If you are just dropping in, you should know that this is part two of a book list we here at Hearts & Minds put together for good friends at a church which is doing a marriage retreat. Rather than do a consignment book display as we sometimes do, we sent ’em this list and they will pass it out, hopefully taking some orders. Thanks for joining in our joy as we get to do such nifty things. Please, please look at the previous post, which has some of the more important and foundational books described. This part of the list tends towards some specific issues in marriage renewal, quite good, but not the most basic. Hope they are helpful.
Why not add some you’ve found helpful (or unhelpful ones, for that matter) in our comments section? Or order some to give to sombody who may be in need? God’s peace to you all.
Part two…
Selling Ourselves Short: Why We Struggle to Earn a Living and Have a Life Catherine M. Wallace (Brazos) $22.99 Our friends at Brazos Press are known for finding great writers with deep faith and a savvy sense of cultural criticism. This may not be exactly a marriage book, but what couple or family or community doesn’t struggle with the demands of fragmentation and the hectic speed of life? With rave endorsements from Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Jean Bethke Elshtain, and Stan Hauerwas, it is obviously a very thoughtful book, laden with a richness of insight that makes it worth your very limited time…
Keeping Our Troth: Staying in Love Through the Five Stages of Marriage James H. Olthuis (Harper & Row) $14.95 Yes, this rare hardback is the sequel to the out of print but respected I Pledge You My Troth which was our fav of the 70’s. You may recall Jim O’s name from the Radical Orthodoxy and the Reformed Tradition book I posted about a few days back. This is out of print but remains in the Hearts & Mind stash, while, as they say, supplies last.

Unclaimed Baggage: Dealing With the Past on Your Way to a Stronger Marriage Don & Jan Frank (NavPress) $11.99 Who doesnÕt have issues from their past? Who doesnÕt wish to strengthen their marriage by understanding their past? Very important for nearly any couple.
Starved for Affection: Why we crave it, how to get it and why itÕs so important in marriage Dr. Randy Carlson (Tyndale) $13.99 A simple matter on the face of it, this important book explores ways to re-ignite a closeness and connection between couples. Life-giving and helpful.
I Love You More: How Everyday Problems Can Strengthen Your Marriage Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott (Zondervan) $12.99 Formerly entitled When Bad Things Happen To Good Marriages this is an excellent collection of pieces and testimonials and advice from those who have gone through marital and family stress—from financial problems to special needs children, from sexual dysfunction to a loss of joy and romance. There are study guides for him and her, too. Very, very useful for nearly every couple.
Reconcilable Differences: Hope and Healing for Troubled Marriages Virginia Todd Holeman (IVP) $15.00 A serious and gracefully written study on what it takes to really make right a severely damaged relationship. One of the best.
Saving Your Second Marriage Before It Starts: Nine Questions to Ask Before (and After) You Remarry Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott (Zondervan) $17.99 One of the best of its kind, with study guides for him and her. Very, very useful.
Sexual Character: Beyond Technique to Intimacy Marva Dawn (Eerdmans) $14.00 Here, one of our favorite authors offers up well-written and provocative essays on various aspects of sexuality, relationships, family, and ethics. Solid, brief, helpful. Highly recommended.
Sex and the Supremacy of Christ edited by John Piper & Justin Taylor (Crossway) $15.99 PiperÕs joyful and unabashed commitment to the glory of God is radical and exhilarating, even when I worry about his views on gender roles. These serious essays are theologically rich reading for anyone desiring a God-drenched view.
A Celebration of Sex: A Guide to Enjoying GodÕs Gift of Sexual Intimacy Douglas Rosenau ($17.99) One of the very best of this kind of practical guidebook. Candid and helpful.