Favorite Reads 2017

I received complimentary copies of most of the books I mention here in exchange for honest reviews, which you’ll find in the posts I’ve linked to.

I wait for these awards all year! As my blog is all about hope and inspiration, these are the books that most fit that bill for me in 2017 and that I highly recommend to fellow readers. You’ll find them listed in a pretty eclectic order.

Meals from Mars: A Parable of Prejudice and Providence by Ben Sciacca

Christian Fiction/Contemporary Fiction

Two men, two different walks of life, and a dangerous gas station incident that links their paths. Before reading it, I wondered if this “parable” might be the kind to preach a social message hard without being a good novel. But I needn’t have worried. There’s some beautiful imagery, humor, and, yes, the ideas in this novel are blatant and barefaced, but not at the expense of story or believable characters. The book raises questions without trying to tell the reader exactly what to think, and it doesn’t sugarcoat or tie up its message in a nice, neat bow on its way to bringing hope. I think many Christian readers, especially in the United States, would do well to read this timely novel.

Home by Ginny L. Yttrup

Christian Fiction/Women’s Fiction

Forty-nine-year-old Melanie checks out of reality through her writing; only this time, she can’t. Nothing against readers who enjoy decidedly melancholy fiction, but I have a hard time with women’s fiction novels that feel like page after page of dry gloom, killing me softly as I read. This novel, however, dug through dark, tough issues in a way that softly gave me life. Yes, I, a writer, tend to be partial to books and movies that get real about writers. But this novel gets real, period, in a style that isn’t sparkling but is still engaging. It’s a beautifully written story that gave me a “God is here” experience that I don’t get with all books. And, yes, I loved it.

The Dog Who Was There by Ron Marasco

Christian Fiction/Biblical Fiction

A courageous dog, Barley, bears witness as the greatest story ever told unfolds. No, this isn’t a book about a dog who follows Jesus around everywhere, but He ultimately does fit in this account that centers on brave and lovable Barley’s journey. Seriously, even though animal tales aren’t my usual thing, Barley’s poignant story put tears in my eyes at least three different times. While there’s a simple, storybook feel to the characters, there’s genius in the novel’s layering and delivery. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to be a better person, and that says a lot.

Illusionary by Desiree Williams

Fantasy/Young Adult Fiction

For Kamryn, this rescue mission in the Land of Ur is more than it appears to be…  Awe. Some. Ness. I wasn’t ready. I mean, the book starts out cute and funny, and then the parallel world escapades begin. I was stopped in my tracks in places, sometimes with a single, spoken word. “Heal.” “Hope.” And before and after a crucial twist, this story presents an assortment of wonderfully woven themes: growing up and innocence, grief and illness and regret, finding out who you really are and what you’re capable of. True bravery! It’s a fantasy tale like The Chronicles of Narnia in that it’ll speak to you on multiple levels if you have the ears to hear it—but whether you go to those other levels or not, it’s still a darn good adventure.

Without Warning by Joel C. Rosenberg

Christian Fiction/Thriller

J.B. Collins fears the president, Harrison Taylor, won’t take decisive action against a major threat before it’s too late. Even as riveted as I was to the J.B. novel that precedes this one, I don’t think a thriller has ever left me at such a level of shaken speechlessness when I finished it. I was punched in the soul by this book, and though I’m not much of a political or doomsday kind of person, the story had me inhaling the pages in fewer sittings than I’d normally take for a novel of this length. I’d highly recommend it to any other ChristFic fans who can stand a solid punch–’cause there’s nothing like being punched in the soul by love.

The Myth of Equality: Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege by Ken Wytsma

Nonfiction/Christian

In my book reviews, I normally don’t make a big point of the author’s race or gender. Nevertheless, I’ll note that this book, which is directed toward a Christian audience, was written by a white man. And, yes, a lot of people—especially white people—should read it. The fight for racial equality in the United States isn’t something any one race should be fighting for alone. This book has so many compelling points, including the need not to merely do acts of justice, but to become just. The author also includes action points, so readers won’t be left with a problem without any idea what to do next. If you think racial issues are “just politics” or not something that Christians should be too concerned about, I’d encourage you all the more to read this.

Black, White, Other: In Search of Nina Armstrong by Joan Steinau Lester

Christian Fiction/Young Adult Fiction

Finding her place as a biracial teen is becoming so difficult… What a story this is about family and friendship, injustice and unrest, legacy and identity. I’ll admit that Nina’s attitude sometimes got a few head shakes from me, but she also has great moments of protectiveness and dry humor. I appreciate different points raised in the story, including how so many of us (no matter our “color”) are really more mixed than we know, and about how slavery is not merely something that happened back in the past, in one country. Whether you’re an inspirational fiction fan or not, a young adult fiction fan or not, I’d recommend this as a worthwhile and moving read.

Can I Be Frank? by Rob Wyatt

Fiction/Humor

Father Francis, a young, Catholic priest, wants to be helpful, but he trips and splashes himself into the soup. Not literally, but, you know. This novel has a healthy helping of moments that are downright hilarious. But it also packs a substantive story that addresses church business and politics, the immigration dilemma in the United States, and a young man who just wants to be “plain old Frank” while “Father Francis” expectations are weighing on his shoulders. Fans of humorous fiction that looks at serious issues should get a kick out of this novel.

Loving Luther by Allison Pittman

Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Katharina von Bora, a nun, desires something more than a cloistered life as she begins reading the words of an excommunicated priest: one Martin Luther. Now, although this book contains a love story, it’s not a romance novel. Neither is this book “about” the Protestant Reformation, so much. Rather, this is the compelling story of a woman who loves God, longs for liberty, and eventually faces life outside the convent walls. It would’ve been easy to spring for too much drama and overdone characters during such a tumultuous period in history, but here, the writing style is nuanced, with emotion that isn’t flashy but runs deep. I’d highly recommend this novel to fans of historical ChristFic—especially those who are already familiar with Katharina and Luther and who’d be interested in a different approach to their love story.

The Ramona Quimby Series by Beverly Cleary

Fiction/Children’s Books

  

Let’s hear it for the adventures and challenges of an everyday, unforgettable girl: Ramona Geraldine Quimby! This was my all-time favorite series as a child, which I had the abundant pleasure to reread this year as an adult. (With the exception of the “new” last book in the series, Ramona’s World, which hadn’t been written yet when I was little. I’m now glad to have read it for the first time!) I–and countless other readers out there, for plenty of years–just “get” Ramona so well, with her plights and joys, her many laugh-out-loud moments and her heart-tugging moments. There’s a fine art to writing excellent stories for children, tales with humor and substance that are accessible at any age. Cleary’s clear understanding of human nature, from children to grownups, is what has made her books so classic.

The Herringford and Watts Mystery Novels by Rachel McMillan

Christian Fiction/Historical Mystery

*2017 Favorite Cover Picks*

  

A lady detective duo investigates murders in Toronto, Canada and the United States in the early twentieth century. I’ve also read the three Herringford and Watts novellas, which include a couple of non-murder mysteries. (FYI: I’m on the lookout these days for mystery writers who can indeed write about more than murder! 🙂 ) Having read all of these books, I can say that the mysteries alone aren’t the elements that have most drawn or impacted me. There’s so much more in these novels about history, about immigration, about the need for social reform, about love, about friendship, about the tension between the duty to one’s family and the call of one’s professional passion. The layers, the splashes of humor, the four central characters I couldn’t get enough of, and the threads of poignancy and heartrending moments woven into the stories have made me quite a fan of this author.

And that wraps up another (calendar) year of great reading for this book lover!

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