Category: Conversations with Kav

I haven’t always been a seasonal reader, but the last couple of years I’ve found I crave books that fit the season I’m living in. Not all the time, but I like to pick at least some books that match the seasonal vibe and standard holidays I’m enjoying. Of course, I have particular themes for every season, because I’m book nerdy like that (aren’t we all?). Here’s my Summer Bookish Craves List:

• Contemporary summer rom/coms!
• lighthouses!
• seaside settings (especially in Historical romances for some strange reason)
• animal rescues (?!)
• thrillerish (mild) suspense (which is out of character for me the rest of the year)
• holiday romances (especially travel abroad or shipboard romance)
• wilderness survival adventure/ suspense
• gardening
• renos and upcycling
• pun-y titles and bright cover art

Okay, I admit, that’s a weirdly eclectic list and not everything is specific to the summer season, but this is where my mood reading takes me in the summer! How about you? What kind of book draws you in during the summer months?

Looking for a specific kind of summer series recommendations. Can you help?

Last year I discovered a delightful multi-authored closed door romantic comedy series that was so much fun! The Falling for Summer series was set on an island off the Florida coast and featured seven heroes and seven heroines all finding their happily every afters by the end of the summer. It was really clever the way the stories overlapped each other and yet could all be read as standalones. I actually read them out of order without any problem. It was fun to keep going back to the same setting and lovable (and not so lovable) secondary characters all summer long. These were all independently published.

So, now I’m wondering it that’s a ‘thing’ each summer? Does anyone know of a similar kind of series with a summer setting that’s either Christian Fiction or Closed Door? Independent or traditionally published. I think it would be fun to dive into another summery series. Do let me know if you have any suggestions.

Books with a Summer setting suggestions for the Best Reads Summer Book Bingo!

I thought it would be fun and helpful to gather some suggestions for the trickier Bingo prompts so it seems appropriate to start with this one. Usually it’s hard to determine the seasonal setting just from the cover or title ( exceptions being: The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh and The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter.) It seems like lately every book I’ve picked up has been set in the winter! So, let’s help each out by sharing Christian Fiction or Closed Door Romances that are set in the summer time. I really had to think hard to come up with any that didn’t have ‘summer’ in the title as a major clue! Here they are:

• A Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter
• A Match in the Making by Jen Turano
• Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson
• Seaside Proposal by Narelle Atkins (Australian summer, which is a fun twist)

Okay, let’s get the conversations going. Add your thoughts in a comment to be entered in a draw for a $10.00 Baker Book House (US) gift card or an Amazon gift card (Canada.)

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 14 2025

Eeeepppp! This might be the fault of the recent bout of hot, summery weather and me sweltering in the garden, but I had this brain wave (or it could have been heatstroke) when I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be fun to create the first ever Best Reads Readathon?’ One with a summer theme…like, oh, light bulb moment, a Best Reads Summer Book Bingo event! So here we are with an official Bingo card and everything (three cheers for me getting more proficient on Canva.) And, of course, there has to be a prize!

US winner will receive a $25 Baker Book House e gift card. Canada winners will have a choice between a $25 Amazon or Indigo gift card. Stay tuned for details on how the giveaway will work, but first, drumroll please…

How to Play (and how to have a chance to win!)

• Bingo runs from June 1 (today!) to August 31 2025
• Read a book that fits a prompt (or prompts) to fill in a square (or squares)
• So yes, that means, one book could fit multiple prompts. Example: if you read a historical book featuring a summer house party with a croquet scene that involved a romance written by a new-to-you author you could mark off 4 squares (summer setting, includes a summer sport, historical romance, new-to-you author)
• 12 chances at a Bingo – 5 rows across, 5 rows down, 2 diagonal rows
• Your name will be entered into a draw every time you get a Bingo (so the potential for 12 times)
• Bonus round: Fill your entire card to have your name entered 5 more times
• Once you’ve achieved a Bingo, submit the prompts and corresponding books to me at kavluvstoread@yahoo.ca. using BINGO in the subject field
• Technically, you have until midnight EST August 31 to submit all your entries, but it would be easier on me to have them trickling in throughout the summer.
• Winner will be announced on Saturday September 6 2025

More About the Prompts:

• Summer Setting: a book set in June, July or August (or, if it’s set in Australia or New Zealand, November, December or January.)
• Water on the cover: a body of water like a lake or ocean or you could get creative – glass of water, drop from a faucet etc.
• Beach Read: the kind of read you want to take on holiday with you
• Yellow on Cover: doesn’t have to be the whole cover, but enough of a splash to be noticable
• Travel is part of the plot: up to your descetion, but the travel should play an important role in the plot. So, a holiday romance might involve a trip to a cottage in Maine or a mystery might involve traveling from town to town to follow clues
• A flower in the title or on the cover: Can be literally the word flower or any specific flower in the title or, obviously, any kind of flower in the cover art.
• Holiday romance: a romance that takes place during a summer vacation
• Short Story or novella: self-explanatory
• Includes a summer sport: I’m thinking of sports like swimming, skate boarding, baseball, horseshoes 🙂 frisbee etc
• Part of a series: any book in a series
• Contemporary Romance: self-explanatory
• Garden/Farm Theme: story where gardening, specific garden setting or farming plays an important part in the story
• Summer Release: book released in June, July or August, any year
• Historical Romance: self-explanatory
• Mention of a refreshing beverage: thirst quenching lemonade on the porch, guzzling down a cool glass of water after working on a hot day, Southern sweet tea, iced cola, frosty milkshake (I’m getting thirsty!) etc.
• Christian Fiction: self-explanatory
• Indie authored: self-explanatory
• Family centred story: where family plays an important role in the story. Could be a single mom or dad. Could involve an extended family working together. The relationship between a grandparent and child. A multi-generational story. etc.
• Animal Secondary Character: Any kind of significant critter sidekick.
• Comfort Read: this will be different for everyone. For me it’s a reread or a cozy mystery
• New-to-you author: self explanatory
• Suspense/Mystery: a book with a significant suspense/mystery plot.
• Friend Recommendation: a book recommended by a ‘real life’ or online friend. 🙂
• On TBR / Wishlist since last summer: this is the book that’s gotten away for nearly a year. Now is the time to chase it down and finally read it!
• Outside of Comfort Zone: could be a genre or a trope. Something you usually avoid. For me it would be love triangles, secret babies or sci-fi.

Phew! I think that’s everything. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments. And let the summer reading begin!

I love me a good found family series. The concept of random eclectic people coming together and bonding in a significant, ‘we’re family now’ kind of way is so appealing. Love the group dynamics, the inevitable teasing and banter as well as the more serious heart-to-heart chats that can be life changing. And I love getting to see that with every book in the series no matter who is starring as hero or heroine in the current story. It’s like a special kind of homecoming with every book. Found family series just make me all kinds of happy.

Only…lately, I keep finding family series. Siblings, cousins, all brothers, all sisters etc. And I love those too but lately I’m crazy craving a good, solid ‘found family’ series so I’m looking for suggestions. Bonus points if it’s an indie series. 🙂

I’m going to share one found family series per genre that I have loved and highly recommend. And I’d love for you to share any found family series suggestions you think I might enjoy. (Must be Christian Fiction or Closed Door.) Share your thoughts in a comment and I’ll enter you in a draw for a bookish gift card – details at the end of this post.

FOUND FAMILY SERIES FAVES

The Dread Penny Society series by Sarah M. Eden includes 5 books starring members of The Dread Penny Society in Victorian London. They are a group of Penny Dreadful authors who represent a wonderful cross section of society and work ‘undercover’ to rescue London’s downtrodden. Witty and mysterious with nefarious arch villains and toe-curling romance in every book.

Sarah Monzon’s Sewing in SoCal series features five women of diverse backgrounds who have formed a very special sisterhood. Love all the girl-bonding moments, the teasing, the laughter…even the sniping. I especially appreciate their shared faith which keeps them grounded…more or less. 🙂 Distinctive personalities add intriguing variety and I love the way we get a healthy dose of SoCal sisterhood interaction in each book.

Natalie Walters knows how to create memorable team dynamics and her SNAP Agency series is one of her finest. They are a a diverse and eclectic band of talented professionals who know how to work hard and have formed a deep bond which spills over into teasing banter and pointed heart-to-hearts. They’ve created a unique found family that will hold up under any kind of pressure. and I loved every single group scene! Three books and one prequel.

Shelley Shepard Gray’s Walnut Creek series centers around friends who vow to stick together after the tragic suicide of one of their group. Each book gives some quality page time to all the friends, while focusing on one hero and one heroine’s love story. And Gray doesn’t shy away from hard topics as she explores ways forgiveness and friendship can transform lives. Six books in the series and one prequel novella.

Giveaway Opportunity:

Share your thoughts in a comment to be entered in a draw to win a $10 gift card from Baker Book House OR for Canadian readers – a card of equal value from Cdn Amazon or Indigo.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 31 2025.

Time for a quick fun Off the Top of Your Head Book Tag (courtesy of Chauntona Havig’s recent Booktube post.) Seriously, you can’t think too hard. The first book that comes into your mind is the correct answer. No agonizing over choosing just the right book for every question. Literally, the first book that comes to mind is the one to go with.

1. What was your favourite picture book as a child? elephant
2. What book series did you love as a child? Trixie
3. What was the worst book you’ve tried to read? GWTW
4. What is your favourite reading or book memory? library
5. What is a book you loved as a movie? little women Anne of green gables
6. What is a book you wish they’d make into a movie?
7. Who is a book character you would like as a friend? meg langslow
8. Where is a place you’d like to visit because of a book you read? pei
9. What is a non-fiction book you would recommend?
10. If you could hang out with an author for a day who would it be and why?
11. What is the last book you gave to someone as a gift?

Favourite Picture Book

An number of books came to mind, one on top of the other until my head was a jumble of happy bookish memories but I stuck with Curious George because he has a whole series and we always checked at least one George book out of the library every week, even though my dad begged me to pick something else for a change. 🙂

Fave Childhood Series

Hands down Trixie was my go-to girl sleuth growing up. I read Nancy, of course, by Trixie and her friends held my heart as evidenced by the fact that I sill have all my Trixie Belden books and none of my Nancy Drews.

Worst Book (for me)

Yikes! Sorry to all you GWTW fans but…just no. A much too long saga with an unlikeable heroine. Rhett should have walked away long before he did!

Favourite Reading Memory

Eeeepppp!!! That’s the library from my childhood! Weston Public Library and it still looks the same. I was so afraid it had been torn down and replaced with a modern monstrosity but…eeeepppp…it’s still standing! Picture book perfect, I’d say. I spent hours in this library. Children’s section in the basement and fantastic window seats under those big arch windows upstairs where a girl could curl up and read to her heart’s content. I can actually still conjure up the smell…books, paper, floor polish (hardwood floors throughout) and something else unique to that building (probably mould but that isn’t poetic! Bwahahaha!)

Movie adaptation

The Megan Follows version. As a rule, I am usually disappointed by movie adaptations of favourite books but I thought this mini-series did L. M. Montgomery justice. Not the sequel though — gah, that one drove me crazy because they totally rewrote the books (it was supposed to be a mash up of the rest of the books) but it was dreadful!!!!! But the original was wonderful!

Would Love to See as a Movie

This story would make the perfect holiday movie — has all the feels and oodles of hope and the true meaning of the season. Hallmark Movie perfection only better!

Book Character for Friend

Meg Langslow from the Meg Langslow cozy mystery series. She’s interesting and funny and comes with a posse of quirky relatives and friends. I want to part of that! Plus living in Caerphilly would be a bonus!

Bookish Place to Visit

Prince Edward Island! It’s all Anne’s fault!

Non-Fiction Recommendation

As you know, I’m not a huge non-fiction reader but it’s gardening season and I picked up this gem at the library. Love the layout – so easy to use – and each herb comes with recipes along with all the practical growing info, including container gardening.

Shadowing an Author for a day

Irene Hannon! Because….Irene Hannon!!!!!!!!

Last book I gave as a gift

I gave this to a friend who cares for her three rambunctious grandsons. I knew it would be a hit but she’s kinda miffed because she has to read it over and over and over again now. 🙂 One of my favourite readalouds back when I was a school librarian. I never got tired of reading it. Quirky and fun. Definitely not to be taken seriously.

Giveaway Opportunity:

Now it’s your turn. Share an answer to one (or more) of the Off the Top of Your Head Book Tag questions in a comment below and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $10 Baker Book House gift card.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 24 2025.

Today seems like the perfect time to talk about our favourite fictional mothers. And I thought we could share childhood faves as well as mothers in our fictional reads.

Favourite Mothers in Children’s Books.

True story: I was raised in a very dysfunctional family. We were struggling immigrants and my mother suffered with what I know now to be an undiagnosed mental illness. So, not a lot of mothering going on in my house but I took solace in the storybook families I read about. In fact, books were my only experience with what a functional family actually looked like. I like to say I was raised by books and am so grateful to my public library’s extensive children’s collection that kept me immersed in imaginary worlds when my own was difficult to bear.

So, I have lots of favourite fictional mothers who played a part in raising me. I’ll try to corral my thoughts to just a few….

Mama from the All-of-a-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor. These are sweet, simple family stories featuring five sisters at the turn of the century (early 1900s) in New York’s lower East Side. Mama is their anchor – especially when it comes to sharing their Jewish traditions and holidays. Interesting side note: These books were the first to depict traditional American Jewish life in children’s literature. A classic from the 1950s, the books have been reprinted multiple times over the decades but I love the original hardback illustrated copies that I managed to find at library sales over the years.

Mother from The Austin Family Chronicles by Madeleine L’Engle – 5 books starting with Meet the Austins starring Vicky Austin and her siblings. These are gritty, pre-teen/teenage angst kind of stories but with plenty of structured family life to fall back on. First published in the 1960s and reprinted countless times since then, parts can seem outdated (child discipline for one) but there’s something so comforting about this solid family working together to get through the tough stuff. I felt so terribly grown up reading these books! 🙂

Favourite Mothers in my Current Fiction

One author immediately springs to mind: Ruth Logan Herne. She writes kids and families with such truth and grace and humour. Her single mom heroines are independent and capable — no shrinking violets waiting to be rescued! And the way she writes the parenting aspects are spot on. No wonder since she has plenty of lived experience as a mother and grandmother. I always know I’m in for an emotionally satisfying read when I reach for one of her books.

Althea’s grandmother in Sweet Tea by Piper Huguley. Miss Ada steals every scene she’s in. I love that woman! Everyone needs a Miss Ada in their life, bossing them around and telling them what’s what and reminding them of where they come from and who God made them to be. I listened to the audio book but I need to get a print copy so I can underline a variety of Ada-ism to have on hand when I need a boost…or a shove!

Aleida in Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin. This was a colossal ugly cry read for me as it showcases the depths of a mother’s love as Aleida desperately searches for her missing son. It’s heart wrenching and hopeful and everything in between. Definitely a book hangover kind of read…and my favourite Sarah Sundin to date.

Okay, now it’s your turn. What comes to mind when you think of fictional mothers — both from your childhood reads and your ‘grown-up’ ones? Share in a comment below to be entered to win a $10 Baker Book House gift card.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 17 2025

I couldn’t resist Tracey’s suggestion this week so here we are talking about our favourite fictional couples. Easy peasy topic, right? Uh….not really. Not when you take into consideration that you have to pick fave hero/heroine combos which mean you have to…gasp…choose! And in order to do that you have to browse your bookshelves which leads to scanning all the toe-curling bits which just makes the decision-making even harder (though highly enjoyable!) and all that eats up your day (when you should have been working in the garden!)

Phew! So, let’s set our minds on romance. Epic love stories. Swoonworthy courtships. Toe-curling kisses. Fainting Couch level bookish delights. The kind of heroes and heroines who promise happily ever afters forever in your mind.

I’ll start….but oy, I could go on all day! It’s gutting me trying to pick just a few to start off the conversation but here we go (though please understand that I have been unduly traumatized by the whole selection process. Bwahahaha!)

Oh — and I just picked out excerpts from my reviews of these books to explain why I love these heroes and heroines so much because, honestly, my brain has been fried from re-reading so many heart palpitating scenes all day long that I can’t come up with an original though at the moment. 🙂

Romantically Swoonworthy Fictional Couples

(by no means is this a comprehensive list!!!!!!)

Ara and Phillip from On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White – “Eeep! Squeal! Eeeepquealll!!! I have permanent creases on my face from all the nose-dive swooning onto my fainting couch. Phillip Camden is not a monster, y’all! Tortured soul? Yes. A bit sullen and brooding? Definitely. Running from God? You bet. But none of that makes him a monster and Ara knows that right from the start…and, of course, so did I. 🙂 Hence all the swooning.”

Amanda and Peter from Amanda by Sarah Monzon – “Peter is high up on my favourite heroes ever pedestal — might have bounced some of ’em right off the platform on his way up. This hero is the definition of integrity and honour. And grit and determination. Anchored in his faith and steadfast in living it out in his life. And when he sets his sights on Amanda…

Whimper, my fainting couch has scorch marks and I don’t even care! Squeallll…reunion romance alert! They both haven’t stopped loving each other but there’s all kinds of emotional junk in the way. The undercurrents sent my tummy into loop-de-loops. I was on the very romantical edge all the way to the end.

And sassy, smart-mouthed Amanda puts on a great front to the world, but the closer Peter gets, the more her facade cracks. Honestly, sometimes she went too far and I cringed a couple of times over what she said but Peter doesn’t let her get away with anything. He calls her on it and forces her to reassess. Pries the vulnerability right out of her while she’s kicking and screaming all the way.”

Adam and Persephone from Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden – “Fainting couches, lace fans and smelling salts are definitely necessary accoutrements for this reading journey. Stock up and be prepared to be charmed by witty banter and the social graces of the day…well, maybe not so much when it comes to the Duke who has a somewhat beastly persona. In fact, I would actually classify this as a fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Disfigured in boyhood, Adam hides his heart behind a thick armor of indifference. He doesn’t need anyone. Especially a bride. So, though he begrudgingly accepts Persephone into his home, he bars her from his life. Or tries to. Persephone can be quite a force when necessary — the perils of being the eldest sibling of a motherless brood. Love how this beauty’s gentle spirit proves stronger than her Beast’s gruff stoicism!”

Holiday and Emmett from The Trouble With Love by Toni Shiloh – “One of the absolute delights of this novel is the witty banter between Holiday and Emmett. It’s fast a furious and full of teasing (Emmett) and snark (Holiday). My, but that girl can hold a grudge and she’s been nursing this one against Emmett since she was fourteen. Loved the crackling energy ziinging between these two every time they are together. My fingertips got singed from all that latent longing. :-)”

Ben and Marci from Pelican Point by Irene Hannon – “The romance is slow and steady and fraught with trepidation. I mean, I knew something was going to happen…but not that! Hannon kept me rabidly turning pages, alternately giggling and swooning and even edge-of-my-seating in places. Love how this once-bitten-twice-shy hero and heroine start to cautiously move towards romance. Reluctant describes them both but so does crazy-attracted-to-each-other. Such a dilemma! Be prepared for some fireworks and lots of sizzle right from the very first time they meet.”

Charlie and Ella from The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof – “There’s an exquisite Beauty and the Beast quality to their love story. Charlie is seriously swoonworthy. Tough and determined. Gentle and kind. Passionate. Committed. Loyal. Fierce. And oh so tender! His faith is his anchor, his desire to share the power of God’s grace touched me in ways no other hero has. He has a servant’s heart and his powerful example of sacrificial love is mind-blowing. Sigh. There’s just something about Charlie. If I was into making lists and composed a Best Hero Ever in the History of the World one Charlie would be right at the top.

Caspar and Scarlett from The Captain and Miss Winter by Sally Britoon – “A hero with a troubled past set on putting things to rights. A wronged heroine doomed to be an outcast the rest of her life. The hope that tragedy might be overcome and a happily ever after possible. My heart is flip-flopping just thinking about it. And, oh, the dialogue, the shy glances, the yearning to fan the fires of that sweet spark of attraction…BUT…Scarlett has secrets, Caspar is on a quest and there’s danger lurking in the woods! Squeal! Eep! Squueeeepppp!!!!”

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

Now it’s your turn. Do you have a favourite fictional couple you like to swoon over? Share in a comment below and you’ll be entered in a giveaway from a $10.00 Baker Book House gift card.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 10 2025.

So excited to get back to chatting with you today! And about a subject that’s been on my mind for quite awhile now. Mostly because I’ve been in a never-ending shelf organizing state of bookish distress as I try to make just one more book fit. 🙂

Of course, that means I have to pull everything off the shelves for a ‘quick’ dusting which leads me to nostalgically reacquainting myself with old friends. Which in turn has me pondering what happened to these authors. Did they actually stop writing or am I missing a decade’s worth of wonderful novels? That thought is as anxiety inducing as finally finishing a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle only to find one key piece missing.

So, I thought I’d share some of these much loved authors and see if you might have more information or new leads for me to check out. And, in turn, feel free to share the name of one or two or however many authors you’ve lost tract of and maybe we can collectively offer hope and direction. Because, surely not all of these authors have stopped writing!

Participate n the conversation in the comments to be entered in a giveaway for a $10 Baker Book House gift card. More details about that at the end of the post.

Exquisite prose. Stories with depth as characters struggle with moral dilemmas. Intriguing historical settings. And, oh my, the incredible cover artwork! I can still feel the bookish euphoria I felt reading Rosslyn Elliot’s books!

Toe-curling redemptive stories full of drama and so much heart! The Everstone Chronicles is an amazing series exploring the struggles and triumphs of four siblings. Heart-in-throat at times and there’s some shredding of sensitive reader’s heart tissue but there’s always a hard won happily ever after to rejoice in by the end.

Contemporary perfection. The kind of stories you feel your way through. Emotional sucker punches with a side of cowboy — can it get any better than that?

I adore all the historical fiction I’ve read by Siri Mitchell but, if I had to pick a favourite it might be Like a Flower in Bloom. Hilariously funny in places, the dynamics between the hero and heroine are priceless. But I also loved the author’s contemporary romance, The Cubicle Next Door. Again, comedic brilliance with a touch of poignancy. I need to read both of these novels again….soon!

Brilliant Regency with Gothic tendencies and strong faith elements. The Ravensmoore Chronicles books are amazing…and yet they seem to be the only books Jillian Kent has written!

The Natchez Trace series — mercy! -a reader’s heart can only take so many O’Shea brothers before self-combustion becomes a real threat. Swoonworthy Irish heroes making their way in a new world. And Stealing Jake is divine too. Different time, different setting but pure romance along with some intriguing suspense. I need to reread these books too!

Suspense with a hint of magical realism…or maybe subtle supernatural elements? Riveting and unexpected. Sometimes I’d be like — ‘Wait…what is happening here?” — but I was always transfixed.

Vivid descriptions. Larger than life ex-privateer hero. Baking-diva heroine with a backbone of steel. Their worlds collide and fictional perfection is made!

Richly layered storytelling, Melby has mastered the art of the slow reveal. Deep characterization and faith threads. This series was my introduction to Christian Fiction dual timeline – way before it became so popular.

So, how about you? Have you read any of these authors? Do you have your own ‘Missing’ list? Mention some names and maybe we’ll have some insights to share.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Contribute to the conversation in the comments and you’ll be entered in a draw for a $10 Baker Book House gift card.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 3 2025

It’s time for me to pick your brains once again. Did you all know that you are my go to sources for bookish news and content? And I so appreciate your enthusiastic input.

In my never ending quest to expand diversity in my reading, I’m eager to find more books featuring characters who are dealing with physical or mental health challenges. I’ve done some brainstorming and have come up with a list of novels I’ve read featuring physical / mental challenges like: mobility issues, chronic pain/conditions, neurodiversity, deafness/hard of hearing and mental health issues like anxiety, depression, PTSD, alcoholism etc.

As someone who has lived with a chronic pain disability for more than a decade now, I so appreciate finding diverse representation in my fiction. Mostly, I just stumble upon it – always a delightful surprise – but I’d like to be more intentional this year. Problem is, I have no idea how to go about it. So…ta da!… here I am hoping to benefit from your collective reading histories and bookish expertise.

First, I’ll share the results of my brainstorming session (and as I write this, other titles keep popping into my mind!) and then I’m turning today’s conversation over to you . Share your reading experiences with Physical and Mental Health representation in your fiction — books you’ve read or books you’ve heard about BUT Christian Fiction or Clean Reads only please. Participants will have their name entered into a draw for a $10 Baker Book House gift card.

The first author who came to mind when I thought about this topic was Sarah Monzon. She has done an amazing job of giving voice to a variety of challenging conditions and I so appreciate the way she handles them with grace and compassion while showing that everyone is worthy of love. 🙂

Here’s the result of my brainstorming earlier today by topic. It’s by no mean a comprehensive list, but it’s a start!

Now it’s your turn. Let the conversation begin! Leave a comment below to be entered into the draw for a $10 Baker Book House gift card.

Draw will be held in and winner announced on Saturday April 12 2025.

Have you heard of Amish in April? It’s a readathon created by book tuber Lizzie Faye Loves Books and cohosted by The Bookish Knitter. The focus of the readathon is exactly what the title indicates – reading Amish Fiction in April.

Preparing my TBR for the readathon got me thinking about the this genre and the changes I’ve noticed over the last few years. Like there seems to be fewer Amish books releasing within the Christian Fiction umbrella but rather publishing with general market companies like Kensington.

Now this might be controversial but it feels like some of the new authors/publishers jumped into the genre at the height of its popularity to cash in on the sales. I kept finding huge irregularities in the Amish culture and faith in these books. One actually featured an Old Order Amish heroine helping with wedding preparations – deciding what flowers to pick for the bouquet, who would hold the rings during the service, the frustrations of trying to find bridesmaid dresses to flatter every figure…um, if you read Amish fiction you get what’s wrong here.

And don’t get me started on the ‘spicy’ Amish Romances that I’ve occasionally run across at my public library. Nothing’s quite as shocking as bringing home what you think is going to be a sweet Amish romance only to discover…well, it’s not.

You might have noticed that I didn’t dedicate a specific day for Amish Fiction this past Reader’s Choice Week. Mostly because I wanted to fit all of RC into one week but also because I feel like Amish Fiction just isn’t as popular as it used to be with comparatively fewer books releasing in this genre. I did find some promising titles though, so I thought I’d share them here ( in case your TBRs aren’t padded enough after last week.)

The book that really intrigues me is Amy Lillard’s The Secrets We Keep – an Amish adjacent mystery. The hero is a former Amish police detective and the Amish heroine was once his sweetheart. Have no idea how the romance will be resolved…or even if it is…but the mystery sounds really intriguing. And Amazon has it tagged as Science Fiction Crime & Mystery. Whhhhhhaaaaaattttttt??????? It’s published by Crooked Lane Books which publishes a lot of the cozy mysteries I read.

So, how about you? Are you an Amish Fiction reader? If not, were you ever? If so, what made you fall out of love with the genre? And if you’re a diehard fan – who are some of your favourite authors?

This week’s conversation will be short and sweet since I’m going into pre-Reader’s Choice Week frenzy mode 🙂 Plus, today is my church’s General Meeting so church is going to be loooonnnng. Service first then a potluck lunch, then the GM, then kitchen clean up.

I was thinking about the sources I use to find out about books — specifically upcoming books and new-to-me authors, particularly Indies. I’ve shared about Closed Door Romance on instagram which has been such a wealth of information for me. And about the Christian Faith and Fiction YouTube channel and blog. Lou has just released a very comprehensive list of April releases which is pertinent to this weeks festivities. Here’s the link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOQEvwDG5xw

or, if you would just like to read the list from her blog: https://louallenwriter.wordpress.com/2025/03/20/new-christian-fiction-books-releasing-in-april-2025/

Australian author Narelle Atkins has started a YouTube channel /podcast. She reviews one book each week – on Thursdays. Love her reviews, they are comprehensive and thoughtful and full of interesting insights without spoilers. They are short and sweet — no more than 15 minutes. Here’s the link (and don’t be shy about subscribing to boost her new channel) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPpDvzKb9No.

Narelle also has a blog and every Friday she features a Preorder Roundup with a list of soon to be releases and includes a lot of indie books. Here’s the link to the most recent one: https://www.narelleatkins.com/narelles-preorder-roundup-3-14-25/?utm_source=sendfox&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=narelle-atkins-march-newsletter

So, I thought it would be fun and ever so helpful if you could share any great book sources that you routinely check to keep up to date with all that’s going on in our corner of the Book World. Don’t try to post a link — WP comments won’t like it, but do give us enough information that we can find it in a google search.

Here’s to another productive Reader’s Choice Week!