In this short and easy-to-read devotional, Sarah Tummey focuses purely on Old Testament passages. Rather than looking at the gospel story, she skilfully explains how particular prophecies, Psalms and other OT writings came to be fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. This would make an excellent devotional for a newer Christian, a Christian who hasn’t used an Advent devotional before, or anyone who is interested to develop their understanding of the narrative of Scripture. The Coming of the King (J C Ryle/Mary Davis , 2022) Each day, it gives us “stories of individuals from across the world, whose lives speak of a divine love and the triumph of hope”, with questions for reflection. The author gathers inspiring figures from the calendar, the news, and especially around the globe, in a heady mix of the familiar, the overlooked, and the surprising, including, among others, St Nicholas and Stormzy, Eglantyne Jebb and George Floyd, C. F. Andrews and Asia Bibi.

As Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, writes in his foreword to the book, Advent is not only a time for anticipating the moment Jesus Christ came into the world but also reflecting on the ‘last things’ foretold in the Book of Revelation where people of every tribe, tongue and nation rejoice before the throne of God. If you’re looking for a creative way in to your devotions this Advent, something which reads more like an exciting novel than a Bible commentary, this is your book. In 25 chapters (so you can read one per night – perfect!), Katy Morgan expertly uses what we know of the time and place to pad out the factual story with fictional elements which really bring it to life. (And don’t worry – there are notes at the end about what’s fact and what’s fiction!) There are no questions, no direct challenges – but reading the Nativity story like this is sure to make you see and apply it in new ways. I’m looking forward to reading it to my 10yo and 12yo this Advent! They S ang (Amy Scott Robinson, 2021)

Church Times/Sarum College:

In one of the obligatory encomia that books now include, “Reading this was like spending an afternoon with Bishop Arun at the pub.” The notion of a bishop’s spending an afternoon in a pub — even a suffragan bishop — is beyond the scope of this review. From a book of cheer to the downright jokey comes The Glorious Journey. Liam Kelly has produced an Advent book based on the Netflix film The Two Popes. He works at Ampleforth Abbey in the abbot’s office and offers a nicely balanced secular commentary on seasonal themes such as listening, change, mercy, and loneliness. At a time which increasingly feels dark and challenging these stories offer light and hope reflecting on the lived experience of faith, its inspiring nature and the love of neighbour and of God which underpins each of these stories. From the founder of Save the Children through to the saint who became Santa, the daily reflections are ideal for individuals, churches and groups who are seeking comfort and hope in times of challenge and worry. The ideal Advent companion! Rooted in both the Bible and the current environmental crisis, Bishop Holtam’s meditations help us to face the challenge of the Saviour who will finally come in judgement of what we have done to God’s world, while we are preparing to offer all we have to the Babe of Bethlehem. Read it yourself daily, study it in weekly groups – but, most importantly, wake from sleep and act now before it is too late.’ BRF’s Christmas devotional for 2022 takes you all the way through from Advent to Epiphany, with in-depth daily devotionals (which include the Bible reading presented in full – very handy), introductions to each week of readings, and questions/creative prayer to use in groups. You do need to set aside a bit more time to read this devotional, as the print is small and the daily readings are a little longer than those in other books, but the sacrifice of time will more than make up for itself in terms of the richness of thought, depth of theological understanding, and challenge of personal application contained here. Tales from the Jesse Tree (Amy Scott Robinson, 2014)

With this vast, beautifully diverse family of believers in mind, Arun Arora steers us through many of the anxieties and pressures of the season, with reflections that keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and offer hope, comfort and joy. And last, if you didn’t see an option you loved on the list above, you can always create your own book advent calendar! To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth is integral to being a Christian today… Advent calls us to wake up, pay attention, stay sober and be alert to God and to what is happening in the world around us. The behaviour of human beings is the major current cause of climate change, and has the potential to become the 6th major event to result in the mass extinction of life on planet earth. We know this, yet we are still in danger of sleepwalking towards catastrophe… we are being called to live as citizens of God’s kingdom in the here and now… we are sensing an opportunity to do things differently, and an Advent-like urgency is needed in making our response… we can run headlong into disaster or we can sleepwalk into it, but we can no longer say that we do not know the impact of the way we are living. It is only in facing the reality that we can find the way forward.’ Here are 25 “conversations with Jesus” – enticingly written, drawing you into the story, drawing Jesus into our world today with all its ups and downs. I found this a fascinating and incredibly powerful way to explore Scripture – which, by the way, begins each day’s reading, and covers both Old and New Testaments. It’s not for you if you’re looking for exegesis – but if you’re at risk of going through the motions this Advent, after years of “same old same old”, then this is definitely one to try. Powerful, challenging, comforting and wildly welcoming. Lean Towards the Light this Advent and Christmas (Compiled by Christine Aroney-Sine and Lisa DeRosa, 2020) Looking for a book-themed Christmas advent calendar that has lots of cute gifts to open and enjoy? This 12 Day Bookish Advent Calendar is an excellent choice!You can get these calendars in your choice of 12 days or 24 days of gifts, and they come in varying genres and themes and for varying age groups. You can also choose between getting advent calendars with gently-used books inside, or getting ones with all new books! The BRF is also the publisher of David Cole’s The Celtic Year. With Celtic Advent, Celtic Lent, and Celtic Saints firmly under his belt, he has now spread his reach to encompass the eight points of the Celtic year, namely the winter season and solstice, spring season and equinox, and so on, right through to the final autumn equinox. This shifts the reader to a different universe, a virus-free world at one remove from our usual way of calculating time and space. St Paul famously wrote that these three things remain faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. The book extends from the First Sunday of Advent through to Saturday 9 January 2021. There is also a short, “do-it-yourself” Advent retreat included, with the themes of new beginnings with John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and — engagingly — the wise men. With Ignatius of Loyola, the authors believe that “our lives can take a completely different path and direction when God enters our story.” For the battlefield of Pamplona the retreatant can substitute the chaos of a pandemic.