Book Worm Wednesday: Historical Christian Fiction

**Sorry this is late guys.  My Wednesday got a little pear shaped...**

It took me a while to come around to reading Christian fiction.  At first I thought the stories would be overwhelmingly full of scriptures and self righteous speeches.  I myself am a Christian, but I believe in showing that through my deeds, not my words.  Well, through a couple of recommendations, I gradually started to pick up more and more Christian fiction literature.  Now, I'm hooked.  It was nothing like I thought it would be and I love that I can count on the books I buy to contain strong women with values and story lines that strengthen my faith.   One of the first I read was Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  Whether you read this genre or not, most people have at least heard of this one so I thought it was a safe place to begin.  I loved the historical setting and the parallel to the bible story of Gomer and Hosea.  I love reading the original story in the scriptures after reading a book like this one.  It makes me feel so much more connected to it.  HOWEVER, it is a little heavy at 464 pages and would not necessarily be my first pick for someone just starting out with historical Christian fiction.  I definitely consider it a must read but Angel can be a very frustrating girl to love.  Reading as she struggles to accept the atonement in her life makes me want to scream and cry at the same time.  So I say, read this one at your own risk.  It's a wonderful story but prepare to be frustrated; these characters are broken and this is a book about their repair.

Some suggestions for beginners (or not!) to Historical Christian Fiction:

A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist
Anything by Deeanne Gist is a pretty safe bet.  She is funny and her stories are, while a little improbable, very engaging.
Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake
An accident prone girl who can't keep her mouth shut.  What's not to love?
The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander
A good old fashioned western romance.

In a later post, I'll give some suggestions for contemporary Christian fiction although I will admit I don't have as much experience with those.
Is there any type of book YOU would like me to write about?  If so, let me know in the comments!

Book Worm Wednesday: Reimagined Fairy Tales

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

When I was a little girl, I loved fairy tales.   My favorite storybook was The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

As I have gotten older, I still love fairy tales and have been very excited to find many of my favorites in novels form.   I have read several version of the Twelve Dancing Princesses but my favorite has been Entwined by Heather Dixon.

The gorgeous cover is what first attracted me to this book but once I knew what it was about. I had to have it.  This reimagining has a depth to it that the other books I have read lacked.  It had all the elements of the traditional fairy tale but it was also a story of its own.  Azalea, the oldest princess, has just come of age and is now allowed to attend balls when her mother succumbs to an illness.  The household is then ordered into a year of mourning in which there will be no dancing.   All the girls are broken hearted at the loss of their mother and the pastime she taught them.  It is at this point that Azalea discovers the secret passageway to the dancing pavilion and the mysterious Keeper who resides there.  As they continue to dance and move toward the end of their morning, they realize Keeper is not who he seems.   Their estranged father returns home from war and is determine to find out why his daughters slippers are ruined night after night.  Enter parade of charming prince wannabes and one captain with very disheveled hair.  A magic castle, mistaken identities, romance, and  family dynamics make this a great read for all lovers of fairy tales.  

Book Worm Wednesday: Sumertime Chick Lit

I love reading silly romantic comedies, especially in the summer.  It is nice to relax and read something that is purely entertainment.  One of my favorite "chick lit" series is The Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot.

"What's an American girl with a big mouth, but an equally big heart, to do?"

Lizzie Nichols a very unlikely heroine who can't keep her mouth shut about ANYTHING which gets her into various sticky situations.  This is an extremely funny series that also has a lot of growth throughout the books.  I would even say the books get better as the series continues which is a rarity with many series, for me at least.  The first book in the series, Queen of Babble, is set in a gorgeous French Chateau with an equally gorgeous owner.  There is a little romance but the humor is what makes me want to read this series again and again.

Book Worm Wednesday: Witty Fantasy

So I’m taking a cue from some other bloggers and dedicating a day on my blog to something I’m really interested in and want to share. For me, that is books. Hence, Book Worm Wednesday! I hope y’all will enjoy reading about my favorite books as much as I enjoy writing about them.

I am a ridiculous reader. I usually read at least 2 books a week, some new and some repeat reads. For me, reading a good book in no way makes it boring for me to read again. It is like hanging out with people I love on a regular basis, a lot of times the same and yet always awesome. I get impatient to reach my favorite parts and laugh at all my favorite jokes. One series that I have read multiple times is the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.

It is a teen paranormal series about a normal girl who gets tangled in the world of Shadowhunters, humans with angel blood who hunt demons, when her mother is kidnapped. That may sound a little hokey but trust me, it’s very well done. The dialogue in these books is some of the wittiest and funniest I have ever read. A lot of that comes from the sarcastic and tortured male lead, Jace. Throw in some romance, butt kicking and drama and there you have it! There are 4 books out in the series currently and there will be 2 more. There is also a prequel series about Victorian Shadowhunters that is just as good I think. The second book in that trilogy comes out in December.
Cassandra Clare herself is pretty awesome as well. She has a blog and twitter that she updates regularly with sneak peeks of upcoming books, character Q&A’s and FAQs for every book. She is one of the most fan friendly authors I have seen. I think it is fabulous especially since her endings many times make you want to throw the book across the room and scream “I know she did not just do that!” As someone who started reading the series at the release of the first book, I have had many of these moments and a long wait between to know how things would be resolved. Those things definitely made the wait a little more bearable. Even with all the frustrations that come from reading an as yet incomplete series, it is definitely a worthwhile ride.

I feel like I should submit a warning that there are some homosexual characters in this series as well as other series I may recommend. It is never the focus of the story or in your face. If it was, I wouldn’t read it or recommend it. I don’t personally agree with homosexuality but it is a part of our society today and avoiding all references to it, to me, seems almost impossible and unnecessary. I feel it is all in how it is presented. I know what I believe to be right and don’t feel as though reading books containing characters who don’t share those same beliefs will alter mine. With that said, I understand that not everyone feels the same way and I can definitely respect that. Thus, the warning

Regency Mystery

I love reading about England, especially the England of yore. I just love reading about the gorgeous dresses (what exactly is muslin, anyway?), balls, and men on horses.  It is all seems very exciting although I imagine it was actually quite smelly.  I try not think too much about that though.  Anyway, what better way to soup up a regency story than with a good mystery?!  It's like Jane Austen meets James Patterson but BETTER.
My two favorite contemporary authors are Deanna Raybourn and C.S. Harris.
Deanna Raybourn writes the Lady Julia Grey series.  The characters are wonderful and dialogue is so witty.  Lady Julia is from a very large and eccentric family who provide tons of entertainment throughout the series.  Not to mention the dark and brooding half gypsy detective investigating her husbands murder.  I feel like I should quote Anne Shirley when I say this book will deliver definite thrills.

Lady Julia is so elegant and sassy.  I just love this cover.



C.S. Harris writes the Sebastian St. Cyr series.  I was a little wary of this series at first because it is told from the male perspective and I was worried I wouldn't be able to relate to it.  I couldn't put it down though.  I started with the first book and had all six of them read in two weeks.  St. Cyr is a great character and the mysteries are very intriguing if a bit gruesome at times (I'm talking paragraphs, not pages).

This cover actually kept me from getting this book for a while.  It just doesn't appeal to me at all, but you definitely shouldn't judge this book by it's cover.  It's MUCH better.

I haven't read any authentic regency mysteries yet simply because they take me so much longer to read.  Somehow the language makes it much slower going and I typically like to finish a book in two or three days.  I have bought and plan to read The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.  I've heard he's fantastic but I'll have to let you know what I discover about him.

Southern Magic

I have come to love books set in the south. One of my absolute favorite authors is Sarah Addison Allen. My mom bought me her first two books for Christmas a couple of years ago and they are wonderful. Her most recent, The Girl Who Chased the Moon, is probably my favorite though. The books are full of small Southern towns, excentric yet loveable characters, handsome southern gentlemen, romantic cooking, and of course a little southern magic. Basically everything that makes a wonderful story. Another plus for cover snobs like me is that hers are absolutely gorgeous!

See? Gorgeous.