Inspiring books: a few recent favorites

Fiction is generally my genre of choice, so when I do venture into non-fiction, it has to be worth my while. Life is too short to read unhelpful or uninteresting books. These are a few inspiring books I’ve read in recent months, and I highly recommend them all.

*Note: post contains affiliate links.

The Best Yes

I’m a chronic people-pleaser, so it’s taken me a long time to learn I don’t have to say yes to everything. This faith-based book is full of practical advice for helping make wise decisions big and small, and Lisa’s writing is funny and personal enough to make me feel like we’re friends now.  Good for people-pleasers, cynics, and dream chasers alike; I’m all three, depending on the day.  {more info}

Rhinestone Jesus

Maybe you’re not called to start a home for unwed pregnant girls in Kenya, but you can live out authentic faith right where you are. If your faith feels small or boring or too-safe, there’s a good chance you’re missing something God has planned. Kristen’s story proves you don’t have to be super-woman to make a difference in the world.   {more info}

Scary Close

I tend to keep people at arm’s length because they can’t judge me from way out there — or at least I can easily convince myself they’re wrong if they do. This book is for anyone learning to be more real in order to love others better in any and all types of relationships, from friendship to romance.   {more info}

Tattoos on the Heart

Love like Jesus. That’s pretty much the heart of this book. Written by a Jesuit priest who runs a gang-intervention program in the heart of the Los Angeles ghetto. Yes, there’s profanity throughout the book, but that comes with the territory. What I love most: the idea that true compassion is not about feeling sympathy, or even wanting to help someone else, but about realizing we are no better than they are, and loving like God does isn’t as hard as we try to make it.  {more info}

** Have you read any inspiring books lately? What should I add to my list?