And now for Part Two of our “50 Shades of Good Books” series…Many of you suggested some of your favorites so thank you for sharing them with us! So, to add to Friday’s post, here are the official “Reader’s Choice Awards” of good-for-the-soul books! Please note that I have included only the first name of the person who submitted the title followed by their suggestions:
Amber and Alison both suggested A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion #1)
.
Amber also likes The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers
, The House at Riverton: A Novel
, and The Forgotten Garden: A Novel
(both by Kate Morton).
Denise recommended we check out Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God’s Spirit Invades the Heart of His People
by Dean Cymbalta.
Meghan is reading Going Public: Your Child Can Thrive in Public School
by David and Kelli Pritchard.
Briana suggested Water for Elephants: A Novel
by Sara Gruen, Quo Vadis
by Henryk Sienkiewicz (of which she said, “about Christians during the time and persecution of Nero from a fictional standpoint but with really deep moments), and The Hiding Place
by John Sherrill.
Jen said Thirteen Reasons Why
by Jay Asher will “stay with me for a long time”. Isn’t that the mark of a good read?
Gaby suggested The Last Sin Eater
by Francine Rivers.
Tracie said that Her Mother’s Hope (Marta’s Legacy)
and Her Daughter’s Dream (Marta’s Legacy)
are based on author Francine Rivers’ own experiences. Which, might I add, completely piques my curiosity.
Stef loves Pride & Prejudice
. So does my dear friend, Katrina. I’ve finally added it to my “Bucket List”.
Alyssa suggested Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
, Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together
, LEAD . . . For God’s Sake!: A Parable for Finding the Heart of Leadership
, Next Generation Leader: 5 Essentials for Those Who Will Shape the Future
, The God Pocket: He owns it. You carry it. Suddenly, everything changes.
, and Holy Disconnect by Bill Hybels (which didn’t show up on Amazon, hence the missing link!). I LOVED Same Kind of Different As Me and wrote about it here.
Beverly and Dawn both suggested Gods and Kings: Chronicles of the Kings #1
. Dawn also suggested anything by Jodi Picoult and I agree. That lady can write.
And LOOK! A man offered a suggestion!!!! I HEART when guys comment around these parts because we tend to lean more towards the estrogen-side of things here at “Mommy on Fire”. Rob thought we all might like Where the Red Fern Grows
, reminding me that I want to read it again because I don’t remember much from high school. I’m old.
Kerrye likes Last Light (Restoration Series #1)
by Terri Blackstock.
Marlo suggested When Crickets Cry
and Chasing Fireflies: A Novel of Discovery
both by Charles Martin. I must say I’m intrigued because Marlo said he “writes like a gentleman”. Love that.
Stacey thinks The Yada Yada Prayer Group (The Yada Yada Prayer Group, Book 1)
by Neta Jackson is really great along with the Who Do I Talk To? (The Yada Yada House of Hope)
which is a series by Neta Jackson as well. I’ll be diving into this one, too.
Dana likes anything by Karen Kingsbury.
Joanne suggested we check out Tending Roses (Tending Roses Series, Book 1)
by Lisa Wingate and After Anne (Coming Home to Brewster)
by Roxanne Henke.
And lastly, quite a few of you suggested The Help
by Kathryn Stockett, which is an amazingly awesome book and if you haven’t read it, you must. Did you know this was her first book? Thank you, Kathryn, for giving all of us “first-time authors” such hope.
This was fun, wasn’t it? I think it might be a good idea to do this at least once a season and those who blog, perhaps we consider a link-up once a month? Let me know in the comments if you are interested!
Which book from this list will you reach for first?
Related
thanks so much for taking the time to put this list together!! i wanted to say … i heard at she speaks that kathryn stockett pitched out her proposal some 59 times before it was accepted!! definitely gives this “first-time author” hope!! :)
YES! I totally forgot that – I was in that same session. Thank you for reminding me – I am sure those 59 are kicking themselves! :) Thanks for reading, Tracie!
Great suggestions! I can see I will be busy for a long time! A Linky sounds fantastic…I’m in.
I read The Help and it was incredible!
P.S. Quo Vadis is LONG but don’t let that deter some of you. It’s really an amazing book. Helped me think of life back Peter and Paul as REAL and gave me a sense for what those early Christians endured for their faith.
Great list! Added a lot of them to my TBR pile! :)
I started reading Redeeming Love over the weekend, after reading your post last week, and oh my word!! It is awesome!! :)
And I would be in as well for a linky!! I could talk books all. day. long! :)
Oh dear. . . my pile is growing! I’m glad to see Pride and Prejudice is on your bucket list — you won’t be sorry! And I agree, The Help is a terrific read. Most timely of all is the Going Public book that I’m going to order right away. I’m sending boy #2 to public school for the first time this year, and I’ve been boohooing for a few weeks now. I look forward to more tips and ideas on helping both sons (in 5th and 7th grades!) navigate a tricky world. Thanks for compiling the list!
I am so glad that I researched Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen BEFORE buying it for my daughter and grand daughter. The language in the book does not fill my mind with Christ or bring me closer to Him. There are many now who accept it as normal and so many young people throw Christ’s name around with 4 letter words not necessary if one really has a good story. I avoid books that encourage it. This kind of “spice” doesn’t fit in with where I want to go….so surprised to see it on the list…or is this the direction the “Christian community” is now going?