Here’s today’s dispatch from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.

Read all about it. Faith, that is. If you think faith-themed movies and TV is exploding, check out the book shelves (or to be more modern, Amazon). Here’s a sampling of what has been sent to me recently — and what may be of interest to you. Some of them, IMHO, would actually make pretty good movies.

Non-Fiction

Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season by Urban Meyer with Wayne Coffee (Penguin Press) – The legendary head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes recalls his team’s historic 2014 season and offers wisdom and inspiration for taking control and turning setbacks into victory. (Due 10/27)

Behold the Man: A Catholic Vision of Male Spirituality by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers (Ignatius) – Known as the Dynamic Deacon, Burke-Silvers (who hosts Living Stones on Mater Dei Radio) explores the Catholic view of male spirituality.

Eleven Cardinals Speak on Marriage and the Family edited by Winfried Aymans (Ignatius) – Essays from eleven Catholic cardinals on family issues.

The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle (Ignatius) – The author chronicles how her personal friendship with Blessed Mother Teresa helped her overcome suffering, challenges and abuse to become a happy wife, mother, author and TV host.

Little House Living: The Make-Your-Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple and Self-Sufficient Life by Merissa A. Alink (Gallery Books) – The popular blogger behind the Little House Living posts (inspired by Laure Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books) offers creative and fun ways to life life simply and frugally while recalling how she and her husband were broke and had hit bottom before a simple act of kindness helped them to get on their feet again.

Subverted by Sue Ellen Browder (Ignatius) – Browder’s personal story of how she helped the sexual revolution hijack the women’s movement — and the impact it had on her life and America.

Fiction

Boonville Redemption: The End of the Beginning by Judy Belshe Toernblom (Snuggle Up Books) – The tale of love’s triumphs and losses in the harsh new frontier in the 1800s to the early 1900s is a prequel to the upcoming feature film Boonville Redemption.

Come Rain or Come Shine: A Mitford Novel by Jan Karon (Putnam) – Readers have followed the story of Father Tim Kavanagh’s adopted son Dooley since they first appeared 12 novels ago in At Home in Mitford.  Now, Dooley’s impending marriage to Lace Harper becomes the Mitford’s biggest social event while gently reminding us about what’s really important in life.

John W. Kennedy is a writer/development consultant specializing in teleplays, screenplays and novelizations. He can be reached at john@jwkmedia.com.

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11