May 2007

Celebrating Dads and Fiction to Note

Is it just me, or does this seem like a really hectic time of year? Though my boys do not finish school until mid-June, the fever pitch that harkens the end of the school year already has kicked into gear. Between events like the school concert and the arts fair and baseball games two nights a week, I feel like I am racing from one event to the other while juggling an intense schedule at the office as well.

No matter what the hour, I always make time for reading before I go to sleep each night. Sometimes it's just a few pages; other times I read for hours to unwind. But my day always ends with a book, and it's usually fiction that ends my day. I love this escape time just for me.

Since fiction is so near and dear to me, it's nice to share with you this year's nominees for the Christy Awards that recognize great fiction. You can click here to see this year's nominees. The winners will be announced in Atlanta on July 7th. For those of you who, like me, love fiction, these are some titles you want to note.

I cannot believe that next weekend will be Memorial Day! While I love summer I feel like spring raced by, and though we have another month on the calendar, summer ALWAYS starts for me on Memorial Day weekend. I already have clocked some serious hammock time, and I look forward to more of that in the weeks to come.

To celebrate the dads in our lives we are bringing you our annual Father's Day feature, which is chock full of great titles that will be nice to share with dads. May we suggest you get a list going or, if you are a dad, that you leave a few hints around?

Lots of good reading in this issue...so please read on. We hope you find a book or two or three that you'll enjoy spending time with.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

FaithfulReader.com's Father's Day Roundup

Fathers --- the cornerstone of families --- protect and provide for their children, create the footsteps in which they will follow, and help shape them into the people they will become. As June 17th approaches, FaithfulReader.com pays tribute to remarkable men with an assortment of titles fit for these everyday heroes. This year's roundup includes memoirs, thrilling and adventure-filled novels, devotionals and spiritual guides to help dads find fulfillment in faith, marriage and parenthood, nature and the simple pleasures in life.

Click here to read our roundup of Father's Day titles.

FaithfulReader.com Talks to Jane Kirkpatrick, Author of A TENDERING IN THE STORM

What makes veteran novelist and nonfiction author Jane Kirkpatrick's stories such a treat to savor is her ability to bring her own experiences as a family therapist and as a woman living in the West wrestling with her faith to mingle with rich historical research as she creates the fictional characters and themes found in her award-winning novels. In this interview, Kirkpatrick --- whose most recent book is A TENDERING IN THE STORM, the second installment in her Change and Cherish historical series --- talks with FaithfulReader.com's Cindy Crosby about her writing life, her love affair with the western landscape, what elderly rats and her character Emma Giesy have in common, and how horror novelist Stephen King unknowingly has helped her reach new readers.

A TENDERING IN THE STORM: Change and Cherish #2 by Jane Kirkpatrick (Historical Fiction)
Emma Giesy, a strong-willed German-American, believes her young family will thrive in the light of their newfound freedom, after she and her husband branch off from their close-knit and repressive religious community in the spring of 1856. Determined to raise her children on her own terms, Emma suddenly finds herself alone and pregnant with her third child, struggling to keep her family secure in the remote coastal forest of the Washington Territory. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.

-Click here to read a review of A TENDERING IN THE STORM.

 

Click here to read our interview with Jane Kirkpatrick.

Now in Stores: SUNRISE by Karen Kingsbury

SUNRISE by Karen Kingsbury (Fiction)
Karen Kingsbury, America's #1 inspirational author, writes an emotionally gripping story of a long-awaited celebration, renewed hope and a terrible tragedy in SUNRISE, the first of a four-book series.

-Click here to see the study guide for SUNRISE.
-Click here to read an excerpt from SUNRISE.
-Click here to read Karen Kingsbury's bio.
 

Click here to read more about SUNRISE.

Now in Stores: THE POTLUCK CLUB - TAKES THE CAKE by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson

THE POTLUCK CLUB - TAKES THE CAKE by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson (Fiction)

Is the Potluck Club becoming the Bridesmaids Club?  Wedding plans and romantic desires abound as the six friends continue to share food, friendship, prayer --- and new adventures ranging from hilarious to dangerous!

 

Now in Stores: THE ORGANIC GOD by Margaret Feinberg

THE ORGANIC GOD by Margaret Feinberg (Christian Living)
Set forth on an "organic" spiritual journey to discover God again for the first time, and free yourself of pollutants, additives and other distractions that can cloud this ultimate relationship. This compelling read will help you create a real, authentic and life-giving bond with God. It's an invitation to fall in love with God all over again. 

-Click here to see the study guide for THE ORGANIC GOD.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE ORGANIC GOD.
-Click here to read Margaret Feinberg's bio.

EVERY DAY DESERVES A CHANCE: Wake Up to the Gift of 24 Hours by Max Lucado (Christian Living)
Doesn't every day deserve a chance to be a good day? This short motivational pep talk from Max Lucado, one of America's most beloved pastors, unpacks Jesus's delightful formula for upgrading each of your days to blue ribbon status: saturate your day in Jesus's grace, entrust your day to His oversight and accept His direction. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby. 

New Series Features on Kidsreads.com --- Red Rock Mysteries and Winnie the Horse Gentler

RED ROCK MYSTERIES Series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry (Mystery)
Bryce and Ashley Timberline are normal 13-year-old twins, except for one thing --- they discover action-packed mystery wherever they go. Whether it's tracking down a missing groom or uncovering a drug-dealing ring, Bryce and Ashley never lose their taste for adventure. Wanting to get to the bottom of any mystery, these twins find themselves on a nonstop search for the truth. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

-Click here to read our Red Rock Mysteries series feature.


WINNIE THE HORSE GENTLER Series by Dandi Daley Mackall (Fiction)
Twelve-year-old Winnie Willis has a way with horses. She can gentle the wildest mare, but other parts of her life don't always come as easily. Along with her dad and sister, Lizzy, Winnie is learning how to live without her mom, who was also a natural horse gentler. As Winnie teaches her horses about unconditional love and blind trust, God shows Winnie that he can be trusted too. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

-Click here to read our Winnie the Horse Gentler series feature.

 

Coming Soon on FaithfulReader.com

Wondering what books are just out, or coming out in the months ahead? Be sure to check out our Coming Soon section on FaithfulReader.com. We have titles from May through August listed. Please note that we have not listed every book coming out, but rather some that caught our eye --- and that we thought should catch yours as well.

Faithful Fiction Reviews

SNITCH: Occupational Hazards #2 by Rene Gutteridge (Fiction)
A home-schooled clown turned undercover cop? In the hands of one of Christian fiction's most talented and funny writers, this character seems not only probable, but engaging and lovable as well. SNITCH, the second book in Rene Gutteridge's Occupational Hazards series, shows why she has earned such a loyal following. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.

FEELING FOR BONES by Bethany Pierce (Fiction)
Pressurized family dynamics and a dysfunctional church experience force 16-year-old Olivia to seek her own reality. Her baggy clothes and exhaustive calorie scrutiny can't cover up the fact that she is allowing her body to wither away. As she encounters small town prying --- and a tighter-than-comfortable rental house --- Olivia's escape becomes her art. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.

Christian Living Reviews

THE POWER OF SIMPLE PRAYER: How to Talk with God about Everything by Joyce Meyer (Christian Living)
Prayer transforms lives everyday. But for those who pray, how many truly understand its power? In her straightforward and profound style beloved by millions worldwide, Joyce Meyer reveals the incredible force that comes through the simple act of prayer. Reviewed by Margaret Oines.

GOD HAS A DREAM FOR YOUR LIFE by Sheila Walsh (Christian Living)
Using stories from The Wizard of Oz and the Bible, Sheila Walsh invites you to experience a transformed life of significance, freedom and purpose; to rekindle those dreams that lay smoldering or forgotten --- and to remember that with God, nothing is impossible. Reviewed by Michele Howe.

THE JESUS WAY: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus is the Way by Eugene H. Peterson (Spirituality)
Eugene Peterson continues the thought-provoking spiritual-theological conversation that he began in CHRIST PLAYS IN TEN THOUSAND PLACES and EAT THIS BOOK. In this third volume he discusses how Jesus is the Way --- compared to the distorted ways the contemporary American church has chosen to follow. Reviewed by Evelyn Bence.

I SOLD MY SOUL ON eBAY: Viewing Faith Through an Atheist's Eyes by Hemant Mehta (Christian Living/Apologetics)
Hemant Mehta is "the eBay atheist," the nonbeliever who auctioned off the opportunity for the winning bidder to send him to church. As a result of the auction, Mehta has visited a variety of church services --- posting his insightful critiques on the Internet and spawning a positive, ongoing dialogue between atheists and believers. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.

Marriage and Family Life Review

YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES: What Every Father Needs to Know by John Eldredge (Parenting)
John Eldredge's WILD AT HEART helped men to rediscover their masculine hearts and to be the men God designed them to be. YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES goes a step further, encouraging fathers to pass this insight on to their children. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.

FaithfulReader.com Poll

Vote in our Poll here.

What are some examples of books where you feel the Message blended well with the fiction?

Answer the Question of the Month here.

Tell us what books YOU are reading and loving --- or even those you don't. You could then be eligible to win a copy of THE ORGANIC GOD by Margaret Feinberg and THE POTLUCK CLUB - TAKES THE CAKE by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson.