Top Ten Books I'd Give to Readers Who Have Never Read Christian Fiction

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

These are some of my favorite Christian Fiction books that I think would be good for people just trying out Christian books. I tried to vary up the genres and made five adult picks and five YA picks!

Adults
#1. The O'Conner Family Saga by Julie Lessman
#2. Discarded Heroes Series by Ronie Kendig
#3. Where Love Begins Series by Melissa Tagg
#4. Short Straw Bride & Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer
#5. The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

Young Adults
#6. The River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren
#7. A Katie Parker Production by Jenny B. Jones
#8. The Homelanders by Andrew Klavan
#9. Anomaly Trilogy by Krista McGee
#10. Melanie Dickerson's Fairytale Retellings

Mindwar by Andrew Klavan

About the Book
When Rick lost the ability to run, he came one step closer to becoming a hero.
New High Score! New Record Time!
Rick nodded with grim satisfaction. He laid the game controller aside on the sofa and reached for his crutches.
Rick Dial was the best quarterback Putnam Hills High School had ever seen. Unflappable. Unstoppable. Number 12. But when a car accident left him crippled, Rick’s life as he knew it ended. He disavowed his triumphant past. He ignored his girlfriend. He disappeared into his bedroom—and into the glowing video screen.
But Rick’s uncanny gaming skills have attracted attention. Dangerous attention. Government agents have uncovered a potentially devastating cyber-threat: a Russian genius has created a digital reality called the Realm, from which he can enter, control, and disrupt American computer systems . . . from transportation to defense. The agents want Rick, quick-thinking quarterback and gaming master, to enter the Realm and stop the madman—before he sends America into chaos.
Entering the Realm will give Rick what he thought he’d never have again: a body as strong and fast as it was before the accident. But this is no game, there are no extra lives, and what happens to Rick in the Realm happens to Rick’s body in reality.

Even after Rick agrees to help, he can’t shake the sense that he’s being kept in the dark. Why would a government agency act so aggressively? Can anyone inside the Realm be trusted? How many others have entered before him . . . and failed to return?

My Thoughts
As with all Andrew Klavan's novels, this book was packed with adventure and action that didn't seem to let up. The whole concept of the story was really unique and interesting. I'm not into video games so I didn't really connect to that aspect but it was still a great read.
I liked Rick's character and admired his willingness to put his life at risk for his country. His little brother was especially cute and I was very proud of the way that Rick did his best to control his surliness around him.
There's not much else I can say without giving away things but I will say I enjoyed this book and think others, especially teenage boys, will too! Can't wait for book two!

Meet the Author
Andrew Klavan has been nominated for the Mystery Writer of America's Edgar award five times and won twice. He is the author of several bestselling novels, including Don't Say A Word, filmed starring Michael Douglas, True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood, and Empire of Lies. He is currently writing a series of thrillers for young adults called The Homelanders. The first two novels in the series are The Last Thing I Remember and The Long Way Home. Klavan is a contributing editor to City Journal and his essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, among other places. His satiric video commentaries can be seen on PJTV.com.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Waiting on Wednesday #119: MindWar

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're
eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

MindWar by Andrew Klavan
Thomas Nelson-July 8, 2014

About the Book

When Rick lost the ability to run, he came one step closer to becoming a hero.

New High Score! New Record Time!

Rick nodded with grim satisfaction. He laid the game controller aside on the sofa and reached for his crutches.

Rick Dial was the best quarterback Putnam Hills High School had ever seen. Unflappable. Unstoppable. Number 12. But when a car accident left him crippled, Rick’s life as he knew it ended. He disavowed his triumphant past. He ignored his girlfriend. He disappeared into his bedroom—and into the glowing video screen.

But Rick’s uncanny gaming skills have attracted attention. Dangerous attention. Government agents have uncovered a potentially devastating cyber-threat: a Russian genius has created a digital reality called the Realm, from which he can enter, control, and disrupt American computer systems . . . from transportation to defense. The agents want Rick, quick-thinking quarterback and gaming master, to enter the Realm and stop the madman—before he sends America into chaos.

Entering the Realm will give Rick what he thought he’d never have again: a body as strong and fast as it was before the accident. But this is no game, there are no extra lives, and what happens to Rick in the Realm happens to Rick’s body in reality.

Even after Rick agrees to help, he can’t shake the sense that he’s being kept in the dark. Why would a government agency act so aggressively? Can anyone inside the Realm be trusted? How many others have entered before him . . . and failed to return?

In the tradition of Ender’s Game and The Matrix, MindWar is a complex thriller about a seemingly ordinary teenager who discovers a hidden gift—a gift that could make him a hero . . . or cost him everything.

Why I Want It

Andrew Klavan's books are always amazing and this one sounds rather good!

Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Stuck Together by Mary Connealy
Rebels by Jill Williamson
Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund
Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer
A Match of Wits by Jen Turano
Deluge by Lisa T. Bergen
When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren
Mindwar by Andrew Klavan 
Revolutionary by Krista McGee
In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin

Top Ten Books If You Like X Movie

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

If you liked The Princess Diaries you should read Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck
Because they are both stories about normal girls who discover they are princesses

If you liked Pearl Harbor you should read Wings of Glory Series by Sarah Sundin
Because they are both emotional WWII stories about pilots

If you liked Ever After you should read The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson
Because they are similar Cinderella retellings

If you liked Seven Brides for Seven Brothers you should read Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer
Because they both have brothers, the oldest of whom gets married suddenly and they have a lot of other similarities

If you liked The Notebook you should read The Anniversary Waltz by Darrel Nelson
Because they are both stories where there is opposition to the relationship causing many problems

If you liked A League of Their Own you should read A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin
Because they are both about women who stepped up to take men's places during WWII

If you liked The Bourne Movies you should read The Homelanders Series by Andrew Klavan
Because they are both about guys who forget who they are and are in the middle of some crazy stuff

If you liked The Bachelor you should read Dear Daphne Series by Melody Carlson
Because both of these have old relatives who die and hinge an inheritance on the main character getting married by a certain date

If you liked She's the Man you should read Fancy Pants by Cathy Marie Hake
Because they are both about girls pretending to be boys

If you liked The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants you should read The Miracle Girls series by Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt
Because they are both about four kind of unlikely friends and their relationships

Do you agree with my picks? Disagree? What are some matches you'd make?

Top Ten Most Unique Books I've Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I had a bit of difficulty with this topic at first then I just decided to pick books that when I finished I kinds went "Well that was different!" I could only come up with 9 though so #10 is my sister Becky's pic!

#1. Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay-This book was composed entirely of letters from one person to another and it was so different but so good!
#2. Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon-Taking the story of Brigadoon and turning it in to a YA book was pure genius!
#3. Greetings from the Flipside by Rene Gutteridge & Cheryl McKay-I can't give this one's uniqueness away but trust me it's unique!
#4. Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell-This one was told from two first person POVs which I've never seen before!
#5. Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina-This is this only steampunk I've read so it was very different for me!
#6. The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck-I loved how the one dress connected four woman over such a long span of time.
#7. Aire by Lena Goldfinch-This book was very different from what I normally read but in a good way!
#8. Mail-Order Cowboy by Laurie Kingery-I've read several mail-order bride books so the idea of the grooms being the mail-ordered ones was so cool and refreshing!
#9. Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan-Another one I don't really want to spoil...
#10. Replication by Jill Williamson-Christian clones...

Top Ten Characters I'd Never Want to Switch Places With

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

#1. Charlie West from The Homelanders by Andrew Klaven-He's on a crazy run for his life and I'd never make it!
#2. Thalli from The Anomaly Trilogy by Krista McGee-Yeah I wouldn't want to deal with all the stuff she has to!
#3. Jamie Cash from Don't Look Back by Lynette Eason-Serial killer-no thank you!
#4. Liberty Holloway from Widow of Gettysburg by Jocelyn Green-Her home is turned into a Civil war "hospital" and she's forced to help-I would not be able to stomach it!
#5. Cornelia de Vries from Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma-I would never be able to keep the fact that I was hiding a man a secret!

Once again I needed my sister Becky's help and here are her picks!

#1. Chris Buckley from The Solitary Tales by Travis Thrasher-His world literally goes crazy and he's so often alone in it.
#2. Lydia Bennett from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen-She throws everything away for a guy who's not worth it and is too self centered to even care.
#3. Omar from Captives by Jill Williamson-His good intentions go far beyond horrible-everyone knows it and hates him.
#4. The Baudelaire Children from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket-The poor trio, despite their cleverness and loyalty to each other, are constantly thrown into worse and worse situations...and on top of all that , they can never get the adults to listen until it's painfully too late.
#5. Sidney Grey from Sophie's Daughters by Mary Connealy-His personality is hideous. He wants respect so badly that he tries to demand it or buy it all of which makes everyone else see him as a pathetic weasel. I'd hate to be viewed as so small and pathetic, especially by my spouse.

Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan

About the Book
Tom Harding only wants the truth. But the truth is becoming more dangerous with every passing minute.
As a reporter for his high school newspaper, Tom Harding was tracking the best story of his life—when, suddenly, his life turned very, very weird. He woke up one morning to find his house empty . . . his street empty . . . his whole town empty . . . empty except for an eerie, creeping fog—and whatever creatures were slowly moving toward him through the fog.
Now Tom’s once-ordinary world has become something out of a horror movie. How did it happen? Is it real? Is he dreaming? Has there been a zombie apocalypse? Has he died and gone to hell?

Tom is a good reporter—he knows how to look for answers—but no one has ever covered a story like this before. With the fog closing in and the hungry creatures of the fog surrounding him, he has only a few hours to find out how he lost the world he knew. In this bizarre universe nothing is what it seems and everything—including Tom’s life—hangs in the balance.

My Thoughts
Wow, just wow! I began this book with the intention to read a couple chapters before bed and before I knew it I was over a hundred pages through! The only reason I put it down was because I was exhausted and I finished it one sitting the next day!

From the first scene you are completely sucked into the story and it doesn't let you go. After the first third you start to figure out what's going on but that in no way slows down the action! Tom is a great hero and I was cheering for him the whole time! Everything about this book was superbly done and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced read, especially teenage boys! I would say more but I don't want to spoil anything!

About the Author
Andrew Klavan has been nominated for the Mystery Writer of America's Edgar award five times and won twice. He is the author of several bestselling novels, including Don't Say A Word, filmed starring Michael Douglas, True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood, and Empire of Lies. He is currently writing a series of thrillers for young adults called The Homelanders. The first two novels in the series are The Last Thing I Remember and The Long Way Home. Klavan is a contributing editor to City Journal and his essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, among other places. His satiric video commentaries can be seen on PJTV.com.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Top Ten Series I'd Recommend to Teens

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

The River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren

The Homelanders by Andrew Klaven

The Charmed Life by Jenny B. Jones

A Katie Parker Production by Jenny B. Jones

Fairy Tales by Melanie Dickerson

Anomaly by Krista McGee*

*Only Book 1 is out right now!

Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson

Sweet Seasons by Debbie Viguie

The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton&May Vanderbilt

Halflings by Heather Burch

Top Ten Best Series Enders

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I had a slight bit of difficulty in choosing which books to use so I ended up making a list of all of the last books in the series on my shelves then crossed off a bunch till I had my favorites off that list. And lastly I only allowed myself one of each author which brought me to my favorite 10 series enders! These aren't in any order!

#1. When A Secret Kills by Lynnette Eason
#2. Sharpshooter in Petticoats by Mary Connealy
#3. Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon
#4. True Honor by Dee Henderson
#5. The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones
#6. The Final Hour by Andrew Klaven
#7. Firethorn by Ronie Kendig
#8. Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin
#9. Donovan's Daughter by Lori Wick
#10. A Passion Denied by Julie Lessman

Top Ten Books I'd Love to See as a Movie/TV Show...

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

...set in a perfect world in which movies don't butcher the books we love. These aren't in any particular order and are basically the books that I actually think might be able to make a good movie or TV show!
What's your opinion?

Movie
If We Survive by Andrew Klaven
Homelanders Series by Andrew Klaven
Anomaly by Krista McGee
River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren
The Staff & The Sword Series by Patrick W. Carr
Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

TV Show
Daughters of Boston Series by Julie Lessman
Winds of Change Series by Julie Lessman
Hollywood Nobody Series by Lisa Samson
On the Runway Series by Melody Carlson

Waiting on Wednesday #70: Nightmare City

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're
eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Nightmare City by Andrew Klaven
Thomas Nelson-November 5, 2013

About the Book

Tom Harding only wants the truth. But the truth is becoming more dangerous with every passing minute.

As a reporter for his high school newspaper, Tom Harding was tracking the best story of his life—when, suddenly, his life turned very, very weird. He woke up one morning to find his house empty . . . his street empty . . . his whole town empty . . . empty except for an eerie, creeping fog—and whatever creatures were slowly moving toward him through the fog.

Now Tom’s once-ordinary world has become something out of a horror movie. How did it happen? Is it real? Is he dreaming? Has there been a zombie apocalypse? Has he died and gone to hell?

Tom is a good reporter—he knows how to look for answers—but no one has ever covered a story like this before. With the fog closing in and the hungry creatures of the fog surrounding him, he has only a few hours to find out how he lost the world he knew. In this bizarre universe nothing is what it seems and everything—including Tom’s life—hangs in the balance.

My Thoughts

I have loved all of Andrew Klaven's books that I've read before and this one sounds so intriguing!

Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This was a pretty easy list for me to make! I read so many new authors this year and have loved most of them but here are my ten favorites (not in any order). I'm also going to list the book of theirs I read or my favorite if I read more than one!

Jen Turano
A Change of Fortune

Dani Pettrey
Submerged

Julie Klassen
The Maid of Fairbourne Hall

Rosslyn Elliott
Fairer Than Morning

Jody Hedlund
The Doctor's Lady
&
Unending Devotion

Lynette Eason
When the Smoke Clears

Katie Ganshert
Wildflowers From Winter

Elizabeth Camden
Against the Tide

Andrew Klaven
If We Survive

Rachel Coker
Interrupted: Life Beyond Words

If We Survive by Andrew Klaven

About the Book

They came on a mission of mercy, but now they’re in a fight for their lives.

High schooler Will Peterson and three friends journeyed to Central America to help rebuild a school. In a poor, secluded mountain village, they won the hearts of the local people with their energy and kindness.

But in one sudden moment, everything went horribly wrong. A revolution swept the country. Now, guns and terror are everywhere—and Americans are being targeted as the first to die.

Will and his friends have got to get out fast. But streets full of killers . . . hills patrolled by armies . . . and a jungle rife with danger stand between them and the border. Their one hope of escape lies with a veteran warrior who has lost his faith and may betray them at any moment. Their one dream is to reach freedom and safety and home.

If they can just survive.

My Thoughts

As soon as I read the description for this book I knew I wanted to read it!  I was sucked into the action from page one and it kept rolling until the end. There were a few scenes that I was actually kind of in awe over the way words were used to paint a beautiful pictures. My fav was when the main character thinks he's going to die and he starts seeing everything in a new light. That was pure awesome!

 I love how this author writes books that are fast paced and really easy to read and yet they have a decent amount of meat in them too! I think my absolute favorite thing about this author is the fact that his books are perfect for teenage boys. Even with all of the books out there in the world today it is always hard to find books that teenage guys will actually like reading and that are clean, but Andrew Klaven has written some amazing books that leave them hungering for more!

One more thing I want to mention is the fact that I think this book would make an excellent movie! The scenes are written so vividly it easy to imagine them on the big screen!

About the Author

Andrew Klavan has been nominated for the Mystery Writer of America's Edgar award five times and won twice. He is the author of several bestselling novels, including Don't Say A Word, filmed starring Michael Douglas, True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood, and Empire of Lies. He is currently writing a series of thrillers for young adults called The Homelanders. The first two novels in the series are The Last Thing I Remember and The Long Way Home. Klavan is a contributing editor to City Journal and his essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, among other places. His satiric video commentaries can be seen on PJTV.com.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #17

 Hosted By: Book Journey

Here is what I read last week:

Absolutely lovedThe Hunger Games, totally lived up to my expectations! Crazy Dangerous was good too, but a little strange so not a top favorite.  And To See The Sun was a pretty awesome read!


What I am currently reading:

No Little Women progress this week, and very little in Already Compromised. This past week has been INSANE so I'm hoping this week is a little slower paced! The Guardian Duke is really good so far!


What I hope to read this week:

Super excited to read Catching Fire-I'm gonna start it tonight! And Submerged and Code of Silence both look pretty interesting, so I'm looking forward to them too!


Blog Posts
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #16
Top Ten Favorite Characters in Books
"Waiting On" Wednesday #8: You Don't Know Me
Talkin' Thursday: Book vs. Movie
WDATBCF? Read-A-Thon Days 2-6: Progress Report
The Sound of Red Returning by Sue Duffy
Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klaven
WDATBCF? Read-A-Thon Day 7: Progress Report
In My Mailbox #4
To See The Sun by Peggy Blann Phifer


Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!
Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klaven Book Review

About the Book
"You probably want to hear about Jennifer and the demons and how I played chicken with a freight train and—oh yeah—the weird murder . . . you're definitely going to want to hear about that."
Sam Hopkins is a good kid who has fallen in with a bad crowd. Hanging around with car thieves and thugs, Sam knows it’s only a matter of time before he makes one bad decision too many and gets into real trouble.
But one day, Sam sees them harassing an eccentric schoolmate of his named Jennifer. When Sam finds the courage to face the bullies down, he loses a bad set of friends and acquires a very strange new one.
Because Jennifer is not just eccentric. To Sam, she seems downright crazy. She has terrifying hallucinations involving demons and the devil and death. And here’s the really crazy part: Sam is beginning to suspect that these visions may actually be prophecies—prophecies of something terrible that’s going to happen very soon. Unless he can stop it.
With no one to believe him, with no one to help him, Sam is now all alone in a race against time. Finding the truth before disaster strikes is going to be both crazy and very, very dangerous.

My Thoughts
As I searched for words to describe this book the only one that seemed to fit was, interesting. The author did a good job with the story and it was one of those books that just seems to be read faster than others. The characters were really well written and the story sucks you in. Since the story was so strange and kinda complicated, I feel that sharing any more of my opinions would probably end up spoiling parts of the book for you. So I'm going to leave you with the fact that it was an intriguing read and let you decide whether this book is for you or not!

About the Author

Andrew Klavan has been nominated for the Mystery Writer of America's Edgar award five times and won twice. He is the author of several bestselling novels, including Don't Say A Word, filmed starring Michael Douglas, True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood, and Empire of Lies. He is currently writing a series of thrillers for young adults called The Homelanders. The first two novels in the series are The Last Thing I Remember and The Long Way Home. Klavan is a contributing editor to City Journal and his essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, among other places. His satiric video commentaries can be seen on PJTV.com.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.