Spirituality and Religion
January 2021

Recent Releases
Dear God : honest prayers to a God who listens
by Bunmi Laditan

An award-winning, Webby-nominated writer shares, with both humor and insight, the prayers, poems and letters she wrote to God that set her on a spiritual path back into the fold and enabled her to reconnect with a higher power.
Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope
by Esau McCaulley

What it's about: the unique lens through which the Black church tradition has viewed the Bible and what it has meant for both theology and the wider society.

Chapters include: "The South Got Somethin' to Say," "Tired Feet, Rested Souls," and "What Shall We Do with This Rage?"


Reviewers say: This book is "an exercise in hope that speaks powerfully to readers of every race and ethnicity" (Booklist).
Broken signposts : how Christianity makes sense of the world
by N. T. Wright

A follow-up to Simply Christian draws on the Gospel of John to explain the potential of such Christian tenets as justice, freedom and truth to address the imbalances of today's world. 75,000 first printing
I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion But Found My Faith
by Lecrae

What it's about: the author's faith journey and the obstacles he has faced along the way; the power of self-awareness and reflection in developing an authentic relationship with God.

Reviewers say: "
This personal story of faith lost and found is especially recommended to Christians who are struggling to comprehend God's complex ways" (Library Journal).

About the author: Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Lecrae has also published Unashamed, a memoir about his traumatic childhood experiences and how his faith helped him cope.
Dangerous religious ideas : the deep roots of self-critical faith in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
by Rachel Mikva

"Dangerous Religious Ideas explores the themes of Scripture, Election, and Reward & Punishment to investigate how Judaism, Christianity and Islam have grappled with both the perilous power and positive potential of their teachings"
Let us dream : the path to a better future
by Francis

A spiritual leader explains why we must—and how we can—make the world safer, fairer, and healthier for all people now. 500,000 first printing.
Begin again : your hope and renewal start today
by Max Lucado

A religious approach aims to help people struggling with sadness, pain, or disappointment.
Bevelations : lessons from a mutha, auntie, bestie
by Bevy Smith

The host of SiriusXM’s Bevelations presents an irreverent memoir of her transition from in-crowd competitiveness to authenticity, offering candid advice on how to live one’s best life clearly, honestly and joyfully. 75,000 first printing. Illustrations.
Get out of your head : stopping the spiral of toxic thoughts
by Jennie Allen

"Speaker and Bible teacher Jennie Allen hears all the time from women who feel stuck in patterns of frustration and defeat. In her search for a solution, she's learned that the greatest spiritual battle of our generation is taking place between our ears.How we think shapes how we live. So it's crucial that we learn how to stop our spinning thoughts and refuse to be victims of toxic thinking patterns like victimhood, anxiety, and distraction. In this book Jennie draws on biblical truth and recent discoveries in neuroscience to show exactly how we can fight the enemies of the mind with the truth of who God is and who He calls us to be"
Growing strong : Workouts, Devotions, and Recipes to Become Healthy from the Inside Out
by Cambria Joy

A popular YouTube personality shares her tips for growing stronger physically, emotionally and spiritually through delicious recipes, creative workouts and wisdom from God’s words to help readers live a healthy and more whole life. 30,000 first printing. Illustrations.
Sky full of stars : learning to surrender to God's perfect plans
by Meg Apperson

"Meg Apperson grew up having a relationship with Jesus and would say she had trusted God her entire life. But when her daughter Avery-a miracle in so many ways-was born with a syndrome of severe birth defects, Meg began to fully understand what it really means to trust Jesus with everything. In this tender memoir, full of gut-wrenching emotion, you'll hear a mother's personal story of fighting for her child, her family, and even herself as she grapples with the weight of failure-of letting down everyone around her and feeling let down by God. But in the midst of the fight, through heavy grief, she not only discovers her own voice-she discovers that God is good and God is faithful."
Focus on: Memoir
Toil & Trouble
by Augusten Burroughs

What it is: the candid and darkly humorous account of the author's experiences with ritual and his family's relationship with witchcraft and the supernatural.

Who it's for: Burroughs fans; anyone interested in the informal ways that beliefs from the past can find their way into the present.

About the author: Writer Augusten Burroughs has published essays, fiction, and nonfiction, and is best known for his memoirs Running With Scissors and Dry.
After Life: My Journey from Incarceration to Freedom
by Alice Marie Johnson with Nancy French

What it's about: the pre-and-post-imprisonment life of Alice Marie Johnson and the role her faith played in supporting her through it all.

Don't miss: Johnson's experiences in early life with Jim Crow and other forms of systemic injustice and the legacy in the legal system to this day.

You might also like: The Buddhist on Death Row by David Sheff, which tells the story of Buddhist teacher Jarvis Masters and how his practice sustains him through his efforts to appeal his death sentence.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Bedford Public Library
2424 Forest Ridge Dr.
Bedford, Texas 76021
817-952-2350

www.bedfordlibrary.org/