From now through May 5, 2013, Amazon has put a collection of 100 religion and spirituality books in Kindle format on sale at up to 83% off. All books on the list are priced at $3.99 or less each. The sale list includes such books as:
Buddha by Deepak Chopra (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $3.99)
Deepak Chopra brings the Buddha back to life in this gripping New York Times bestselling novel about the young prince who abandoned his inheritance to discover his true calling. This iconic journey changed the world forever, and the truths revealed continue to influence every corner of the globe today.
A young man in line for the throne is trapped in his father’s kingdom and yearns for the outside world. Betrayed by those closest to him, Siddhartha abandons his palace and princely title. Face-to-face with his demons, he becomes a wandering monk and embarks on a spiritual fast that carries him to the brink of death. Ultimately recognizing his inability to conquer his body and mind by sheer will, Siddhartha transcends his physical pain and achieves enlightenment.
Although we recognize Buddha today as an icon of peace and serenity, his life story was a tumultuous and spellbinding affair filled with love and sex, murder and loss, struggle and surrender. From the rocky terrain of the material world to the summit of the spiritual one, Buddha captivates and inspires—ultimately leading us closer to understanding the true nature of life and ourselves.
The Dog That Talked To God by Jim Kraus (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99)
A wonderfully quirky, heartbreaking, heartwarming and thought-provoking story of a woman’s dog who not only talks to her, he talks to God. Recently widowed Mary Fassler has no choice except to believe Rufus, the miniature schnauzer, who claims to speak to the Divine. The question is: Will Mary follow the dog’s advice, and leave everything she knows and loves? Is this at the urging of God? Or is it something else? Will Mary risk it all or ignore the urgings of her own heart?
“I loved this story. Quirky and unusual, this unique tale wove a spell around me and drew me in. It wasn’t what I expected at all, and when I turned the last page, it left me wanting more.” – Ane Mulligan, Sr. Editor of Novel Rocket
“The Dog That Talked to God is a moving and powerful read,inspirational long after the last page has been turned.” – New York Journal of Books
Not Quite Nirvana: A Skeptic’s Journey to Mindfulness by Rachel Neumann (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $1.99)
A funny and incisive memoir of how a skeptical, fast-talking New Yorker became the personal editor for Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and slowly and reluctantly started to absorb mindfulness practice. Scenes with Zen teachers and the author’s two vividly exuberant older parents, illustrate how the author adapts mindfulness techniques for the busyness of her life, without losing her edge.
With honest and vivid stories about dealing with difficult relationships with family members, death, illness, vanity, exhaustion, and creating a safety net of joy, the author explores and offers guidance for how to find inspiration and nourishment amid the juggle and rush of daily life.
This book is designed for adults who are new to mindfulness practice, curious skeptics and critics, new and experienced parents, and and anyone interested in finding greater joy, nourishment, and a larger community in their lives.
Fearing the Stigmata: Humorously Holy Stories of a Young Catholic’s Search for a Culturally Relevant Faith by Matt Weber (5/5 stars, currently priced at $2.99)
As a fourth grader at Holy Cross Grammar School, Matt Weber asked his religion teacher why St. Francis was often pictured with holes in his hands and feet. She responded that those holes were known as the stigmata and that they reflected the wounds Jesus received during his crucifixion. “And how did he get them?” the curious Weber asked. “He got them because he was a good Catholic,” was the reply. And so that night, Weber recounts, he did a little more sinning than usual—just to be certain he wouldn’t receive the stigmata!
In Fearing the Stigmata, twenty-something Matt Weber—a Harvard graduate, television producer, and certified rosary-bead carrier—employs his sharp wit, earnest candor, and gift for great storytelling to illustrate for young adult Catholics both the real challenges and the immense joys of publicly living out the Catholic faith. The fact that Weber has discovered a way to have a deep, ever-growing faith life that also manages to be culturally relevant will offer hope to many currently disengaged Catholics in the 18-to-35 age range.
From smuggling ice-cream sundaes into cloistered convents to telling jokes to an outdoor statue of Mary at a busy intersection in Boston, Fearing the Stigmata amusingly but honestly explores the tension this layman experiences between wanting to be holy yet “fearing being made holey,” and wanting to be good yet not wanting the cost to be too high. Indeed, Weber attends Mass every Sunday morning; but the temptation is there, he admits, to sneak out early so he won’t miss kickoff!
Beyond the Storm: Quilts of Love Series by Carolyn Zane (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $3.99)
After a tornado rips through her town, store owner Abigail comes across a piece of fabric from a wedding dress among the devastation. Abigail is moved to start collecting other swatches of fabric she finds – her neighbor’s kitchen curtains, a man’s necktie, a dog’s bed – which she stashes in shopping bags. As she pursues her seemingly absurd quest, horrible realities spark the question, “What kind of a God would allow such tragedy?”
As she struggles to reconcile her right to happiness amidst the destruction, Abigail begins piecing together a patchwork quilt from the salvaged fabric in hopes it will bring some peace. But a new relationship with Justin, a contractor, may require too much of her fragile heart. Will her pain and questions of faith give way to the courage to love?
Click here to browse the full list of 100 Religion & Spirituality Books At $3.99 or Less.