Many of us aspire to write books that change lives. There’s no better reason to write. And if you ask a writer to name a book that changed his or her life, you’re likely to get a quick—and informative—answer. So, I asked some writer friends to name the book (in addition to the Bible) that changed their lives. Here are some of their responses:
My mindset changed once I read Joyce Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind and discussed it in my Bible study group. This book taught me to capture the enemy’s deceptive lies and bring those thoughts to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I even cite how to do this in my book Christian Study Guide for 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates (Susan Neal).
Two novels significantly impacted my life, each awakening my heart to keeping my eyes on the unseen, to the ministry of prayer, to the suffering of the persecuted church, and to the power of one life surrendered to Jesus. This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti and Safely Home by Randy Alcorn so deeply affected me, their themes are evident in my nonfiction writing and the daily ministry of my words both written and spoken (Lori Stanley Roeleveld).
Shortly after my husband died, a friend gifted me a book that, while not written expressly to address grief, presented God’s love in a most intimate way. The subtitle of The Perfect Love by Ruth Myers says it all: Intensely Personal, Overflowing, Never Ending . . . (Ava Pennington).
The science of how things work has always fascinated me, especially the wonders of this vast universe we live in. Dr. Hugh Ross’s book Beyond the Cosmos broadly expanded my perspective of the greatness of our God and my awe of Him in His creative abilities (Scott Mohr).
As a third grader, fascinated by bows and arrows, The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, transported me to the forests of the Hudson River Valley and introduced me to my new hero, Hawkeye. Mrs. Hawkins, my favorite teacher, determined that a nine-year-old boy who read this classic had no business in third grade and catapulted me to fifth with Mrs. Phyfe. That vote of confidence and affirmation of my reading led me to be a writer and prolific reader. For that inspiration, I am eternally grateful (Austin Boyd).
When I was ten years old, My Side of the Mountain by Jean George inspired me like no other book. It sent me on a lifetime of seeking nature, including majoring in zoology in college and then later moving to more and more deeply rural areas. After retiring from a career in field biology, it’s no accident that my husband and I now live on a self-sufficient homestead in a remote mountainous area (Patrice Lewis).
The book that changed my life was Streams in the Desert, during a faith crisis. It identified doubt I was experiencing yet tried and true faith. Also, Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot, a book that is grounded in a world gone array (Brenda L. Yoder).
I’d read the Bible many times with different Bible reading plans. Then I encountered Bob Sorge’s Secrets of the Secret Place and wanted something more. Inspired by Bob’s suggestions in the book, I created my own Bible reading plan that I’ve been using since (Crystal Storms).
I was fresh out of college and enjoying a renewed faith, but I still felt like a failure. I was struggling with severe anxiety until one day, I stumbled across Claire Weekes’s amazing book, Hope and Help for Your Nerves. Her practical approach to understanding “nervous suffering” changed my life forever (Ann C. Sullivan).
In The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer focuses on several attributes of God, while reminding the reader that God’s attributes are inexhaustible. In reading and studying this book, I saw the majesty and holiness of God in a way that has affected me greatly. And what touches my heart the most is that our great and majestic God is small enough to live in my heart and walk with me daily (Kathleen Ruckman).
What about you? What book changed your life? Let us all know in the comments.
Is Your Submission Complete?
You ask of books that changed my life,
but my response will leave you flat,
for through all my years of strife
there was truly no book that
made that kind of deep impression,
set me on another road.
Sure, some caused a short digression,
but did not ease that karmic load
into which traces I was born,
beneath which I am marked to die,
but please don’t think that I feel torn
by this lack, for surely I
have made my mark on those I pass,
like those mad blokes who film ‘Jackass’.
What a great idea, Bob! I am always looking for books that will inspire me to become a greater man and Christ-follower. I have read several of the books listed above and was also fortified in my faith. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card strengthened me and gave me hope to overcome the great odds I was facing in my own life. Ender acted with amazing strength, wisdom and love. Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis helped ground me in my faith and in my walk as a man of God.
What a great idea, Bob! I am always looking for books that will inspire me to become a greater man and Christ-follower. I have read several of the books listed above and was also fortified in my faith. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card strengthened me and gave me hope to overcome the great odds I was facing in my own life. Ender acted with amazing strength, wisdom and love. Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis helped ground me in my faith and in my walk as a man of God.
When I read the headline, the first book that popped into my head was the one mentioned by Crystal Storms, Bob Sorge’s “Secrets of the Secret Place.” It is one of the finest works on having a private devotional life I have ever read. I have recommended it often.
As a young girl, I fell in love with Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteague. This story captured my imagination and helped me escape from a very difficult time of my life. I eventually was blessed greatly by God when my father bought me my own horse that provided tremendous comfort. This set the stage for my present ministry with young teens, where I mentor, teach scripture, and connect girls to the magic of God and horses through my writing and my beautiful horse, Diesel.
At age ten, Elizabeth Goudge’s Pilgrim’s Inn created in my heart a desire for a deeply healing and beautiful home. I re-read it as an adult and it was as I remembered–the enchanting woods, rambling old inn, and delightful characters, such as Lucilla, who knew that “it was homemaking that mattered,” (or something quite close to that). And now, writing a story about a home somewhat like Pilgrim’s Inn, I too believe: it is homemaking that matters.
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is top on my list. No wonder that my first published book is a companion guide through Bunyan’s classic: Journey with Bunyan’s Pilgrim.
I’m adding some of these to my to-read list. Thanks for sharing.
The Late, Great Planet Earth in the ‘seventies thrilled and amazed me and made me read the whole Bible to see where the prophecies fit in in the writers’ day and today. I think we’re right about at Revelation 8, since Wormwood means Chernobyl, and Ezekiel 36-38.
I had never heard about prophecies in the denomination I grew up in, and this piqued an interest in the whole essence of the Bible that I hadn’t had before.
Before that, it was Let Go and Let God.
My favorite novel is hard to get, Lost Shepherd, about a liturgical pastor and a charismatic woman who’s prayer have his nephew and how they learned from each other.
*Whose prayers healed
Many great suggestions here, to which I’d add:
* Gentle and Lowly, by Dane Ortlund, which beautifully describes the heart of Jesus and the Father
* He Leadeth Me, by Walter Ciszek, which explores God’s sovereignty through suffering, imprisonment, and trials
* The World of the End by David Jeremiah, as we enter the End Times
After I spoke up to protect patients at the hospital where I worked, the hospital retaliated. I went through quite a journey that I wasn’t sure I’d survive. But God surrounded me with friends, family, and strangers who rallied around me and helped get me through. The matter ended in a victory for me, and soon after, I saw a social media post about “The Hiding Place,” with a quote by Corrie ten Boom: “Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.” I had bought a plaque with that quote at an Arts and Crafts fair several years before, but the artist had not attributed the quote to Corrie. Now I knew the source of the quote, so I ordered “The Hiding Place.”
Corrie’s story had a profound impact on me. Although Corrie had passed away, I found a website for co-author Elizabeth Sherrill. On her site was an opportunity to contact her, so I thanked Elizabeth for bringing Corrie’s testimony to the world, and I shared part of my story. Elizabeth sent me an encouraging email, and we communicated by email and phone for several months. Not only did “The Hiding Place” leave a lasting impression on me of God’s presence and faithfulness in adversity, but Elizabeth Sherrill’s personal encouragement has helped keep me moving toward my goal of finishing my book. Elizabeth passed away last year, but I look forward to seeing her and Corrie in Heaven.
Late gradeschool: Mark Twain hooked me with his fiction.
I got a little older and read Dostoevsky and Dickens and Victor Hugo and Dumas through the lens of scripture. It sealed my belief in the Bible’s teaching about the Human Condition. They made for wonderful teaching and preaching illustrations in days to come.
Through the years non-Christian fiction contained plot situations that did the same.
A two-volume set of stories by those who’ve hiked the Appalachian Trail lit the fire to backpack. Experiencing the wonders and challenges of nature, and fellowship with God and man on the trail changed my life.
I guess senior citizens are supposed to have completed their life-altering readings. I hope not.
Dickens and Hugo for me, too! I actually did my undergraduate thesis on Hugo’s digressions in Les Miserables. The Bishop, especially, was such an influential figure for me for many years to come.
I have mourned the push from agents and publishers to “cut the chaff”. Hugo and Dickens didn’t and added insights into that time and place.
Dickens and Hugo for me, too! I actually did my undergraduate thesis on Hugo’s digressions in Les Miserables. The Bishop, especially, was such an influential figure for me for many years to come.
Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot was a life-changer for me. I read it at a time when I was overwhelmed with responsibilities. Her words gave me hope. More recently, When Faith is Forbidden (Voice of the Martyrs pub) changed the way my husband and I looked at living out daily faith in challenging circumstances.
Thanks for the suggestions. I just bought and am very excited to dive into “Christian Study Guide for 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates” (Susan Neal). Now let’s pray it helps!