Recommendations based on Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Lovedby Kate Bowler

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life

    by Tish Harrison Warren
    A Christian perspective on finding the sacred in the mundane moments of daily life, from making the bed to checking email.

    Many of us go through the day feeling like we don't have time for God. But God can become present to us in surprising ways through our everyday routines. Framed around one ordinary day, this book ... (Goodreads)

  2. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

    by Anne Lamott
    A memoir of the author's journey towards faith, filled with humor, honesty, and raw emotion.

    Despite–or because of--her irreverence, faith is a natural subject for Anne Lamott. Since Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird , her fans have been waiting for her to write the book that explained ... (Goodreads)

  3. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

    by J.D. Vance
    An exploration of the struggles of working-class Americans, and the power of family and culture to shape one's life.

    Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for ... (Goodreads)

  4. Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People

    by Nadia Bolz-Weber
    An exploration of faith, grace, and redemption through the stories of ordinary people.

    What if that person you've been trying to avoid is your best shot at grace today?,...And what if that's the point?, In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling au­thor Nadia Bolz-Weber invites ... (Barnes & Noble)

  5. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership

    by Henri J.M. Nouwen
    Reflections on the nature of Christian leadership, using the example of Jesus Christ.

    Henri Nouwen was a spiritual thinker with an unusual capacity to write about the life of Jesus and the love of God in ways that have inspired countless people to trust life more fully. Most widely ... (Goodreads)

  6. Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church

    by Rachel Held Evans
    A memoir of a woman's journey through the ups and downs of faith, church, and spirituality.

    From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans comes a book that is both a heartfelt ode to the past and hopeful gaze into the future of what it means to be a part of the Church. Centered ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion

    by Gregory Boyle
    A memoir of Father Boyle's work with gang members in Los Angeles, emphasizing the power of compassion and kinship to heal and transform lives.

    Father Gregory Boyle’s sparkling parables about kinship and the sacredness of life are drawn from twenty years working with gangs in LA. How do you fight despair and learn to meet the world with a ... (Goodreads)

  8. Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World

    by Henri J.M. Nouwen
    A personal letter to a friend on how to live a spiritual life in a secular world, emphasizing the importance of feeling beloved by God.

    Initially written for a Jewish friend, Life of the Beloved has become Henri Nouwen’s greatest legacy to Christians around the world. This sincere testimony of the power and invitation of Christ is ... (Goodreads)

  9. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

    by Bryan Stevenson
    A powerful true story of justice and redemption, exposing the flaws of America's criminal justice system.

    In 1989, idealistic young Harvard law graduate Bryan Stevenson travels to Alabama hoping to help fight for poor people who cannot afford proper legal representation. Teaming with Eva Ansley, he ... (Wikipedia)

  10. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

    by James McBride
    A memoir of a black man's journey to understand his white mother's past and how it shaped his own identity.

    Touches readers of all colors as a vivid portrait of growing up, a haunting meditation on race and identity, and a lyrical valentine to a mother from her son. Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? A ... (Goodreads)

  11. Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose

    by Joe Biden
    A personal, reflective account of a momentous and difficult year.

    The Instant #1, New York Times, Bestseller,From President-Elect Joe Biden,, Promise Me Dad , is his deeply moving memoir about the year that would forever change both a family and a country.,“Biden ... (Goodreads)

  12. Between the World and Me

    by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    A letter to his son, exploring the realities of racism in America.

    “This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it.” In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American ... (Goodreads)

  13. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

    by David Grann
    Exposé of a series of murders of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma and the FBI's investigation.

    In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, ... (Goodreads)

  14. Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

    by Richard Rohr
    A reflective journey exploring themes of maturity, mid-life crises, and spiritual growth.

    A fresh way of thinking about spirituality that grows throughout life In Falling Upward , Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that ... (Goodreads)

  15. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

    by Michelle Alexander
    Exploring the roots and reality of systemic racism in the U.S. criminal justice system.

    "Jarvious Cotton's great-great-grandfather could not vote as a slave. His great-grandfather was beaten to death by the Klu Klux Klan for attempting to vote. His grandfather was prevented from voting ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out

    by Brennan Manning
    A reflection on the unconditional love of God, inviting readers to find healing and peace.

    Are you bedraggled, beat-up, burnt-out? Most of us believe in God’s grace—in theory. But somehow we can’t seem to apply it in our daily lives. We continue to see Him as a small-minded bookkeeper, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death

    by Caitlin Doughty
    Journey to explore different cultures' death rituals, evaluating one's own mortality.

    A New York Times and Los Angeles Times Bestseller “Doughty chronicles [death] practices with tenderheartedness, a technician’s fascination, and an unsentimental respect for grief.” —Jill Lepore, The ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Letters to the Church

    by Francis Chan
    A call to return to the biblical principles of the church, emphasizing the importance of community, discipleship, and the Holy Spirit's guidance.

    If God had it His way, what would your church look like? The New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Love challenges readers to be the Church as God intends. Do you want more from your church ... (Goodreads)

  19. Born to Run

    by Bruce Springsteen
    Autobiographical journey of Bruce Springsteen's life and career as a musician.

    “Writing about yourself is a funny business…But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.” —Bruce Springsteen, from ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying

    by Nina Riggs
    A poignant memoir of a woman's journey through terminal cancer, exploring life, love, and mortality with grace and humor.

    * INSTANT, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER * “Stunning...heartrending...this year’s, When Breath Becomes Air,.” —Nora Krug,, The Washington Post, “Beautiful and haunting.” —Matt McCarthy, MD,, USA TODAY, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  21. American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land

    by Monica Hesse
    True crime story of a couple's arson spree in rural Virginia and the community's response. A portrait of a struggling small town.

    Shocked by a five-month arson spree that left rural Virginia reeling, Washington Post reporter Monica Hesse drove down to Accomack County to cover the trial of Charlie Smith, who pled guilty to ... (Goodreads)

  22. A Year of Biblical Womanhood

    by Rachel Held Evans
    A journey of personal exploration, seeking to understand what it means to be a woman of faith.

    Strong-willed and independent, Rachel Held Evans couldn't sew a button on a blouse before she embarked on a radical life experiment–a year of biblical womanhood. Intrigued by the traditionalist ... (Goodreads)

  23. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

    by Matthew Desmond
    An exploration of eviction’s devastating consequences on the lives of the urban poor.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF, TIME,’S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • One of the most acclaimed books of our time, this modern classic “has set a ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

    by Neil deGrasse Tyson
    An accessible exploration of the universe and its mysteries.

    Over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and more than a million copies sold. The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist. What is the nature of space and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living

    by Shauna Niequist
    A guide to living a simpler, more meaningful life by letting go of perfectionism and embracing the present moment.

    OVER 500,000 COPIES SOLD! Immerse yourself in this compelling vision for an entirely new way to live: soaked in grace, rest, silence, simplicity, prayer, and connection with the people that matter ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

    by Timothy Snyder
    A study of history and a call to action against the rise of authoritarianism.

    #1, New York Times, Bestseller •, A historian of fascism offers a guide for surviving and resisting America's turn towards authoritarianism., The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again

    by Rachel Held Evans
    A memoir of rediscovering faith and the Bible through personal experiences, cultural analysis, and theological reflection.

    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 Held Evans found herself asking these questions, she ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History

    by Katy Tur
    A journalist's firsthand account of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, from the campaign trail to the White House.

    A New York Times Bestseller “Compelling… this book couldn’t be more timely.” – Jill Abramson,, New York Times Book Review, Called "disgraceful," "third-rate," and "not nice" by Donald Trump, NBC News ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple

    by Jeff Guinn
    A deep dive into the history of the Peoples Temple and the life of its leader, Jim Jones.

    2018 Edgar Award Finalist—Best Fact Crime “A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey” ( The Boston Globe )—the definitive story of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  30. When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself

    by Steve Corbett
    A guide for those who want to help alleviate poverty without causing harm, emphasizing the importance of relationships and community development.

    Churches and individual Christians typically have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty, resulting in the use of strategies that do considerable harm to poor people and themselves. Don't let ... (Goodreads)