Saturday, April 24, 2021

Bookish Christian Fiction for Independent Bookstore Day!

It's the best day of the year! Independent bookstore day! 


I say this somewhat in jest but it does get me very excited.  It was so special to get to check out The Country Bookshelf in Bozeman two Independent Bookstore Days ago and at that time I told myself I wanted to try to travel to a different town and explore a new independent bookstore on this day each year. Obviously that did not happen but I still very much enjoy this day! I am quite excited to get to check out a semi local bookstore later today just by delightful serendipity! 

I adored the World War II timeslip Hidden Among the Stars, about a modern young woman who runs a bookstore and stumbles upon a rare old book that tangles her up in a WWII character's past. It reminded me just how much I love the cozy ambiance of the right kind of bookstore and it made me want to read many more bookstore-themed Christian fiction novels. 

I thought it might be fun today to share the ones I have on my radar right now. Let me know if you have read any of these and what you thought of them! 

๐Ÿ“š Adventures with Theophilos Pott by Roger Long... This Christian middle grade sounds like a delightful adventure to dive into with my kids- five siblings, a princess, a dragon, a talking tiger, and an ageless bookstore owner named Theophilos Pott! I certainly have to at least give it a try, don't I?

๐Ÿ“š Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter... This is the story of Sophie who's childhood left her acting as more of a parent than a big sister to her siblings. After working her tail off to support them for all these years, it is finally her turn to chase after her own dream. She is ready to open her bookstore! But when an old flame crosses her path again she will find herself questioning everything. Not exactly my usual style, but I could certainly overlook that if the writing was good and the North Carolina setting mixed well with the bookstore element!

๐Ÿ“š The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury... I'm a brand new Karen Kingsbury convert and cannot wait to check out this delightful-sounding bookstore story this Christmas... And also to make Ryan watch the Hallmark movie version with me afterwards! This is a story about  a beloved old bookstore, The Bridge, in Franklin, Tennessee. A hundred year flood sweeps through the town and destroys the books in the shop so the bank decides to pull the lease. In true Karen Kingsbury fashion there is a story of lost love woven into the story of the couple who owned The Bridge. I know I will like it simply because I like her writing style so much!

๐Ÿ“š Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren... This romance story was a Christy nominee, which is usually a good sign of great writing up ahead. Romance is not my jam, but maybe I could put that aside for a good quirky bookstore story. Mona is transforming her old Victorian home into a bookstore and coffee shop with the help of a handsome contractor. I'm sure we can all guess where this book goes and how it ends, but if the bookstore element is prominent enough it could still wind up being a good fit for me? 

๐Ÿ“š Hope Between the Pages by Pepper D Basham... Clara works at her family's hundred-year-old bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina and that is where she discovers an old, long lost love letter that leads her on a great adventure to discover what happened to the writer, Oliver, and its recipient. This is the first in a new historical fiction series I recently heard about on the Christian Historical Fiction Talk podcast and I am very curious about it. I do love a book about letters so a book about both a bookshop and a love letter sounds too good to be true!

๐Ÿ“š The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay. I loved Dear Mr Knightley so I'm guessing I will love this book too. Madeline inherits her estranged aunt's quaint and cozy bookshop and intends to sell it right away. The two women working in the store and a handsome gardener who has caught her attention just might make her change her mind.

๐Ÿ“š The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel... This Cornwall-based time slip sounds like such a perfect fit for me! This story follows three different women. One is an American who owns a failing bookstore in Cornwall and has convinced herself that saving the bookstore will save her marriage.  Then there is a grieving domestic violence counselor who is escaping to Cornwall after the death of her abusive fiance and is working at the bookstore in exchange for rent in the apartment above it. Finally, a governess from 200 years ago whose dream was to be a writer and whose journals are now keeping her alive in the story. Bookshop! Deep stuff! Journals! I can't imagine a book much more perfect for me.

๐Ÿ“š The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels... Robin is hiding from her family's dark past by living under a false name and taking refuge working at an old used bookstore in Michigan. Despite her anonymity, someone she knew 20 years ago has suddenly found her and is making contact by sending a new book to her each day that speaks of the past they shared together. This sounds so fascinating to me!

3 comments:

  1. As always, very interesting! I've been reading your old blog posts for several days now, dear Sarah, I haven't read them before. So much useful information!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so happy you are enjoying them! ๐Ÿ˜

      Delete
  2. As always, very interesting! I've been reading your old blog posts for several days now, dear Sarah, I haven't read them before. So much useful information!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for your comments! I always read them, don't always have time to answer quickly. Sorry about that!