2018, y’all. It is filled to the brim with incredible books releasing. For the first time, I’ve split the Can’t-Miss List into three posts: January-April, May-August, and September-December.

Every time I curate a new list, I’m amazed at the number of shares, pins, comments and personal emails letting me know what books you’re most looking forward to. Your excitement makes all the behind-the-scenes work totally worth it!

If you want to skim lists from 2016 or 2017, feel free to check out 12 Can’t-Miss Books Coming in 2016, 13 Can’t-Miss Books Coming in 2017, and 15 *More* Can’t-Miss Books Coming in 2017.

And, of course, there’s the January-April 2018 list as well.

The books below are listed in order of release date and include a blurb pulled from Amazon descriptions.

At the end, I’ve listed a cookbook, Bible study, and planner I think you’ll want to know about, as well as a special “stay tuned” section. Consider it a small sneak peak of the September-December can’t-miss books list that I’ll share in late August!

Please feel free to share this list on Facebook or pin to Pinterest! I’d love to hear what book(s) you’re most looking forward to! And ps, a helpful tip: if a book grabs your attention — for yourself or a friend — you might want to consider preordering.

Why I love preordering through Amazon: First, you’re guaranteed to pay the lowest price advertised. (For example, if you preorder in April when it’s $13.00, then it drops to $10.00 in May and is $15.00 when it releases in June, you’ll only pay $10.00). 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 website to anyone who preorders).

 

13 Can’t-Miss Books Coming May-August of 2018

 

An Intentional Life: A Life-Giving Invitation to Uncover Your Passions and Unlock Your Purpose :: Karen Stott

A joy-filled life is possible… and you can have it right where you are. Those desires that tug on your heart and keep you up at night—the big dreams, grand adventures, new experiences—require purpose and planning, time and effort. Is it possible to follow your passions while still finding joy and meaning where God has you right now?

In An Intentional Life, you’ll be empowered to prepare space in your day for the endeavors that matter most to you and yours, discover clear ways to keep your home, family, and work in healthy balance, and enjoy fresh moments of grace and gratitude as you make sure you are in your life.

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Grace Like Scarlett: Grieving with Hope after Miscarriage and Loss :: Adriel Booker

Though one in four pregnancies ends in loss, miscarriage is shrouded in such secrecy and stigma that the woman who experiences it often feels deeply isolated, unsure how to process her grief. Her confidence in the goodness of God is rattled. Her loved ones don’t know what to say. Her heart is broken. She may feel guilty, ashamed, angry, depressed, confused, or alone.

With vulnerability and tenderness, Adriel shares her own experience of three consecutive miscarriages. She tackles complex questions about faith and suffering with sensitivity and clarity, inviting women to a place of grace, honesty, and hope in the redemptive purposes of God without offering pat answers or religious clichés. She also shares specific, practical resources, such as ways to help guide children through grief, suggestions for memorializing your baby, and advice on pregnancy after loss, as well as a special section for dads and loved ones.

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The Spirit-Led Heart: Living a Life of Love and Faith without Borders :: Suzanne Eller

Without realizing it, we’ve gotten lost in our own little lives. We’ve settled for “good enough” and days that run together in an unmemorable blur. We long for something to shake us up, but we’re exhausted by the thought of it too.

In her warm, vulnerable style, Suzanne shows how living and loving without limits has nothing to do with our own efforts—it has everything to do with God’s Holy Spirit. Unpacking the promises and teachings Jesus shared about the Holy Spirit, Suzanne shows how we can stop settling and start truly living. When we learn to unwrap the gift of His presence, we’ll find the world-changing, foundation-shaking, soul-stirring life of passion and purpose God is waiting to give us.

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Unblinded Faith: Gaining Spiritual Sight Through Believing God’s Word :: Elisa Pulliam

What if you could endure trials with a steady calm and make daily decisions with confidence in God’s purposes?

In Unblinded Faith, Elisa Pulliam invites readers to take a holy pause and experience a fresh encounter with God and His Word. This 90-day devotional is filled with thoughtful application of Scripture to help you see God personally and know His love for you.

It is possible to take God at His Word. It is possible to embrace His promises, even when your circumstances challenge your faith. You can experience the fullness of God’s love, kindness, grace, mercy, and wisdom—no matter where you find yourself today.

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Unexpected: Leave Fear Behind, Move Forward in Faith, Embrace the Adventure :: Christine Caine

Is it possible to have peace in an uncertain world? To not only expect the unexpected but embrace it?

Most of us want to have life under control. But God wants us to anticipate the unexpected with a faith deeply rooted in His goodness. He wants us to know that because He is in control, we don’t have to be.

In Unexpected, Christine helps us walk into the life God has for us—unknowns and all—as we move from fear and worry about ourselves to hope and trust in God. As we learn new ways to manage disappointment, strengthen our hearts, and build our faith, we can enjoy a new adventure with God that is more fulfilling than any day we spend trying to anticipate what will happen next.

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Come Matter Here: Your Invitation to Be Here in a Getting There World :: Hannah Brencher

“Someday, somewhere” is a dangerous game. The real stuff of life is here and now. What if the dotted lines on the map at your feet today mattered just as much as the destination you dream of?

Our hyper-connected era has led us to believe life should be a highlight reel—where what matters most is perfect beauty, instant success, and ready applause. Yet, as Hannah learned, nothing about faith, relationships, or character is instant. So she took up a new mantra: be where your feet are. Give yourself a permission slip to stop chasing the next big thing, and come matter here. Engage the process as much as you trust the God who lovingly leads you.

If you are tired of running away from your life or tired of running ragged toward the next thing you think will make you feel complete, Come Matter Here will help you do whatever it takes to show up for the life God has for you.

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

Sometimes we ask What is God’s will for my life? when we should really be asking Who should I be?

The Bible has an answer: Be like the very image of God. 

By exploring ten characteristics of who God is—holy, loving, just, good, merciful, gracious, faithful, patient, truthful, and wise—In His Image helps readers understand who God intends for His people to be. Through Christ, the perfect reflection of the image of God, readers will discover how God’s own attributes impact how we live, leading to freedom and purpose as we follow His will, reflect His character, and become all that God made us to be.

 

 

Only One Life: How a Woman’s Every Day Shapes an Eternal Legacy :: Jackie Green and Lauren Green McAfee

Life keeps us running so fast and frenzied that we often lose sight of each day’s holy potential. Yet as a woman loved and called by God, your ordinary everyday matters more than you could possibly imagine.

Your choices today shape the legacy you leave for future generations. You are part of a story that has existed long before you and will long outlast you. And you can play a unique and irreplaceable role.

In Only One Life, mother-and-daughter team Jackie and Lauren invite you to join the company of women God is using to change the world. Through vivid portraits of women of the Bible, women of history, and women shaping the world today, you’ll discover how God multiplies seemingly small daily offerings of faithfulness. Come and see your own story reflected in the lives of women such as Mary Magdalene, Catherine Booth, Joni Eareckson Tada, and other ordinary women who have done extraordinary things.

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Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again :: Rachel Held Evans

If the Bible isn’t a science book or an instruction manual, then what is it? What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? When Rachel found herself asking these questions, she began a quest to better understand what the Bible is and how it’s meant to be read. What she discovered changed her—and it will change you too.

Drawing on the best in recent scholarship and using her well-honed literary expertise, Rachel examines some of our favorite Bible stories and possible interpretations, retelling them through memoir, original poetry, short stories, soliloquies, and even a short screenplay. Undaunted by the Bible’s most difficult passages, she wrestles through the process of doubting, imagining, and debating Scripture’s mysteries. The Bible, she discovers, is not a static work but is a living, breathing, captivating, and confounding book that is able to equip us to join God’s loving and redemptive work in the world.

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What Happens When Women Say Yes to God: Live More Fully, Love More Deeply, Experience God’s Best for You :: Lysa TerKeurst

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering What is God’s plan for my life? or Can He really use me? you’re not alone. Lysa has wrestled through those same questions. But she’s also learned that we were absolutely created to participate in God’s divine activity and experience His rich blessings. We just have to say yes to Him! Our job is obedience. God’s job is everything else.

Through her own struggles, doubts, and honest vulnerability, Lysa will equip you to reignite your passion for the Lord by discovering the incredible opportunities He’s already placed in front of you and overcome the fear that you’re not doing the Christian life right by learning it’s about perfect surrender, not perfect performance.

(Note: This is an updated edition of a previously released book by the same name. There is also a newly updated edition of the version for Young Women, written by Lysa and her daughter Hope.)

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Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done :: Katie M. Reid

Made Like Martha is an invitation for overachievers to discover what it means to rest as God’s daughters without compromising their God-given design as doers.

Though she didn’t sit at Jesus’s feet like her sister Mary, biblical Martha was loved just as she was—and you are too. This practical resource invites modern-day Marthas to sit down spiritually as they exchange try-hard striving for hope-filled freedom without abandoning their doer’s heart in the process.

Doers need to be affirmed in their innate design to do rather than sit, yet also be reminded that they don’t have to overdo it in order to be worthy. This book is not an exhortation to add or subtract things off your to-do list, but an invitation to embrace the “good” of the Good News.

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Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up :: Kathy Khang

You have a voice and you have God’s permission to use it. In some communities, certain voices are amplified and elevated while others are erased and suppressed. It can be hard to speak up, especially in the ugliness of social media. Power dynamics keep us silent and marginalized, especially when race, ethnicity, and gender are factors. What can we do about it?

In Raise Your Voice, Kathy Khang roots our voice and identity in the image of God. Because God created us in our ethnicity and gender, our voice is uniquely expressed through the totality of who we are. We are created to speak, and we can both speak up for ourselves and speak out on behalf of others. Raise Your Voice offers insights from faithful heroes who raised their voices for the sake of God’s justice and shows how we can do the same today—in person, in social media, in organizations, and in the public square.

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Imperfect Courage: Live a Life of Purpose by Leaving Comfort and Going Scared :: Jessica Honegger

In 2015, Inc. magazine recognized Noonday Collection as one of the fastest-growing companies in America. Years earlier, Jessica stood at a pawn-shop counter in Austin, Texas and handed over her grandmother’s gold jewelry. Her goal was personal: to fund the adoption of her Rwandan son, Jack, by selling artisan-made jewelry. This first step launched an unexpected side-hustle that grew into Noonday Collection.

Refusing to let fear hinder her goals, Jessica found the necessary (if imperfect) courage she needed along the way—the courage to leave comfort and embrace a life of risk and impact

In Imperfect Courage, Jessica invites you to draw a circle of compassion around yourself and leads you through soul-searching aimed at setting you free from shame. Next, she challenges you to come together, risking all for each other and commit to building a culture of collaboration. Finally, she calls on you to broaden your circles of compassion to embrace the entire globe—and to bring that cultivation of imperfect courage to a world that deeply needs you.

 

A Cookbook, Bible Study, and a Planner…

I couldn’t help but include these three as an “extra” to the list!

Real Life Dinners: Fun, Fresh, Fast Dinners from the Creator of The Chic Site :: Rachel Hollis

Real life isn’t a series of stylized air-brushed photos. It’s crazy, chaotic, beautiful, and funny, and it can knock you right off balance. But cooking and eating as a family has always been at real life’s core. Real Life Dinners is a cookbook that fits into your real daily life.

Based on meals Rachel makes for her husband, three sons, and baby daughter, Real Life Dinners bursts with over 80 photos and recipes including lemon-pesto chicken, freeze-ahead breakfast sandwiches, toast nine ways, slow cooker loaded potato soup, and Rachel’s spice blends.

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He is Enough: Living in the Fullness of Jesus (A Study in Colossians) :: Asheritah Ciuciu

We live in a world of scarcity. We say, “I don’t have enough time… maybe when we have more money… if only I had a little more help…” But Scripture says if we have Jesus, we have enough.

In this 6-week study of Colossians, Asheritah leads readers to discover the life-altering importance of Jesus’ sufficiency and sovereignty. And you don’t need hours a day to enjoy this Bible Study. Each day’s study contains two paths: Snack on the Go—a bite-size morsel of truth to chew on throughout your busy day, and Feast—a dig-deep guide to maximizing the “meat” you’re getting out of your Bible Study.

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GraceLaced 17-month Planner :: Ruth Chou Simons

Approach each new day with purpose, led by truth from God’s Word. This 17-month planner from artist and author Ruth Chou Simons will help you organize your days and embrace the changing seasons of your heart.

Inside you’ll find artistically crafted weekly, monthly, and yearly calendars, ample space each week to keep track of to-dos and focus your intentions, opportunities to record your prayers and favorite passages, and hand-lettered Scriptures to encourage your heart.

This beautiful planner will help you practice everyday faithfulness and find God’s grace laced through each season of your life.

 

Stay Tuned…

Am I already working on compiling the list and preparing a post of can’t-miss books releasing in September-December? Of course I am. I’ll share more in a few months, but for now… let’s just say there are several amazing books coming from Annie Downs, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Shannan Martin, Hayley Morgan — and so many more.

Affiliate links have been used in this post.

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