Every time I ask my friends for Christian book recommendations I always get the same list of books over and over.

“Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis, at least one book by G.K. Chesterton, and many, many books by John Piper make the cut.

Don’t get me wrong. I love these authors. They have helped shape my theology deeply in so many ways. But sometimes I want something new and different that is also theologically sound.

If you’ve ever felt like this, you’ve come to the right place. Check out these 5 book recommendations:

1. Engaging God’s World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living by Cornelius Plantinga

Is it dramatic to say this book changed my life? Yes. Do I stand by that statement? Yes.

“Engaging God’s World” answers the question, “What should I do with my life?”

This book is intended for college students, but even now years after I’ve graduated, I find myself returning to its pages. This book is for anyone in any stage of life.

It so beautifully covers the themes of creation, the fall, and redemption, and has taught me how to better love God and serve others. After reading this book I have a better appreciation for the world God created, and a deeper excitement for the new heaven and earth that is to come.

“The way to thrive is to help others thrive; the way to flourish is to help others flourish; the way to fulfill yourself is to spend yourself.” – Cornelius Plantinga

2. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

In “The Hiding Place”, Corrie Ten Boom shares the incredible story of how she was sent away to a concentration camp after hiding her Jewish neighbors during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

Even in the middle of chaos, suffering, and loss, Corrie’s faith in God remained unshakeable. When I finished this book, I was challenged to think about forgiveness, faith, and hope in new ways.

“No pit is so deep that God is not deeper still.” – Corrie Ten Boom

3. Trolls and Truth by Jimmy Dorrell

“Trolls and Truth” reminded me that God’s word is the good news for all people. Even the people society has turned its eye on.

The book was written by Jimmy Dorrell, a pastor in Waco, Texas. He pastors a church that meets under a bridge every Sunday, and its congregants are made up of homeless men and women, drug addicts, alcoholics, and the broken. Together they worship God as semi-trucks shake the bridge above them.

It’s an easy read with a challenging message. I had to reevaluate how much I love and serve those who look different than me.

4. Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey

“Every Moment Holy” is a book of liturgies and prayers for ordinary moments in life. There are liturgies for everything and anything: feasting with friends, eating alone, working, going on vacation, and parties.

These liturgies are beautiful prayers that helped me find the sacred in my ordinary moments. This book gives purpose when life feels routine, and gives examples of prayers when I don’t know how to pray.

“Meet me, O Christ,

In this stillness of morning.
Move me, O Spirit,

To quiet my heart.
mend me, O Father,

From yesterday’s harms.”

– A liturgy for the ritual of Morning Coffee

5. The God of the Garden by Andrew Peterson

I love trees. Seriously, my Instagram is dedicated to photos of sleepy pines and twisted oaks. I am not alone. Singer-songwriter, Andrew Peterson, is also a big fan of nature, and his book “The God of the Garden” is dedicated to the symbolism of trees in the Bible.

I know. This sounds boring and kind of weird. But trust me. this book is breathtakingly beautiful. It’s a reminder the God of creation is always there, even in my sorrow, preparing me for the harvest.

“The God of the Garden is and has always been present, working and keeping what he loves. Sometimes he plans, sometimes he prunes, but in his goodness he intends to reap a harvest of righteousness.” – Andrew Peterson

Let me know what books you would add in the comments below.

7 Books That Helped Me Understand Christianity