10 Books to Read this Summer!
Summer. It’s finally here! Now maybe you will find an opportunity to do some reading. You can take a book with you on vacation, read during a road trip, or grab a few minutes poolside to get through a chapter.
Maybe, like me, you’re a busy mom, and you struggle to find time to read, especially in the summer. I remember after my first daughter was born, I struggled to find time to read as I navigated the new and often chaotic waters of motherhood. I went 2 years without reading a whole book. I was so unsure of who I was in that time. Someone asked me what I used to do before becoming a mom. I told them I was an English teacher and an avid reader and writer. That friend challenged me to just read a few minutes a day to ground myself while exploring my new role.
A teensy bit of who I was pre-mom made a huge difference in my life!
Shortly, after that I joined a monthly book club. That way, no matter what, I would be challenged to complete 1 book a month. And it worked! I was amazed at how much better I felt bringing my reading habit into motherhood with me!
So, my challenge to you even if you’re a busy mom or find yourself in some other chaotic stage of life is to pick 1 book to read this summer—or maybe each month! Words and stories are powerful, and there is a built-in sense of accomplishment to completing a good book!
To get you started, I’ve compiled a list of 10 recommendations of my favorite Christian fiction I’ve read recently. Browse the genre categories and links below to find your next read!
Christian Romance
Shaped by the Waves by Christina Suzann Nelson
This stand-alone novel follows Cassie George, who has spent the past few years running from her past but now must return home to a small town on the salty and beautiful Oregon coast. Before she can resolve her past hang-ups and begin to make room for love in her life, she must show up for her aunt whose health has taken a turn and for her own precocious daughter. Cassie must untangle who she really is and what family means in order to make room in her heart for romantic love.
Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
If you’ve ever fallen in love with a Jane Austen novel, you will highly enjoy this contemporary Christian romance novel that gives a slight nod to Austen’s Emma, as well as several other classics, in this story that follows Samantha Moore in her journey to become vulnerable in sharing her real self. Samantha grew up in the foster system and used books as her escape, but now they’ve become her persona as she hides behind them afraid to show who she really is. A mysterious benefactor steps in to help her, and her only obligation is to write to this “Mr. Knightly.” This novel’s epistolary style creates a unique vehicle for this romance.
Action/Adventure/Thriller
Submerged by Dani Pettrey
If you’ve ever enjoyed a Dee Henderson novel, then Dani Pettey’s stories will be right up your alley. Submerged is the first in a siblings series of novels that weave outdoor adventure, risk and intrigue all with a little romance on the side. Submerged, set in Alaska, follows Cole, an underwater dive rescue captain, and Bailey, a professor of Russian history, on a dangerous mission where they must match wits with an unknown enemy and be the first to recover a mysterious treasure. You’ll fall in love with Cole’s siblings and will want to read all the Alaskan Courage novels for more thrilling stories!
Collision of Lies by Tom Threadgill
Threadgill’s novel weaves an intricate, suspense-filled storyline with unique characters working the local precinct and their nuanced relationships in San Antonio. The novel instantly pulls you in and keeps you guessing at every turn as the protagonist, Amara Alvarez, is thrust into a new investigation of a closed case in which a school bus load of children were tragically killed. Alvarez begins to believe through a series of clues that one of the children may actually be alive, and “[i]f she's correct, everything law enforcement believes about the accident is a lie.” While the narrative is nail-biting, daring, and even contains some great humor, it is also incisively insightful into human character. You definitely won’t want to put this one down!
Christian Fantasy
Downfall by Caleb Ward
This debut sci-fi fantasy novel is the first in the Creative Stone series that takes you to another planet and another world on an epic adventure. “When the Judges of Mercy and the Judges of Justice wage war in the mystical world of Novitas, seventeen-year-old Joshua must choose between his own selfish desires and God’s true, unknowable plan.” I would recommend this novel for any lovers of YA fiction and sci-fi fantasy. It challenges readers to navigate between the judgment of God and his mercy, but ultimately to understand he is faithful, even in the face of disaster, to those who love him.
Secrets in the Mist by Morgan L. Busse
This book, also the first in a series, is a blend of steam punk and post-apocalyptic fantasy story-telling. It takes you into a world where the remaining people after a cataclysmic event have moved high up into mountains and sky in order to stay clear of a poisonous mist. The protagonist is working to make her way in this dangerous world and finds herself joining teams with a wealthy young scientist on an adventure that might just save their world.
Burden of Proof By Davis Bunn
This science fiction novel is legal thriller meets time travel, and Bunn references experimental scientific concepts about time to underscore the belief that God is outside of time. This novel’s protagonist, Ethan, regrets so much in his life, but he is faced with the question of whether he can redeem himself if he gets a chance to change a decision from his past. I believe this novel would be a great recommendation for both those who enjoy legal thrillers, as well as for those who prefer science fiction; it is not too heavy-handed with the scientific jargon and has a really intriguing cast of characters complete with suspense.
Historical Fiction
The Lost Castle Trilogy by Kristy Cambron
All 3 were brilliant, so this is a 3 for 1 recommendation! Start with traipsing through the French countryside, move on to the cliffs of Ireland, and finish in the moors of England with these historical split-time fiction novels. Beautifully written with engaging historical stories that weave into a parallel contemporary tale.
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan
Do you happen to be a C.S. Lewis fan? Or perhaps you love reading narrative biographies? Either way, this heavily-researched novel written from the point of view of Lewis’ wife Joy is a stunning read. Callahan’s writing is raw and insightful, and this novel is a wonderful window not only into the life of Lewis but especially that of Joy, who was a talented writer herself.
Literary Fiction
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
This lyrical novel’s literary fiction is a historical romance, filled with amazingly quirky characters and vibrant settings that will keep you reading. Annie Bliss at first reluctantly steps back into her Great Grandfather’s life in Ansel-by-the-Sea, a tiny coastal town in Maine, to aid Robert Bliss. Instead of simply helping him heal, she finds herself seeking answers for why there are boxes of stones in his house and what the truth is about Robert’s past. Dykes won the Christy Awards “Book of the Year” Award in 2020 for this novel where she effortlessly weaves together multiple stories, and her successive stand-alone novels are just as poignant.
The Water Keeper by Charles Martin
This book is the first in a contemporary trilogy that New York best-selling author Martin has recently published. Martin’s lyricism teams up with a story full of intrigue that drives the protagonist, Murphy Shepherd, on a mission for freedom. “When he pulls a beautiful woman named Summer out of Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway, Murph’s mission to lay his mentor to rest at the end of the world takes a dangerous turn. Drawn to Summer, and desperate to find her missing daughter, Murph is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark and dangerous world of modern-day slavery,” and you won’t be able to put this book down!
