Niki Anderson ~ Author & Speaker

The Cross Gardener; Jason F. Wright, bestselling author of The Wednesday Letters; Though not Biblically and theologically precise, this book made heaven feel closer, death seem less threatening, and Jesus even sweeter. When multiple tragedies befall an orchardist, the cross gardener enters the story. Unpredictable, suspenseful, poignant, and authentic in its portrayal of the broken heart adjusting to loss. Berkley Books, NY; Penguin

Too Small to Ignore; Dr. Wess Stafford; The president and CEO of Compassion International, recounts his childhood adventures in an African village and the years of abuse he endured with other students at a mission school, which led to his passion to protect children around the world and reach them with the gospel. The story reveals a broken man of uncommon compassion who refused to be ruined by the evil that befell him. Every parent should read this book. WaterBrook Press

A Hole in the Gospel; Richard Stearns; Author and president of World Vision alerts the wealthy world to inequity between the over-indulged world and impoverished on our planet. Though myself a witness to third world poverty, this book heightened and quickened my husband's and my awareness of worldwide need. More importantly, it inspired us to action. 

The Frontiersman's Daughter; Laura Frantz; a beautifully crafted novel of a pioneer woman in Kentucky, conflicted by family secrets, troubled by Shawnee Indians, and confused by competing beaus and her own immaturity; an unpredictable plot; literary excellence, historical detail; rarely do I say, "I couldn't put down this book." Revell/Baker Publishing Group

Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life; Anne Lamott; instructions for writers, powerfully conveyed with Lamott's fresh metaphors and life experience; both hilarious and self-deprecating; occasional use of offensive language; some consider it a classic for writers; Pantheon Books

Race Across America; Libby Riddles; first woman to win the Iditarod sled dog race recounts her brutal adventure to the finish line; Stackpole Books

Dewey; Vicki Myron and Brett Witter; the small-town library cat who touched the world—yes, the world!; Grand Central Publishing (soon to be a movie) 

Running on Empty; Fil Anderson; contemplative spirituality for overachievers; Waterbrook Press

Guardians of the Lights; Elinor De Wire; never-before-told true stories of the stalwart keepers at their posts in U.S. lighthouses; Pineapple Press

Women of the Bible: Their Stories in Verse; James Vasquez; skillfully composed poems that retell the stories of Bible women; Wheatmark Publishing 

Murder by Family; Kent Whitaker; the incredible true story of a son’s treachery and a father’s forgiveness; Howard Books (NY Times bestseller)

Meditations on Money; Deborah Ehrfurth; a unique quest through the Bible covering the topic of money; powerful and practical; ACW Press

The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History; A. Kenneth Curtis, J. Stephen Lang, and Randy Petersen; 2000 years of church history from Nero’s burning of Rome to the birth of the Chinese Church during the cultural revolution (1966-76). A simple and fascinating read for the layperson; Revell

Extraordinary Miracles in the Lives of Ordinary People; Therese Marsalek; amazing stories of God’s intervention; Harrison House

Hot Flashes from Heaven; Ronna Snyder; help when midlife and menopause meet; Harvest House

Watership Down; Richard Adams; a beloved novel about a warren of rogue rabbits that attempt to dominate a neighboring warren; worldwide bestselling classic; a fiction adventure with themes of survival, courage, sacrifice, and unity.

Out of the Mouth of Grandbabes; Donna Vander Griend; biblical truths cunningly unveiled in the words and actions of the author's nine grandchildren; Navpress