Religion and spirituality books publishing in October include former reality TV star Sadie Robertson Huff’s advice for strengthening relationships, 10 prayers for the future from Pope Francis, and famed pastor Joel Osteen’s insights for living a longer, happier life.

Nonfiction

Oct. 3

Called to Cultivate: A Gospel Vision for Women and Work by Chelsea Patterson Sobolik (Moody, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8024-2807-3) explores how women can find their calling and honor God through their work, be it childcare or corporate finance.

Holy Runaways: Rediscovering Faith After Being Burned by Religion by Matthias Roberts (Broadleaf, $25.99, ISBN 978-1-5064-8565-2) probes the causes of distrust in religious institutions and investigates how believers can rebuild their faith on sturdier foundations.

How to Put Love First by Sadie Robertson Huff and Christian Huff Thomas Nelson (Thomas Nelson, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-4002-2864-5) outlines a 90-day program to help believers strengthen their connections to God and thereby enrich relationships in all areas of their lives.

I Am Asking in the Name of God: Ten Prayers for a Future of Hope by Pope Francis (Image, $22, ISBN 978-0-593-72752-2). The pope meditates on 10 pressing issues facing today’s world, including war, rampant fake news, and a culture of abuse within the Catholic church.

Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies by David P. Gushee (Eerdmans, $21.99, ISBN 978-0-8028-8293-6) denounces the Christian nationalism that fueled the January 6 Capitol insurrection and outlines a model of political engagement based in covenantal theology, congregational democracy, and dissident Black Christian politics.

Oct. 10

The God of Monkey Science: People of Faith in a Modern Scientific World by Janet Kellogg Ray (Eerdmans, $19.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8028-8319-3). From the Scopes “monkey trial” to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ray probes the seemingly antithetical relationship between evangelicalism and science, but argues that believers can embrace both.

15 Ways to Live Longer and Healthier: Life Changing Strategies for More Energy, Vitality, and Happiness by Joel Osteen (Faithwords, $28, ISBN 978-1-5460-0508-7) shares ways for the burnt-out to replenish their mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Hopeful Lament: Tending Our Grief Through Spiritual Practices by Terra McDaniel (IVP FORMATIO, $18 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5140-0310-7) delineates a process of personal and communal mourning geared toward helping readers heal from suffering while growing closer to God.

Oct. 15

Groaning in Labor, Growing in Hope by Jessica Mannen Kimmet (Liturgical Press, $14.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8146-6916-7). The mother of three shares how she found solace in prayer during early parenthood and offers scripture readings as a means to help other struggling moms do the same.

Five Biblical Portraits (Expanded) by Elie Wiesel (Univ. of Notre Dame, $35, ISBN 978-0-268-20731-1). The late Nobel Peace Prize winner’s analysis of five key prophets—Elijah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Joshua, and Saul—is accompanied by a new introduction from Ariel Burger, cofounder of the Witness Institute, a project dedicated to continuing Wiesel’s work.

Oct. 17

Loving Disagreement: Fighting for Community Through the Fruit of the Spirit by Matt Mikalatos and Kathy Khang (NAVPRESS, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64158-615-3) posits that such values as love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, and self-control can help believers connect to those with whom they disagree.

This Is Christmas, Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits by Annie Zaleski (Running Press, $27, ISBN 978-0-7624-8272-6) shares what went into the making of the most celebrated Christmas tunes, from Bing Crosby’s White Christmas to Taylor Swift’s Christmas Tree Farm.

Experiencing Friendship with God: How the Wilderness Draws Us to His Presence by Faith Eury Cho (Waterbrook, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-44557-0) aims to assure that an authentic relationship with Jesus can carry the faithful through even the most trying times, using the Israelites’ journey through the desert and Paul’s time in prison as proof.

Oct. 24

Women Who Do: Female Disciples in the Gospels by Holly J. Carey (Eerdmans, $29.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8028-7915-8) makes the case that Jesus’s often-unnamed female followers embody the true principles of discipleship.

The Science of the Good Samaritan: Thinking Bigger About Loving Our Neighbors by Emily Smith (Zondervan, $19.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-310-36669-0). The author, a Duke University epidemiologist, urges the faithful to connect with those whose beliefs differ from theirs.

Oct. 25

Church Music: For the Care of Souls by Phillip Magness (Lexham, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-68359-710-0) seeks to show pastors, lay leaders, and musicians how they can use the power of music to invigorate church worship experiences.

Oct. 31

Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method by Rebecca Li (Shambhala, $21.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64547-089-2) introduces Li’s “silent illumination” program, in which one uses deep self-inquiry as a means to reconnect with their true nature.

Fiction

Oct. 10

Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch (Kregel, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8254-4715-0). This Regency historical finds a detective and a debutante teaming up to solve the mystery behind the disappearances of a spate of London “street urchin” children.

Oct. 24

Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet (Bethany, $17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-7642-4095-9) offers a “sweet second-chance romance between a disillusioned widow and a former flame who’s determined to prove he’s changed,” according to the publisher.