Happy Thursday and welcome to day four of the Five Fall Favorites blog party!
You can find all of the information about Five Fall Favorites by reading my first post this week (click HERE), or by going to our wonderful host, Kate Willis’s, site (click HERE).
For a quick recap, every day this week, a group of bloggers (me included) are sharing our five favorite books in a variety of prompts – the goal being for us all to enjoy great new reads and cozy fall vibes!
This year’s theme is all about books that remind us of the Fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and so on! You’ll see a little variation of those fruits between bloggers each day (since there are more fruits than days in the week and we can pick and choose), so you should find plenty of good recs to add to your TBR!
Today’s prompt is all about faithfulness!
I’m varying from the original prompt for today (which was patience) as I struggled to find good books that centered around the theme of patience. If you have any recommendations let me know! Instead, I pivoted to books that feature faithfulness, in character, action, and inspiration. Let’s explore them!
And stay tuned to the end for a fun freebie!
(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).
A Noble Purpose
Author: Laurie Lucking
Genre: Christian non-magical fantasy “Hans, Who Made the Princess Laugh” retelling
Target Audience: YA/NA and above
What Stuck Out to Me: This is such a short and sweet story – a fun, heartwarming tale with a refreshing spin on the classic Hans, Who Made the Princess Laugh.
The characters were so fun! The protagonist is so kind-hearted and bubbly and I really admired her drive to make her sister happy. I also really loved the approach to the eldest sister’s melancholy, specifically one line about it being how the Holy One shaped her heart. The love interests balanced both sisters out so well, and were some of my favorite characters. I loved all of their dynamics.
I also appreciated that the adventure part of the story was lowkey. There was action and some danger, but it was all on a very small scale. I was never on the edge of my seat, stressed. Instead, the entire book felt cozy.
As far as themes go, mentions of The Holy One and prayers were not pushy or in-your-face, they were naturally woven in and I enjoyed their presence. I also loved how faithful the little sister was to her elder sister and how genuinely she wanted to help, going out of her way. They had a sweet relationship, and it was very rewarding to watch them both get happy endings. I absolutely recommend this one!
Tricky Content: A couple of kisses, a woman rests in her love’s arms and with her head against his shoulders while asleep, mentions of the Holy One, someone is hit in the head with a rock and passes out, attempted kidnapping.
I’d Recommend It To: Anyone who enjoys short and sweet fairy tale romances with cozy vibes, chipper humor, and fun characters!
Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!
(I read an ARC for this, but it releases October 1st! You can pre-order now to receive it on release day!)
To Bind Fire
Author: D. E. Carlson
Genre: Christian Fantasy Romance
Target Audience: YA and above
What Stuck Out to Me: I’m in the process of rereading this again, as there’s so much to it and I can’t remember everything! I have really enjoyed it though. The author has a beautiful writing style and a knack for crafting immersive, interesting worlds. She also features prominent Christian themes, one of which being faithfulness to her goals and beliefs.
The characters have so much learning and growing to do, and I’ve appreciated watching each of them as they weave through the storyline. I was caught off guard by a lot of the story twists, which is good, and despite this being a pretty long book, I read the whole thing in just a couple of days. I didn’t want to put it down!
Overall, this book has a slower pace so I’m interested to see where the series goes (the second book is released now too!) and get to see where some of this tense build-up will lead. I care about the characters, am intrigued by the romance elements, and the villain is honestly very intimidating. It’s been fun to travel through this epic fantasy world with the characters as they journey. If this sounds like your kind of book, I say give it a try!
Tricky Content: Violence and fighting, mentions of blood and injuries, death, loss and grief, kisses and attraction, a couple sleeps side by side, a magic system that includes songs (I don’t completely understand the magic yet, but it is there).
I’d Recommend It To: Readers that enjoy epic fantasy adventure stories with classic journeys, multiple POVs, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and sprawling worlds.
Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!
Becoming Hook
Author: Mary Mecham
Genre: Fantasy Peter Pan retelling
Target Audience: YA and above
What Stuck Out to Me: I really enjoyed this Peter Pan retelling and could hardly make myself put it down! This was such a fun journey, with neat tie-ins to both the original tale of Peter Pan and the Disney version. And even though so much of the world was familiar, the new world-building elements were done very well.
I’m a sucker for a good villain-is-actually-the-hero retelling. I loved the backstory that was provided, and he was a character I could root for and respect. The love interests had a cute relationship, and their romance was really sweet – I was rooting for them! I admired their faithfulness toward each other, even in hardships.
Overall, I’m definitely going to continue on in the series. Mecham has such a refreshing take on fairy tale retellings and I have yet to read one of her books that I haven’t really enjoyed. Especially as many of her themes are ones that I hold close in my life. Hopefully some of the plot twists and loose ends will be tied up in the next books – and I want to see more of the villain! – but I do recommend this one as is.
Tricky Content: Some kisses (clean but passionate), a woman wraps her legs around a man’s waist while kissing him, brief mentions of a woman’s curves and finding her attractive, a hand is cut off, mental health struggles/depression, kidnapping, “drugging” with Pixie dust, violence in battles, a character recounts her people being tortured and “experimented on”, loss.
I’d Recommend It To: Anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings with sweet romance, interesting characters, fun spins on familiar classics, and a bit of banter, especially if you’re a fan of Disney’s Peter Pan and/or Disney’s Tinkerbell movies. I’d probably recommend 14+ for this one.
Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!
Befriending the Beast
Author: Amanda Tero
Genre: Christian Fantasy Beauty and the Beast retelling
Target Audience: YA and above
What Stuck Out to Me: I need to reread this one soon! I loved the twist on Beauty the Beast – not a romance story, but one of redemption, perseverance, love, and family. Faith and prayer were very strong themes, and the ending was tactfully handled. It made me smile.
I would love an even longer story about these characters, their world, and their situations. The characters are vivid, with goals, dreams, and backstories of their own, and I could relate to all of them. I enjoyed seeing the character growth that happened, even in such a short story. Even without a “villain”, tension was strong.
The main character was surprisingly likable, even without knowing her for long. I admired her faith and her love for her father, even when it was difficult. I also absolutely loved the mentor character in this story. He was so good for her, and I liked any time he entered the scene. I was touched by the resolution at the end – my favorite part – and the tie-ins to the original fairy tales were fun. Overall, a very solid story!
Tricky Content: Mention of a beheading, pain, emotional distress, estranged family relationships, mention of a death, suspense and tension.
I’d Recommend It To: Anyone who enjoys stories with fresh twists on a medieval Beauty and the Beast story, featuring an emphasis on (Christian) faith, redemption, and family.
Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!
God’s Smuggler
Author: Brother Andrew
Genre: Christian Biography
Target Audience: Teens and older
What Stuck Out to Me: My mom recommended I read this book in my teens, as it was one of the first ones she read after becoming a Christian that really stuck with her. I’m so glad I did. This is such an inspiring, convicting story of a missionary who gave absolutely everything for God.
Andrew’s story is one of sacrifice, danger, faith, and complete and total surrender to the Lord. I stayed on the edge of my seat while reading, knowing that it must work out okay but also not seeing how. And everything didn’t always turn out like I thought it should. He lost much. But in the end, God always provided in amazing ways. That has been very encouraging for me to remember.
As with any story like this, sometimes I don’t agree with every belief they hold. But it’s absolutely worth a read. Andrew’s commitment to his mission of spreading the gospel through war-territory Asia is a powerful one, and I don’t know who could watch God provide over and over again in such dire circumstances and not feel some encouragement that God must be providing for us too. If you enjoy Christian biographies about missions, love, and courage, this might be one you’ll love!
Tricky Content: Death, loss and grief, war, fighting, danger and suspense, alcohol consumption, animal abuse, and persecution.
I’d Recommend It To: Anyone who enjoys gripping real-life stories of courage and passion. Especially Christians seeking to be inspired by an example of someone who gave everything for Christ, despite fears.
Here’s the link to add it on Goodreads!
We’ve come to the end of day four of the Five Fall Favorites blog party! What are some of your favorite books featuring faithfulness? Have you read any of the ones I mentioned? If so, what did you think? I’d love to find out!
Again, check out Kate’s host blog here for extra information, even more book recommendations, and to enter the special giveaway!
ALSO, today’s freebie happens to be Cabin Girl!
To download your free copy of Cabin Girl on Amazon (only through the end of today – 9/26/24), click RIGHT HERE or on the graphic itself! I’m so happy to be sharing it again, and I hope you enjoy it!
With that, I’ll see you tomorrow for day five of bookish fun! (So close to the end already, wow!)
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*immediately add Befriending the Beast and To Bind Fire to list*
haha, wonderful! I hope you enjoy them both!!
Loving this fairytale theme! 😉
Haha, when writing a fairy tale retelling one has to read and “research” other fairy tale books 😉
Sounds like a great problem to have. 😉
I LOVED Becoming Hook! I’m eager to read all of the Cornerstone series.
That’s awesome! It’s such a good one!! And yes, me too!!
Yay, Cabin Girl is so good…!
Hey, is the Hook book magical? Because it looks SO good. I so wanna be obsessed with Peter Pan but almost all the retellings are magical, lol…
Love your list, Bella! I couldn’t think of patience either, but faithfulness is a great theme. BTB and GS are excellent choices—I only read GS once but I need a physical copy that I can reread over and over. And I am in the middle of my ARC of ANP… it makes me wanna write when I read it so I get too distracted to continue! 😂
Thank you so much <33
Oh, good question! So, thinking about it, I'm pretty sure the only magic was pixie dust. I'm not sure if you're comfortable with that. They used it to make people fly, and they also refer to it as having properties that keep people young. The pixies can also change from tiny fairy size to normal size. Other than that, there weren't any spells or anything like that, if that helps? I agree, it's hard to find non-magical Peter Pan retellings!!
And haha, maybe that's a good thing that ANP inspires you to write so much? I see what you mean too, it's so fun to read!