My Favorite Christian Fiction Books

I think Christian fiction has a reputation for being "cheesy" and sometimes that is deserved. There are many good and bad books in any genre. Christian fiction is a great option for Christians who enjoy a good story but also like to reflect on their faith. It is also a good option for those who want books that are free of explicit content. Since Christian fiction is a large industry with many book and author choices, I wanted to give some guidance in finding some great books.

My favorite Christian fiction writer is Francine Rivers. I would put her up against most any author in the secular world. She writes Christian novels but she doesn't gloss over sin or human nature. Her characters and their lives are far from perfect. She writes about "real" people and the real issues we all face. Her books usually make me see things in a different light and examine myself. I feel like I grow spiritually when reading Mrs. River's novels. For anyone new to Christian fiction, I tell them to start with Francine Rivers and usually to start with this series.

Here are some of my favorites:

The Mark of the Lion Trilogy:

This is a trilogy set in the times of Roman oppression of the Jews and Christians. The time when Christians are thrown to the lions in the Roman Colloseum. This story chronicles the journey of a young Jewish girl, Hadassah, who becomes a slave to Roman family. The series paints a vivid picture of this historical time period. It is a story of love, forgiveness, faith, redemption and sacrifice. It is just a beautiful story. The first two books are excellent. You will definitely want to have the second book on hand as you near the end of the first book. There is definitely one heart-stopping cliffhanger at the end of the first book. One set of characters' story closes at the end of the second novel. The third book in the trilogy is about a side character and goes in a different direction.

The books in order are: A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness and As Sure as the Dawn

Redeeming Love:

This novel is a retelling of the biblical story of Hosea set in the 1850s Gold Rush period in California. This book is an example of how Mrs. Rivers does not gloss over sinfulness. The main character Angel is a prostitute and a very hard character to like initially. However by the end of the novel I had grown to love her.

The Atonement Child:

This book deals with the issues of a pregnancy following a rape. The story follows the young pregnant woman as she wrestles spiritually and in her personal relationships as she makes decisions about how to handle her pregnancy.

The Scarlet Thread:

This book deals with the issue of adultery and a broken marriage. I honestly did not think I could like this book because I would be so mad about the adultery. While the adultery is very upsetting, this story gives a wonderful picture of God's providence, forgiveness and healing.

Her Mother's Hope and Her Daughter's Dream:

These two companion books tell the stories of 4 generations of mothers and daughters and their relationships. You travel through many historical events and cultural changes as you read. It is a very bittersweet story with many ups and downs along the road of life. Parts of the book will break your heart, but they are so worth the read. These books also made me think about the way I talk to and relate to my children.

Kristen Heitzmann is another author I enjoy. She also is not afraid to address sin and its consequences in her stories. She does speak of the Christian faith in all of her books, but it is presented more subtley than some authors. Her books usually contain some mystery, suspense and primarily romance. Some of my favorites have been:

The Diamond of the Rockies Series: (The Rose Legacy, Sweet Boundless and The Tender Vine) these books tell the story of a young woman of Italian heritage struggling to find her way in a new mining town in Colorado.

My other favorites include:

Indivisible

Twilight

Freefall

Halos

Ted Dekker is another popular Christian fiction author. His books frequently contain suspense, supernatural occurrences or science fiction, and sometimes romance. His books often contain a surprise plot twist.

I do not like all of Dekker's books because sometimes the supernatural or science fiction element is just too "out there" for my personal taste. Here are some of his books that I did really enjoy. I would put them more in the "psychological thriller" category:

Skin

Obsessed

Kiss (written with author Erin Healy)

Three

Blink (Blink of An Eye)

Adam

Lynn Austin

Terri Blackstock

Dee Henderson

If you have never tried Christian fiction and just don't know where to start, I think this list offers good options of some of the best books out there. If you already read Christian fiction, maybe you will find a new book or author to try.