Authors and artists offer their book and music suggestions

Customers may be enjoying the fruits of their labor, but what’s on the hearts and minds of some of today’s top Christian authors and artists? Christian Retailing asked some Christian retail favorites to share what has most touched their lives recently.

FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI, music artist:

“One of the most influential books in my life over the past few years has been Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge (Thomas Nelson). It’s one that I keep coming back to year after year because, as a woman, I find I’m constantly needing to be reminded of how God views me as His daughter. It’s a book that I think every woman, teenager to grandparent, should add to her library. Tenth Avenue North’s debut album, Over and Underneath (Reunion Records/Provident-Integrity Distribution), is one that’s really made an impact on my life. The lyrics are heartfelt and glorify God, and the music is awesome.”

ROB BELL, author of Velvet Elvis (Zondervan):

“I can’t say enough about John Dominic Crossan’s book God & Empire (HarperOne). I was deeply moved by Tim Keller’s The Prodigal God (Dutton Adult), and Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright (HarperOne) is a must-read. Shane Hipps’ Flickering Pixels (Zondervan) will blow your mind, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Thomas Cahill’s A Saint on Death Row (Nan A. Talese/Random House).”

BONAFIDE, GRITS:

“There are a couple of books that I would recommend—Every Young Man’s Battle by Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stoeker and Mike Yorkey (WaterBrook Press) and Every Young Woman’s Battle by Shannon Ethridge and Stephen Arterburn (WaterBrook Press). Those are books that will help young people go through the challenges they have to face that are taboo to other people, the way they think on certain things, especially when it comes to relationships, so we definitely encourage young people to go out and pick up that literature. Those are books that are trying to help them in life, with male and female relationships, how to handle them in a level of integrity with the character of Christ.”

SHELLEY BREEN, music artist, member of Point of Grace:

“I have absolutely fallen in love with a new artist named Meredith Andrews. Her record, The Invitation (Word Records/Word Distribution), has got to be one of the best releases that I have encountered over the last several years, to be honest. She has a fresh intensity and candor in her songwriting. Her project is not only encouraging to me when I need a lift and need to be reminded of who God is, but her worship style is unique and current, without being overly ‘trendy.’ I believe she is going to be a leader in our industry for a long time. The Invitation is and will be a gift to all who listen.”

COLLEEN COBLE, author of Cry in the Night (Thomas Nelson):

“I seldom read nonfiction since I’m a storyteller gal all the way, but I recently read Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson). It was life-changing and made me stop and take stock of my life and how I’m interacting with others. Too often we make snap judgments about other people, and it affects how we treat them. I think everyone in the country should read it. I can see why it’s been on the best-seller list so long.”

NATHAN COCHRAN, MercyMe:

“I still listen to Phil Wickham’s Cannons (INO Records/Provident-Integrity Distribution) a lot. It’s a great worship record for us. We get the privilege of knowing Phil and knowing his heart so it makes it even better.”

BRANDILYN COLLINS, author of Exposure (Zondervan):

“The book I’ve been telling everyone about is Same Kind of Different as Me (Thomas Nelson), a true story written by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, with Lynn Vincent. Ron Hall is white, a wealthy art dealer. Denver Moore is black, raised in virtual slavery. Ron’s wife, Deborah, and her dreams bring the two men together. You will be a better person for having read this book. Lynn Vincent has done a masterful job in re-writing the original manuscript written by the two men. The story is presented in first person, both from Ron’s point of view and from Denver’s. These points of view—so radically different in perception and sound—come across distinctly, strongly characterizing each man.”

RAY COMFORT, author of The Way of the Master (Bridge-Logos Publishers):

“I was so impressed with Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs (Bridge-Logos) I ordered (it) in bulk to give to donors of our ministry. In these days, when it is popular to preach that the Christian life is one of abundance and prosperity—where Jesus is the answer to all of our worldly problems—it’s refreshing to have a solid book that tells it like it is. Eleven of the disciples were murdered for their faith in Jesus. Stephen was stoned to death. Before I changed the name of my book to The Way of the Master, it was called God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life and had a picture of Stephen being stoned to death, on the cover. I often regret changing the title. Millions have died cruel deaths down through the ages, and it is good to be reminded that all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs is 473 pages of sobering reminders that if we are not suffering persecution, we probably aren’t living godly in Christ Jesus.”

MICHELLE DUGGAR, co-author of The Duggars: 20 and Counting! (Howard Books), and star, with husband Jim Bob and their children, of TLC’s 18 Children and Counting:

“My girls like to read Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally (Tomorrow’s Forefathers). It’s such a good resource for young ladies. We buy as many copies of that book as we can. Our girls even buy it with their own money. They look for opportunities to give to other young ladies. It’s a good book for young ladies because it shows them where their heart should be when they’re going through changes from age 11 on up.”

MARGARET FEINBERG, author of The Sacred Echo (Zondervan):

“Andy Crouch’s Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling (IVP Books/InterVarsity Press) is simply the best book that I’ve read recently. Not only is it brilliant—in thought, pen and design—but one of the things that makes Andy’s writing so great is that while it’s intelligent and well-spoken, it’s still accessible. Now that doesn’t mean there aren’t moments when you won’t be stretched, but by the end of each chapter, the truths explored are explained in a simple, reachable way. I cannot gush about this book enough. It really is that good.”

SHAUNTI FELDHAHN, author of For Women Only (Multnomah Books):

I recently read John Bevere’s 2006 book Driven by Eternity (FaithWords), and it has profoundly affected me. His message has given me such a vision of what matters most from the perspective of heaven, and has directed a piercing spotlight on just how much I focus on in my life that will simply not matter in the end. Once you start thinking about things from the perspective of heaven, it changes everything. Suddenly, so many things that I cared about—even if I would never have admitted it—seem so small and unimportant. And I suddenly see everywhere the opportunities that God presents to do what He cares about and values most.”

GLORIA GAITHER, author, songwriter and music artist:

“Three recent books that I would recommend to Christian readers are Andy Andrews’ The Noticer (Thomas Nelson), Chuck Colson’s The Faith (Zondervan) and Leonard Sweet’s 11: Indispensable Relationships You Can’t Be Without (David C. Cook). Andy Andrews’ use of story to pull the reader into the discovery of powerful and necessary life skills and healthy attitude adjustment makes all of his books a ‘double whammy.’ The Faith is a reality check and a refocusing on the major tenets of our faith. Colson’s clear and direct style of communication makes him, in my opinion, one of the great apologists for the faith in our time. Leonard Sweet’s 11 is a joyful survey of the 11 character types we need in our lives to give us balance, advice, experience and spiritual health. Sweet uses 11 biblical characters with different traits.”

LIZ CURTIS HIGGS, author of Bad Girls of the Bible (WaterBrook Press):

“I read Robert Benson’s latest book, The Echo Within (WaterBrook Press), en route to a spiritual retreat with four other Christian friends. On the long flight, I savored every page, laughing out loud at Robert’s delightfully droll sense of humor, blinking away tears when his gentle words of truth probed a tender spot. Once we gathered, I found myself sharing passages from the book, describing how God has called each of us to live and to work. As our days together unfolded, The Echo Within served as a lovely ‘echo’ of the many things we were discussing while we studied Scripture and compared notes about our separate yet intertwined journeys. Again and again we reached for Robert’s book and found just the wisdom needed. Stock your shelves with this small, powerful resource, meant for readers of all ages and stages.”

KARI JOBE, music artist:

“I have been enjoying the worship of Kim Walker (Jesus Culture Music). She is a refreshing voice of prophetic worship, and I enjoy turning on worship and just having time with the Lord with her music. I also download teachings from Hillsong conferences—what amazing tools to learn more about worship, leadership and just loving people.”

DAVID KINNAMAN, co-author of unChristian (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group):

“I was coming home from a trip, and on a long flight back to California. I popped The I [Heart] Revolution (Integrity Music/Provident-Integrity Distribution)—the DVD featuring the worldwide tour of Hillsong United—into my computer. It’s hard to explain in a paragraph how God used the worship, the band’s story, the music and the imagery to change my heart that night, but He did. I have watched the DVD a lot recently, just to to get a better sense of what God is doing today.”

MANDISA, music artist:

“My favorite CD that’s come out in the past year is Francesca Battistelli’s My Paper Heart (Fervent Records/Word). I adore her. Of course, I hear her music on the radio all the time, but when I actually got the CD and listened to all the songs, I felt like I was actually able to hear her heart. I personally think, especially for young people today, it’s such a great album, because she’s so vulnerable and transparent in what she has to say, and I think it makes a lot of sense for young people today.”

BART MILLARD, music artist, member of MercyMe:

“I’ve been able to hear Aaron Shust’s new record (Take Over, Brash Records/Word Distribution) that’s soon coming out, and it could possibly be one of the best records I’ve ever heard in my life.”

FRANCINE RIVERS, author of Redeeming Love (Multnomah Books) and The Last Sin Eater (Tyndale House Publishers):

“Right now, I’m reading Carol Kent’s When I Lay My Isaac Down (NavPress). It’s wonderful. Another favorite is Heaven: My Father’s House by Anne Graham Lotz (Thomas Nelson). I try to keep that on hand to give away. And anything by Robert Benson. His newest is The Echo Within (WaterBrook Press), and it’s Robert’s account of his own search for what he is truly called to do and be. I love his work.”

TODD STARNES, author of They Popped My Hood and Found Gravy on the Dipstick (Pathway Press):

“I’m a huge fan of Joel Rosenberg. I got hooked on the fast-paced action of his novels, but right now I’m reading his nonfiction Inside the Revolution (Tyndale House Publishers). It’s given me some amazing insight into the political and spiritual battles in the Middle East. I’m sort of all over the map when it comes to my taste in Christian music. Mandisa’s new album, Freedom (Sparrow Records/EMI CMG Distribution), is in my iPod. Her music helps take my daily five-mile runs in Central Park to a new level.”

GARY THOMAS, author of Sacred Marriage (Zondervan):

“(I’d recommend) Overcoming Emotions That Destroy by Chip Ingram and Becca Johnson (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group), because it expresses the reality of anger, demystifies it, and helps us to marshal this emotion in healthy and biblical ways. Start Your Family by Steve and Candice Watters (Moody Publishers) because it applies solid biblical teaching to some of the most fundamental issues any Christian couple faces—why and whether to have children, and when.”

GARY WHEELER, director of The List (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment/Word Distribution):

“For me, one of the most powerful viewing experiences I’ve had in recent years was the film Bella (Lionsgate). Rarely do I see a film that is both artistically excellent and spiritually powerful. This film was both, and left me wanting to see it again and again.”

DALLAS WILLARD, author of The Divine Conspiracy (HarperOne):

“Todd Hunter’s Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others (IVP Books/InterVarsity Press) is a really important book by a frontline leader in contemporary church planting on a discipleship model ... church planting that brings in people outside the pre-existing churches: people who are our contemporary, not-church people, often because they just don’t know about Jesus’ project on earth. Also, Longing for God: Seven Paths of Christian Devotion by Richard Foster and Gayle Beebe (IVP Books/InterVarsity Press) is a rich feast of Christian life and practice drawn from the lives of Christ’s people from the post-apostolic age to the 19th century. It is powerfully instructive on how serious people make real progress in the life with God.”

ERIC WILSON, author of Haunt of Jackals and the novel Fireproof (Thomas Nelson):

“I am a big fan of Claudia Mair Burney. Her novels Zora & Nicky (David C. Cook), Wounded (David C. Cook) and The Exorsistah (Pocket Books) are cutting edge, relevant and so full of spiritual depth in the trenches of real life and relationships.”

JOSH WILSON, music artist:

“There’s a book that made an impact on me recently, and it’s The Reason for God by Timothy Keller (Dutton Adult). It really is just digging into who God is, who the Bible says He is, learning about God so we can grow closer to Him.”

BETH WISEMAN, author of Plain Perfect and Plain Pursuit (both Thomas Nelson):

“The Christian book that has enriched my life the most is The Shack by William P. Young (Windblown Media/Hachette Book Group USA). Everyone has heard of it, and I struggled to see if there was another book that inspired me the way that The Shack did, and there just isn’t. Even though it’s fiction, it represents the way I see myself identifying with God—as a friend I can casually chat with and who is always with me in a way that I can know Him, not be afraid and face my troubles with the faith that He is always there. I’ve read too many books about fearing God, and while I’ve enjoyed some of them, The Shack was in line with my beliefs about who the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit really are.”

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