5 Christian Nonfiction Books that Changed My Life
Reading these 5 Christian nonfiction books helped me learn more about being a Christian, a Catholic, a mom, and a wife and how these vocations are beautifully woven together as a daughter of God. Some of these I read over 25 years ago, some 10 years ago, and others just a few years ago. But they’ve all stayed with me.
I began my journey with Jesus accepting one fact: The truth is the truth, and it doesn’t matter what you believe. While I knew my path was to Jesus, I saw 20,000 different paths- I wanted to be sure I was taking the right one! Each of these books helped lead me on this path of discovering what I believe is the correct truth.
Each book has shown me a different aspect of following God’s truth- going deeper in my faith, learning the humility to embrace motherhood and marriage more fully, and realizing that I am not alone.
If you’re on your own journey toward faith, peace, or clarity in your vocation, I hope one of these books finds its way into your heart too.
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The Power of a Praying Wife
By Stormie O’Martian
The early years of marriage and parenting were rough! So wrapped up in being a mother, the relationship with my husband took a backseat. The first chapter of Power of Praying Wife brought me to tears. Marriage is a sacrament. Sacraments are a means of grace. Consequently, the sacrament of marriage grants us the graces we need to strengthen our marriage. We must make ourselves open to it, allowing the grace to flow.
This book explains the power of marriage and how important our prayers as wives can be. It leads us through different aspects of our husbands that they may struggle with, and how, as wives, we can support them in prayer. Each chapter includes a prayer for each of these aspects.
My biggest takeaway was learning to stop feeling sorry for myself. To take matters into my own prayerful hands instead of being a victim was empowering for me. So empowering, in fact, that I have suggested and loaned this book to many women who were on the brink of divorce and most of them have survived!
If you are struggling in your marriage, this is the book for you!
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts
By Gary Chapman
I read The 5 Love Languages way too late in life. Everyone kept talking about what their love language was, assuming I knew what they meant. During a particularly frustrating time, I broke down and got the audiobook. I was blown away.
We all have different ways of showing and wanting love. I learned that my love language was quality time and which explained the envy and upset I would feel when I felt ignored or left out. Also, I learned to recognize how others were expressing love to me. For example, my husband will clean the kitchen and my friend gives me random gifts. This book showed me how to recognize and appreciate different ways of giving and receiving love, transforming how I relate to my husband and children.
The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
By Lee Strobel
I loved reading Case for Christ when I was questioning who Jesus was, wondering why I needed him when I already had God, and why people believed different things about him.
When his wife embraces Jesus and Christianity, Lee Strobel, a journalist and atheist, sets out to investigate evidence for Jesus. Through interviews with various experts, he ends up convicting himself and becoming a Christian! My favorite part was his conversation with a Jewish convert about the statistical probability of Old Testament prophecies coming true.
If you read this book, you will love it!
Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism
By Scott & Kimberly Hahn
Rome Sweet Home was one of the first books I read while renewing my Catholic faith. As a baptized Catholic, I was learning about other religions, discerning if I should stay Catholic or switch. I thought all Christian religions were alike, and I was surprised to learn the differences!
I was fascinated that a Presbyterian minister, who was so opposed to Catholicism that he would work to steal people away from the church, ended up becoming Catholic! This made me ask deeper questions and seek the truth for myself. If you have ever wondered about this, Rome, Sweet Home is for you!
Catholic and Christian: An Explanation of Commonly Misunderstood Catholic Beliefs
By Alan Schreck
“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.” Bishop Fulton Sheen
I love this quote! Catholic & Christian, like Rome Sweet Home, helped clarify what Catholics actually believe versus what is often misunderstood.
Dr. Schreck offers clear, loving explanations of Catholic teaching and compares them with other Christian denominations. Through prayer and study, I could hold these beliefs side by side and discern which made the most sense. If you are as curious and confused as I was back then, this book is a great resource!
I hope you will give these 5 Christian nonfiction books a chance. Maybe they will make a difference in your life too! You can also check out some other books I reviewed in my article called Summer Catholic Book Reviews 2025. Happy Reading!
If you want to get started on a morning prayer routine- I have the perfect book for you. And it is Free! I put together a prayer book of all of my favorite morning prayers and challenge you to spend a couple of your morning minutes each day with God. Get it here!
