Christian Contemporary Fiction Recommendations

 

Amish:

The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis

A Man of His Word by Kathleen Fuller

Someone to Trust by Patricia Davids

The Amish Widow’s Heart by Marta Perry

Leah’s Choice by Emma Miller

The Amish Christmas Secret by Vannetta Chapman

 

Romance:

Bamboo & Lace by Lori Wick

Sophie’s Heart by Lori Wick

Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh

Her Unlikely Family by Missy Tippens

A Family for Thanksgiving by Patricia Davids

The Cowboy’s Holiday Blessing by Brenda Minton

 

Other:

The Heart Between Us by Lindsay Harrel

The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel

The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon

Mr Midshipman Hornblower Review

 

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C S Forester is a classic adventure story at sea. We follow 17 year old Horatio Hornblower as he enters the navy and his adventures while adjusting to his new life.

 

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. This was an interesting book full of action. I like the look at what the British navy was like so long ago and the types of problems they faced, especially during war time. However, it just didn’t grip me. I never felt especially invested in the story, merely curious about what was happening. There was some interesting moral analysis of the times and some of the things that took place within the navy itself that I appreciated.  

Unfortunately we don’t really get to know anyone other than Hornblower. Almost none of them had any characterization at all. That left all the other characters blurring together and not memorable. I did however like seeing how Hornblower learned and grew through his experiences.

Prince Caspian Review

 

Prince Caspian by C S Lewis is the second book in his children’s Christian fantasy Narnia series. In this book we follow Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy as they return to Narnia and the adventures that follow.

 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. Surprisingly I liked this better upon reread. It was fascinating to see the four kids as ancient history and what has happened to Narnia in the interim. The first time I read the book I didn’t like how much time we spent away from the kids and with Caspian instead, but this time I really appreciated that part and all we learned.

Unlike the first book, the chapters were almost too long for one sitting with my daughter (8 years old). Hopefully, in future books they don’t get much longer than this or Lewis switched back to a shorter chapter system; I’d rather have more but shorter chapters than fewer chapters but too long for my kid. Furthermore, I don’t understand why he included Bacchus and Silvanus. These “gods” have quite adult connotation to them and not necessarily in a good way. Father Christmas’s appearance in the first book at least made sense in connection to the “always winter but never Christmas” thing. But these two just don’t make sense to me and I am left very grateful that this went over my daughter’s head. Unfortunately they turned me off of those parts of the story.

That being said, it was still a fun and interesting story and I still feel so invested in Narnia.

Christian Marriage and Parenting Book Recommendations

 
Marriage:
    The Fruitful Wife by Hayley DiMarco
    The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
    The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian
    100 Ways to Love Your Husband by Lisa Jacobson
    The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex by Sheila Gregoire
    Emptied: Experiencing the Fullness of a Poured-out Marriage by Wynter Pitts
    On Marriage and Family Life by John Chrysostom

Parenting: 
    Don’t make me Count to Three by Ginger Hubbard
    The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
    Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt             
    Give Your Child the World by Jamie C Martin
    Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp
    How to Really Love Your Child by Ross Campbell
    Contending for the Heart by Jim Ertel
    Mama Bear Apologetics by Hillary Ferrer
    Family Worship by Donald Whitney
    The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch
    The Power of a Praying Mother by Stormie Omartian
    Truth Unchanging by Becky Thompson

Phineas Finn Review

Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope is a classic and the second book in his Palliser chronicles series. We follow young Phineas Finn, an Irish doctor’s son, as he enters the British House of Commons and finds his way in politics, his career and his love life.

 

I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I found this such a struggle to get through. The political talk and dealings were tedious and fairly boring. Politics (especially historical politics) have never been an interest for me and made this a difficult read. Since politics was one of the main topics of the book, it went very slowly. However, the characters were wonderful, diverse and interesting. The character interactions were my favourite part of the story. Trollope is a master at characterization and plot development, and that is evident here and is what carried me through the book.

Overall, I am glad that I read it so that I can continue on with the series, but I most likely won’t be reading it again.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe Review

 

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis is a classic Christian children’s fantasy story. It is an allegory for Christ’s life, death and resurrection following 4 children who discover another world through a wardrobe.

 

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. This is such a good book. It is so well written; easy to read for and/or with kids. Each chapter is just the right length to keep a child’s attention. Furthermore, the story is so well done. The setting and the plot flow very smoothly with the perfect amount of world building and action taking place as well as the characters being captivating.

This is maybe even more entertaining upon reread because I am seeing foreshadowing and connections to the other books that just aren’t obvious or visible to those who haven’t read the series at least once before.

This book truly is a classic for a reason and one every believer should read, both young and old.

Christian Historical Fiction Recommendations

 

Lineage of Grace series by Francine Rivers

Sons of Encouragement series by Francine Rivers

A Viscount’s Proposal by Melanie Dickerson

The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin

All Things New by Lynn Austen

The Hawk and the Jewel by Lori Wick

The Rescue by Lori Wick

The Heart’s Frontier by Lori Copeland

Faith by Lori Copeland

Tomorrow’s Treasure by Linda Lee Chaikin

A Heart Most Certain by Melissa Jagears

Before the Season Ends by Linore Burkard

The Wife Campaign by Regina Scott

The Gentleman’s Bride by Deborah Hale

A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Hunter

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen

The Story of a Whim by Grace Livingstone Hill

Brides O’the Emerald Isle by Pamela Griffin

Brides of the Empire by Darlene Mindrup

Diary of a Nobody Review

 

The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith is a Victorian classic. We are reading the diary of middle class Charles Pooter and experiencing life with him.

I gave this 4.5 out of 5 stars. I found this a fantastic read. It was cute, sweet, funny and wonderfully charming. It felt like a taste of life of the times, if a bit romanticized with no extremes taking place (just normal life kinds of ups and downs).

The writing style is warm and conversational and easy to follow. The characters are delightful. Charles is so comedic in describing events, conversations and in the bad jokes he apparently enjoys so much. He seems to live a kind of whimsical life in spite of the humiliations and/ or negatives that life throws his way.

I enjoyed this even more than I thought I would. Perhaps it is the days we are living through, but this was just the breath of fresh air that I was needing.

Jane Austen's Genius Guide to Life Review

 

Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life: on Love, Friendship and Becoming the Person God Created You to Be by Haley Stewart is a Christian non-fiction book that analyses Austen’s characters to see what she is saying about vices and virtues in practice in our lives.

 

I gave this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I loved how Stewart broke down the characters and showed valuable lessons that apply to all people regardless of age, gender, marital status, etc. It was very practical and interesting. The focus on vices and virtues (from the catholic perspective of the author) didn’t bother me. Even though these are unfamiliar terms for me (as I am protestant), they were biblically solid and worth looking at. I also appreciated how they helped me to see how Austen’s characters acted, changed and/ or didn’t change.

However, the focus on Mary the mother of Jesus was just too much for me. The last section of every chapter looks at her and tries to apply what we learned in that chapter to something about her and I didn’t like this. It felt like she was taking precedence over Jesus and took away from what had been said in those chapters. Even so, I am still glad I read it and there are definitely parts of the book that I will refer back to. Therefore, I recommend this book to Christian Jane Austen lovers who can overlook those sections for the gems in the rest.

Christian Children, Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction

 Children:

Rosa of Linden Castle by Christoph von Schmid

Basket of Flowers by Christoph von Schmid

House of Love by Elizabeth Cheney

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

The Day Boy and the Night Girl by George MacDonald

Middle Grade:

The Chronicles of Narnia series by C S Lewis

The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

Drummer Boy at Bull Run by Gilbert Morris

The Hidden Arrow of Maether by Aiden Beaverson

Christian Heroes: Then & Now series by Janet Benge

Heroes of History series by Janet Benge

Young Adult:

Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Anomaly by Krista Mcgee

Veritas Project series by Frank Peretti

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

Hagenheim series by Melanie Dickerson

Can You Forgive Her Review

 

Can You Forgive Her? By Anthony Trollope is the first book in his Palliser series. We follow Alice Vavasor who is uncertain about her future and who she wants to marry. As a side story we follow Lady Glencora and the circumstances of her marriage to Plantagenet Palliser.

 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. There was so much going on in this book. It almost felt like there were too many main characters, or that the distinction between main and side characters was unclear for the first ¼ of the book. That being said, his characters were diverse in personality and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. They were varied and flawed and utterly fascinating to follow.

For such a long book, I sped through it once I got past the introductory chapters. Thankfully, it didn’t feel like a reused plot from one of his other works; not a formula he is just filling in with new characters and details like he did sometimes in his Barsetshire chronicles. I liked that I never knew where we were going with the story; it kept me invested and interested. Trollope presents some interesting ideas on marriage, finances and politics in this book that I found very thought provoking. This is an encouraging beginning to the series and leaves me eager to continue.

Spurgeon's Sorrows Review

 

Spurgeon’s Sorrows by Zack Eswine is a Christian non-fiction book on the topic of depression from the perspective of the life of Charles Spurgeon.

 

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting it to be. I thought it was a biography of Charles Spurgeon with a focus on his struggle with depression. When actually it is a faith based look at the topic of depression in general with Charles Spurgeon being a primary source pulled on through his teachings and experiences. Even though this was different from my expectations, I really loved it.

I not only appreciated the content as a person who has suffered with depression myself, but for the fact that Eswine addresses each portion to both sufferers and caregivers. It is relatable and filled with helpful information and applicable tools. This is such a helpful and encouraging read that I believe would be beneficial for all Christians who struggle with depression and/ or are in a position of counsel for someone with depression to read.

Secular Young Adult Fiction Recommendations

 

Fantasy/ sci-fi:

Beauty by Robin Mckinley

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Rose Daughter by Robin Mckinley

Golden by Cameron Dokey

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan Mcguire

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

In the Garden of Gold and Stone by Ryan Muree

Entwined by Heather Dixon

The River Witch by Helena Rookwood

 

 

Contemporary:

By Your Side by Kasie West

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

 

Historical:

Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguie

The Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey

 

Manga:

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

Faster Than a Kiss by Meca Tanaka

From Far Away by Kyoko Hikawa

Happy Café by Kou Matsuzuki

 

Graphic novel:

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O'Neill

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

Dreamer's Pool Review

 

Dreamer’s Pool by Juliette Marillier is the first book in her Blackthorn and Grim fantasy series. Set in a magical medieval Ireland, we follow three perspectives: that of Blackthorn, an unjustly imprisoned woman who makes a deal with a fae to forgo her revenge for seven years of helping anyone who asks for her aid in exchange for her freedom, Grim, her fellow prisoner who escapes with her and makes it his mission to help her, and Oran, the Prince of the land Grim and Blackthorn take up residence in.

 

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. It was just okay. There were two plots intertwined through the book (which I don’t mind): one following Blackthorn and Grim and the other following prince Oran. The first I found interesting but slow until the midway point of the book and the second far too predictable. Together it made for a bit of a slog to read the first half, but then picked up nicely. There was some sexual content that I didn't like, not that it was too graphic but the way it was talked about (written about) was degrading and frankly a bit disgusting. I was grateful  there were some plot twists I didn’t anticipate and I was in general pleased with the ending.

The characters were varied. I liked Grim and Oran (except when he was being incredibly stupid), but didn’t really like Blackthorn. There were some moments when the characters frustrated me, but thankfully they didn’t last too long. However, it did mean I lacked any real connection or investment in their stories.

Overall, I had much higher expectations for this book. Everything else by Marillier that I have read I loved, but this one just didn’t do much for me. I am curious to see if the series improves, but might wait a while before I try.

Practice of the Presence of God Review

 

The Practice of the Presence of God by brother Lawrence is a Christian non-fiction book on the topic of Christian living, specifically through living constantly in the presence of God. It is divided into 4 parts: conversations, letters, spiritual maxims and the life of brother Lawrence (as written by a close friend).

 

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. Brother Lawrence led quite an inspiring life and had so much wisdom to pass on. This is something that I aspire to and have never read about in depth. I appreciate much of what is said here and the simple approach he presents. I don’t necessarily agree with everything, but the spirit and heart of what is said is good and true. This is one of those books that I think would be beneficial for all Christians to read at least once in their lives.

Science Fiction Recommendations

 Science fiction can be such a varied genre. Here I am including both traditional science fiction (both modern and classics) with allegory.

Christian :

            Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis

            Out of the Silent Planet by C S Lewis

            Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

            This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti

Secular : 

            Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

            The War of the Worlds by H G Wells

            The Underground City by Jules Verne

The Land that Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Buroughs

The Island of Dr Moreau by H G Wells

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

By Water and Blood by Melanie Rose Huff

The Blue Castle Review

 

The Blue Castle by L M Montgomery is a classic about 29 year old Valancy who finds out she is dying and the news changes her whole life.

 

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I loved this book. Valancy is so fun and interesting to follow. It is wonderful to have an older female lead for once. The other characters are quirky, hilarious and varied. The way Valancy sees the world and allows herself to let go and live is so inspiring. There isn’t much action that takes place, just a little mystery; it is predominantly a character driven story. With such fantastic characters, I found it gripping and thrilling in spite of the slow pace of things. All I really have left to say is that I can’t believe I never read this sooner.

The Cross Review

 

The Cross: Crucified with Christ and Christ Alive in Me by J C Ryle is a Christian non-fiction short work on the topic of the cross and its value in our lives.

 

I gave this work 5 out of 5 stars. I loved Ryle’s approach to the topic of the cross. Not many people address the definition of the cross and its different uses in scripture, but Ryle does. Furthermore, he really gets to the heart of the topic all while staying very close to scripture. Not to mention how approachable his writing style is. It would be no exaggeration for me to say that I think every Christian should read this and perhaps read it again every year.

Classics for Kids

 Today I am focusing on books I would classify as "classics" (roughly early history to 1945). I am going to break it down into some subgenres to keep things from getting too overwhelming. So today it is books that are primarily written for children (roughly 5-15 years old). That being said, they are still excellent books for any age. I have also tried to make this list with lesser known or read children's classics, so if one of your favorites isn't on here, that doesn't mean I don't recommend it.

General:

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott

Jack & Jill by Louisa May Alcott

Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

A Garland for Girls by Louisa May Alcott

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli

What Katy Did series by Susan Coolidge

White Fang by John London

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Fantasy:

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien

The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Frank Baum

Ozma of Oz by Frank Baum

The Fairy Caravan by Beatrix Potter

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Rose in Bloom Review

 

Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott is the sequel to Eight Cousins. We follow Rose as a young adult coming into her own along with her cousins.

 

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I love this story. It is full of important topics and many neglected truths, especially around romance and marriage. The story is captivating and keeps one guessing at what will happen next in these young people’s lives, even though it is more a character driven story than plot driven.

The characters are all still wonderful, but perhaps even more so since we finally get to know some of the cousins much better. Rose has grown into a lovely young woman by the beginning of the book and thankfully we still get to see her continue to learn and grow here. I loved seeing her challenges and the way she came through them.