parenting :: September McCarthy

Do you ever wonder if your efforts as a mom make any difference? Take heart. Whether you’re struggling through sleepless nights with your toddler or endless battles with your teen, September McCarthy’s story offers practical insights and powerful inspiration to encourage you on your own mothering journey.

As a mom for 25 years who continues to raise young children and love her young adults, September imparts words of wisdom and grace in key areas of Christian parenting, including faith (getting honest with your family about your need for Jesus), wellness (learning to take care of your kids… and yourself), education (raising a new generation with creativity and character), and relationships (speaking to the heart of your children in unique ways).

++++

Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything :: Anne Bogel

If the viral Buzzfeed-style personality quizzes are any indication, we are collectively obsessed with the idea of defining and knowing ourselves and our unique place in the world. But what we’re finding is this: knowing which Harry Potter character you are is easy, but actually knowing yourself isn’t as simple as just checking a few boxes on an online quiz.

For readers who long to dig deeper into what makes them uniquely them (and why that matters), popular blogger Anne Bogel has done the hard part — collecting, exploring, and explaining the most popular personality frameworks, such as Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, Enneagram and others. She explains to readers the life-changing insights that can be gained from each and shares specific, practical real-life applications across all facets of life, including love and marriage, productivity, parenting, the workplace, and spiritual life. In her friendly, relatable style, Bogel shares engaging personal stories that show firsthand how understanding personality can revolutionize the way we live, love, work and pray.

++++

Fiercehearted: Live Fully, Love Bravely :: Holley Gerth

A fiercehearted woman looks life in the face and says, “You can’t beat me.” She knows love is a risk but reaches out anyway. She chases Jesus with a tender, world-changing wildness. She never gives in, never gives up, and never lets go. Best of all, the potential to be a fiercehearted woman is inside each and every woman on earth.

In her most powerful book yet, beloved bestselling author Holley Gerth inspires her readers to become the stronger, braver, truer women they long to be by sharing personal stories of her own struggles and victories. As readers join Holley on this journey, they’ll discover a freedom they never imagined could be theirs: the freedom to experience life, love, and faith to the fullest because fear can no longer hold them back.

For the woman who is restless or longing for more, Fiercehearted is an invitation to the life God has always meant for her to embrace.

My note: Take this with a grain of salt because I’m helping manage this book release… but Fiercehearted is easily the best book Holley has ever written. I read an early copy months ago and still can’t put words to how good this book is. It’s a departure from the style of writing Holley is known for, but trust me when I say this book deserves to hit a lot of bestseller lists.

 

Church of the Small Things: The Million Little Pieces That Make Up a Life :: Melanie Shankle

Is my ordinary, everyday life actually significant? It’s been said, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.” The pressure of that can be staggering. Meanwhile, we lose sight of the small significance of fully living with every breath we take.

Easygoing and relatable, Melanie Shankle speaks directly to the heart of women of all ages who are longing to find significance and meaning in the normal, sometimes mundane world of driving carpool to soccer practice, attending class on their college campus, cooking meals for their family, or taking care of a sick loved one.

The million little pieces that make a life aren’t necessarily glamorous or far-reaching. But God uses some of the smallest, most ordinary acts of faithfulness — and sometimes they look a whole lot like packing lunch. Through humorous stories told in her signature style, full of the unexpected grace that comes when we quit trying to measure up and a little of the best TV has to offer, Melanie helps women embrace what it means to live a simple, yet incredibly meaningful life and how to find all the beauty and laughter that lies right beneath the surface of every moment.

My note: I’ve read an early release copy and it is the perfect combination of humor and inspiration. In my opinion, it’s Melanie’s best book yet.

++++

Daring to Hope: Finding God’s Goodness in the Broken and the Beautiful :: Katie Davis Majors

When Katie moved to Uganda, accidentally founded a booming organization, and later became a mother through the miracle of adoption, she determined to deeply weave her life together with the people she desired to serve. But after unexpected tragedy shook her family, for the first time in her life Katie began to wonder, Is God really good? Does He really love us? As she turned to Him with her doubts and shaky faith, God did not remain silent but spoke truths to her heart, drawing her even more deeply into relationship with Him.

Daring to Hope is an invitation to hope in the God of the impossible — the God who whispers His love to us in the quiet, in the mundane, when our prayers are not answered the way we wanted or the miracle doesn’t come. It is about a mother discovering the extraordinary strength it takes just to be ordinary. It is about choosing faith no matter the circumstance and about encountering God’s goodness and presence in the least expected places, when life is a far cry from anything we imagined.

Though your heartaches and dreams may take a different shape, you will find your own questions echoed in these pages. You’ll be reminded of the gifts of joy in the midst of sorrow and courage in the face of uncertainty. And you’ll hear God’s whisper: Your hope in Me will never leave you disappointed.

++++

Shalom Sistas: Living Wholeheartedly in a Brokenhearted World :: Osheta Moore

Shalom sista: A woman who loves people, follows the Prince of Peace, and never gives up her sass. Shalom, the Hebrew word often translated as “peace,” was a far cry from blogger and podcaster Osheta Moore’s crazy life. Like a lot of women, she loved God’s dream for a world that is whole, vibrant, and flourishing. But honestly: who’s got the time? So one night she whispered a dangerous prayer: God, show me the things that make for peace.

In Shalom Sistas, Moore shares what she learned when she challenged herself to study peace in the Bible for forty days. Taking readers through the twelve points of the Shalom Sistas’ Manifesto, Moore experiments with practices of everyday peacemaking and invites readers to do the same. From dropping “love bombs” on a family vacation, to talking to the coach who called her son the n-word, to spreading shalom with a Swiffer, Moore offers bold steps for crossing lines between black and white, suburban and urban, rich and poor. What if a bunch of Jesus-following women catch a vision of a vibrant, whole, flourishing world? What happens when Shalom Sistas unite?

++++

Dance, Stand, Run: The God-Inspired Moves of a Woman on Holy Ground :: Jess Connolly

Grace is always good news. But it’s not cheap — true grace compels us to change. That’s where holiness comes in.

Beloved writer, speaker, and bestselling coauthor of Wild and Free Jess Connolly will be the first to admit that not long ago, like many women, she grasped grace but she had forgotten holiness. Dance, Stand, Run charts her discovery that holiness was never meant to be a shaming reminder of what we “should” be doing, but rather a profound privilege of becoming more like Christ. That’s when we start to change the world, rather than being changed by it.

Dance, Stand, Run is an invitation to the daughters of God to step into the movements of abundant life: dancing in grace, standing firm in holiness, and running on mission. Through story and study, Jess casts a fresh vision for how to live into your identity as a holy daughter of God, how to break free of cheap grace and empty rule-keeping, and finally, how to live out your holy influence with confidence before a watching world.

++++

100 Days to Brave: Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self :: Annie Downs

You were always meant to be brave. Whether you’re making a major decision, dealing with a difficult transition, or facing a fear, 100 Days to Brave will give you courage and confidence to move forward.

Annie F. Downs felt her challenges were too difficult, too scary, too much. Then she decided to stop allowing fear to hold her back. It wasn’t easy or simple. But it was good.

With honesty and relatable humor, this compilation of best-of writings and new pieces from Annie will help you embrace the path and the plan God has for you. Dare to spend the next 100 days discovering that you are braver than you know and stronger than you thought possible.

++++

Be the Gift: Let Your Broken Be Turned into Abundance :: Ann Voskamp

The idea that even in the depths of our own brokenness God can use each of us to be a gift to someone else is powerful — that He makes each of us enough to give to someone else. Just as powerful is the realization that in becoming God’s gifts to others, our lives become more abundant: “Maybe the only abundant way forward is always to give forward.”

Live out the messages in Ann’s bestselling books, The Broken Way and One Thousand Gifts, with Be the Gift, a practical guide that takes you through each day of the year with ways to bless those around you. One Thousand Gifts encouraged readers to live a life of thanksgiving and to chronicle the gifts from God in their everyday lives. The Broken Way reminded readers that freedom is not found beyond fear and pain, but within it. Now Be the Gift will unpack and chronicle the next step to really live in communion — opening ourselves up to givenness in spite of our brokenness.

++++

In the Middle of the Mess Study Guide: Strength for This Beautiful, Broken Life :: Sheila Walsh

How do you turn your struggles into strengths? In her long-awaited new book, Sheila Walsh equips women with a practical method for connecting with God’s strength in the midst of struggle. From daily frustrations that can feel like overwhelming obstacles to hard challenges that turn into rock-bottom crises, women will find the means to equip themselves for standing strong with God. Using the spiritual applications of confession, prayer, and meditation on Scripture to form a daily connection to Jesus, women will learn how to experience new joy as a child of God who is fully known, fully loved, and fully accepted.

In In the Middle of the Mess, Walsh reveals the hardened defenses that kept her from allowing God into her deepest hurts and shares how entering into a safe place with God and practicing this daily connection with him have saved her from the devil’s prowling attacks. Though we will never be completely “fixed” on earth, we are continually held by Jesus, whatever our circumstances.

++++

In This Moment: A Novel (The Baxter Family) :: Karen Kingsbury

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes a brand-new Baxter Family novel about a beloved high school principal who starts a Bible Study to improve the lives of his struggling students, only to become the national focus of a controversial lawsuit.

Hamilton High Principal Wendell Quinn is tired of the violence, drug abuse, teen pregnancies, and low expectations at his Indianapolis school. A single father of four, Quinn wants to see change in his community so he starts a voluntary after-school Bible Study and prayer program. He knows he is risking his job by leading the program, but the high turnout at every meeting encourages him.

A year later, violence and gang activity are down, test scores are up, and drug use and teen pregnancy have plummeted. The program is clearly working — until one parent calls the press. Now Quinn faces a lawsuit that could ruin everything. With a storm of national attention and criticism, Quinn is at a crossroads — he must choose whether to cave in and shut down the program or stand up for himself and his students. The battle comes with a high cost, and Quinn wants just one attorney on his side for this fight: Luke Baxter.

In This Moment is an inspiring, relevant story about the nuances of religious freedom and how a group of determined people just might restore the meaning of faith in today’s culture.

++++

In my December post of 13 Can’t Miss Books Coming in 2017, I mentioned these three books that look amazing but won’t release until the fall!

All in All Journaling Devotional: Living a Life That’s Whole and Free :: Sophie Hudson

Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life :: Jen Hatmaker

GraceLaced: Discovering Timeless Truths Through Seasons of the Heart :: Ruth Chou Simons

Stay Tuned…

I’m already compiling a list of books that will release in 2018! I can’t say too much at this point, but trust me — there’s some really great stuff coming from Sarah Bessey, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Kayla Aimee, Jamie Ivey, Jess Connolly & Hayley Morgan, Rachel Hollis, the (in)courage community… and many more!

Go ahead and stock up on a few books from my early 2017 release list (or this late 2017 list)… or share this post with friends via Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest so they don’t miss a good read… and then check back here in November/December for the 2018 list!

6 Ways to Read More Books Every Month ::

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