My Top 10 Favorite Books- Spring 2020
“I have lived a thousand lives and I’ve loved a thousand loves. I’ve walked on distant worlds and seen the end of time because I read.”
I have a new list of my favorite books that I’ve been reading over the past few months to share with you. There are several genres represented below: historical fiction, historical romance, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, Christian living, and writing technique. Some are categorized for the Christian market, some aren’t—but all are clean. I enjoy keeping track of, reviewing, and sharing the titles that mean something to me. Maybe there’s something here that will spark your interest!
I’d love to know what you’ve been reading too. I keep a running list on Goodreads of books I want to take a look at. I don’t know if you’re still on “stay-at-home” orders, but I’m in Seattle, and here, we’re still laying low. As a consequence, everything on my “to-be-read” list has been pretty much checked off! I need some new titles to add. Please, let me know in the comments.
In no particular order, here are my recent top 10 favorite books….
Note…Amazon affiliate links may be used throughout this post. If you click on a link and buy a book, I receive a small portion of the proceeds at no additional cost to you. Thank you! For full disclosure, click HERE
Fiction Favorites
1. Orphan Beach by Laura Thomas |Romantic suspense
About: Life is spiraling out of control for pediatric nurse, Juliet Farr. Heart-broken, grief-stricken, and experiencing a crisis of faith—now she is the prime target for a crazed killer. When her ex-boyfriend, detective Max Bennett, returns to work the case in the Oregon Coast, he knows sharing the truth behind their break-up will destroy any possibility of a second chance together.
A manuscript, a maniac, and a mother’s love propel Juliet’s flight to a beach in Mexico as she desperately pursues hope and healing. Will she ever find freedom from the ache of abandonment? And when a troubled soul chooses Juliet as his perfect victim, can Max prove his love for her by risking his own life? Or will Orphan Beach be the end of their story?
My review: The Orphan Beach is the latest in a trilogy of romantic suspense novels by Laura Thomas, although it works perfectly as a stand-alone. I have loved them all and I especially loved revisiting characters from her previous books. I was kept on the edge of my seat as I read through this page-turner. Juliet and Max are both such loveable characters and I was rooting for them. Also enjoyable was the book's setting in a small town in Oregon and a beach in Mexico. Interwoven throughout the story is a beautiful message of God's faithfulness and grace. I highly recommend this book.
2. Diamond in the Rough by Jen Turano | Historical romance
About: To save her family from financial ruin, Miss Poppy Garrison accepts an unusual proposition to participate in the New York social season in exchange for her grandmother settling a family loan that has unexpectedly come due. Ill-equipped to handle the intricacies of mingling within the New York Four Hundred, Poppy becomes embroiled in one hilarious fiasco after another, doomed to suffer a grand societal failure instead of being deemed the diamond of the first water her grandmother longs for her to become.
Reginald Blackburn, second son of a duke, has been forced to travel to America to help his cousin, Charles Wynn, Earl of Lonsdale, find an American heiress to wed in order to shore up his family estate that is in desperate need of funds. Reginald himself has no interest in finding an heiress to marry, but when Poppy's grandmother asks him to give etiquette lessons to Poppy, he swiftly discovers he may be in for much more than he bargained for.
My review: I enjoyed this thoroughly funny story. Poppy is a lovable character with depth. The historical details were interesting and I could tell the book was well researched. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves historical romance.
3. The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White | Historical romance
About: Three years into the Great War, England's greatest asset is their intelligence network--field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack every German telegram. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, for the first time in her life numbers aren't enough.
Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy who just won't give up. He's smitten quickly by the intelligent Margot, but how can he convince a girl who lives entirely in her mind that sometimes life's answers lie in the heart?
Amid biological warfare, encrypted letters, and a German spy who wants to destroy not just them but others they love, Margot and Drake will have to work together to save themselves from the very secrets that brought them together.
My review: The Number of Love had me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. I loved the character of Margot. She was fascinating, intelligent, and extremely likable. I was rooting for her the whole time This story set during the Great War took me into a world I didn't know a lot about. I loved reading about what the Codebreakers did.
4. Take a Chance on Me by Becky Wade | Contemporary Romance
About: When baker Penelope Quinn steps in to help her brother’s family through a medical crisis, she’s forced into close proximity with charming Air Force fighter pilot Eli Price.
Penelope has one iron-clad dating rule—she does not date airmen. Months ago, she relaxed her rule with Eli and immediately lived to regret it. After a long deployment, he’s now back in Misty River and, to her dismay, she finds him just as tempting as always.
Eli’s spent months thinking about funny, feisty, creative Penelope. He once leveraged his focus and drive to become a pilot, his childhood dream. Now he's set on leveraging that same focus and drive in order to convince Penelope to give him one more chance.
This romantic prequel novella introduces readers to the quaint mountain town of Misty River and a brand-new series from Christy-winning author Becky Wade!
My review: Take a Chance on Me is a sweet romance that's set in the charming fictional town of Misty River- a place I now want to visit. I enjoyed the humor and character descriptions. Several of the supporting characters seemed so real- and funny- like a basketball coach who only ever told his kids to "hustle." Becky Wade is an author who is extremely perceptive of human quirks and it makes her writing delightful.
5. Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin | Historical fiction
About: Alice Grace Ripley lives in a dream world, her nose stuck in a book. But happily-ever-after life she's planned on suddenly falls apart when her boyfriend, Gordon, breaks up with her, accusing her of living in a world of fiction instead of the real world. Then to top it off, Alice loses her beloved job at the library because of cutbacks due to the Great Depression.
Fleeing small-town gossip, Alice heads to the mountains of eastern Kentucky to deliver five boxes of donated books to the library in the tiny coal-mining village of Acorn. Dropped off by her relatives, Alice volunteers to stay for two weeks to help the librarian, Leslie McDougal.
But the librarian turns out to be far different than she anticipated--not to mention the four lady librarians who travel to the remote homes to deliver the much-desired books. While Alice is trapped in Acorn against her will, she soon finds that real-life adventure and mystery--and especially romance--are far better than her humble dreams could have imagined.
My review: Wonderland Creek is an exciting fish out of water story about a young woman, Alice, who finds herself stuck in a tiny town in Kentucky for longer than she expects. I especially loved the character of Lillian, a former slave, who seems to be a guiding voice and something of an unlikely angel to Alice. Written in first-person point-of-view, it took me a few pages to adjust my expectations. I thought it was going to be a simple love story. It was much more, and some of the themes were surprisingly deep. I enjoyed this book very much. Set in the 1930s during The Great Depression, I think this story of hope and forgiveness is especially relevant to readers today.
6. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline | Historical Fiction
About: Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan train ran regularly from cities of the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandobed children whose fates would be determined by pure luck. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood of hard labor and servitude?
As a young Irish immigrant, Vivian Daly was one such child, sent by rail from New York City to an uncertain future a world away. Returning cast later in life, Vivian leads a quiet, peaceful existence on the coast of Maine. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulence past.
Seventeen-year-old Molly Ayer knows that a community-service position helping an elderly widow clean out her attic is the only thing keeping her out of juvenile hall. But as Molly helps Vivian sort through het possessions, she discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they appear.
Moving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful of upheaval and resilience, second chances, and unexpected friendship.
My review: This is a story of two women, both, essentially, orphans- one an old woman, whose story began nearly a hundred years ago, and the other, a teen, who has every reason to be bitter and closed off. A friendship grows when Molly begins working off some community service hours by helping Vivien sort through her attic. Hopping back and forth between the 1930s and the present, this book grabs hold of the reader and doesn't let go- not even after the last page is read. I fell in love with the characters, and while the events are often heartbreaking, ultimately, this is a story full of hope and courage. The historical details are interesting. Overall, this is a wonderful story.
7. Sorrento Girl by me, Dawn Klinge | Historical Fiction
About: It’s 1938, and Ann Brooks has big dreams of her new life as a Seattle College coed. She’s left the old-fashioned ways of her small country town behind to pursue higher education and a teaching career.
But not everyone is ready for change.
Society still preaches that a woman’s place is in the home. Some refuse to see Ann as an equal deserving of an education — let alone a career — and Ann's friends think school is simply a springboard to pursue a marriage of wealth and convenience.
When Ann meets Paul, an aspiring journalist with strong ideas of his own, she learns an unexpected lesson in courage and discovers what it really means to live her dreams.
Will Ann give up everything she thought she wanted for love? Or can she have it all?
Special offer: The audiobook, narrated by Ellen Quay, was recently released and I’m really excited to share it with you! Ellen did an amazing job with the reading and I’m super proud of the result of our partnership. If you are not yet an Audible member, you can sign up for a free trial and get Sorrento Girl plus one more book of your choosing—free! There’s no obligation to continue with the trial, but the books will be yours to keep. If you are already a member of Audible, and you’ve already used your credits, I can still help you out. I have a few promo codes left that I can give away. Contact me to let me know you want one, and I’ll send you a code (while they last).
Like any author, I consider reviews to be pure gold. Reviews help us by giving a little bump to the algorithm on Amazon and Audible. The reviews don’t have to be long—even a simple “I enjoyed the book” works. So if you’ve read or listened to Sorrento Girl, please consider leaving a review HERE and/or HERE.
Non-Fiction
8. Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody | Writing technique
About: SAVE THE CAT!® by Blake Snyder is a popular screenwriting book series and storytelling methodology used by screenwriters, directors, and studio execs across Hollywood. Now, for the first time ever, bestselling author and writing teacher, Jessica Brody, takes the beloved Save the Cat! plotting principals and applies them to the craft of novel writing in this exciting new “workshop style” guide, featuring over 20 full beat sheets from popular novels throughout time.
Whether you’re writing your first novel or your seventeenth, Save the Cat! breaks down plot in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step method so you can write stories that resonate! This book can help you with any of the following:
Outlining a new novel
Revising an existing novel
Breaking out of the dreaded “writer’s block”
Fixing a “broken” novel
Reviewing a completed novel
Fleshing out/test driving a new idea to see if it “has legs”
Implementing feedback from agents and/or editors
Helping give constructive feedback to other writers
But above all else, SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A NOVEL will help you better understand the fundamentals and mechanics of plot, character transformation, and what makes a story work!
My review: This is a very helpful book for any fiction writer. I keep a copy by my side, as a reference, during while I outline my stories, and again while I'm editing. Jessica's book is clear, precise, and easy to follow.
9. The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning | Christian living
About: Imagine a stormy day at sea, your ship yielding to a relentless wind, pummeled by crashing waves, subject to the awesome force of nature. A force that is both fierce and majestic. A power that is nothing short of furious.
Such is God's intense, consuming love for His children. It's a love that knows no limits, and no boundaries. A love that will go to any lengths, and take any risks, to pursue us.
Renowned author and ragamuffin Brennan Manning presents a love story for the brokenhearted. For those who are burdened by heavy religion. For those who feel they can never measure up. It is a provocative and poignant look at the radical, no-holds-barred love of our Heavenly Father. It is a message that will forever change how you view God.
My review: The Furious Longing of God is a book that tells of the amazing love God has for every one of us. It's a reminder of God's grace and the fact that we are deeply loved- unconditionally. Mr. Manning's poetic prose goes straight to the heart. This short book is truth-filled. I highly recommend it to anyone.
10. Life After Infertility by Sarah Sisson Rollandini | Inspirational personal testimonies
About: Misery loves company. Certainly, the 1 in 8 women who struggle with infertility are desperate for stories that mirror their own experiences and for reassurance that they're not alone. Women who are TTC (Trying to Conceive) are hungry for honest narratives that don't whitewash their chronic grief but offer a hope that endures, no matter the outcome. Life After Infertility provides encouragement through the power of story and gentle biblical insight for women facing infertility. Its narrative, book-club feel will help readers work through their own shame, grief, and doubt while pointing them toward the truth of God’s faithfulness in every story. Above it all, Life After Infertility contains the humorous and heart-wrenching stories of a seasoned survivor. It is a narrative that will inspire you to overcome TTC’s unexpected challenges with a new sense of courage and determination.
My review: Life after Infertility is a beautiful story of hope and faith, told with unflinching honesty. Even though I knew something about the eventual conclusion to Sarah's journey, I found myself on the edge of my seat as I was reading. Though infertility is not a heartache I have struggled with, I have stood by many friends who have dealt with this pain. I appreciate how Sarah's story offers insight into how I can be a better, more sensitive friend to those who are in the middle of this journey. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you for taking a look at my list. Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
Now, please let me know if you have any book recommendations!
