E. G. Bella

Happy Monday, and welcome to day one of the 2023 Five Fall Favorites blog party!

I’m so thrilled to be taking part in this creative and collaborative event, organized by the lovely Kate Willis (click on her name to head over to her blog)! This is the event’s 8th year in a row, and my second time joining in. It’s going to be a great week of bookish fun!

Whether you’re looking for book recommendations, enjoy seeing a bunch of book covers, or just like reading about books in general, this is for you. Each day, starting today through September 30th, a group of bloggers (me included) are going to be sharing our top five favorite books that fit a variety of prompts.

This year’s theme centers around who and where our books have come from. There are so many great stories and memories behind books, so explore all of the featured posts to find some great reads! My TBR is definitely going to be overflowing after this!

And make sure you head over to Kate Willis’ blog each day (right HERE) to find all of the additional information, including book deals and an awesome giveaway!

Now onto today’s book recommendations!

Top 5 Gifted Finds

I’m starting off slightly different on day one. Most FFF participants will probably be sharing five of their favorite library finds today, and originally I was too. I absolutely love libraries, and used to spend hours and hours of my childhood there, devouring armloads at a time.

But sadly, I haven’t been to our local library (which has undergone a lot of major changes) in a good number of years, and most of the books that I read back then are not really worth sharing, haha. They were great for a middle-schooler, but not anything too special.

So instead, I’m going to start with an alternate topic, and share five gifted finds! This can be books that were gifted to me, or books that I’ve gifted to someone else. There’s something special about receiving books, I think. Knowing someone either read or saw the book and thought specifically of you is sweet.

I’m going to try my very best this week not to include duplicates of my recommendations from last year’s event, but admittedly, today is one of the exceptions. Today will include a couple of the same ones from last year, but it’s because they’re just that good! Most of my recommendations will also be fiction, but today, again, I’m including one non-fiction.

Let’s look at those five books now! (I’ve reviewed many of these in more depth on Goodreads, so if you’re interested in reading my thoughts – or just other reviews in general – you can find the Goodreads link under each book, or by clicking on the book’s title).

Wishtress

The characters are definitely my favorite though. Both protagonists were relatable and flawed, and I cared for them a lot. The romance was sweet. The plot kept me on my toes, and there were several times when I actually gasped while reading (something that doesn’t happen often). Overall, I was very engaged, finished the book in a day, and really appreciated this story and its deep, meaningful themes.

Tricky Content: A complex and allegorical magic system, violence, intense action, loss, several kisses, and mentions of several pregnancies out-of-wedlock, including to a teenager.

I’d Recommend It To: Teens and up that enjoy intriguing and engaging fantasies with a bit of romance woven through.

Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!

Hinds’ Feet in High Places

The Bible alone teaches us what we need to know about God in order to be saved, but allegories like this one have helped me truly grasp God’s character, and how He feels about us. Hurnard’s representation of the Good Shepherd is touching, and has led to some very meaningful times of prayer. Also, boy, do I relate to Much-Afraid and her struggles!

Tricky Content: An older and repetitive style of writing that might be too childish for some readers’ preferences, and some questionable moments of theology that can be compared to Hinduism. While I feel the truth outweighed the troublesome content for my journey personally, as always, allegories should be read with much discernment and prayer.

I’d Recommend It To: Readers of pretty much any age that enjoy sweet allegories about growth and journeys through the hardships of life.

Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!

Bread of Angels

I’ve never read a book about Lydia from the New Testament before, so I loved getting a glimpse of what her life may have been like. Including the detailed dive into her dye-making, something that fascinated me! The characters were interesting and sympathetic, and the setting was extremely vivid. And the faith aspects that she included were well-done – not too preachy, or too subtle. All in all, worth the read.

Tricky Content: Villain is shown being cruel to small animals, brief references to child abuse, loss, flogging scenes (moderately described).

I’d Recommend It To: Teens and older that enjoy interesting and well-researched biblical fiction, especially about “side characters” in the Bible and what they’re lives might have been like.

Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!

Operation Grendel

Tricky Content: War-set violence, some light kisses, a couple of very mild swears, brief descriptions of injuries, and psychological trickery.

I’d Recommend It To: Older teens and above who enjoy complex, military-focused science fiction stories with plenty of unexpected twists and turns.

Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!

The Sacred Search

Tricky Content: Nothing of note, although these types of books should always be read with discernment and prayer. Physical attraction is covered in one chapter in particular, but through a clean, God-honoring perspective.

I’d Recommend It To: Single, dating, or engaged Christians seeking practical and spiritual advice for growing closer to their prospective partner, and God in the process. My now-husband and I read this and answered the questions together, one chapter at a time, and I’d highly recommend doing the same if you have the chance (with your own partner, haha).

Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!

And just like that, we’re already wrapping up day one of the Five Fall Favorites blog party! What are some of your favorite books that you’ve either received as a gift or gifted to others? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? If so, what did you think? I’d love to hear from you!

Again, check out Kate’s host blog here, for all of the additional information (including an awesome giveaway, and the full list of bloggers participating!), and so that you can find even more book recommendations!

See you tomorrow for some more bookish fun!

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