Fiction Book Recommendations
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I love to read and reading fiction is something I try to do daily. I read and recommend both Christian and non-Christian fiction. The books below are not in any order of preference, just books I loved.
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This Present Darkness was first published in 1986! But there’s a reason it’s still in print and has sold more than 2.7 million copies. It brings the reality of spiritual warfare & the necessity of prayer to life!
C.S. Lewis, the author of this series, said, “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children isn’t a good children’s story in the slightest.” That’s why this series is listed here and on the children’s & teens’ books page!
Before We Were Yours is great storytelling based on a dark chapter of American history. It’s a heartbreaking and un-put-down-able fictional story of five siblings stolen from their poor parents in Tennessee early in the 20th century.
Redeeming Love, a classic Christian novel by prolific author Francine Rivers, brings the story of Hosea and Gomer to life in the California Gold Rush. As a picture of the unstoppable love of God for His people, this story will encourage your faith.
My Dear Hamilton is historical fiction at its finest! The central character of Eliza Schulyer Hamilton comes to life as her life intersects history including the American Revolution, the writing of the Federalist Papers, and the War of 1812. I loved it! And you will too.
This Christian historical fiction series by author Francine Rivers will take you back to first-century Rome. Reading a fictionalized version of what early believers endured challenged my faith. “How,” I wondered, “would my faith hold up?”
We Were the Lucky Ones is historical fiction based on a real family. That all five siblings & their parents in this Jewish family living from Poland, against all odds, survived World War II and the Holocaust is nothing short of miraculous. Even knowing the end, it’ll keep you in suspense.
World War II historical fiction is a favorite of mine and The Nightingale is one of the best. Set in Nazi-occupied France, this beautiful and heartbreaking story will have you on the edge of your seat and staying up way too late.
Piercing the Darkness is a sequel to This Present Darkness – kind of. The same themes of spiritual warfare and powerful praying are here. But all new characters, settings, and situations. Anytime you find yourself wondering if your prayers really matter read this book.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas makes the Holocaust personal through the friendship that develops between the son of the Nazi kommandant at Auschwitz and a Jewish boy confined inside. The ending is sad, as so many true stories were during that awful time.
The Lord of the Rings series is worth reading and rereading! I first read it in high school and just finished reading it for the third time this year. The battle between good and evil requires sacrifice from all. Yet, in the end, good triumphs. I love it for the biblical hope it inspires as well as the epic tale it spins.
The Widow and the Highlander is the first book in a 4-book series that I picked up on a whim at Chirp Books (great audiobook deals!). It’s not as intense or deep as some historical fiction, but the story is enjoyable even if the characters are a bit thin. Think “beach read” for history buffs.
