Encouraging Books by Female Authors

If you've been around here long enough, you might have picked up on the fact that I enjoy reading. I used to read almost exclusively fiction & being an English education major in college gave me a never-ending reading list of classics & contemporary fiction that I NEEDED to read.

Over the past few years, I've been making more of a priority of reading nonfiction books, too. And now I have even more books to add to that reading list!

And it just keeps growing because new books are always being published that get added.

Today I'm sharing some of the recent (& not so recent) books that are on my to-be-read pile these days. I'm particularly highlighting female authors who are writing Gospel-centered books because women encouraging women is what Sunshine Days is all about!

If you haven't heard of one (or more) of these authors, I encourage you to go check them out on social media. Some of these ladies aren't as "Christian famous" as others, and they could benefit from the exposure they will get from an increase in followers! I don't know about you, but I find I need more encouraging, Gospel-centered content on my social media feeds. These women are very helpful with that!

These are books on my "to-be-read" list, so I haven't been able to read them all. But, based on what I have learned about these ladies & their books, I feel confident recommending them to you!

I hope you find a few new favorites!

Books Published in 2021

The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith by Gretchen Saffles - Gretchen is the founder of Well-Watered Women & she is all about encouraging women to dig into Scripture. Her book also has a companion journal that goes along with it, too!

10 Words to Live By: Delighting In and Doing What God Commands by Jen Wilkin - Jen Wilkin is one of my favorites. Her books are always pointing the reader to God's Word. This one is no different as it takes a look at the 10 Commandments & how they show us the Gospel.

Make Their Day: 101 Simple, Powerful Ways to Love Others Well by Karen Ehman - Karen Ehman works for Proverbs31 Ministries, so you might recognize her name from the First5 app or from their other resources.

The Life You Long For: Learning to Live from a Heart of Rest by Christy Nockels - Christy is a singer-songwriter & has some truly beautiful worship songs. She wrote this book to encourage us to slow down & enjoy just being in God's presence. I think we all need a little more of that!

The End of Me: Finding Resurrection Life in the Daily Sacrifices of Motherhood by Liz Wan - You'll notice quite a few books on this list about motherhood. I know not everyone is in the same stage of life as me, but I am knee-deep (more like neck-deep) in mothering & need all the Biblical encouragement I can get!

Books Published in 2020

Enough About Me: Find Lasting Joy in the Age of Self by Jen Oshman - Do you ever get so tired of hearing yourself talk about yourself? Do you recognize the self-absorption we all tend toward, especially in this day & age? That's why this book is on my list. True lasting joy is possible, but it definitely isn't found anywhere in me!

Fight Your Fears: Trusting God's Character and Promises When You Are Afraid by Kristin Wetherell - An in-depth look at how the truths of God's Word when we are drowning in fear, this book sounds like the perfect book for the times in which we live. There is so much to fear, but we can find rest in God.

Held: 31 Biblical Reflections on God's Comfort and Care in the Sorrow of Miscarriage by Abbey Wedgeworth - Having not experienced this particular grief, I want to read this in order to know how to love my sisters who are walking through this trauma.

If Only: Finding Contentment in the Face of Lack and Longing by Jennie Pollock - Human nature seems to default to discontent, or maybe that's just me? I always want what others have or feel like God is holding back some blessing from me. I think this book looks like a great one to help me find the truths in God's Word that combat those lies that I so easily believe.

Deeper Still: Finding Clear Minds and Full Hearts through Biblical Meditation by Linda Allcock - Meditation is a spiritual discipline that I need to do more often. I tend to get distracted easily, but I want to get better! This book looks like a wonderful starting point.

Beautifully Distinct: Conversations with Friends about Faith, Life, and Culture by Trillia Newbell - This book came out last summer & is filled with wisdom from a variety of women who all love Jesus & His Word. What an encouraging group of ladies to learn from - Jen Wilkin, Jackie Hill Perry, & of course Trillia Newbell!

Teach Me to Feel: Worshiping through the Psalms in Every Season of Life by Courtney Reissig - Working through our God-given emotions in God-honoring ways is a practice we could all benefit from. This book walks through a variety of emotions that we face on a regular basis & Psalms that help us view those situations through the lens of God's Word.

Books Published before 2020

Shiny Things: Mothering on Purpose in a World of Distractions by Amanda Bacon and Anne-Renee Gumley - Amanda Bacon works for Proverbs31 ministries & these 2 ladies host a podcast called "All the Mom Things."

Missional Motherhood: The Everyday Ministry of Motherhood in the Grand Plan of God by Gloria Furman - This one definitely sounds like one I need to read! I am in need of constant reminders of why I spend my days (& some nights) caring for these little people.

Upcoming Books

Carved in Ebony: Lessons from the Black Women Who Shape Us by Jasmine Holmes - Jasmine Holmes is newer to me, but I've been following her on Instagram for a few months. She shares so much valuable information, and this book is some of her research into Black women & their role in church history. I've preordered my copy & I'm really looking forward to learning more about this under-represented, under-appreciated part of the my faith's history.

The Hard Good: Why Every Struggle Matters More Than You Know by Lisa Whittle - Lisa Whittle also has a book called Jesus Over Everything that has been on my list for a long time. I guess I need to get reading before this one releases in September 2021!

Hopefully, that list isn't as overwhelming for you as it is for me! It definitely takes grace to realize that you can't read them all, but it's nice to dream of a day of just reading - alone, without distractions!

Cheering you on!