Thes best books I read and reviewed in May 2017. This was a good month!
The best books I read and reviewed in March and April 2017. Definitely recommended!
Click here to read my review, and click here to find out more about Catherine West.
Click here to read my review, and click here to find out more about Cynthia Ruchti.
But if you’re one of those people who can’t stand the wait for the next novel, you might want to put off reading this until the next in the series is published.
Click here to read my review, and click here to find out more about Terri Blackstock.
Click here to read my review, and click here to find out more about Candee Fick.
I’m still playing catch-up on my book recommendations. Today I’m covering the best books I read in January and February of 2017, and I’ll be back in two weeks with my top picks for March and April.
What’s unusual about my list this is that the books are four different genres, but none of them are my usual favourite—contemporary romance.
An Uncommon Courtship is the fourth book in Kristi Ann Hunter’s award-winning Regency romance series. It focuses on the forced marriage of Lord Trent and Lady Abigail, and their ability to try and turn an awkward situation into a real marriage. I especially enjoyed the fact they were both strong Christians, which gives the plot added depth. Click here to read my review.
Maybe It’s You is the third in her Crisis Hope medical drama series, and it’s a strong finish. It’s not a light drama—Sloane has a damaged past, and she’s learning to trust God for her future. I thought this was a real strength of the novel. The romance and suspense didn’t hurt! Click here to read my review.
As an unrelated aside, I got to meet Candace Calvert last month! She and her husband took a cruise around New Zealand and docked in my home town. If you’re ever lucky enough to be cruising around New Zealand, let me know when you’re in Tauranga or Mt Maunganui so I can take you for coffee!
Murder on the Moor is the fifth in the Drew Fathering series, and I think it’s the best yet. The whole series is a must-read for fans of historical mystery novels from authors like Agatha Christie. Murder on the Moor sees Drew and Madeline visiting Yorkshire to investigate the murder of the local vicar. Excellent. Click here to read my review.
Long Way Gone is a modern retelling of the story of the Prodigal Son, set against the backdrop of the Nashville music industry, and in high-country Colorado. Everything about it was outstanding, from the opening line to the end. You can read my review at Australasian Christian Writers, and you can find the book on Amazon.
I’ve missed a few of my monthly book recommendation posts, so I’m going to catch up over the next few weeks. This week I’m covering the top 10 Christian novels I read last year, in a post originally published at Australasian Christian Writers in December 2016.
Every year I write a post of the top ten novels I read, and every year I struggle. How to condense a year of reading into just ten books? In 2016, I decided the only way I could do it was to stick to novels published in 2016—cutting non-fiction and novellas.
So here are my Top Ten Christian Novels published in 2016 (in alphabetical order. It was enough trouble to narrow them down to ten without having to rank them!):
Since You’ve Been Gone starts with a twist on a cliché: a groom who doesn’t show up to the wedding, and a bride-to-be who is left to work out why. The obvious is soon discovered (he’s dead in a car wreck), but that doesn’t answer the important questions … Click here to read my review.
An excellent dual timeline story from Lynn Austin, showing the difficulties faced by early American settlers, and their determination to succeed. And their faith. Click here to read my review.
This is the fourth novel in The Everstone Chronicles, and it’s as good as the rest. Don’t worry—you don’t have to read them all. But you’ll want to. Excellent historical romantic suspense. Click here to read my review.
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Intermission isn’t Serena Chase’s first novel, but it’s the first one I’ve read—an excellent Young Adult novel with some valuable lessons about God and obedience. Click here to read my review.
Kiwi author Kara Isaac has actually released two books this year: Close to You, and Can’t Help Falling. While I’ve read and enjoyed both, Can’t Help Falling is definitely my favourite. Click here to read my review.
A Heart Most Certain looks like a typical romance novel set in the American West in the late 1900’s—a sweet romance between two almost-perfect characters. Bland, predictable. But it’s anything but, and that’s what makes it so good. Click here to read my review.
I love a good mail order bride story, and this one was excellent. Even better, it’s the start of a series and I’m already holding the date to review book two. Click here to read my review.
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Everyone has been telling me I need to read Amy Matayo’s work. I finally did, and everyone was right. She’s brilliant—real characters with real strengths and failings. I’ll certainly be reading more. Click here to read my review.
No, I didn’t include this simply to include a token male author (although I do read a lot more female authors than male). James L Rubart is an excellent writer of almost-speculative fiction. I say ‘almost’ because we serve a God of miracles, so who is to say these things couldn’t happen? Click here to read my review.
On the Edge won the FaithWriters 2013 Page Turner Contest … and it certainly was a page turner. I’ll be watching for more from this debut author. Click here to read my review.
Although my choices are a mix of contemporary and historical, American authors and authors from England and New Zealand, they all have one thing in common. No, they’re not all romance novels (although yes, most are).
No, the one thing they all have in common is flawed characters doing their best to become better people.
But I was lost for the first couple of chapters of Catch of a Lifetime. I’m not sure whether this was an intentional decision to throw the reader in the deep end (in the same was as Cassie was), or whether it was just me.
*I lived in London for ten years, where ‘football’ was a game played with a round ball, aka soccer. I’m from New Zealand, where we have rugby football and rugby league. None of the players wear helmets, and their protective gear consists of a mouthguard and duck tape around their ears. And what US referees penalise as unnecessary roughness, we call a fair tackle.
If you start reading this and find the first couple of chapters difficult, don’t let that put you off. The story definitely grabbed my attention in Chapter Three, and never let up until the last page. And this from someone who would rather read than watch football. (Yes, the college game I attended was fun, but my personal highlight was seeing the marching band).
Cassie has come to Colorado to get her Master’s degree. She has a part-time job with the college football team as a physical therapist, helping players recover from injury. She also works as an academic advisor, helping ensure the players get the necessary academic grades to keep playing.
The biggest eye-opener was the amount of money that must go into football programmes. Pro sports didn’t really exist when I was at university, and we certainly didn’t worship the top players the way some of the characters in Catch of a Lifetime appeared to be worshipped.
Cassie isn’t happy about being assigned to the football programme. We soon find out why, but I’m not going to spoil it for you. It doesn’t help that the first players and coaches she meets seem to reinforce all the negative stereotypes she believes about student athletes.
Reed is the assistant coach she runs into the most often, because his players seem to have the most injuries and academic issues. There is an immediate attraction, but also the potential issue of a student dating a member of staff. Reed was a great hero—a kind and caring Christian who looked out for the players on his team as he coached them in football, and tried to mentor them in life.
I thought the way this was blended with Cassie’s spiritual journey was excellent. She’s clearly a Christian, but not to the point of it being preachy. Instead, she and Reed face the struggles common to many dating Christians, and they do it with class.
Overall, I enjoyed Catch of a Lifetime a lot more than I expected based on the first two chapters. I’ll certainly watch out for more novels from Candee Fick. And maybe even some more football novels.
Thanks to the publisher and Reading Deals for providing a free ebook for review. Find out more about Candee Fick at her website, and read the introduction to Catch of a Lifetime below:
Today I’d like to introduce Serena Chase, and her new Young Adult novel, Intermission:
We are starlight on snow. The reflection of something already beautiful—absorbed, reflected, and remade into something . . . more.
And this kiss . . .
This kiss is everything I’ve needed to say . . . and longed to hear.
Sixteen-year-old Faith Prescott eagerly awaits the day she will exchange her small Iowa hometown for the bright lights of Broadway, but her success-driven parents want her to pursue a more practical career, labeling “artsy” people—including their daughter—as foolish dreamers worthy of little more than disdain.
When Faith meets nineteen-year-old Noah Spencer she discovers someone who understands her musical theatre dreams . . . because he shares them.
Faith’s mother despises everything about Noah—his age, his upbringing . . . even his religious beliefs—and she grasps at every opportunity to belittle his plans to study theatre and pursue a stage career. When those criticisms shift further toward hostility, resulting in unjust suspicions and baseless accusations, an increasingly fearful stage is set for Faith at home, where severe restrictions and harsh penalties are put in place to remove Noah Spencer from her life.
But Faith has never connected with anyone like she has with Noah, and no matter how tight a stranglehold her mother enforces to keep them apart, Faith will not give him up. Behind the curtain, Faith’s love for Noah continues to grow . . . as does her determination to hold on to her dreams—and him—no matter how high the cost.
Intermission is a heart-wrenching contemporary YA romance set against a backdrop of musical theatre and family drama. With coming-of-age themes that honestly explore gray areas of moral dilemmas, this novel traces the path of one talented teen girl as she crosses painful thresholds of first love, faith, and betrayal to take the necessary steps toward adulthood, independence, and the dreams that set her heart on fire.
I’ve just read Intermission, and I loved it. Click here to read my review at Australasian Christian Writers.
“FINALLY someone has written a YA for all of us musical theater nerds! Intermission will pull you in like a big Broadway show with its swoony romance and a heroine you can root for. Serena Chase brings the theater world alive with this tale of first love, family drama, and a character who’s searching for her place in this world.”
Jenny B. Jones, award-winning author of I’ll Be Yours and the Katie Parker Production series
“This book sings! A masterfully written story that broke my heart one moment and had me cheering for the main character the next. If you’re looking for a stunning and emotional read, look no further than Serena Chase’s Intermission.”
Heather Burch, bestselling author of One Lavender Ribbon and the Halflings series
“A multifaceted coming-of-age love story that explores the depth of self-doubt, difficult family dynamics, and a faith built in the midst of heartache. Beautifully-crafted prose with a timely message.”
Nicole Deese, author of the Love in Lenox series and The Promise of Rayne
“Intermission is a singularly captivating YA novel. It delivers a wistful holding of breath while exploring the emotions experienced in the gap between what happened before and the hoped-for promise of what might happen after. This book, as with all the very best coming-of-age stories, will resonate with readers of all ages as it encourages us to come out from behind the curtain, step into the spotlight, and have the courage to live without masks.”
Sandra Byrd, author of A Lady in Disguise, and the London Confidential series
“Intermission is both heartbreakingly real and poignantly hopeful. Dipping her pen into issues of faith, friendship, and family, Chase had me holding my breath and experiencing the highs and lows as if I was personally involved in Faith and Noah’s lives. Brava!”
Jill Lynn, author of Falling for Texas
“Intermission is a love story for the heart and the spirit. You’ll fall head over heels for Faith and Noah!”
Lorie Langdon, author of Gilt Hollow
SERENA CHASE is the author of the critically-acclaimed Eyes of E’veria series and a regular contributor to USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog. A lifelong performer who sometimes speaks in show tunes, Serena lives in Iowa with her husband Dave, teen daughters Delaney and Ellerie, and a 100-pound white Goldendoodle named Albus, who is the biggest star of her Instagram account. Connect with Serena Chase by visiting her website and signing up for her newsletter, “like” her official Facebook page to stay up-to-date on new release news, and enjoy her sometimes poignant, but more often chuckle-inducing random observations of life on Twitter.
But there’s always time to read another novel. Housework vs. reading. No contest.
I’ve had the opportunity to read more great Christian fiction. Yay! But I’ve now got two more favourite authors, Amy Matayo and Christa Allan, and they have a whole bunch of books I haven’t read (oh, no!).
I also love Lynn Austin (I think I’ve already read most of her books), and Kiwi author Kara Isaac (I know I’ve read both her published books). And I’ve got a giveaway below … so keep reading.
Here are links to my reviews:
Can’t Help Falling by Kara Isaac (click here to read my review)
Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin (click here to read my review)
The Thirteenth Chance by Amy Matayo (click here to read my review)
Since You’ve Been Gone by Christa Allan (click here to read my review)
Congratulations t
Congratulations to Joan, who won a Kindle copy of An Aussie Summer Christmas (click here to buy your own copy).
Joan, I’ve emailed you twice: I need you to check and confirm your email address for me (you might need to check your promotions or spam folder).
I’d also like to give away a Kindle copy of Can’t Help Falling to one lucky reader.
When you enter, make sure you check your email promotion and spam folders—if you don’t confirm your email address, you won’t know if you win. And remember, share the giveaway: the more you share, the more chances you have of winning.
Well, I’ve (mostly) caught up on my reading and even managed to get some writing done (you can track my progress using the MyBookProgress counter to the right of the screen).
It’s been a great reading month, with some excellent choices. Here are my top four picks for September:
The Name I Call Myself by Beth Moran (click here to read my review)
My Hope Next Door by Tammy L Gray (click here to read my review)
A Lady Unrivaled by Roseanna M White (click here to read my review)
The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck (click here to read my review)
And I promised you a giveaway … so here it is. Click here if you’d like to enter to win a Kindle copy of My Hope Next Door by Tammy L Gray.
This is off-topic, but I have to share: this is where I live, and where I’m setting my stories. Read the article, and you’ll understand why 🙂
http://www.theloop.ca/theres-a-beach-town-in-new-zealand-that-will-make-you-forget-the-caribbean-ever-existed/
Well, the writing hasn’t gone so well in August 2016 in terms of word count, but I’ve attended the fantastic Romance Writers of New Zealand Conference, and read some outstanding novels:
When Death Draws Near, the third in the Gwen Marcy thriller series from Carrie Stuart Parks (you can read my review here)
Glasgow Grace by Marion Ueckermann, a short fun romance read (you can read my review here)
A Heart Most Certain by Melissa Jagears, a historical romance with a difference (you can read my review here)
The Long Journey to Jake Palmer by award-winning author James L Rubart. It’s mind-bending and thought-provoking (you can read my review here)
What’s the best book you read this month? And what are you planning to read next month?
Yes, I know this week was meant to be my book recommendations for August, but I’ve got exciting news to share and I couldn’t wait a whole week.
Play On, Jordan won the 2016 Genesis Award for unpublished authors from American Christian Fiction Writers in the Novella category!
The results were announced on Saturday night at the ACFW Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. I couldn’t be there, so Wellington author Kara Isaac kindly agreed to collect the award on my behalf (which you can see on YouTube at 29:45).
My win was unexpected—I only prepared an acceptance speech because Kara asked me to. I didn’t think she’d need to actually read it!
Jebraun Clifford, who currently lives in Rotorua (about an hour from me) won the Young Adult category. Here she is with her plaque:
You can find the official list of 2016 Genesis Award winners at the ACFW website.
ACFW also announced the winners of the 2016 Carol Awards, for the best in published fiction across a range of genres. The winners were:
The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert, Waterbrook/Multnomah (Random House)
Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke
A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer
The Aleppo Code by Terry Brennan
A Bride for Bear from The Convenient Bride Collection by Erica Vetsch
Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt
No Place to Hide by Lynette Eason
Covert Justice by Lynn Huggins Blackburn
The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart
Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman, Bethany House
The Calling of Ella McFarland by Linda Brooks Davis
More books to add to my to-read pile!
Closer to home, Omega Writers have announced the finalists in the 2016 CALEB Prize. Omega Writers are a group of Australian and New Zealand Christian writers, and I’m a member.
Same – Katrina Roe
The Word War – Mark Hadley
Fearlessly Madison – Penny Reeve
Hey! Is That How God Made Animals? – Penny Morrison
Jesus Walks on Water – Shan Joseph
Zenna Dare – Rosanne Hawke
The Pounamu Prophecy – Cindy Williams
Too Pretty – Andrea Grigg
Invincible – Cecily Paterson
Empires Children – Patricia Weerakoon
The Peacock Stone – Nick Hawkes
The Boy in the Blue Hoodie – Cate McKeowan
Jurisdiction – Joye Alit
The Fraught Ambitions of Man – Rebecca Hayman
10 Things I Hate About God – Susan Barnes
The winners will be announced at the 2016 Omega Writers Conference to be held in Sydney in October 2016. I’m looking forward to attending and cheering for the winners.
