Category: Bookish Question

What's a book you've read more than three times?

Bookish Question #326 | What’s a book you’ve read more than three times?

Does reading my own book count?

I read that so many times while I was writing and editing. I honestly can’t say how many times. I can say that I didn’t read the whole book each time—I read as much as I had written, and moved forward from there. I’m currently following a similar process for my second book.

If we exclude books I’ve written (or edited), then there are a few I can think of:

An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers is the second in The Mark of the Lion series, and my favourite. I’ve definitely read it more than either of the other two books in the series.

Secrets by Robyn Jones Gunn is the first book in her Glenbrooke series. I read and enjoyed all the books, but I think Secrets and Whispers were my favourite.

Love Finds a Home by Janette Oke is the final book in the Love Comes Softly series, because this was the book where Belinds and Drew finally (finally!) get their happy-ever-after.

And the Bible. I’ve read through the complete Bible several times as part of a Bible in a Year challenge, but I consciously selected a different version of the Bible each time. So is that one book or several?

What about you? What’s a book you’ve read more than three times?

Do you prefer covers with photos or illustrations?

Bookish Question #325 | Do you prefer covers with photos or illustrations?

I’ve been buying and reading Christian fiction for a long time.

Many of the first books I bought and read had illustrated covers. Most look horribly dated now because of how much illustration styles have changed.

But the photographic covers from the same era also look dated, especially the contemporary titles, because clothing styles have changed.

The rise of imaging software such as PhotoShop has changed the look of photographic covers. It’s now relatively easy to merge multiple photographs into a single cover image, which wasn’t possible back when I first started buying Christian fiction.

Now, the choice between photos or illustrations on covers seems to be largely driven by genre.

Women’s fiction and rom com are more likely to have illustrated covers than, say, historical romance or romantic suspense. Contemporary romance can go either way.

Overall, I can’t say I have a preference. I wouldn’t choose or not choose a book because it had an illustrated cover … or because it had a photographic cover.

It all comes down to the genre and what I want to read at the time.

What about you? Do you prefer covers with photos or illustrations?

Do you prefer covers with words or pictures?

Bookish Question #324 | Do you prefer covers with words or pictures?

As a general rule, I prefer covers with pictures over covers with words.

The reason is that covers with words are often nonfiction, and I tend not to read nonfiction.

There are some fiction covers with words, but they tend to be hand drawn fonts. For example, here are recent covers from some of my favourite contemporary romance authors:

And here are some typical nonfiction covers with words:

So yes, I tend to prefer covers with pictures, but that’s largely driven by genre.

What about you? Do you prefer covers with words or pictures?

What’s your favourite period in historical fiction?

Bookish Question #323 | What’s your favourite period in historical fiction?

I’ve tossed various periods around in considering this question.

I studied the history of the Tudors in high school and subsequently read a lot of fiction set in Tudor times … to the point I grew tired of it.

I’ve read a lot of Regency romance and enjoy the period … but I’ve possibly read too many, because I’m a little tired of that as well.

I’ve also binged on and grown tired of US Civil War fiction, Western expansion fiction, Gilded Age fiction, and World War I fiction (although I’ll still read anything by Elizabeth Camden or Roseanna M White because their books always manage to put a unique spin on a period).

I am currently enjoying more modern historicals, novels set in World War II from authors such as Jennifer Mistmorgan and Janyre Tromp.

What about you? What’s your favourite period in historical fiction?

What is your favourite book in the Bible?

Bookish Question #322 | What’s your favourite book in the Bible?

There are 66 books in the Protestant Bible, and a few more in the Roman Catholic Bible. My 2023 Bible in a Year challenge was a podcast with daily readings from the Catholic Bible, and I have to say none of those extra chapters or books will make it anywhere close to my list of favourite books. That could be because I was listening, not reading. Or it could be because I was unfamiliar with them.

Either way, it reminded me that our favourite book is likely to be one that is familiar, and it will only become familiar through repeated reading.

There are certain books in the Bible that no amount of reading can persuade me to love (like Job and Revelation). I’m also not a big fan of reading the genealogies, although they do remind me God’s plan is outworked through His people … His many people.

Overall, I think my favourite books is Romans because it has so much solid teaching.

What about you? What’s your favourite book in the Bible?

What's the best Christian nonfiction book you have ever read?

Bookish Question #321 | What is the best Christian nonfiction book you have ever read?

I don’t read a lot of nonfiction (Christian or otherwise). In theory, that should make this an easier question than my favourite novel because I don’t have as many books to choose from. In practice, it’s harder … because I don’t have as many books to choose from.

The obvious answer is the Bible, but I suspect that isn’t the meaning of the question.

If I try to recall the Christian nonfiction books I’ve read, the two that come to mind are both autobiographies. You’ve probably heard of (and perhaps read) them both.

The first is Joni by Joni Eareckson, which made a huge impression on me as a child and teenager, about how she was able to live and thrive despite her circumstances, and how she came back to God.

The second is the Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, sharing her story of living the Netherlands during World War II, helping and hiding Jews, and her time in a concentration camp, and how God used her then and afterwards.

Both are encouraging true stories of regular Christian women faced with huge challenges, and the way they were able to cling to God despite their troubles.

Neither were “superwomen” or super Christians.
And that’s the beauty of their stories.

What about you? What is the best Christian nonfiction book you have ever read?

What's the best Christian novel you have ever read?

Bookish Question #320 | What is the best Christian novel you have ever read?

I have read more Christian novels than I can count.

According to Goodreads, I’ve read over 1,500 in the last ten years (and that’s just a drop in the bucket of all the novels published in the last ten years).

Most of the novels I read are good. Many are excellent. Few last in my memory beyond me writing my book review. The ones I remember longer tend to be the ones that make it to my end-of-year “Best of …” list.

Despite the fact I write contemporary Christian romance, the novels I remember tend to be historical Christian fiction from authors like Elizabeth Camden, Gabrielle Meyer, Roseanna M White, and Francine Rivers.

On that basis, it’s perhaps no surprise for me to decide my favourite Christian novel is Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers

Echo in the Darkness is the second book in her Mark of the Lion trilogy. In many trilogies, the middle book is the weakest (the “saggy middle” writers dread).

But it’s my favourite because it focusses on my two favourite characters in the series, Marcus and Hadassah, and their protracted romance. Marcus is a Roman and not a Christian, but journeys to Israel to discover more about Hadassah after he believes she has been killed in the arena. There he learns to forgive his sister (who he blames for Hadassah’s death) and find God’s forgiveness for himself. I love strong salvation stories, and Marcus’s journey to faith was compelling reading.

Equally compelling was Hadassah’s story back in Rome (and perhaps Ephesus. It’s been a while since I read it, so some of the details are hazy). She works with a healer and finds herself back in Marcus’s family home, caring for his mother.

Echo in the Darkness is, first and foremost, a Christian novel. It’s set in a fascinating period in history–the Roman empire shortly after the fall of Jerusalem–and it incorporates the history and customs of the day into a wonderful Christian romance with a good deal of light suspense.

The writing style might be a little dated, but there is a reason Echo in the Darkness (and many more of Francine Rivers’s books) have remained on bestseller lists for decades.

What about you? What is the best Christian novel you have ever read?

What's the most unusual or unique setting you've read in a novel?

Book Chat #319 | What’s the most unusual or unique setting you’ve read in a novel?

Most Christian fiction I’ve read is set in the USA.

The UK probably takes second place in terms of common settings, at least in the Christian fiction I’ve read.

I’ve also read Christian fiction set in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Egypt, South Africa, as well as several countries in Europe (particularly Finland, France and Germany), Colombia, Russia, India, China, Japan, and even Pakistan.

There are many more countries I’ve never come across in a novel, including most African and Asian countries. These would certainly be unusual settings.

But my prize to the most unique setting I’ve read in a novel goes to Going Back Cold by Kelley Rose Waller.

Going Back Cold is set in Antarctica.

This location is unique not just because it’s a frozen continent at the bottom of the planet, but because it’s no even a country. That makes it an unique setting in my mind.

What about you? What’s the most unusual or unique setting you’ve read in a novel?

What's the most unusual occupation you've read in a novel?

Bookish Question #317 | What’s the most unusual occupation you’ve read in a novel?

Christian fiction genres seem to focus on similar occupations depending on the genre. Just like in real life, lots of characters (especially heroines) work in diners or restaurants, or own their own small business selling ice cream or cup cakes or books (I’m sure there are more fictional bookshops than there are real-life counterparts). There are also plenty of teachers, B&B owners, farmers, and ranchers.

Romantic suspense novels inevitably feature characters employed in law enforcement, either local police or one of the USA’s many three-letter agencies (CIA, FBI, NSA etc.) The heroes will often be ex-military. Other characters are lawyers, a necessary part of the legal process.

Sub-genres will have their own familiar occupations. Rock star romances feature rock stars (or country music stars or similar). Billionaire romances usually feature IT geeks (or some other occupation where it feels reasonable that a young person—usually male—has achieved billionaire status before they reach marriageable age, and didn’t inherit that stack of cash). Sports romances feature pro sportspeople (again, there are more pro footballers and hockey players in fiction than in real life). Cowboy romances feature (wait for it!) cowboys, with the occasional cowgirl (although the heroines are more often the ranch cook or nanny).

What we don’t see as often are more mundane occupations such as accountant (and when I do read novels with accountants, they tend not to be the hero or heroine). But that’s not really an unusual occupation in real life. It’s just not one we see in fiction.

So what is unusual?

One that springs to mind is the Bug Man series of novels by Tim Downs.

These feature a forensic entomologist—someone who helps solve crimes by looking at the insect and bug life (for example, using the size of the maggots to determine how long since the victim was murdered). It’s fascinating, if somewhat creepy. The character makes The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper look like a well-rounded person, which makes for interesting reading and some embarrassing moments. In hindsight, he is probably neuro-divergent.

The other author I think of who often features less common occupations is Elizabeth Camden, who writes Christian historical romance.

The Gilded Lady featured Caroline Delacroix as the secretary to the First Lady. A Daring Venture features Dr Rosalind Werner as a biochemist (in 1908). Kate Livingston is a government statistician (In Every Breath). Natalia Blackstone is a financial analyst (Written on the Wind). Some of these occupations aren’t so unusual today, but they were very unusual occupations for women a century ago.

What about you? What’s the most unusual occupation you’ve read in a novel?

 

What's the most heartwarming book you've read recently?

Bookish Question #316 | What’s the most heartwarming book you’ve read recently?

Heartwarming? While I read a lot of romance, which is often considered a heartwarming genre, I don’t think all romances are actually heartwarming in that while I can cheer for the characters, they generally don’t incite my sympathy.

Heartwarming: inciting a sympathetic feeling, cheerful

However, I can think of a few.

Over the Rainbow (Trinity Lakes 8) by Meredith Resce

Over the Rainbow is the next release in the Trinity Lakes multi-author series I’m part of. In this story, Arianne Rayne has relocated to Trinity Lakes to rebuild her life after being paralysed in a car accident. It’s a heartwarming romance that deals with some tough questions around life, love, and God’s healing power in our lives.

Over the Rainbow releases on 21 February 2024.

The Roads We Follow (Fog Harbor 2) by Nicole Deese

I’ve just finished an advance copy of The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese, which should probably be classified as Christian women’s fiction with romantic elements.

It’s in first person from two points of view (Raegan and Micah), which give the impression it’s a romance. But it’s a story of search for identity: Micah is searching for the identity of his biological father, and Raegan is searching for her identity as an individual, not as the daughter of country music megastar Luella Farrow. It’s a heartwarming (ha!) romance that shares some deep truths about life.

The Roads We Follow releases on 30 April 2024.

Leaving Oxford (Southern Hearts #1) by Janet W Ferguson

I reread this series towards the end of 2023. While all four books qualify as heartwarming for different reasons, Leaving Oxford was the standout title for me. it’s the story of a woman facing panic attacks whenever she tries to leave her small hometown, and her growing relationship with the local football coach. They’re an unlikely couple, but Janet Ferguson makes it work.

Find Leaving Oxford (and the rest of the Southern Heart series) at Amazon.

What about you? What’s the most heartwarming book you’ve read recently?