Love Acts and Omissions? Readers share 100 books like Acts and Omissions...

By Catherine Fox,

Here are 100 books that Acts and Omissions fans have personally recommended if you like Acts and Omissions. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Easter

Kathleen Jowitt Author Of Speak Its Name

From my list on showing itā€™s possible to be queer and Christian.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in an eccentric, liberal family, as a member of the Church of England, under the shadow of the British Governmentā€™s homophobic Section 28, the messages I received were distinctly mixed. If Iā€™d heard the word ā€˜bisexualā€™ before the age of twenty my life might have been very different. And to this day, the most common assumption is that one canā€™t be simultaneously queer and Christian. As Iā€™ve discovered, and as these books show, that isnā€™t true ā€“ and moving beyond that assumption reveals new and fascinating horizons.

Kathleen's book list on showing itā€™s possible to be queer and Christian

Kathleen Jowitt Why did Kathleen love this book?

Set in a London congregation at the height of the AIDS crisis, this is a powerful novel that packs a lot into one Easter weekend. Its ingenious triptych structure underlines the fact that thereā€™s often more going on than a superficial understanding of either faith or sexuality would like to believe. The oldest book on this list by a couple of decades, this is one of the first novels to engage seriously with what it means to be queer in an institution that prefers to ignore that fact, and it was both a challenge and a comfort in my own coming-out years.

By Michael Arditti,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?


Book cover of Daughter of Mystery

Kathleen Jowitt Author Of Speak Its Name

From my list on showing itā€™s possible to be queer and Christian.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in an eccentric, liberal family, as a member of the Church of England, under the shadow of the British Governmentā€™s homophobic Section 28, the messages I received were distinctly mixed. If Iā€™d heard the word ā€˜bisexualā€™ before the age of twenty my life might have been very different. And to this day, the most common assumption is that one canā€™t be simultaneously queer and Christian. As Iā€™ve discovered, and as these books show, that isnā€™t true ā€“ and moving beyond that assumption reveals new and fascinating horizons.

Kathleen's book list on showing itā€™s possible to be queer and Christian

Kathleen Jowitt Why did Kathleen love this book?

If ever there was a book that felt like it had been written just for me, this is it. Set in a fictional European country in the early nineteenth century, it has swashbuckling, nights at the opera, complicated family history, politics, magic, and lesbians. The way that Christianity is integrated into the fantastic element wonā€™t be for everybody, but I was won over by Margeritā€™s earnest insistence on claiming her identity as a queer woman of faith and power. Iā€™d wholeheartedly recommend the rest of the series, too.

By Heather Rose Jones,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Margerit Sovitre did not expect to inherit Baron Savezeā€™s fortunesā€”even less his bodyguard, a ruthlessly efficient swordswoman known only as Barbara. Wealth suddenly makes Margerit a highly eligible heiress and buys her the enmity of the new Baron. He had expected to inherit all, and now eyes her fortune with open envy.

Barbara proudly served as the old Baronā€™s duelist but she had expected his death to make her a free woman. Bitterness turns to determination when she finds herself the only force that stands between Margerit and the new Baronā€™s greed.

At first Margerit protests the need for Barbaraā€™sā€¦


Book cover of Briarley

Kathleen Jowitt Author Of Speak Its Name

From my list on showing itā€™s possible to be queer and Christian.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in an eccentric, liberal family, as a member of the Church of England, under the shadow of the British Governmentā€™s homophobic Section 28, the messages I received were distinctly mixed. If Iā€™d heard the word ā€˜bisexualā€™ before the age of twenty my life might have been very different. And to this day, the most common assumption is that one canā€™t be simultaneously queer and Christian. As Iā€™ve discovered, and as these books show, that isnā€™t true ā€“ and moving beyond that assumption reveals new and fascinating horizons.

Kathleen's book list on showing itā€™s possible to be queer and Christian

Kathleen Jowitt Why did Kathleen love this book?

A Beauty and the Beast retelling, set amid the upheaval of the Second World War, in which the Beast is a dragon and the protagonist is a person who doesnā€™t see why his daughter should take the rap for her fatherā€™s misdemeanour. Humane and compassionate, this story isnā€™t afraid of exploring the theology of sexuality, but it never gets bogged down in details, and it maintains its fairy-tale atmosphere while remaining grounded in time and place. I loved it.

By Aster Glenn Gray,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

An m/m World War II-era retelling of Beauty and the Beast.During a chance summer shower, an English country parson takes refuge in a country house. The house seems deserted, yet the table is laid with a sumptuous banquet such as the parson has not seen since before war rationing. Unnerved by the uncanny house, he flees, but stops to pluck a single perfect rose from the garden for his daughter - only for the master of the house to appear, breathing fire with rage. Literally. At first, the parson can't stand this dragon-man. But slowly, he begins to feel theā€¦


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Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: ā€œAre his love songs closer to heaven than dying?ā€ Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard itā€¦

Book cover of The God Painter

Kathleen Jowitt Author Of Speak Its Name

From my list on showing itā€™s possible to be queer and Christian.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in an eccentric, liberal family, as a member of the Church of England, under the shadow of the British Governmentā€™s homophobic Section 28, the messages I received were distinctly mixed. If Iā€™d heard the word ā€˜bisexualā€™ before the age of twenty my life might have been very different. And to this day, the most common assumption is that one canā€™t be simultaneously queer and Christian. As Iā€™ve discovered, and as these books show, that isnā€™t true ā€“ and moving beyond that assumption reveals new and fascinating horizons.

Kathleen's book list on showing itā€™s possible to be queer and Christian

Kathleen Jowitt Why did Kathleen love this book?

Iā€™ve never read a book quite like this, and yet it felt hauntingly familiar. The population of Earth is rescued en masse from a destructive solar event and has to start again from scratch on an unknown planet. But of course humanity has taken the problems of its own nature with it, and the encounter with its new hosts only raises further questions ā€“ around sex, gender, love, and nature. Itā€™s brave and beautiful, hopeful and sad and dynamic all at once, and it kept me reading and guessing all the way to the end. 

By Jessica Pegis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The God Painter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the year 2035 humanity is rescued from a lethal solar flare by seven mysterious beings and transported across the universe to the uninhabited planet of Ansar. Earth's major cities are recreated, and a stunned but thankful humanity mostly carries on with life and society. But is everything as it appears? Just who are the semi-omniscient beings who rescued them? What do they really want? And to what secret place do they retreat every night? With that appearance of the seven, all the old divisions concerning gender, privilege, and power re-emerge in unexpected and increasingly dangerous ways. Conspiracy theories abound.ā€¦


Book cover of Courage, Dear Heart: Letters to a Weary World

Luke Italiano Author Of Hollow Heart

From my list on Christians struggling with depression.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a pastor, I thought I had to be a put-together person. Sure, I was allowed to have problems, but I wasnā€™t really allowed to struggle. Then I was diagnosed with clinical depression. I thought I was alone. I thought Iā€™d have to leave the ministry. I was wrong. I needed to find other people who struggled, though. Through other books, I was able to find them. These books have helped me in my journey so, so much, and if you struggle with depression, I hope it helps with your journey, too! 

Luke's book list on Christians struggling with depression

Luke Italiano Why did Luke love this book?

Weā€™re all broken in so many ways. This book presents a number of letters to different kinds of broken people. Have you been rejected? Are you scared? Are you alone? There are letters here that will touch your heart. They touched mine! I found someone who could speak poetry into my darkness and make me know that I was not alone. Reynolds also points to real hope, so that even in darkness, I could see a shining light. 

By Rebecca K. Reynolds,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Courage, Dear Heart as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

ā€œThe world is broken. I am broken. And my need is dire.ā€

This stark revelation is the path to divine surrender. Our courage has a chance to flourish when we reach a point where we have no control and nothing to lose.

In a series of letters, Rebecca Reynolds uses imagery to breathe truth to the lonely, the weary, the restless, and afraid. If you feel the ache of brokenness, you will be refreshed by the source of all courage illuminated in these pages. God is available and wants to join you, in the midst of any mess. You canā€¦


Book cover of Boxers & Saints

Moro Rogers Author Of City in the Desert

From my list on ideological adventure.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in a household with a fantasy author dad and a philosophy professor mom, I learned to appreciate stories that expressed big ideas. I realized the books and movies I liked werenā€™t just vehicles for ideology, but that ideas are the hooks that draw me into a story. Iā€™ve also always loved animals and monsters. Like Miyazaki and C.S. Lewis, I was attempting to create a narrative that brought my beliefs and interests together. Now I live in Southern California with my husband, son, and cat, surrounded by rattlesnakes, tarantulas, hawks, and coyotes. Itā€™s an imperfect, beautiful world! 

Moro's book list on ideological adventure

Moro Rogers Why did Moro love this book?

Iā€™ve always loved Hong Kong New Wave movies, but they often emphasize action and flashy melodrama over historical context. For someone wanting to dig a little deeper, the graphic novel Boxers & Saints is a look into the parallel lives of two Chinese teenagers during the Boxer Rebellionā€”One is a red-blooded patriot eager to fight Western invaders. The other is a troubled girl who finds liberation in Christianity. Both characters are carried along, motivated, and then betrayed by fanaticism. When their paths cross, they are forced to learn the difference between religious faith and religious mania. The simple artwork isnā€™t meant to be lingered overā€¦I read all 512 pages at breakneck speed.

By Gene Luen Yang,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Boxers & Saints as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The Boxers & Saints Boxed Set from Gene Luen Yang, one of the greatest comics storytellers alive, brings all his formidable talents to bear in this astonishing work.

In two volumes, Boxers & Saints tells two parallel stories. The first is of Little Bao, a Chinese peasant boy whose village is abused and plundered by Westerners claiming the role of missionaries. Little Bao, inspired by visions of the Chinese gods, joins a violent uprising against the Western interlopers. Against all odds, their grass-roots rebellion is successful.

But in the second volume, Yang lays out the opposite side of the conflict.ā€¦


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Book cover of The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass

The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner,

Pete is content living a simple life in the remote Montana town of Sleeping Grass, driving the local garbage truck with his pot-bellied pig Pearl and wondering about what could've been. Elderly widow Wilma is busy meddling in Pete's life to try and make up for past wrongs that heā€¦

Book cover of Orgasms: How to Have Them, Give Them, and Keep Them Coming

Ruth Buezis Author Of Awaken Love: The Truth About Sex that will Transform Your Marriage

From my list on to help Christians create an amazing sex life.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I decided to work on my sex life, I devoured both Christian and secular books looking for answers. I not only wanted to understand Godā€™s design for sex, but I also needed help learning to create the amazing sex life that God wanted for me. Since that time, I have taught Awaken Love classes to thousands of Christian women and heard their stories. I continue to look for resources that are empowering for wives, within Godā€™s boundaries, in line with womenā€™s experiences, practical and thought-provoking.

Ruth's book list on to help Christians create an amazing sex life

Ruth Buezis Why did Ruth love this book?

Orgasms helped me make sense of how my body works and how together, my husband and I could create a mutually satisfying sex life. The detailed illustrations enlightened us on how to align our bodies to hit the right spots ā€“ rather than aimlessly thrusting about. Orgasms is a secular book that is respectfully written but with enough detail to really help. 

By Lou Paget,

Why should I read it?

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


Book cover of Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey

Cheri Swalwell Author Of Sisters in Christ: Defeat the Enemy One Powerful Prayer At a Time

From my list on how to build a Sister in Christ relationship (and why you want one!).

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve had other Sisters in Christ, but it wasnā€™t until God introduced me to an amazing woman that I truly started to understand what it meant to be a Sister in Christ. A Sister in Christ is someone who encourages you, speaks the truth in love, and always points you back to Godā€™s truths. She laughs with you, cries with you, and simply loves to do life with you. Sisters in Christ was born from this amazing friendship. To have this type of relationship is truly a blessing from God that needs to be shared in a community of fellow believers. 

Cheri's book list on how to build a Sister in Christ relationship (and why you want one!)

Cheri Swalwell Why did Cheri love this book?

This book was amazing and the author was incredible with how she brought spiritual truths alive using a fictious group of women that I genuinely grew to love.

It has been five to six years since Iā€™ve read this entire series and I still remember the details of the womenā€™s stories. It shows what it means to live as a Sister in Christ with others in community so wonderfully while pointing people to a closer relationship to God. Amazing series, this is simply the first book!

By Sharon Garlough Brown,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Sensible Shoes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Over 100,000 Copies Sold Worldwide!
Midwest Publishing Awards Show Honorable Mention

Sharon Garlough Brown tells the moving story of four strangers as they embark together on a journey of spiritual formation:

Hannah, a pastor who doesn't realize how exhausted she is.

Meg, a widow and recent empty-nester who is haunted by her past.

Mara, a woman who has experienced a lifetime of rejection and is now trying to navigate a difficult marriage.

Charissa, a hard-working graduate student who wants to get things right.

You're invited to join these four women as they reluctantly arrive at a retreat center and findā€¦


Book cover of Compromising Scholarship: Religious and Political Bias in American Higher Education

John G. Stackhouse Jr. Author Of Woke: An Evangelical Guide to Postmodernism, Liberalism, Critical Race Theory, and More

From my list on overlooked books on the culture wars.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve spent my life in North American higher education as a student and professor, so I have experienced many of the cultural shifts associated with ā€œwokeā€ culture. These books share the virtues of deep scholarship, sensible advice, and sprightly writingā€”virtues I have tried to emulate in my own writing. I have tried hard over my career (Iā€™m in my 60s now) to be open and fair toward even the most diverse of my students and colleagues. These books have helped me do soā€”and I hope they have improved my teaching and writing along the way. 

John's book list on overlooked books on the culture wars

John G. Stackhouse Jr. Why did John love this book?

This Black American scholar courageously confronts some of the myths that continue to dominate higher education in the United States (and, I daresay, here in Canada as well). He shows how even well-meaning programs of affirmative action and lofty ideals of justice and equality sometimes show up as heavy-handed enforcement of the preferred ideals of the controlling academic elites.

I myself have run afoul of those elites on occasion, and Yanceyā€™s calm, well-evidenced scholarship confirms my bitter experience. He exposes the iron grip of political correctness on campus and offers reasonable, practical advice as to how to negotiate itā€”for professors and students alike. 

By George Yancey,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Conservative and liberal commentators alike have long argued that social bias exists in American higher education. Yet those arguments have largely lacked much supporting evidence. In this first systematic attempt to substantiate social bias in higher education, George Yancey embarks on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the social biases and attitudes of faculties in American universities--surveying professors in disciplines from political science to experimental biology and then examining the blogs of 42 sociology professors. In so doing, Yancey finds that politically--and, even more so, religiously--conservative academics are at a distinct disadvantage in our institutions of learning, threatening the freeā€¦


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Book cover of This Animal Body

This Animal Body by Meredith Walters,

Neuroscience PhD student Frankie Conner has finally gotten her life togetherā€”sheā€™s determined to discover the cause of her depression and find a cure for herself and everyone like her. But the first day of her program, she meets a group of talking animals who have an urgent message they refuseā€¦

Book cover of Audacious

Chonta T.A. Haynes Author Of Divinely Connected: Sister 2 Sister

From my list on adjust your attitude for the greater.

Why am I passionate about this?

My life was turned upside down because of a devastating divorce, becoming an empty nester, and my job as a theology professor ending. The identity crisis was real because the doing that gave me purpose was gone, yet God had a lesson and a purpose. I realized that what was left was more than what left me, and I understand that the key to resilience is your spiritual foundation. I believe the crown you wear is the treasure; elevation begins head first. Today, I empower women to live life confidently, on their terms, with peace and financial security. I help women reframe their stories, reinvent themselves, and reimagine their future. 

Chonta's book list on adjust your attitude for the greater

Chonta T.A. Haynes Why did Chonta love this book?

I love how Beth Moore invites you to get comfortable yet uncomfortable in her book. She challenges whether you believe big and act on it. This is so important for changing your thoughts and elevating them for more.

The entire book keeps you engaged, reflecting, and dreaming of more. Itā€™s like having a tall glass of lemonade on the porch with a friend who knows you deeply and expects more from you, so she allows you to want it without you realizing youā€™ve been up-leveled.

This book puts your faith on steroids, and you will believe bigger and actually want to do something about it. 

By Beth Moore,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Thirty years in the making, Audacious is a deep dive into the message that has compelled Beth Moore to serve women around the globe. Glancing over the years of ministry behind her and strengthening her resolve to the call before her, she came to the realization that her vision for women was incomplete. It lacked something they were aching for. Something Jesus was longing for. Beth identifies that missing link by digging through Scripture, unearthing life experiences, and spotlighting a turning point with the capacity to infuse any life with holy passion and purpose. What was missing? Well, let's justā€¦


Book cover of Easter
Book cover of Daughter of Mystery
Book cover of Briarley

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