In the past I’ve mentioned that my favorite job during my library tenure was helping people find just the right author or book to enjoy (so at my house you’ll often hear the phrase “once a librarian, always a librarian” – from which comes the name of this column). So now and then you’ll see me making recommendations in various genres of fiction. Today it will be what is known as Christian fiction or inspirational fiction, which generally means a story that expands and illustrates a Christian world view in its plot and characters. Readers who don’t want to deal with harsh language or profanity often go to this category whether or not they consider themselves religious in the conventional sense. The novels can have elements of romance, mystery, etc. so long as the central outlook is Christian. They can be historical in nature or take place in modern times. This is not a genre that I normally read, but I’ve heard enough from library patrons to know who writes Christian fiction and who is most popular.
Some inspirational fiction takes place on the American FRONTIER in earlier times. Think of a more grown-up version of the “Little House on the Prairie” series. The very popular authors in this category include Tamara Alexander, Lori Copeland, Janette Oke, Tracie Peterson, and Lauraine Snelling.
A category that has really caught on in recent years is AMISH fiction. Usually these take place within an Amish community, but some stories follow Amish characters as they venture out into the wider world. Authors to try in this category are Wanda Brunstetter, Mindy Starnes Clark, Ann Gabhart, Shelley Shepard Gray, Beverly Lewis, and Cindy Woodsmall.
Female readers of inspirational fiction often want to read about ROMANCE, but without the more physical aspects that you find in mainstream literature. Authors of choice here are Melody Carlson, Jan Karon, Karen Kingsbury, Tracie Peterson, and Lori Wick.
Finally, there is a subset of Christian fiction that deals in MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE. Some have apocalyptic features also. Popular authors in this category include Terri Blackstock, Linda Castillo, Ted Dekker, Irene Hannon, Dee Henderson, and Tim LaHaye. I hope this helps give you some idea of what’s out there in the Christian fiction genre with its sub-categories of frontier, romance, mystery, and Amish literature. All these authors and similar ones can be found on the shelves of your Henry County Libraries. Happy reading!
