Have you ever watched a movie simply because your favorite actress played the main character? Or, perhaps you visit a store or restaurant to support its owner.
The same goes for the best Christian books for women. Whether you’re looking for an encouraging devotional or a thrilling novel, you may want to choose your next read based on the female Christian author who wrote it.
To kick off our research, there are two main considerations to keep in mind:
- How to Find Your Favorite Female Christian Authors
- 10 Popular Female Christian Authors and Their Best-Selling Books
While lists of best-selling female Christian authors abound in recommendations, the best way to decide if an author’s writing resonates with you is by actually reading her book! Consider joining a Bible study or book club for an up close and personal view of these authors.
How to Find Your Favorite Female Christian Authors
Exploring female Christian authors is about more than just discovering great books. It’s about connecting with the storyteller, who is a sister in Christ, to recognize God’s work in our lives and the world around us.
When we know the author, we know her story. We can start reading her book with the context of her struggles, triumphs, and testimony. Not to mention, connecting with her through other resources, like a podcast she co-hosts or a women’s conference she’s leading, opens a world of possibilities.
But how do you know which authors to add to your reading list? Here are three steps to find a female Christian author who resonates with you:
1. Decide What Matters Most to You
There are many nuances to what makes each author’s writing style unique. Start by reflecting on what you like to look for in a book.
Are you looking for actionable advice, theological propositions, or thought-provoking prompts? Do you prefer lots of Scripture references? Perhaps you want to feel like the author is speaking directly to you.
When you find an author who incorporates these elements, you’ll likely enjoy their writing style as a whole instead of just one of their books.
2. Join a Women’s Bible Study
Group studies allow us to study God’s Word with the encouragement of fellow believers. When it comes to discovering female Christian authors, there’s no better place to get recommendations!
Joining a Bible study group can introduce you to new Bible studies for women. This way, you can work through a new author’s book with the encouragement of your sisters in Christ and decide whether it resonates with you. Plus, online Bible studies make participation even easier by allowing you to work through the book at your own pace.
3. Sort Through Best-Selling Female Christian Authors
Once you have a good idea of the criteria you’re looking for in an author’s writing style and focus areas, look at books that have gained widespread popularity in the Christian community. Here are some sources you can check for inspiration:
- Best-seller lists
- Trusted publishers
- Book reviews
This search can provide a great starting point for discovering new authors, but remember that popularity isn’t the only indicator of quality. You’ll probably read through several lists of top Christian books for women before finding a few titles and book descriptions that appeal to you, and it’s only after reading a book that you’ll be able to tell if you like the author’s writing style and message.
Take your time! Finding a good book can be incredibly enriching to your walk of faith. If you need more ideas, browse Esther Press’s extensive library of encouraging and scripturally-based books for women.
10 Popular Female Christian Authors and Their Best-Selling Books
Female Christian Authors to Explore for Spiritual Encouragement
Amanda Pittman
Amanda Pittman is the author of five books and founder of Confident Woman Co., a ministry that equips women to stand confidently upon the finished work of Jesus. Her life’s mission is to help women find their confidence in Christ “because Christian women should be the most confident women in the world.” If you’re looking for more resources beyond books, Amanda hosts retreats, conferences, online events, podcasts, videos, and more through her ministry.
Amanda’s top book:
- Stand in Confidence: With our culture and the church painting different pictures of who we’re supposed to be, women can easily fall into the trap of insecurity and damaging self-beliefs. Stand in Confidence explains how we can correct our perspectives with the truth about our God-given identities!
Brittany Ann
Brittany Ann is an ECPA best-selling author of eight books, but her portfolio extends far beyond that. She’s also the founder of Equipping Godly Women, a Christian Living website that inspires and equips women to live out their God-given callings with joy. As a Christian speaker, podcaster, and conference host, Brittany Ann’s work has been featured on several TV, radio, and online ministries.
Brittany Ann’s top book:
- Fall in Love with God’s Word: As wives, moms, women with thriving careers, and everything in between, some of us struggle to open our Bibles as much as we’d like. Fall In Love with God’s Word helps us overcome spiritual resistance with practical strategies for a fulfilling quiet time.
Rebecca George
As an author, speaker, and host of the popular podcast Radical Radiance, Rebecca George finds her greatest joy in helping women build God’s kingdom through their passions. Her work has been featured on outlets such as Life Today TV, HomeLife magazine, and Moody Radio.
Rebecca’s top book:
- Do The Thing: We have far too little time on this side of eternity to waste it on fear and lack of clarity! Do The Thing is part guide and part manifesto, encouraging women to pursue the special causes, projects, and talents we feel called to develop.
Jenn Schultz
Jenn Schultz speaks from personal experience when she writes about choosing to ditch people-pleasing and perfectionism and living freely and fully. Jenn’s mission, which she fulfills through her blog, podcast, and books, is to empower women to find their identities in God and pursue His purpose for their lives.
Jenn’s top book:
- She’s Not Your Enemy: It’s easy for our human nature to get in the way of relationships. Friends, colleagues, and even our sisters in Christ can quickly become our enemies. She’s Not Your Enemy equips us to battle our real adversary—Satan—so we can cultivate empathy and compassion for those around us.
Nicole Jacobsmeyer
Nicole Jacobsmeyer’s mantra, “Embrace the Chaos,” fuels her passion for encouraging women to walk faithfully regardless of circumstances. Through her books, blog, and lifestyle website, Nicole equips women to remember that God is with us in every season, and He’s good no matter what.
Nicole’s top book:
- Take Back Your Joy: Why does our good God allow bad things to happen? This age-old question comes to mind when we face trial after trial and feel we’ve been given more than we can handle. Take Back Your Joy gives readers a renewed sense of hope with biblical strategies to carry us through our hardest moments.
Christian Women Authors of Bible Studies
Babbie Mason
Babbie Mason is a two-time Dove Award-winning Christian singer-songwriter and a USA Today best-selling author. She challenges women to pursue an intimate relationship with Jesus and tell others about it, not through preachy language, but how we live.
Babbie’s top book:
- Each One Reach One: Do you ever feel uncomfortable or unprepared to talk to others about God? Each One Reach One shows us that sharing Christ is about practicing love and compassion and demonstrating God’s joy. When we find our own way to share our God story, we’ll be equipped to live with more boldness and purpose.
Katy McCown
Best-selling author and writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries Katy McCown is passionate about walking the steps the Lord has determined for our lives. Katy has experienced firsthand the anxieties of living with an uncertain future and uses her conversational and transparent writing style to connect with readers going through the same thing.
Katy’s top book:
- She Smiles Without Fear: This five-week study encourages us to step outside of our own plans and find comfort in God’s sovereignty. Using the Proverbs 31 woman as a guide, this Bible study equips readers to rest in the knowledge that God has a plan—and His plan is always better than ours.
Lisa Whittle
Lisa Whittle’s heart, passion, and leadership approach can be summed up in one statement: Jesus is everything. As the best-selling author of eight books and numerous Bible studies, Lisa aims to help women grow deep roots of faith and walk in confidence in a chaotic world.
Lisa’s top book:
- Your God Knows: Do you ever feel weary and abandoned? Daily life in this broken world can feel discouraging, and it’s easy to forget God’s faithfulness in those moments. Your God Knows is a six-week study that explores the biblical book of Nahum, showing readers how to rest in the knowledge that God is bigger than our fears, weaknesses, and chaos.
Laura Krokos
Laura Krokos has served in ministry for over 20 years. She has extensive experience leading Bible studies and discipling women as the founder of the online women’s ministry Missional Women. Her mission to draw attention to our awe-inspiring God takes full flight in numerous books about reading through Scripture and leading effective Bible studies.
Laura’s top book:
- You Are Unshaken: Even with the hope we have in Christ, it can be easy to fall into Satan’s lies—that we are unseen, powerless, or hopeless. In You Are Unshaken, Laura exposes these lies and equips us to fight back with biblical truths.
Female Christian Authors of Fiction
Karen Kingsbury
Karen Kingsbury is a #1 New York Times bestselling novelist with over a dozen titles topping best-seller lists. Her lifelong passion for storytelling is fueled by the belief that when God puts a story in her heart, He has the reader’s heart in mind.
Karen’s top book:
- Redemption: This romantic drama is the first book of a five-part series about how God can redeem seemingly hopeless relationships. Through the main character’s story of marital betrayal, the book explores redemption in both spiritual aspects and relationships.
Francine Rivers
Francine Rivers is a New York Times bestselling author, and one of her novels is considered a classic work of Christian fiction.
Francine’s top book:
- Redeeming Love: Retelling the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love portrays a classic love story of a woman who doesn’t know love and a man who follows God’s call to love unconditionally.
Finding Inspiration From Female Christian Authors
The most important thing to remember when reviewing different authors is that God can speak to us in any way He chooses. He can use any book we pick up, podcast we listen to, or community we join to pull at our heartstrings if we open our hearts and prayerfully ask Him to.
If you’re looking for more ways to get involved in a community of believers, check out the following resources:
- How to Use the Sword of the Spirit: Christian books are great resources to supplement our quiet time, but nothing beats going straight to Scripture. Learn how to use the sword of the Spirit in your everyday life in this article.
- 8 Spiritual Disciplines for Courageous Christian Women: Reading is just one of many great habits we can start to grow our faith on a daily basis. Explore other spiritual disciplines in this guide.
- 10 Books Every Young Christian Woman Should Read: Looking for more book recommendations? Get inspired by our list of books that every young Christian woman should read.