Favorite Fiction

July 24, 2012 By

 “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” ― CS Lewis

I love books, and while I spend most of my time with non-fiction books, I do love a really sweeping fiction story. Why fiction? As Randy Alcorn says, “Some Christians view fiction as the opposite of truth.  But sometimes it opens eyes to the truth more effectively than nonfiction.” I would agree with this, as it has certainly been true in my life.

So here is my list of absolute favorite, beautiful, delicious fiction reads:

Jane Eyre- Jane is a true heroine. I was first introduced to Jane as a junior in high school, and she has remained my friend and favorite read ever since.  Orphaned at a young age and treated cruelly, she nevertheless takes on the challenges she faces with spirit and integrity.  Love, tragedy, mystery, and standing for what is right are all what make this book great.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn-Excellent read about the early 1900′s in Brooklyn through the eyes of the wonderful Francie Nolan. Endearing, heart-breaking, and fascinating all at the same time A book that will stick with me for a long while.

The Good Earth - Fascinating story of a Chinese farmer, Wang Lung, and his family. Rich with Chinese history and the heartache of changing times.

Hannah Coulter- A beautiful, soft, touching novel of a woman’s life on a Kentucky farm from around the Depression right up until modern day. Not only a story of her life, though, but also the history of the farm and how the war, education, government, and machines changed farming’s future. Quoting Hannah herself, “And so you have a life that you are living only now, now and now and now, gone before you can speak of it, and you must be thankful for living day by day, moment by moment, in this presence.”

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet-An unexpected hero, Henry, a Chinese-American growing up in a tumultuous time in Seattle in the middle of WW2. Based on real history, this book was fascinating and endearing all at the same time. Most of all, I LOVED how this book was totally clean, and the hero based his life on honor and faithfulness, even when those two things were not easy for him. In the end, a most satisfying of bittersweet love stories.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society- Set in World War 2 era, both in London and a little island in England called Guernsey. It’s a story of lives changed and the how books can bring people together. Lovely.

A Girl of the Limberlost- Elnora Comstock is a country girl from Indiana’s Limberlost Swamp.  She is lovely and tenacious and endears everyone to her that she meets.  It is also an interesting history of growing up in the early 20th century.

To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee probably never anticipated just how popular and well loved her novel would become.  I read it first as a teenager and have loved it dearly ever since.

Safely Home- Randy Alcorn is an amazing writer.  As Randy is a close personal friend, I respect him and his writing so very much.  This book is heart wrenching to say the least, but so worth it.  Also, in true Randy fashion, all proceeds from this book go to the persecuted church.

Now what are your favorite fiction books?

*This post contains affiliate links. The roughly 22 cents I will make from it I will put toward a new book!*

Thanks for visiting! I invite you to subscribe to GraceFullMama here.

Linking up with Women Living Well!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Filed Under: Books

35 Comments

  • http://twitter.com/DogFurDandelion Elizabeth Johnson

    I love “Girl of the Limberlost”! Have you read Gene Stratton Porter’s other books? “Freckles” was really great too.

    • Joy

      I haven’t yet, but I really want to! I am going to have to read Freckles here soon! :)

  • http://jessicalynette.com/ Jessica Lynette

    Right now I am enjoying read aloud fiction books with my boys {age 4 and 5}. The Land of Og was a huge hit with the three of us – I even called my husband in several times to hear lines from it!! :)

    I thoroughly enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and also The Help – I think those may be the only two pieces of fiction I have read personally this year. Though I am in the middle of another one, I think it’s going to be good! 7 Little Australians. If it turns out to be disappointing I’m sorry I mentioned it ;) haha.

    Some of the other books I have enjoyed with the boys are listed here {a mix of fiction and non fiction} http://www.jessicalynette.com/family-2/chapter-books-for-boys/

    • Joy

      Thanks for commenting! I am heading over to check out your link now! Thanks for sharing it.

  • QueenLos

    Love Mark of Lion Series by Francine Rivers. Couldn’t stop till I got through all three of the books! I really love all her writing especially Redeeming Love and her new series on Mothers and daughters. Thanks for your recommendations I will have to check them out at the library!

    • Joy

      I heard that series is so good. I will have to check them out! Redeeming Love is another excellent read that could have easily been on my list as well. :)

    • HomeschoolontheCroft

      The Mark of the Lion series is my favourite historical novel series ever. I didn’t, however, like Redeeming Love.

  • Denise Wilson

    I really enjoyed reading the Zion Covenant, Zion Chronicles, Zion Legacy, and the A.D. Chronicles series’ by Bodie and Brock Thoene. I really loved those! :)

  • Tinadiss66

    Little Women, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Chronicles of Narnia series, Sense and Sensibility, really all things Jane Austen, loved many of the same titles you chose, and look forward to checking out your choices that I haven’t yet read. This is fun! Any favorite non- fiction titles? Oh, and I loved most all of Frank Peretti’s books. Thanks and Lord Bless. So grateful that He’s given the gift of books and reading.

    • Joy

      Love, love, love all the books you mentioned! I love Little Women, it almost made this list, and my kids just finished reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. :) Non-fiction is coming soon! :)

  • Vicky

    I am an avid read, so I’m always looking for new book ideas. Turns out we have very similar taste. I’ve read Jane Eyre, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet in the last 6 months. (I also LOVED that Hotel… was CLEAN. And I grew up in the Seattle area and lived near the fairgrounds that were used as the internment camp, so the history and locale were personally interesting to me). I’ve read To Kill a Mockingbird a few times, most recently about a year and a half ago. And, I read Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society a few years ago. I’m currently in the middle of The Good Earth… I think I’d enjoy it more if I hadn’t read the introduction, which included a lot of plot details in its summary. So, that leaves me with three new books to check out. I am stopping by the library tomorrow to get Hannah Coulter and A Girl of the Limberlost. They didn’t have the Alcorn book, so I’ll have to add that to my Amazon wishlist. Thanks for the suggestions (and the trip down book-memory lane for the ones I’ve already read and loved)!

    • Joy

      Oh I love that I have a book soul sister! :) Thanks for sharing!! What are some of your other favorite books? Maybe there are a few that I haven’t read!! :)

      • Vicky

        Just finished Hannah Coulter– Loved it! I’m going to check out the other books in the series. Thanks again for the recommendations!

        I like Christy and Julie by Catherine Marshall. I also enjoyed the Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy. I love Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (and the books which followed). As many of the others mentioned, I like the Narnia and LOTR books. I listened to The Help on a roadtrip and enjoyed that. I’m sure there are others, but I can’t think of them at the moment.

        Over the last few years, I’ve enjoyed quite a few biographies of men and women of faith. I saw in one of your comments that you’re planning a non-fiction list… so I’ll save those for that post.

  • karyn bridges

    A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Swan House were excellent.

  • http://www.averagehousewife.com/ Paula

    Thanks for sharing these! I’ve read most of them and now I have a couple more to add to my to be read list. One of my newer fiction favorites is The Help.

  • Melissa Ryan

    I am glad I found this post. I need to put some new books on my library’s waiting list. I love being able to read books on my smartphone now.

  • Maria

    I adore your list – sounds like my book loves! The Girl of the Limberlost is one of my all-time favorites – love the transformation of the relationship between the mother and daughter (reminded me of my own relationship with my Mom). I tried to get into Freckles afterward…it was good, but the dialect Freckles spoke was hard to get around (maybe it was just me) – made me give up the effort :) . I am currently reading through a bunch of books with my kids this summer from Sonlight’s D cycle – and am loving their list of juvenile fiction – some deep truths and great history – clean and engaging.

  • Charmel

    I love Lori Wick’s Californians series. I have read it over and over. I also love Francine Rivers.

  • Jleigh42821

    Thank you for sharing! I love to read and am always looking for good books! I haven’t read any that you mentioned. Now I am ready to head to the library! My favorite book is Redeming Love. That is the first book I have ever wanted to read again, and again, and again! I am going to have to write down all these book suggestions!

    Blessings,
    Jenny

  • Jessica Phelps

    Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is great. An allegory of an allegory…the book of Hosea. It shows God’s relentless love for His Bride.
    Stepping Heavenward by Elisabeth Prentiss is my other favorite. EVERY Christian woman will find her very own self in Katherine…seriously, maybe the book was really about me…hmmm… It paints a woman’s sanctification PERFECTLY.

  • sarah higgins

    I love, love to read. My family didn’t have a tv while I was young b/c my parents wanted to spend more time “with” us, so we read a lot together as a family. I would rather read than do most things! I lead a women’s book club at church and we read mostly Christian fiction. My favorites are the Anne of Green Gables series, The Mitford Series by Jan Karon, anything by Francine Rivers, but especially Redeeming Love, and the Elm Creek Quilters series by Jennifer Chiaverini. My favorite Christian authors are Lynn Austin and Tamera Alexander for historical fiction, Dee Henderson for suspense/mystery and Janette Oke. I loved Deadline by Randy Alcorn. It’s neat that you know him. My mom and dad really admire him and get his newsletter. I really could go on and on about books b/c I love them so much! I’m off to put some of your faves on hold at the library! Sorry for the rambling post!

  • http://www.gailgolden.org/ Gail Golden

    My favs are the Anne of Green Gables series by Luci Maude Montgomery, the Mitford Series by Jan Karon, The Zion series by Bodie Thoene, Redeeming Love and the others by Francene Rivers, and the Pot Luck Club series by Eva Marie Everson.

  • http://ErikaDawson.com/ Erika Dawson

    You have some of my FAVORITES on this list!!! There are a few, though, that I hadn’t heard of, so I’m excited to add them to my list. I mostly read non-fiction, too, but I’ve been looking for some good fiction. Thanks, Joy!

  • HisCoffeeGirl

    I was so excited to see the Girl from Limberlost on your favorites! Laddie is one of my favorite novels by the same author!

  • http://mommymarginalia.blogspot.com/ Victoria @ Mommy Marginalia

    Thank you so much for sharing your list! Have you read “Snowflower and the Secret Fan”? If not, you might pick it up, since you enjoyed The Good Earth so well.

    My all-time favorite fiction reads are “Little Women”, “A Room With a View” and “Pride and Prejudice”.

  • http://www.wellfedhomestead.com Brenda

    Thanks for sharing, Joy! Yay! Just last night, I as thinking, I ant to read some fiction! I majored in English Lit in college and read a TON of fiction back then. But I had to–and I had to analyze it and write essays, etc. I think I got burnt out on fiction. :) And then I got married and had kids and all I wanted to do was read about *how to* do this wife thing, mom thing, homeschooling thing, cooking thing, cleaning thing, etc.–RIGHT. So for years now, all I have read is non-fiction. I felt like fiction would be a waste of my time. Now, after 13 years of marriage and 10+ years of being a mom, I’m feeling like maybe I should read some fiction again. But what to read? (Seriously, I was just thinking this last night!). Then you wrote this post! Yippeee! Now I have my list! :) Thanks! :) Blessings!!!

  • Osmari

    Can any of these are recommended for an 8th grader? I see she has in her reading list To Kill A Mockingbird. Thanks!

  • http://barbarah.wordpress.com/ Barbara H.

    Love that quote about fiction and always enjoy seeing what others are reading. I enjoyed many of these as well — Jane Eyre, A Tree grows in Brooklyn, Girl of the Limberlost, TKAM. I haven’t read Hannah Coulter, Safely Home, or the Guernsey book but I have heard good things about them.

  • Amanda

    I read my 1st Christian Fiction novel at the beginning of this year, Redeeming Love. I absolutely loved it!! Plan on reading more by Francine Rivers. I’m a fellow lover of books too!

  • MomsBandB

    I just noticed the woman below saying “Mark of the Lion” series. That was absolutely fabulous. I’m enjoying the AD Chronicles series by the Thoenes — there is much teaching in the book which is very interesting. Safely Home was also wonderful. As a family we are enjoying Douglas Bond’s series on the Scottish Covenanters.

  • Christina@toshowthemjesus.com

    I love posts about books! I love the Mitford series, Gilead, The Swan House, and Pride and Prejudice. I’ll be searching for these on your list:) Thanks!

  • quickeasycheaphealthy

    Several of these are my favorites, too! I also love Pride and Prejudice (and Emma, and Sense and Sensibility, lol), almost anything by Francine Rivers, and Les Miserables (Wow. That one is my all time favorite!!).

  • Melody Hansmeyer

    Jane Eyre- without a doubt (it may just happen to be a password clue online- filed under ‘favorite book?’ but i’m not telling!)

  • http://one-girl-vs-world.blogspot.com/ Laurel Walker

    I love reading Amy Tan’s novels. The melding of modern American culture with the rich cultural history of Chinese culture is thought-provoking and beautiful.

    http://one-girl-vs-world.blogspot.com

  • Rebecca Bozarth

    Yes, I’ll agree with several other commenters, The Mark of the Lion series by F. Rivers are incredible. Some other historical fiction along a similar line are the Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin… the whole series is wonderful!! I just got a friend hooked on them. Not sure if this really fiction, cuz I think it is based on true lives, but Same ind of Difference As Me is a must read. Wow.