We asked Guideposts editors from the magazine, book department and website what favorite books they would recommend especially for vacation downtime.
Not surprisingly, the book department staff stepped up with the most selections but the magazine and website staffers also weighed in. Check out their recommendations below.
Colleen Hughes, Editor-in-Chief, Angels on Earth magazine
Her Pick: The Promise of Hope by Edward Grinnan
True, I already read the galleys of Edward Grinnan’s The Promise of Hope, but this summer I’ll enjoy reading it again now that the handsome hardback is out! With its nine keys to personal change, the book is full of helpful advice, not to mention gripping true stories of hope and inspiration. My favorite story, though, is Edward’s personal one—a journey I never could have imagined for him, even after knowing him for 25 years.
Rebecca Maker, Editor, Guideposts Books
Her Pick: A Watershed Year by Susan Schoenberger
If you’re looking for a perfect beach book, this is it! A Watershed Year is both engrossing and a very fast read. Susan Schoenberger is an amazing writer, and you’ll totally fall in love with Lucy and Matt and the journey they go on.
Anne A. Simpkinson, Online Managing Editor, Guideposts.org
Her Pick: The Guardian Angel’s Journal by Carolyn Jess-Cooke
This compelling novel centers around a woman who dies…and becomes her own guardian angel! As such, she has the task and responsibility to guide and protect her “self” and so becomes both an observer and participant in her life. Author Carolyn Jess-Cooke’s language is beautiful, her ideas are refreshingly original and creative, and her story will keep you galloping through the book. It’s an entertaining summer read—but with depth and literary resonance.
Tanya Richardson, Associate Editor, Angels on Earth magazine
Her Pick: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
I love stories about people meeting incredible challenges, and I find the World War II generation immensely inspiring. There’s a reason this book is a bestseller: It’s the true story of a survivor written by a true survivor.
Beth Adams, Senior Editor, Guideposts Books
Her Pick: The View from the Lighthouse by Melody Carlson
I’m so excited about The View from the Lighthouse, the first book in a brand-new series called Miracles of Marble Cove. It’s about four very different women who are drawn together by the fact that they have all experienced inexplicable miracles in their lives, and how knowing that God has called them for something special affects them.
The story is set in a quaint coastal town on the rocky coast of Maine—it’s idyllic and charming, but also moody and mysterious. Like the lighthouse at the edge of town…which has lights that flash at auspicious times even though the bulb doesn’t work, and people apparently going in and out even though the place is locked up tight. Throughout the series, the women will try to figure out exactly what’s going on at the lighthouse, which is sure to keep you turning those pages! A great start to a great series.
David Morris, Editorial Director, Guideposts Books
His Pick: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
If you want to immerse yourself in a fascinating, challenging, and inspiring biography, consider a book that’s quickly becoming a must-read for anyone inclined to understand one of the greatest examples for living like Christ in modern times. Bonhoeffer, more than 500 pages long, is the first fully comprehensive biography of this remarkable theologian in more than 40 years. Written by best-selling New York Times author Eric Metaxes, the book presents both sides of Bonhoeffer’s life—theologian and conspirator—drawing them together in a story of incredible moral courage in the face of monstrous evil. The book also includes Bonhoeffer’s never-before-told story of a romance he continued from his prison cell.
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