Book Recommendations for Christmas Gifts

Here is a list of books that would make great Christmas presents.  They are organized by category to help you sort through them based on who you are buying for.  See blog post "What You Didn't Ask For" for my reasons of why books make a great gift.  


You can click on all the book titles below (all are linked) to read more about the book on Amazon.com (free shipping if you spend $25.)  An "*" by the book puts it in a top tier category for me.  These are books I feel every house should have/read.  I have made comments on some, which will be in parentheses.     

For the Couple:

å    *What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage by Paul David Tripp

å    This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence by John Piper

å    Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

For the Parent:

å    *Gospel-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting by William P. Farley (gets to the heart of parenting.  This should be one of the first books parents read) 

å    *Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp (complements the book above really well.  This one is more on the practical side whereas the above book is more focused on the heart of parenting.)

å    Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God by Marty Machowski

å    Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God by Bruce A. Ware

å    Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper 

å    How Children Raise Parents: The Art of Listening to Your Family by Dan B. Allender 

For the Kids:

å    *The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jago (incredible children's Bible!  Every story points to Jesus, showing kids what the Bible truly is about.  Every house with kids should have this in it)  

å    Big Thoughts For Little Thinkers by Joey Allen (There are 4 books in this series: The Trinity, The Gospel, The Scripture, The Mission.  They do an amazing job of explaining these essential Bible docrines in a way kids can understand.  Amazon.com is running a deal where you can buy all 4 for the price of 3!) 

å    Little Pilgrim's Progress: From John Bunyan's Classic by Helen Taylor 

å    The Big Picture Story Bible by David R. Helm (another great Bible, has great illustrations)

For Spiritual Growth:

å     *Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper

å     Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan

å     Overcoming Sin and Temptation - by John Owen (edited by Kelly M. Kapic, Justin Taylor)

å     *The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer

å     The Knowledge of the Holy: The Attributes of God: Their Meaning in the Christian Life by A. W. Tozer

å     Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts by Harold M. Best 

å     *The Grace Awakening: Believing in grace is one thing. Living it is another. by Charles R. Swindoll

å     The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out without Selling Out  by Mark Driscoll

å     Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman's Guide to Finding Contentment by Linda Dillow (for women) 

å     Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp

å     Leading with a Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Powerful Weakness by Dan B. Allender

å     *God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself by John Piper 

For the Story Lover: 

å     Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Chrisian Spirituality by Donald Miller (very casual approach.  Fun and easy read that will get those no interested in God to think)

å     *Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers (for women) 

å     The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers (for women) 

For the thinker/theologian:

å     Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (rational basis for Christianity)  

å     *Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears

å     The Cross and Salvation: The Doctrine of Salvation by Bruce Demarest

å     The Church: Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, Mission  by Edmund P. Clowney 

å     In His Image by Philip Yancey and Paul Brand (A doctor examines the body, and relates how it was created in God's image.  Profound insights.) 

For the Biography lover: 

å     Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Herbert Bainton

å     Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography by Jonathan and Darlene Edwards 

å     William Tyndale: A Biography by David Daniell 

å     Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper

These next four books are each contain several short biographies in each book.  All written by John Piper. (great way to read about many different heroes of the faith in a reasonable amount of time) 

å     The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin

å     The Hidden Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd 

å     The Roots of Endurance: Invincible Perseverance in the Lives of John Newton, Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce 

å     Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ: The Cost of Bringing the Gospel to the Nations in the Lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John Paton 

For the History Lover

å     *Pocket History of the Church by D. Jeffrey Bingham

å     The Story of Christianity: Volume 1, The: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation by Justo L. González

å     The Story of Christianity: Volume 2: The Reformation to the Present Day by Justo L. Gonzalez

å     Lost Letters of Pergamum, The: A Story from the New Testament World by Bruce W. Longenecker (this is also a great one for the story lover) 

å     Jesus & the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times by Paul Barnett

For the Student of the Bible

å     Living By the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible by Howard Hendricks

å     *Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne A. Grudem

å     Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary by Charles W. Draper

å     The New Unger's Bible Handbook by Merrill F. Unger and Gary Larson

å     New Bible Commentary by Gordon J. Wenham, J. Alec Motyer, Donald A. Carson, and R. T. France (great 1 volume commentary)