Happy Valentine’s Day! Are you reading romance this week? When faced with a Love Freebie in the past, I posted about books with the word love or heart in the title. This year I decide to find books with Kiss in the title — while some books are true romances, others may not be what the creators of this holiday were thinking of đ , but fun nonetheless. I guess kisses come in all shapes!
Happy Tuesday! Numbers in Titles was a TTT topic almost 2 years ago (here’s my post). I wasn’t sure I could come up with 10 different titles, but I took that challenge. Included in this list is a book with Number in the title too. đ With the variety in genres, I hope you find a book to pique your interest.
Congratulations to the very talented Christy Award authors. This list represents the best of the best in Christian Fiction. You now have a great TBR list! You’re welcome!!
2020 Christy Award Winners
Book of The Year
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
Contemporary Romance
Now And Then And Always by Melissa Tagg
First Novel
A Long Time Comin’ by Robin Pearson
General Fiction
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
Historical Fiction
The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke
Historical Romance
The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
The Girl Behind The Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker
Short Form
A Christmas Haven by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall
Visionary
Hidden Current by Sharon Hinck
Young Adult
The Means That Make Us Strangers by Christine Kindberg
Well, my TBR list just got bigger! So excited for the 2020 Christy Award nominees. I have read some of these books (and they are great), and now have many more to get on with. A big congratulations to all the talented authors!
Contemporary Romance
Just One Kiss by Courtney Walsh
Now And Then And Always by Melissa Tagg
Sweet on You by Becky Wade
First Novel
A Long Time Comin’ by Robin W. Pearson
The Means That Make Us Strangers by Christine Kindberg
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
General Fiction
All Manner of Things By Susie Finkbeiner
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels
Historical
The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts
The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke
Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson
My Dearest Dietrich by Amanda Barratt
Historical Romance
The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin
The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White
The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Echoes Among The Stones by Jaime Jo Wright
The Girl Behind The Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker
Smokescreen by Terri Blackstock
Short Form
A Christmas Haven by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall
A Flood of Love by Tracie Peterson
Intrigue A La Mode by Regina Jennings
Visionary
Cry of The Raven by Morgan L. Busse
Hidden Current by Sharon Hinck
The Story Raider by Lindsay A. Franklin
Young Adult
The Means That Make Us Strangers by Christine Kindberg
I am a very eclectic reader. I will read just about any genre. I do have some exceptions, but since I read Christian fiction almost exclusively, I don’t have to worry about some of the more explicit scenes/language that can crop up. đ While my time is spent mostly in reading real life stuff, whether contemporary or historical, I do like a good speculative novel as well. So what is speculative fiction?
Speculative fiction: a genre of fiction that encompasses works in which the setting is other than the real world, involving supernatural, futuristic, or other imagined elements.
The speculative fiction genre includes allegory, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, time travel, alternate history, dystopian fiction, etc. While the general market has lots of speculative fiction, there is not as much published in the Christian market, so you have to look for it. Enclave Publishing is one imprint that publishes spec fiction exclusively and is a good place to go to get your fix or to get you started on a new adventure in reading. Note: while the definition of spec fic states that the settings of the book are other than real world, I think some of the best examples of the genre take the real world and pull back a curtain that keeps us from seeing the whole picture. Those books use creative elements to help us process and imagine those things we just canât see.
For my Top 10 Tuesday post, I have included the reasons I like spec fiction, as well as some suggested books for you to check out. Hope you enjoy!
Top Reasons to Love Speculative Fiction
Takes you to another world.
Prophet by R. J. LarsonÂ
Ela Roeh of Parne doesn’t understand why her beloved Creator, the Infinite, wants her to become His prophet. She’s undignified and bad-tempered, and at age seventeen she’s much too young. In addition, no prophet of Parne has ever been a girl. Worst of all, as Parne’s elders often warn, if she agrees to become the Infinite’s prophet, Ela knows she will die young.
Yet she can’t imagine living without Him. Determined to hear the Infinite’s voice, Ela accepts the sacred vinewood branch and is sent to bring the Infinite’s word to a nation torn apart by war. There she meets a young ambassador determined to bring his own justice for his oppressed people. As they form an unlikely partnership, Ela battles how to balance the leading of her heart with the leading of the Infinite.
The Story Peddler by Lindsay Franklin
Selling stories is a deadly business
Tanwen doesnât just tell storiesâshe weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.
During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the kingâs guard hunts her down . . . and theyâre not known for their mercy. As Tanwen flees for her life, she unearths long-buried secrets and discovers sheâs not the only outlaw in the empire. Thereâs a rebel group of weavers . . . and theyâre after her too.
Allows you to travel in time and space.
The Bright Empires Series (5 books) by Stephen Lawhead
It is the ultimate quest for the ultimate treasure. Chasing a map tattooed on human skin. Across an omniverse of intersecting realities. To unravel the future of the future.
Kit Livingstoneâs great-grandfather appears to him in a deserted alley during a tumultuous storm. He reveals an unbelievable story: that the ley lines throughout Britain are not merely the stuff of legend or the weekend hobby of deluded cranks, but pathways to other worlds. To those who know how to use them, they grant the ability to travel the multi-layered universe of which we ordinarily inhabit only a tiny part.
One explorer knew more than most. Braving every danger, he toured both time and space on voyages of heroic discovery. Ever on his guard and fearful of becoming lost in the cosmos, he developed an intricate code â a roadmap of symbols â that he tattooed onto his own body. This Skin Map has since been lost in time. Now the race is on to recover all the pieces and discover its secrets.
But the Skin Map itself is not the ultimate goal. It is merely the beginning of a vast and marvelous quest for a prize beyond imagining.
The Bright Empires series â from acclaimed author Stephen R. Lawhead â is a unique blend of epic treasure hunt, ancient history, alternate realities, cutting-edge physics, philosophy, and mystery. The result is a page-turning, adventure like no other.
Makes you think about the supernatural world.
The Chair by James Rubart
When an elderly lady shows up in Corin Roscoe’s antiques store and gives him a chair she claims was built by Christ, he scoffs. But when a young boy is miraculously healed after sitting in the chair, he stops laughing and starts to wonder. Could the chair heal the person whose life he destroyed twelve years ago?
As word spreads of the boy’s healing, a mega-church pastor is determined to manipulate Corin into turning over the chair. And that mysterious woman who gave him the piece says itâs Corinâs destiny to guard the chair above everything else. But why?
Desperate, he turns to the one person he can trust, a college history professor who knows more about the legend of the chair than he reveals.
Searching for the truth about the artifact, and the unexplained phenomena surrounding it, Corin soon realizes he isnât the only one willing to do anything to possess the power that surrounds The Chair.
Gives fresh perspective on everyday life.
The Baggage Handler by David Rawlings
Lost luggage can ruin any trip. But what if it could change your life?
A mother of three hoping to survive the days at her perfect sister’s perfect house before her nieceâs wedding.
A hothead businessman coming to the city for a showdown meeting to save his job.
And a young artist pursuing his fatherâs sports dream so he can keep his own alive.
When Gillian, David, and Michael each take the wrong suitcase from baggage claim, the airline directs them to retrieve their bags at a mysterious facility in a deserted part of the city. There they meet the enigmatic Baggage Handler, who shows them there is more in their baggage than what they have packed, and carrying it with them is slowing them down in ways they canât imagine. And they must deal with it before they can leave.
Gives you a little (or a lot) of thrills and chills!
The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey
For the three people tortured by their secret complicity in a young man’s untimely death, redemption is what they most long for . . . and the last thing they expect to receive.
It has been twenty years since Philip McBride’s body was found along the riverbank in the dark woods known as Happy Hollow. His death was ruled a suicide. But three people have carried the truth ever sinceâPhilip didn’t kill himself that day. He was murdered.
Each of the three have wilted in the shadow of their sins. Jake Barnett is Mattingly’s sheriff, where he spends his days polishing the fragile shell of the man he pretends to be. His wife, Kate, has convinced herself the good she does for the poor will someday wash the blood from her hands. And high in the mountains, Taylor Hathcock lives in seclusion and fear, fueled by madness and hatred.
Yet what cannot be laid to rest is bound to rise again. Philip McBride has haunted Jake’s dreams for weeks, warning that he is coming back for them all. When Taylor finds mysterious footprints leading from the Hollow, he believes his redemption has come. His actions will plunge the quiet town of Mattingly into darkness. These three will be drawn together for a final confrontation between life and death . . . between truth and lies.
House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker
Frank Peretti and Ted Dekkerâtwo of the most acclaimed writers of supernatural thrillersâhave joined forces for the first time to craft a story unlike any you’ve ever read. Enter House â where you’ll find yourself thrown into a killer’s deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose . . . and the only way out is in. The stakes of the game become clear when a tin can is tossed into the house with rules scrawled on it. Rules that only a madman â or worse â could have written. Rules that make no sense yet must be followed. One game. Seven players. Three rules. Game ends at dawn.
Today’s Top 10 Tuesday is a Halloween Freebie. While the books I am sharing this week are not all spooky, their titles do give off a decidedly dread-filled vibe. All are mystery/supense/thirller and reside on my TBR shelves. If you have read any of these books, I would love to know what you thought.
2016 was a whirlwind of activity for my family. Several weddings, a couple of bucket list trips, and relocations led to a very busy year. Amid it all I did manage to read some great books — some new releases and some new to me. So, I am supposed to narrow my list to just 10. Hmm . . . can’t do it. đ So I have come up with two lists — Contemporary Fiction and Historical Fiction. No matter your preference of genre, there is something for you on these lists. To see what other bloggers consider their best of the best, please visit The Broke And The Bookish.
There were two books that I gave Very Highly Recommended ratings to in 2016. Both were from author Mike Nappa. These are great books I would recommend to everyone!
Fourteen miles east of Peachtree, Alabama, a secret is hidden. That secretâs name is Annabel Lee Truckson, and even she doesnât know why her mysterious uncle has stowed her deep underground in a military-style bunker. Heâs left her with a few German words, a barely-controlled guard dog, and a single command: âDonât open that door for anybody, you got it? Not even me.â
Above ground, a former Army sniper called The Mute and an enigmatic âDr. Smithâ know about the girl. As the race begins to find her, the tension builds. Who wants to set her free? Why does the other want to keep her captive forever? Who will reach her first?
Private investigators Trudi Coffey and Samuel Hill need to piece together the clues and stay alive long enough to retrieve the girlâbefore itâs too late.
As part of his regular street performance, a deception specialist who goes by the name The Raven picks his audienceâs pockets while they watch. Itâs harmless fun â until he decides to keep the spare wallet a city councilman doesnât seem to miss, hoping for a few extra bucks. When he finds not money but compromising photos of the councilman and his âpersonal assistantsâ, The Raven hatches a plan to blackmail the man. However, he quickly finds himself in over his head with the Ukrainian Mafia and mired in a life-threatening plot code-named, âNevermoreâ.
Private investigators Trudi Coffey and Samuel Hill must scramble to sort out the clues â and their complicated feelings for each other â to rescue The Raven and save hundreds of lives from a wildcard bent on revenge.
They call her the Queen of the Outcasts. Maviah, a woman whose fate was sealed on her birth by this world-unwanted, illegitimate, female, a slave-subject to the whims of all. But then she met a man named Yeshua who opened her eyes. She found strength in his words, peace from the brutal word around her. Because of what he taught her, she has gathered her own traveling kingdom of outcasts deep in the desert, wielding an authority few have seen. But when her growing power threatens the rulers around her, they set out to crush all she loves, leaving her reeling as a slave once more. She must find Yeshua to save her people, but when she does, she will be horrified to discover that he faces his own death.
Enter a story full of intrigue, heart-wrenching defeat, uncompromising love and staggering victory-one that re-examines everything you thought you knew about the heart of Jesus’s stunning message and the power that follows for those who follow his easily forgotten way.
Ted Dekker(born October 24, 1962) is a New York Times best-selling author of over thirty five novels. He is best known for stories which could be broadly described as suspense thrillers with major twists and unforgettable characters, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans. Tedâs latest work, a historical fiction based on the teachings of Jesus, is a radical departure from previous outings and is receiving critical acclaim.
My Impressions:
A.D. 33by Ted Dekker continues the story of Maviah that began in A.D. 30. Maviah has gathered outcasts from the desert and seeks to build a kingdom from the ruins of her father’s reign. But she has many enemies that want to crush, humiliate and eventually destroy her and all she loves. Told in alternating first and third person points of view, this novel is more intellectual for want of another term than the first book in the series. There is still a great historical context and suspense, but there are many long passages devoted to the teachings of Christ, His final days, and what it means to be His follower. Old and new characters are included, but it is Maviah who is the center of the story. A good conclusion to the series.
The center of the story, despite the story line of Maviah and her quest to rescue her son, is the Way of Jesus. Many people at that time (and today) did not understand Jesus’ teachings about His kingdom and coming death. Dekker does an excellent job of showing the emotions of His followers as they experience the exultation of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the dismay over His silence during His trial, and the despair following His crucifixion. Jesus’ radical teachings were (and are) hard to understand and even harder to follow. A.D. 33 will make you re-examine who you think Jesus really is.
A book that combines gritty hardship, emotional turmoil and the triumph of Christ, A.D. 33 is a recommended read.
The outcast daughter of a powerful Arabian sheikh, Maviah is called to protect the very people who rejected her. When their enemies launch an attack, Maviah escapes with the help of two of her father’s warriors. Their dangerous journey takes them to a brutal world subjugated by kings, where Maviah must form an unlikely alliance with King Herod of the Jews.
But Maviah’s path leads unexpectedly to an enigmatic teacher, who speaks of a way of life that offers greater power than any kingdom. His name is Yeshua, and his words turn everything known on its head. Though following him may present even greater danger, it may be the only way for Maviah to save her people–and herself.
Ted Dekker (born October 24, 1962) is a New York Times best-selling author of over thirty five novels. He is best known for stories which could be broadly described as suspense thrillers with major twists and unforgettable characters, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans. Tedâs latest work, a historical fiction based on the teachings of Jesus, is a radical departure from previous outings and is receiving critical acclaim.
My Impressions:
I have read a lot of Ted Dekker’s books. He has a unique way of exploring spiritual truths, and A.D. 30 is no exception. For those of you who are expecting a speculative novel, you may be a bit surprised. With a setting of 2000+ years ago, this novel fits the historical genre, yet has aspects of suspense, while incorporating some mystical elements as well. I found the audiobook riveting, making this one hard to turn off. It is definitely a recommended read.
Maviah has been shuttled around from birth. Her mother’s origins and her father’s disdain forced her into slavery in Egypt at a very young age. Reluctantly her father brings her back to his household, but it is an uneasy relationship. Maviah is an outcast and could have easily slipped into the role of victim. But her tenacious spirit and her desire for justice drive her on a dangerous journey through the Middle East to the royal courts of Palestine and an encounter with Yeshua, a prophet who seemingly speaks in riddles.
Maviah is an interesting character. A true outcast, she is also intelligent and shrewd with a mother’s heart that remains open and tender despite the battering it takes. Her first person account lets the reader into all she experiences. The setting runs from the Arabian desert to the courts of Herod Antipas to the cities beside the Sea of Galilee — familiar settings for those who read the Bible, yet in Dekker’s hands are exotic and dangerous. Complex characterization is a big plus in this novel, with Dekker’s portrayal of Jesus the most intriguing. I was often reminded of Jesus’ question to his disciples — Who do you say I am? (Mark 8:29), because of the various reactions from the other characters. A.D. 30 explores God’s role as a true father, the nature of God’s Kingdom, what forgiveness looks like and what it means to really see. Because of the many elements of this novel — rich in historical detail and suspense-filled — I think it has a wide appeal. The reader for the audiobook did a great job as well. All in all, I really, really enjoyed this book!
Thanks to Worthy Publishing and Ted Dekker for sharing his thoughts on his newest novel, Hacker.
Your main character in Hacker, Nyah, makes a living by cracking the firewalls of major corporations. What role does technology play in her development as a character?
Ted Dekker:Nyah roots a great deal of her identity in technology. In doing so she defines who she is by what she does. She even says so at the beginning of the book. I am a hacker. We all do this. For her, technology is what she knows, itâs what defines her, and provides the comfort zone. But itâs also her prison, which she comes to discover later.
How does personal loss affect Nyahâs view of God?
TD:When we meet Nyah, we find her in a place of great suffering especially for someone her age. That colors everything, just as it does for everyone else. For Nyah, the inescapable question is, âWhy is there such suffering in the world?â Or more to the point, âWhy is all of this happening to me?â That offense, that feeling of injustice and unfairness, feeds her entire view of the world, including her view of God as a distant, uncaring creator.
Why do you consider Hacker a modern-day parable?
TD:Parables are meant to re-frame the world differently so we can experience it again for the first time. Hacker takes a simple concept that many people already believe, that thereâs another reality so near to us that weâre unaware of its presence most of the time, and puts it center stage. The story doesnât have a moral or try to make a point per se, because thatâs not what parables are for, but it does ask you to look at the world through new eyesâNyahâs. The central question in each book in this series is, âWho am I?â
What prompted you to explore that question?
TD:The question of identity is central to all of life and, in fact, most of my own striving and struggle can be traced back to it. We define ourselves, almost without thinking much of it, by what we do. Iâm a mother, a father, a man, a woman, a writer, an accountant⌠The list is neverending. But strip that all away, as death will one day for all of us, and what remains? Are you, at your core, really a mother or a father or an accountant? Or are you something far more and weâve only bought into the notion that this costume, which we call the body and our careers and talents, is really who we are? The series so far includes a 17-year-old who claims she has been buried alive, a 13-year-old orphan with no memory, and a 17-year-old genius computer hacker.
What are the similarities between these characters?
TD: [Laughs.] Youâll have to read the books to find out for yourself. Ultimately, they are all forced to take a journey that begins in the valley of the shadow of death and ends on the other side of it.
What role does the unseen play in your books?
TD:An enormous role, because thatâs how it is in real life even in a literal way. Physicists tell us that the visible universe is a miniscule slice of what actually exists, we just canât see the rest. But just because you canât see something doesnât mean itâs non-existent.
What makes your characters in this series âoutlawsâ?
TD:Itâs their journeys, which lead them âout of the lawâ of death and suffering into the light. Itâs the same journey we all get to take, and which weâre called to.
You grew up as a missionary kid among cannibals in Indonesia. How do you think your unusual upbringing affects your writing and your faith today?
TD:My upbringing gives me a unique way of looking at the world. Understand, I grew up among people for whom spirituality was integral to life. It wasnât tacked on or part of life⌠There was no separation. They believed in the unseen, they witnessed its powers, and lived as though the seen and the unseen were woven together in a beautiful, mysterious way.
(Thanks so much to Worthy Publishing for access to this interview with Ted Dekker and the review copy of Hacker.)
To find out more about Hacker, including my review, click HERE.
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