Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been a voracious reader and was blessed with parents who filled my home with books, who read to me, and who exposed me to both true and fictional stories that expanded my heart and nourished my imagination. I grew up on Christian biographies, along with devouring history and novels. I was shaped, nourished, and strengthened by the stories of real men and women who lived lives that mattered, and who understood that God never puts His children in times, in places, or in circumstances where He cannot enable them to shine brightly, and where they cannot speak truth and compassion into the darkness.


I wrote

Worldchangers

By Shandi Stevenson,

Book cover of Worldchangers

What is my book about?

Who was exiled and then killed just for giving his people the Bible in their own language? What woman defied…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir

Shandi Stevenson Why did I love this book?

I’ve always wanted to study literature at Oxford University. I never have and almost certainly never will, but Carolyn Weber is the friend I would have made if I had that opportunity, and thanks to this powerful, luminous memoir I still got to “meet” that friend and experience what our long conversations over tea might have been like. 

Weber’s deeply honest story of discovering Christianity while stumbling upon the footsteps of other seekers after truth and beauty at an ancient university made both an old, old town and the ancient truth of the Gospel seem bright and fresh. 

By Carolyn Weber,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Surprised by Oxford as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Carolyn Weber set out to study Romantic literature at Oxford University, she didn't give much thought to God or spiritual matters-but over the course of her studies she encountered the Jesus of the Bible and her world turned upside down. Surprised by Oxford chronicles her conversion experience with wit, humor, and insight into how becoming a Christian changed her.

Carolyn Weber arrives at Oxford a feminist from a loving but broken family, suspicious of men and intellectually hostile to all things religious. As she grapples with her God-shaped void alongside the friends, classmates, and professors she meets, she tackles…


Book cover of A Severe Mercy

Shandi Stevenson Why did I love this book?

The sheer, transcendent beauty of the language in this book would have made me love it even had I not found the story engaging, and the powerful, personal truth of the story it tells would have made me love it even if the prose had been awkward and lackluster.

The marriage of the language with the deeply personal story of a young American couple finding their way through love, marriage, and friendship to the love of Christ, and then facing the ultimate test of their young faith, will mark you forever. I will warn you that I finished the book in floods of tears!

By Sheldon Vanauken,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Severe Mercy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A heart-rending love story described by its author as “the spiritual autobiography of a love rather than of the lovers” about the author’s marriage and search for faith.

 

Vanauken chronicles the birth of a powerful pagan love borne out of the relationship he shares with his wife, Davy, and describes the growth of their relationship and the dreams that they share.


A beloved, profoundly moving account of the author's marriage, the couple's search for faith and friendship with C. S. Lewis, and a spiritual strength that sustained Vanauken after his wife's untimely death. Replete with 18 letters from C.S. Lewis,…


Book cover of William Wilberforce: A Hero for Humanity

Shandi Stevenson Why did I love this book?

One of the rare, truly great political heroes of modern history emerges from this engaging biography as a deeply likable character whose pockets were stuffed with books, whose house overflowed with rescued animals, and who was completely aware of what an obnoxious, sarcastic know-it-all he had been as a younger man.

In an age like ours that tends to forget that integrity, conviction, humility, and humor should always go together, meeting William Wilberforce and spending time with an extraordinary leader behind one of the great humanitarian crusades of the last two centuries is a life-changing experience. 

By Kevin Belmonte,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked William Wilberforce as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dramatized in the major motion picture Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce is the remarkable account of how one man's vision, courage, and relentless pursuit of justice brought freedom to thousands and changed the course of history. "That the greatest and most successful reformer in all history is almost unknown today is a crying shame. Kevin Belmonte puts this right with his inspiring study of an inspiring life." -Dr. Os Guinness, author of Unspeakable: Facing Up to the Challenge of Evil "An excellently researched and insightfully written biography ... I applaud its sound scholarship and commend its perceptive insights…


Book cover of Lords of the Earth: An Incredible but True Story from the Stone-Age Hell of Papua's Jungle

Shandi Stevenson Why did I love this book?

Follow the parallel stories of an unforgettable, powerfully real, close-knit tribal culture in the wild mountains of New Guinea, and the deeply dedicated, deeply flawed man who would seek them out with the Gospel of Christ.

The collision of two cultures and two quests brings tragedy—but does not end in tragedy. Encountering this story as a teenager changed me forever and made the gospel a living thing to me. 

By Don Richardson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lords of the Earth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Engulfed in the darkness of Irian Jaya's Snow Mountains live the Yali, naked cannibals who call themselves lords of the earth. Yet, in spite of their boldness, they live in terror and bondage to the women-hating, child-despising gods they serve. Missionary Stan Dale dared to enter their domain and be an instrument to change their future. Peace Child author, Don Richardson, tells the story of Dale, his wife, his companions, and thousands of Yali tribesmen in Lords of the Earth. This unforgettable tale of faithful determination and zeal against overwhelming odds brings unlikely characters together in a swirl of agony…


Book cover of To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson

Shandi Stevenson Why did I love this book?

The story of a brilliant, driven young scholar who seeks both to rebel against and to please his demanding father, of a leading intellectual skeptic who becomes a Christian, and of a missionary who faces unimaginable adventure, hardship, and triumph in the mysterious country of Burma (modern Myanmar) is an unforgettable tale of tragedy, loss, heartbreak, faith, and victory, complete with the interwoven stories of the three very different but equally extraordinary women who would share Adoniram Judson’s life.

Meeting four such remarkable people in the pages of one book is an extraordinary experience, and seeing God at work through some of the darkest events of history to seek out a people for Himself will give you hope for the darkest days. 

By Courtney Anderson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked To the Golden Shore as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

On February 12, 1812, Ann and Adoniram Judson sailed from Salem aboard the brig Caravan as two of the first missionaries to go out from North America. Watching the shoreline disappear from view, they could not have foreseen the impact of their journey on the future of the Christian world mission or on the thousands of men and women who would follow in their footsteps. After a short stay in India, they carried the Good News of Jesus Christ to the golden shore of Burma.

Drawing on letters and church records, Courtney Anderson paints a poignant portrait of Judson’s early…


Explore my book 😀

Worldchangers

By Shandi Stevenson,

Book cover of Worldchangers

What is my book about?

Who was exiled and then killed just for giving his people the Bible in their own language? What woman defied the KKK to bring hope to the children of former slaves? Who brought religious freedom to North America? Whose courageous leadership helped launch the black church? If you were rescued from decades of opium addiction, would you be willing to help thousands of other addicts to freedom? Who became the voice for the outcast of India? What is God calling you to do to change the world?

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Book cover of Edge of the Known World

Sheri T. Joseph Author Of Edge of the Known World

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Why am I passionate about this?

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What is my book about?

Edge of the Known World is a near-future love and adventure story about a brilliant young refugee caught in era when genetic screening tests like 23AndMe make it impossible to hide a secret identity. The novel is distributed by Simon & Schuster. It is a USA Today Bestseller and 2024 American Fiction Awards Winner in multiple categories, including Best New Fiction, Political Thriller, and Science Fiction: General.

Alexandra is a gifted student, adoring daughter, and exuberant prankster. She is also hiding in the open. After a blissful childhood, Alex learned she’s an illegal refugee from a brutal regime, smuggled into…

By Sheri T. Joseph,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Edge of the Known World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fans of Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake will be swept away by this riveting speculative fiction adventure and love story about family, genetic privacy, and the onrushing future of surveillance technology.

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