It’s never too early to choose your Advent book, is it? December may feel some way off at the moment, but will be here before we know it…

I really can’t recommend our new Advent book highly enough. Image of the Invisible is special because it brings to our attention the different ways in which God is depicted in the Bible and challenges us to expand our view of him. And Amy Scott Robinson writes beautifully - brilliantly creative, poetic, but practical too, and comes endorsed by writers as diverse as Adrian Plass and Malcolm Guite.

Buy it for yourself, buy it for a friend, or use it in an Advent study group – session outlines for each of the five weeks are included.

And now on to Life with St Benedict. ‘In a time when many are seeking space, silence and spiritual depth, the Rule retains relevance in a world where change is often feared, stability can be elusive and busyness interferes with listening to God.’

Anything that helps me towards space, silence and spiritual depth has my vote, and Richard Frost’s book is lined up to be on my bedside table from the beginning of January. It’s a dated ‘through the year’ book that can be started at any time, but would definitely make a good Christmas present for those who, like myself, are in the ‘new year, new start’ camp!

Using a pattern of readings from the Rule, each day offers a short reflection on how this ancient text relates to 21^st-century life and faith, together with a suggested psalm to read and a short prayer. Plenty of food for thought, but very digestible too.

Head of Content Creation at BRF, Olivia is into all things editorial, design, production, web and media. To find out what this looks like day to day, follow her on @OliviaWBRF.