1. A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II (Audiobook by Robertson Dean)
Author: Adam Makos
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc., March 2013
Genre: WWII/Biography/Air Forces Military History/German History
Length: 13 hours 22 minutes (400 pages paperback)
Rating: 9.5
2. What Beauty There Is
Author: Cory Anderson
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, April 2021
Genre: YA Fiction/Thriller
Pages: 365
Rating: 8.5
"2022 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist....stunning novel about brutality and beauty, and about broken people trying to survive." **Language, violence.
3. The Woods
Author: Harlan Coben
Publisher: Dutton, May 2020
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 416
Rating: 8.5
Definitely needed to finish this page-turner quickly! Language and violence, with references to pornography, sex, drugs, etc. Not graphic.
4. Cytonic (Skyward 3)
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Delacorte Press, November 2021
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Pages: 423
Rating: 8.5
Another excellent addition to the Skyward collection. Can't wait for the series finale!
5. The Nature of a Lady (Secrets of the Isles 1)
Author: Roseanna M. White
Publisher: Bethany House, May 2021
Genre: Historical Christian Romance
Pages: 378
Rating: 9
The Isles of Scilly, 1906. A naturalist, a clergyman, and a pirate's treasure.
6. To Treasure an Heiress (Secrets of the Isles 2)
Author: Roseanna M. White
Publisher: Bethany House, January 2022
Genre: Historical Christian Romance
Pages: 384
Rating: 8.5
The Isles of Scilly, 1906. An adventurer, an archaeologist, and more pirates.
7. The Scarlet Thread: A Novel (The Historical Christian Fiction Story of Two Women, Centuries Apart, Joined through a Journal from the Oregon Trail)
Author: Francine Rivers
Publisher: Tyndale House, Reprint May 2012
Genre: Women's Religious Fiction
Pages: 449
Rating: 9
"The powerful story of two women, centuries apart, who are joined through a tattered journal as they contend with God, husbands, and even themselves."
8. Evershore (Skyward Novella 3), Audiobook by Suzy Jackson
Author: Brandon Sanderson and Janice Patterson
Publisher: Listening Library, December 2021
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Length: 6 hours 54 minutes (Not yet available in print)
Rating: 8.5
I enjoyed all three novellas (Sunreach and ReDawn are the first two), but this was by far my favorite.
9. The Matrimonial Advertisement (Parish Orphans of Devon 1)
Author: Mimi Matthews
Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press, September 2018
Genre: Victorian Historical Romance
Pages: 348
Rating: 8.5
"Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more."
10. Her Unsuitable Match (Supposed Scandal 1)
Author: Sally Britton
Publisher: Pink Citrus Books, October 2021
Genre: Historical Christian Romance
Pages: 269
Rating: 8.5
"Lady Philippa must wed to gain her fortune and freedom. A former soldier wants only peace and seclusion. Marriage to each other is their best solution."
11. Mischief, Mayhem, and Marriage (Supposed Scandal 2)
Author: Rebecca Connolly
Publisher: Independent, November 2021
Genre: Regency
Pages: 248
Rating: 8.5
"One good scandal deserves another..." Some swearing.
12. The Highwayman's Letter (Sons of Somerset 5)
Author: Martha Keyes
Publisher: Independent, November 2021
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Pages: 370
Rating: 8.5
"He waylays her carriage and runs off with her property. Can she keep him from stealing her heart as well?"
13. In Pursuit of the Painter (Sons of Somerset 3)
Author: Ashtyn Newbold
Publisher: Three Leaf Publishing, September 2021
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Pages: 215
Rating: 7.5
"What happens when a monstrous debutante meets a fierce apprentice painter? War."
14. The Buy-In (Graham Brothers 1)
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Independent
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 436
Rating: 8
"A family of former pro football players buy a small Texas town..." Follow up with Harper's brothers from St. Clair's Love Cliches Series.
15. With Love, Louisa (Larkhall Letters 3)
Author: Ashtyn Newbold
Publisher: Three Leaf Publishing, July 2021
Genre: Regency
Pages: 316
Rating: 7.5
"An innocent letter is only dangerous when it falls into the wrong hands."
16. The Matchmaker's Request (Larkhall Letters 4)
Author: Ashtyn Newbold
Publisher: Three Leaf Publishing, January 2022
Genre: Regency
Pages: 242
Rating: 8.5
Determined bachelor acts as matchmaker for his friend's spinster sister.
17. The War That Saved My Life
Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Publisher: Puffin Books, Reprint May 2016
Genre: Children's Historical Fiction/WWII
Pages: 352
Rating: 9.5
I absolutely loved this book. That said, I hesitate to hand it to my younger kids because it is very dark and painful in its depiction of child abuse (primarily verbal and neglect). Though the protagonist is a child, I would only recommend for older teens, followed by a discussion of the contents.
***Possible spoilers follow*** There are also hints at ostracism of a lesbian by Christians that some readers' reviews found distasteful (both the inclusion of a lesbian character--though this is heavily veiled--and what they called a sewing of hatred for Christians). I found the actions of the woman in question to be very Christlike and her character to be endearing.
18. The War I Finally Won
Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Publisher: Puffin Books, Reprint September 2018
Genre: Children's Historical Fiction/WWII
Pages: 416
Rating: 8.5
Not as captivating as the first, and again, darker than I would recommend for a child (I actually had both of these labelled YA before I looked up publishing details). But a satisfying continuation and conclusion of the first book.
19. The War Below: The Story of Three Submarines That Battled Japan (Audiobook narrated by Donald Corren)
Author: James Scott
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc., May 2013
Genre: History/WWII/Submarine Warfare
Length: 14 hours 20 minutes (448 pages in paperback)
Rating: 8
Fascinating, in-depth look at the role of submarines in the Pacific Theater of WWII.
20. The Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA, August 2012
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Pages: 415
Rating: 8.5
Epic fantasy with great world-building. Heavy on the violence for me (but I'm a lightweight), and a bit of language (no bombs).
21. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass Book 2)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA, August 2013
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Pages: 361
Rating: 8
This book 2 is definitely more. For me, that wasn't necessarily a good thing. I enjoyed the story, but there was definitely more violence, significantly more language (but no F bombs), and one bedroom scene that was not graphic but still tmi for me. Between those things and the anxiety that her taut writing produces in me (that's probably a good thing for those who love suspense), I'm not going to keep going with the series.
And then I reread some Becky Wade and Esther Hatch because they help me relax :)
22. Heirs of Falcon Point
Authors: Traci Abramson, Sian Ann Bessey, Paige Edwards, A.L. Sowards
Publisher: Covenant Communications, October 2021
Genre: Suspense
Pages: 408
Rating: 8.5
"In the early days of World War II, the Lang family lost everything. Eighty years later, it's time to take it back."
23. Seven Perfect Things
Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing, May 2021
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 319
Rating: 9.5
Hyde delivers again. I love the depth of her stories and characters. "A heart-stirring novel about the joy that comes from finding love in unexpected places.... A story about joy, where to find it, how to know it when you see it, and the courage it takes to hang on to it once you have it." Some language.
24. Heart in the Highlands
Author: Heidi Kimball
Publisher: Covenant Communications, August 2021
Genre: Regency
Pages: 273 pages
Rating: 8.5
Their arranged marriage seems promising, until willful deception and the grudge it inspires drives a wedge deep between Callum and Kate.
25. Where the Forest Meets the Stars
Author: Glendy Vanderah
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing, March 2019
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 333
Rating: 8.5
Part murder-mystery, part domestic drama. "A heartwarming, magical story about love, loss, and finding family where you least expect it." ***language with multiple bombs, some intimate scenes I either skipped or were not explicit. Don't remember for sure, sorry!
26. Love in Bloom
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Four Petal Press, February 2022
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 305
Rating: 8.5
Enemies-to-lovers closed door romcom.
27. The Last Thing He Told Me: A Novel
Author: Laura Dave
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, May 2021
Genre: Suspense, Family Life Fiction
Pages: 320
Rating: 8.5
"With dizzying suspense and gorgeous prose, The Last Thing He Told Me tackles tough questions about trust, marriage and what it means to be a family. A page-turner of the highest order." ***Language. Multiple bombs.
28. Here For It
Author: Melanie Jacobsen
Publisher: Four Petal Press, February 2022
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 274
Rating: 9
"Sparks fly when LA glitz meets New Orleans grit..."
29. Sir Andrew and the Authoress
Author: Sally Britton
Publisher: Pink Citrus Books, April 2022
Genre: Historical Christian Romance / Regency
Pages: 234
Rating: 9
"Lady Josephine, the duke's eldest daughter, has a secret. When her brother's horrid best friend discovers what she's been hiding up in the castle tower, she has no choice but to take him into her confidence."
30. A Necessary Madness
Author: Jennifer Jenkins
Publisher:
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Pages: 373
Rating: 8.5
Ebby's penchant for eavesdropping has always been a curse, until she discovers it may be the key to saving her homeland.
31. A Walk in My Shoes: Questions I'm Often Asked as a Gay Latter-day Saint
Author: Ben Schilaty
Publisher: Deseret Book Co, January 2021
Genre: Religion/LGBT/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Pages: 176
Rating: 9
Invaluable as a resource for understanding our LGBT friends/family/etc., this book also serves as an excellent primer in how to be more Christlike in our treatment of everyone.
32. Turn To Me (Misty River Book 3)
Author: Becky Wade
Publisher: Bethany House, May 2022
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Pages: 410
Rating: 9
Becky Wade release day is always a good day :)
33. Maybe I Will
Author: Melanie Jacobsen
Publisher: Four Petal Press, May 2022
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 273
Rating: 8.5
"He's an ambitious chef who takes big risks. She's a high-profile food critic with a secret identity. They've loathed each other for years. Except...not?"
34. How to Kiss Your Best Friend
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Four Petal Press, May 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 313
Rating: 8.5
"He’s a hot high school chemistry teacher living in a small town. She’s a globetrotting journalist running from her past. They used to be best friends. Then one kiss changes everything."
35. So Big
Author: Edna Ferber
Publisher: e-artnow, August 2019 (first published
Genre: American Historical Fiction / 1920s
Pages: 122
Rating: 7.5
I probably would have enjoyed this novel more if I hadn't eroneously assumed it fit the "romance" category. That said, the writing was beautiful. :) "Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and widely considered to be Edna Ferber's greatest achievement, So Big is a classic novel of turn-of-the-century Chicago."
36. Atomic Awakening: A New Look at the History and Future of Nuclear Power
Author: James Mahaffey (audiobook narrated by John McLain)
Publisher: Audible Studios, 2013
Genre: History/Science/Nuclear Energy
Length: 11 hours 44 minutes
Rating: 8
I loved the science (even though the deep stuff was well over my head) and learning about the crazy history of nuclear energy. Is this not the cleanest source of energy available at present? He has me convinced.
37. The Thursday Murder Club
Author: Richard Osman
Publisher: Penguin Books, September 2020
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 363
Rating: 8.5
This delightful book was recommended to me by my cousin and had me laughing out loud, tearing up, and wondering what on earth would happen next.
38. Unrequited (The Donovans Book 1)
Author: Martha Keyes
Publisher: Paradigm Press, 2022
Genre: Regency
Pages: Not sure because I got it for free on sweetandswoony and it went straight to my kindle...but it's about a 3 hour read, maybe?
Rating: 8.5
"Elena MacKinnon has spent the last seven years training to become a proper English lady..." and trying to forget the "ill-advised and ardent love letter she wrote" to her childhood friend before his departure to the Navy. How can she face him when he returns, since he never responded to the letter?
*check Martha Keyes on Facebook to see if this is still available for free from sweetandswoony.
39. The Bluff (Graham Brothers Book 2)
Author: Emma St. Clair
Publisher: Emma St. Clair, 2022
Genre: Clean Romance
Pages: 399
Rating: 8.5
"Enemies to lovers, grumpy boss rom-com set in the fictional small town of Sheet Cake Texas."
40. Sisters Behaving Badly
Author: Maddie Please
Publisher: Boldwood Books, November 2021
Genre: Travel Humor
Pages: 314
Rating: 8.5
"Sisters Kitty and Jenny haven’t spoken since a very disappointing Carvery lunch. Kitty, sixty-two, thinks Jenny is turning grey. Jenny, sixty-six, thinks Kitty needs to grow up! So when both sisters inherit a farmhouse in rural France, it gives them the perfect chance to heal the rift between them."
41. The Art of Victory The Donovans Book 2 (even though amazon says it's book 1)
Author: Martha Keyes
Publisher: Paradigm Press, June 2022
Genre: Regency
Pages: 294
Rating: 8.5
Student of war and Admiral's daughter Diana meets her match in "maddeningly cool" Duke, who seems immune to her tactics.
42. Small: A True Story That I Sometimes Wish Was Just a Novel
Author: Eva Napier
Publisher: Village Lane Publishing, February 2018
Genre: Nonfiction/Poetry
Pages: 123
Rating: 9.5
Don't let the format turn you away. I don't read poetry, but this quick read (mabye an hour?) was absolutely captivating. I can't recommend it highly enough. Totally eye-opening for me. I had previously only heard faint rumblings about attachment disorders, but this book provides a front row seat to the love and commitment it takes to care for children like Ani.
From the preface: "Teachers, principals, social workers, therapists, friends and family members almost always underestimate the stress of living with a RAD [Reactive Attachment Disorder] child. Unless you have lived it, it is nearly impossible to fathom how intentional and manipulative RAD children can be. I yearned for a short book that could convey to the people we worked and interacted with some portion of what we were living at home. This book is just that."
43. The Rose Code
Author: Kate Quinn
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks, March 2021
Genre: WWII Historical Fiction
Pages: 656
Rating: 9
A novel of Bletchley Park, told through the experiences of three very different women who become friends. Suspenseful and full of historical details, but there is some language, abuse, and intimacy. Not explicit but more than implied.
44. Not Dead Yet
Author: Traci Hunter Abramson
Publisher: Covenant Communications, June 2022
Genre: Suspense
Pages: 296
Rating: 8
Another solid Guardian novel from Abramson.
45. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe
Author: Heather Webber
Publisher: Forge Books, reprint January 2020
Genre: Women's Fiction / Magical Realism
Pages: 336
Rating: 9
"Full of family secrets, undeniable charm and that particular touch of magic so often found in the South." Kristy Woodson Harvey, national bestselling author of Slightly South of Simple.
46. The Water Keeper (A Murphy Shepherd Novel Book 1)
Author: Charles Martin
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, May 2020
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 352
Rating: 9
"As he desperately tries to help a woman find her missing daughter, Murph is pulled deeper and deeper into the dark and dangerous world of modern-day slavery."
*Some language, drugs, abuse, violence.
47. Project Hail Mary
Author: Andy Weir
Publisher: Ballantine Books, May 2021
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 482
Rating: 9.5
I went into this without any idea what to expect, so I'll allow you the same. Suffice it to say it's a space story, and I loved it. A bit of scattered language, including a couple bombs, but nothing like his The Martian which I tried but couldn't get past the language on page 1 haha.
48. A Confirmed Rake
Author: Martha Keyes
Publisher: Martha Keyes, August 2022
Genre: Regency
Pages: 320
Rating: 9
"Who better to guide her in Society than the man who knows--and has broken--every rule?"
49. Any Other Family
Author: Eleanor Brown
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, July 2022
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 366
Rating: 9.5
"A striking and intimate new novel about three very different adoptive mothers who face the impossible question: What makes a family? Though they look like any other family, they aren't one--not quite. They are three sets of parents who find themselves intertwined after adopting four biological siblings, having committed to keeping the children as connected as possible."
A fascinating look inside adoption and parenthood in general. Some language, primarily confined to one character, but she doesn't hesitate to use the bomb.
50. The Flight Girls (audiobook narrated by Xe Sands)
Author: Noelle Salazar
Publisher: Harlequin Audio, July 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction / WWII
Length: 10 hours 21 minutes (384 pages in paperback)
Rating: 9
I totally binged this one while wrapping presents and doing whatever housework I could find so I could keep listening. Follow pilot Audrey Coltrane's story from training military pilots in Hawaii before Pearl Harbor through the war and beyond. I loved learning more about the women pilots' contributions to the war effort and aviation in general. Some language. Intimacy but not explicit.
51. A Not So Holiday Paradise (Christmas Escape Series)
Author: Gracie Ruth Mitchell
Publisher: Independent, November 2022
Genre: Holiday Romance
Pages: 242
Rating: 9
This was my favorite of the Christmas Escape Series, although I enjoyed them all. It was enlightening to see the realistic perspective of a person with epilepsy (the author has epilepsy, as does the main character).
52-57. (the rest of the) Christmas Escape Series
Authors: Deborah M. Hathaway, Martha Keyes, Cindy Steel, Jess Heileman, Kortney Keisel, Kasey Stockton.
Missing Christmas? Pick a trope and read away. :)
58. The Selection (The Selection Book 1)
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: HarperTeen, reprint April 2012
Genre: YA Distopian
Pages: 338
Rating: 8
Hunger Games meets The Bachelor, sort of. Picked this one up when my daughter wanted to read it off a friend's recommendation. A little heavy on the kissing.
59. Shadows of Swanford Abbey
Author: Julie Klassen
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (December 2021)
Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
Pages: 414
Rating: 8.5
"Agatha Christie meets Jane Austenin this atmospheric Regency tale brimming with mystery, intrigue, and romance."
60. Commander of His Heart
Author: Arlem Hawks
Publisher: Love Letter Press (September 2020)
Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
Pages: 132
Rating: 8
"Love is a luxury she can't afford until he comes aboard."
61. How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Jenny Proctor Creative (November 2022)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 337
Rating: 9
"Perry Hawthorne is my boss. Only my boss. And I do NOT have a crush."
62. Scrooge and the Girls and Next Door
Author: Melanie Jacobsen
Publisher: Four Petal Press (November 2022)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 292
Rating: 9.5
"When the sunniest woman in Creekville buys the house next to the grumpiest man on the street, sparks fly . . . and not just because she keeps blowing his fuses..."
63. It's Chemical
Author: Becca Wilhite
Publisher: Four Petal Press (September 2022)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 242
Rating: 8.5
"Ginger and Ty don't work. They tried it before, and they crashed and burned. But now they're dealing with powers far stronger than either of them: How can you fight the chemistry?"
64. Lord Farleigh and Miss Frost
Author: Sally Britton
Publisher: Pink Citrus Books (November 2022)
Genre: Regency
Pages: 260
Rating: 8.5
"An Irish miss and a duke's son have little in common, but Christmas at the castle has a way of bringing the most unlikely people together."
65. The Holly and the Ivy
Author: Sarah M. Eden, Esther Hatch, Dana LeCheminant, Anneka R. Walker
Publisher: Covenant Communications (October 2022)
Genre: Regency
Pages: 469
Rating: 8.5
Four Christmas novellas from some of my favorite authors :)
66. Lord Blackwell's Promise (Larkhall Letters Book 5)
Author: Ashtyn Newbold
Publisher: Three Leaf Publishing (November 2022)
Genre: Historical Christian Romance
Pages: 354
Rating: 9
"Margaret Lovell tries her best to love everyone. But when it comes to Lord Blackwell, she doesn't care to succeed."
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