The Best Spiritual Book of the Year

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The author embarks on an outlaw journey into China with an exiled Buddhist monk to find the remains of a learned Buddhist master. A spiritual adventure story, "Bones of the Master" also provides a window into the absurdities of modern China and the terrors of Mao's Cultural Revolution.

Velma Still Cooks in Leeway
by Vinita Hampton Wright

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In a follow-up to her acclaimed novel "Grace at Bender Springs," Vinita Hampton Wright serves up a moving tale of violence and forgiveness in a small town-and delivers proof that Christian novelists can write literary fiction.

Jew vs. Jew
by Samuel Freedman

Check out a past book group with the author

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Dispelling the notion that American Jews are one big happy family, journalist Sam Freedman exposes the community's faultlines and tries to understand their differences.

Divine Hours
by Phyllis Tickle

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Phyllis Tickle's seasonal breviaries assemble daily prayers and psalms for Christians seeking a deep personal liturgical experience.

The Ancient Synagogue
by Lee I. Levine

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"Ancient Synagogue" eruditely explores how Jews and Christians influenced one another in antiquity.

Islam: A Short History
by Karen Armstrong

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Scholars will quibble with the presentation, but for the general reader, this is a pithy and entertaining introduction to Islam from the author of "A History of God."

Papal Sin
by Garry Wills

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Garry Wills' controversial critique of the Catholic Church and its leadership from the 11th century to today.

My Grandfather's Blessings
by Rachel Naomi Remen

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Insightful and loving, Rachel Naomi Remen spins inspirational tales steeped in rabbinic wisdom.

Morning Glory Devotional
by Juanita Bynum

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Prophetess Juanita Bynum's devotional is a wake-up call to believers who have become spiritually lax.

The Journey of the Pink Dolphins
by Sy Montgomery