Basking in Literature

This weekend I had a truly phenomenal experience. My eleven-year-old son just read Holes in his advanced English class. He told me that he really wanted to watch the movie together. Being the good Mommy that I am, I said, "Sure, honey." The truth was, I remembered this movie from when my older children were his age. At the time, it hadn't caught my interest. It seemed kind of depressing. A bunch of kids forced to dig holes in the hot desert with poison lizards. Not really my thing. So I was surprised when I studied for my Middle School English Praxis exam this summer to learn that Holes, published in 1998, is now recommended young adult literature for school English curriculum.

As it turned out, Holes is a complex, deep, and thought-provoking story. It actually has three separate but related plot lines set in three different times and places that all tie together gorgeously by the end. The writer used so much circularity and continuity to demonstrate the hand of destiny at work that I was completely blown away. And he tossed in delightful, well-crafted touches throughout.

Even better, though, was enjoying this literary marvel through my child's eyes. As we watched the movie, he often paused to give me back story or explain the the plot or tell me about the historical significance of things going on in the story. I could tell how excellent his English teacher is and that my son's mind had been completely engaged in comprehending and critiquing the book on many different levels. He understood the historical significance, the sociological significance, the literary structure, the symbols, and more. He grew through the relationships in the story and his own relationship with the characters. Most importantly, he learned to understand and appreciate literature to a degree he never had before. I sat there thrilled as I watched him basking in the literature. In the pure unadulterated power of story.

Maybe that's why I'm so excited about writing for teens. Teens don't just want fluffy, entertainment reading. They read to learn about the world, to discover new experiences, and to be challenged. They don't mind complex plots or complicated vocabulary. They are willing to engage a tough story and come away changed. For them, literature is one of the many means by which they mature and grow into an adult understanding of the world. They are excited about this, and I'm excited for them!

When is the last time you completely basked in literature? What sort of stories cause you true delight?

The Opposite of Art - Athol Dickson

This book went on my must read list when Athol started talking about it on Novel Rocket. He predicted although probably his best book, it would also be his biggest commercial flop. Why? Well, in addition to being very “edgy” for the CBA market, in other words realistic, it’s also his most literary book.

So of course I had to have it. The very next amazon gift card I received immediately went towards purchasing this book. I mean, even if I hadn’t known much about it, the name and cover themselves would have been enough to intrigue me.

And the contents did not disappoint. I can’t say this is one of those books that kept me riveted, and I didn’t put down. In fact the opposite is true. I found that again and again I had to pause for upwards to a day to digest and reflect upon what I had read. But I will say this, it’s going on my top five all-time favorite novels list. If forced to pick a spot at this very moment, I’d probably put it at number two, but it’s a little early to make that final decision.

Why did I love it? First of all, the main character is a brilliant artist. After a near death experience, he’s determined to paint “the glory” as he calls it. But he can’t quite remember it. He can’t quite grasp it. So he begins a worldwide quest through the major religions of our time in search of it.

Will everyone love this book as much as I do? Maybe, maybe not. If you’re looking for fluff, don’t even bother. But if you love a book that will challenge you and make you grow, then dash immediately over to amazon and buy it, because it’s right up there with the best of the best. It’s not the fastest paced book, although there is ample romance and suspense to keep you interested and provide entertainment value. The structure is sort of odd, and yet it serves the story. At times, it delves into the realms of magical realism in a beautiful and symbolic way that brings to life the wonders of the spiritual world.

In his quest through the world’s religions, Athol uses a delicate hand both in showing the beauty that does exist and the areas where they fall short. Although he never clearly states, “Jesus is the way,” I believe he showed that with gorgeous symbolism that lived up to the theme of the book. For him to have pinned it down and become didactic, would have undermined this book as a great piece of literature. And Lord knows we have few enough of those in Christian fiction.

I simply loved every moment of this novel. But I think what I loved the most was the quest for the ultimate beauty. God is the quintessential beauty. He is beauty personified. Too often I think we overlook that in Christianity. We focus on laws and rules and theologies and forget about the unparalleled bliss of a relationship with the divine. There are two new books that came out in 2011 called Beauty Will Save the World. And I think it’s true. This generation will not be drawn to God through ration and reason, but rather through beauty and love. Please join me for my next post when I will delve further into this topic.

Amazing New Finds in Fiction!!!!

Lately I've been discovering more and more Christian fiction writers of a high literary quality. You've probably heard me go on and on about Lisa Samson and Roseanna White already. Now let me add to that list Tosca Lee, Patti Lacy, and Laura Frantz. Allow me to share a few thoughts on some of their new books.

Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White

Having read Roseanna's first novel, I knew to expect beautiful writing, heart-stopping romance, amazing characters, exquisite insight into history and human psychology, and even interesting philosophical conversations. However, this book came with an unexpected bonus in the form of a spiritual warfare thread reminiscent of Frank Peretti. And the author tied it in seamlessly with actual historical facts from the Greek accounts of their war with Persia. You may think you've read the Esther story, but never like this. It is told from the perspective of Kasia, one of Xerxes many wives and childhood friend of Esther. The glimpse into the struggle of being one wife of many is unique enough, but Kasia is also Xerxes's true love. She is torn between her very real feelings for the hunky king and her heart-ache over his often capricious actions, allowing the author to weave themes of love, forgiveness, and serving God that you won't soon forget. This book has everything. It's on my favorite list already.

Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy

This incredible book will touch your heart. I confess that I struggled with the dense language and shadowy secrets in the beginning. However, due to the lovely musical quality and important themes of racism and legalism, I pressed on. I'm so glad I did. This book gets better and better with each turn of the page. The ending is one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of readng. It weaves an incredible portrait of grace with unexpected twists and turns. Beautifully paced, insightful, deep, and spiritual. You don't want to miss this book.

Havah: The Story of Eve by Tosca Lee
I'm still processing this book. It affected me on a very deep level. The writing style was simply to die for. Much of the novel reads like a gorgeous prose poem. The juxtaposition of explosive joy and unutterable sadness was almost more than my heart could bear. I never dreamed of reading a CBA book with such earthy sensuality. It ministered to my spirit something radical in the realm of sexual politics and the male/female relationship that my subconscious is still working out. All I know for sure is that this book changed my life.

Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz

I'm still reading this one, but I've heard so many great things about Laura Frantz. Here's what I've loved so far. Both the writing craft and the artistry of the book are impeccable. And while it is incredibly romantic, it doesn't follow some of the annoying rules of genre romance. We don't even meet the hero for quite a while. There are no overblown "motives" or "goals" driving the book. It's simply the story of a young woman who longs for love, family, security, and meaning like each one of us. And I adore that Laura has a half-breed Indian in a lead role in the story. This is supposed to be a no no in Christian fiction, yet there it is. I've avoided setting a historical in American because this is exactly the sort of plot that appeals to me: slaves, Indians, injustice, complicated relationships and emotions. And I've been told they wouldn't sell. Thanks, Laura, for proving otherwise.

Fiction that Cuts Deep

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A few weeks ago one of my writing buddies made a shocking confession. “I want to write fiction that hurts people,” she said. “I just realized this about myself. Ultimately, I want it to get in there and break open wounds and clean them out so they can heal, but I think I also want to hurt people in the process. That's a problem.”

Yes, that is a problem. Just try selling that book. We do want our fiction to cut deep, but in a targeted sort of way. We need to use anesthesia (i.e. entertainment value), precise surgical tools (i.e. excellent writing technique), and don’t forget the pain meds (i.e. positive spiritual takeaway.)

The point can’t be to wound. The point must be to heal.

That being said, I crave fiction that cuts deep. I just finished Embrace Me by Lisa Samson. The book shattered me in the best sort of way. Yes, it hurt, and I loved it. No, I’m not a masochist, quite the opposite. But, I adore a book that gets in there and does surgery in my heart. That changes me and helps me grow. Here’s the blurb for Embrace Me:

When a "lizard woman," a self-mutilating preacher, a tattoed monk, and a sleazy lobbyist find themselves in the same North Carolina town one winter, their lives are edging precariously close to disaster . . . and improbably close to grace.

How could a book like that fail to touch you? It is described on amazon.com as, “Biting and gentle, hard-edged and hopeful . . . a beautiful fable of love and power, hiding and seeking, woundedness and redemption.” Lisa Samson is “An Artisan of Hope,” and in my opinion, a writer of the highest caliber. Dare I say, a literary author?

Lately I’ve been trying to figure out exactly what “literary fiction” is. Some say it excels in artistry and use of literary devices. Some say it focuses on character and theme more than plot. Some say it seeks to enrich more than entertain. On the other hand, some say it asks questions without answering them, or it’s depressing, or worst of all, that it’s written by pretentious snobs who think they’re too good for popular fiction. Given such a vast array of definitions, here’s my take.

Literary fiction: a rather useless term used by some as a compliment and others as an insult.

I’ve been called…or accused of being …a literary writer. And that’s not surprising since I’ve taught literature. I do give attention artistry and literary devices. I do tend to focus on theme more than plot and enriching more than entertaining. But most importantly, I want to write stories that change lives.

Call them whatever you want.

Fiction that cuts deep and changes lives can come in all sorts of packages. Readers have come to expect it in literary writing and angsty women’s fiction. But I’ve also found it in the romance novels of Ruth Axtel Morren. I’ve found it in the demented thrillers of Steven James, and the hysterical chick lit of Siri Mitchell.

Changing lives is what truly matters. Add in some artistic elements, as the above authors most certainly do, and you might just get the compliment…or insult…of being called a literary author. I’m not going to concern myself with the label anymore.

Ideally, quality Christian fiction should both entertain and enrich. That’s my goal. I want my writing to attract readers interest and then seep down in their hearts to change them in some small...or big...way. Most importantly, I want my writing to advance God’s kingdom on earth.

What is your definition for quality fiction? What do you look for in a novel? What does it take for a book to truly move you?

 

A Million Miles...

Donald Miller’s famous Blue Like Jazz hit the New York Times Best Seller List in 2006. However, I enjoyed A Million Miles in a Thousand Years even more. It opens with an interesting premise, as two hotshot Hollywood moviemakers decide to make a film about Miller’s life and begin “editing” his real experiences into a better “story” that will create the proper tension and excitement to appeal to their audience.

Of course, this forces Miller to wonder if he shouldn’t be living a better story on his own. Using the techniques of narrative structure, Miller takes a hard look at his life, past, present, and future, and decides it is time to begin living a story that will matter and make a difference. Through the pages of the book, he contacts his father for the first time, he bikes across country, he starts a nonprofit organization, and he finally goes after the girl.

In chapters such as “The Elements of a Meaningful Life,” “Imperfect is Perfect,” “A Character Is What He Does,” and “An Inciting Incident” Miller allows us to join in his quest towards creating a better existence. His experiences challenge the reader to not only face, but to invite obstacles and struggles into their lives as a source of transformation. He encourages them to take the time to create memorable scenes and to see the beauty in tragedy. The parallels in this book hit home and encouraged the reader to want to live a better story as well, while keeping in mind that in real life, our stories don’t resolve here on earth.

As usual, this book of Miller’s draws from his actual experiences and reflections, tying them together with truths that are both spiritual and yet incredibly practical. His style is engaging and personal. He provides many poetic moments along with plenty of humor. I highly recommend this book.

Literary Trends

Today, I’d like to take a look at the present state of literature. Many of us finished school 20, 40, perhaps even 60 years ago. Chances are you have no idea what precisely the current literary trends are. This creates a problem for writers who decide to pen their first novel decades after completing their educations. But whether you are a writer or a reader, it’s always good to keep learning and growing and to be aware of the world around you.

Let’s look at a few hallmarks of contemporary literature.

Experimental – The current postmodern worldview rejects the concept of absolute truth. Therefore, people of this generation are always searching to create meaning. They reject the authorities of the past and look for new structures and models for viewing the world. This can be seen in literature in a number of areas such as nonlinear plots, stream of consciousness writing, deconstructionist criticism, experimentation with grammar, loss of dialogue tags, plots that do not resolve, ect… While Christians maintain that the word of God is absolute truth, that does not mean that we necessarily accept the Webster’s Dictionary, the Oxford standards of grammar and punctuation, or a specific five point plot structure as absolute truth.

An example of experimental literary fiction can be seen in one of this year’s Christy Award winners, The Passion of Mary-Margaret. This book is written as if you are reading Mary Margaret’s personal journal. It is a sort of fictional memoir. She jumps back and forth in time between the present and random moments in her past. She has rambling reflective segments of “telling” that normally are not allowed in fiction. However, the whole book works together to create a very moving and meaningful work of art.

Mixed Genres – As a natural result of this experimentation, mixed genre writing has increased in popularity. For example, National Public Radio employs “literary journalism,” which removes the cold objectivity of standard journalism and allows us to enter an experience with the journalist using fictional techniques and poetic language. In the Christian arena, several books which have hit the New York Times best-seller list have been mixed genre books. Blue Like Jazz is a poetic memoir full of personal stories, which includes a series of comics. The Shack is a sort of fictional memoir which combines suspense and allegory.

I wrote my first narrative nonfiction book last year. It is basically a series of thematic lyric essays. The idea of the lyric essay is that it explores a theme in a somewhat poetic, disjointed, scene by scene fashion, braiding or weaving all of the ideas together, and tying them up tight at the end. So I was able to include poetry, personal stories, short stories, essays, devotionals, and scriptures, weaving them all together into a unified collection.

Distrust of Authoritative Voice – Since the postmodern reader rejects traditional authority and absolute truth, they tend to distrust an authoritative voice as well. In nonfiction, because we no longer believe that true objectivity is possible, this leads to books full of anecdotes and personal example stories to illustrate the logical points. In historical books and biographies, this leads to the author treating themselves as a character as they search for meaning in the various accounts of history. In fiction, the omniscient narrator has fallen out of favor. The most popular point of view is now multiple third person. This allows us to see the world up close and personal from a number of perspectives and lets us to draw our own meaning from the experiences of the characters.

In my newest novel, I feature three main characters from very different backgrounds: a Christian, a Muslim, and a New Age postmodern thinker. By using multiple points of view, the reader can see how each character reacts to the world and to each other. The reader gets an in-depth look at each mindset without being told what to believe. Since this is a Christian book, I did place my Christian character as the primary protagonist, and one of the other characters will undergo a significant change. However, my Christian will also learn and grow from the views of the other two women.

Multi-sensory – Now we get to the aspects of contemporary literature affected by both postmodern philosophy and our film and television oriented culture. We need a lot of sensory stimulation in our books to compete with visual media. So more than ever our words have to draw our reader into the story, bringing them all the way into the heads and bodies of our point of view characters so that they can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell what our characters are experiencing. However, you can still see the effect of postmodernism, because we want to have a relationship with a character and draw meaning from their experiences rather than just have those experiences reported to us.

Even in schools, children are being taught in a multi-media fashion. My children now have something called “Promethean Boards,” which are basically giant touch screen computers, in each of their classes. This takes the place of the chalkboard, overhead projector, and movie projector all at once. This shift in our culture is going to continue to change our thinking and learning styles. Sheer left-brained logic is no longer the rule of the day, which is why intuition, experience, relationship, and image have become so important to our younger generation.

Use of Scenes – The last area I would like to cover is the use of scenes. Of course this relates to television and film and our attention deficit culture. We’ve become used to scenes set in one time and place. A quick switch of the camera, and we accept that we’re in a new time and place, which is the next significant time and place in the storyline. We don’t need an explanation about how we got there or what happened in the interim. We don’t question if the writers and directors have left out some significant information that we need to know. But again, this also relates to the postmodern mindset because we want to draw our own conclusions and don’t want everything explained to us from an authoritative point of view.

The way this plays out in both fiction and nonfiction is that we can now give a brief scene or a segment, leave a space or insert a “***,” and the reader accepts that we are in a new place or on to the next subject or story without much explanation. Readers no longer desire superfluous transition. Just get to the point. Stick with what matters and move the story along. In nonfiction, this often minimizes the authoritative commentary. Instead, the author lets the reader take in the information and waits until the end of the chapter to wrap things up. At that point the author can offer their own conclusions, but in a personal way that says, “These are the conclusions that I have drawn,” leaving space for the reader to draw their own.

In trying to be brief for this blog post, I probably broke a lot of the rules of postmodern literature by explaining the subject in an authoritative voice ;) So what are your experiences with contemporary reading and writing? What trends have you seen? How do you notice our culture affecting today’s literature and media?

Swept Away by Mary-Margaret's Passion

A few months ago I posted about the type of book that moves me. The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson not only moved me, it completely swept me away. I don't even know where to start. I'm still speechless. This book was artistic, spiritual, poetic, and deep with resounding psychological elements. All the qualities I love. The looping saga covered from 1930 to the early 2000s in the life of a scarred young orphan girl who longed to be a nun, yet was willing to submit herself to God's plans, wherever they might take her. And oh the places they took her! To the dregs of humanity, to the far reaches of Africa, and to the hidden places of the heart. I have no doubt that this book will stay with me and forever change the way I view the world.

I don't even want to spend this post reviewing the book. Suffice to say out of five stars, I give it a ten. No, what I'd like to talk about today, is how this book affected my life. First of all, it served as a clear spiritual wake up call. As a young women, I had a very merciful heart, concerned with social justice, outreach, and missionary work. Orphans, homeless, AIDS patients, prisoners. I took very seriously Jesus's instruction that "what you've done for the least of these, you've done for me."

But years of mothering small children, supporting my husband's calling, and participating in local church  ministry have forced me to focus on more immediate concerns. I'm not going to feel guilty over this, because my theory is you can do it all, just not all at once. On the other hand, this book served as an exquisite reminder of this avenue of ministry, and I will be looking for ways to become more involved in the near future. I now find myself at a stage in life in which my children and I can minister side by side, and I look forward to doing so and guiding them in this manner.

Thank you, Mary-Margaret, for encouraging me in this way. Yes, I'm talking to a fictional character. Read the book, and I promise you'll think of her as a real person too. Besides, Mary-Margaret is by no means opposed to conversing with others of questionable reality.

The next thank you goes more appropriately to the author, Lisa Samson. This book helped me in my own quest to refine my calling and direction as a writer. Since the new year, I've been struggling with this question, "Can I write romance novels?" I've had some encouragement to try this route since it's a solid market and a good starting place for new authors. I didn't want to be prideful (surely Sister Mary-Margaret would not approve) and say that I'm somehow too good or too educated or too literary to write romance novels. I have great respect for romance novelists. So I gave the romance genre a fair try for a few months.

But reading this book on the heels of several romances, the difference really hit home. This is the sort of book that feeds my soul. The sort of book that challenges and provokes. That looks at both the most astounding beauty and the most disturbing ugliness in life. That makes you uncomfortable and forces you to a deeper understanding of God and self.  This is the sort of book I love to read, and this is the sort of book I long to write. Romance novels hold their own special niche and offer much enjoyment and encouragement, but God did not design me as a romance novelist. Romance readers like to know where the book is going. By the end of chapter one, they want to know who the hero is. They want their guarantee of a happily ever after. They read to escape and enjoy. Pretty much the opposite of me, I would say.

Romance novelists love the craft of writing. Give them a set of standards and conventions. A set of directions, rules even, and they can add their own flair and come up with something new and exciting. But I'm not a follow the rules kind of gal. Don't give me a table full of art supplies and then force me to follow a set of directions. I'll feel stifled. Sad even. Give me the supplies and just say, "make art." This is what Lisa Samson did in The Passion of Mary Margaret. She followed her own instincts and wrote a phenomenal work of art. I can only pray that someday I can write something close to this amazing. But one thing I know. I'm not a paint by the numbers kind of gal. I owe Lisa Samson much thanks for reminding me of that fact.

In addition, this book gave me ideas for improving my own current historical manuscript. Which, by the way did I mention, has a main character who longs to be a nun, but God has other plans. Little wonder this book was like food to my soul, leaving me inspired spiritually, emotionally, and artistically. I can only hope and dream that someday someone will say the same of my writing.

A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White

A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White is a novel of epic proportions that blew me away. It beautifully wove together rich history, complex characters, deep spiritual content, romance, and a mesmerizing story all in an edgy and artistic package. This book is reminiscent of the highly acclaimed Mark of the Lion trilogy by Francine Rivers, yet takes its own unique twists and turns through the Roman Empire and the lives of the early Christians.

Abigail is a dangerously beautiful Hebrew slave girl living in the days of Jesus and the early church. However, she is no typical slave. She is raised and educated as a daughter of the Visibullis house, until the son Jason, a Roman centurion returns home to Jerusalem. Jason has been lured into the sinful lifestyle of the Romans and sees Abigail as a possession to be taken at will.

The story quickly enters deep waters when Abigail struggles through the emotional turmoil of being forced into the bed of the young, handsome, and charming Jason Visibillus. She is torn between guilt, resentment, and her own very natural desires for this man who grows to love her. And this is only the beginning of the tale. Abigail will continue on through many trials, heartaches, journeys, and even a personal encounter with the crucifixion.

This story delves deep into sin and the psychological consequences it creates. The author does not shy away from the dark realities of life. Instead she juxtaposes this darkness with the light of Jesus and the power of His shed blood in a way that is almost palpable and that touched me to the core.

I loved the way author contrasted Greek and Roman philosophy and mythology with Hebrew theology. It has been a long time since I have found a novel this mentally stimulating.

While this is far from the standard genre romance, fans of romantic fiction will enjoy this book for its elaborate look at love in all its many and complicated facets. This story provides plenty of passion and the happily-ever-after romance readers desire.

A Stray Drop of Blood is an excellent example of the benefits of small press publishing. Roseanna was able to break many of the “rules” confining CBA fiction and create something unique, powerful, and memorable. In addition, this book is much longer than the standard CBA historical novel, allowing it the epic scope I so appreciated.

I could go on all day about the elements of this book that I adored. Suffice to say that I give it my highest possible recommendation. This is a story that will stay with me for many years to come.

What do you think about typical Christian books? Would you prefer to read edgier and more artistic Christian fiction?

Memorable Books of 2009

I thought about doing the 2009 Dina Book Awards, but my list of rules to qualify was pretty ludicrous. So instead, I'll just spend a few minutes talking about some of the most memorable works I read this year and why they stand out to me. Keep in mind that I've probably read more books this year than I ever have in my life. I would say about 50. The ones that made the cut deserve high praise.

Arena by Karen Hancock is a major stand out novel to me. This science fiction allegory was full of action, adventure, exotic creatures, and even romance. More importantly, though, I learned so much by watching the Christian journey played out in the fantasy world of the Arena. This book pops back into my mind regularly as I ponder spiritual matters. I noticed in some reviews that non-Christian readers found this book to be too heavy handed in its symbolism, but if you understand it is an allegory and know before hand what to expect, I think you will love this book as much as I did.

A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White is also way up there on my list of memorable books. I say that with the caveat that I recently finished it, which makes it hard to evaluate the "memorable" factor. However, it was so rich and deep that I imagine it living on in my mind for years. This Biblical fiction takes place in the days of Jesus and the crucifixion. Seeing the timeless story through the eyes of a wounded slave girl gave me new insight and understanding into the power of the blood of our savior. The novel also had much to offer in understanding love, forgiveness, and the complexity of relationships. The history was amazing. I felt like I was living in and traveling through the Roman Empire alongside Abigail. I really got into the mind of these Roman characters, steeped in the mythology and philosophy of their time. What an amazing world to visit. You definitely need to plan a trip there soon, and A Stray Drop of Blood is the perfect ticket at the bargain price of about $10.

Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen comes to mind next. I loved this Regency period piece, but more than that I loved what it revealed about that time in history. The book opens with a vicar's daughter packing her bags to leave for a home for unwed mothers. This brought new life to the time period for me. Rather than just reading like the typical Regency parlor romance, this book looked at all aspects of that time period: rich, poor, urban, rural, pious, and sinful. I was especially fascinated by the wet nurses and other medical and childbirth aspects of the book. The romance in the novel is unpredictable and kept me interested and reading. Personally, I get tired of romances where you know who the heroine will marry by the end of chapter one. This also gets my vote for most the most artistic and literary novel I read this year. As someone with a strong literature background, I have great appreciation for musical language, symbolism, and creativity. This book is just beautifully written and a true joy to experience. It would be a great novel to recommend to non-Christians because the quality of the writing is unquestionable.

Unspoken by Angela Hunt stands out to me because of a very unique and unforgettable character: Sema the signing gorilla. I had so much fun meeting Sema. I felt like I knew her in depth, and she became a close friend. Her ability to sign gave interesting glimpes into her mind and intelligence. She made jokes and connections I would never have expected. She would tease people and call them "stinky nuts," her own verbal invention. Anything she didn't like was given the adjective of "cat" because she hated cats. For example, she called olives "cat grapes". And...she becomes the voice of God to her atheist trainer. How cool is that??? If I were to give a character of the year award, it would definitely go to Sema. Angela Hunt awes me with her crazy story ideas. Where does she come up with this stuff? I would love to spend a day in her head. But warning to anyone who reads this book. Sema is a Christ figure in Unspoken. You know what that means, right. Be prepared and have the tissues handy.

Love's Pursuit by Siri Mitchell is another book that will stay in my mind because of the incredible journey back in time. This one took me to the world of the Puritans, a society I "love to hate." Siri did not disappoint in following up on the repressive and harmful nature of this society explored by literary greats like Nathaniel Hawthorne. Siri also used a Christ figure in her book. Evidently, I'm a sucker for this motif. Hers is perhaps even more powerful because it comes earlier in the story, and there is more time to recover from the tragedy and see how the end results play out for the remaining characters. This book also stood out because of a unique minor character, an abuse victim ignored within this society named "Small-hope". Siri employed a multiple first person point of view to allow us a glimpse into the mind of this fragile woman. I also learned an invaluable lesson about the depth of God's grace through Love's Pursuit. This literary style historical wasn't an easy book to read, but it was well worth it.

Hazardous Duty by Christy Barritt would also make my list. It comes from the opposite side of the spectrum. It is a light-hearted contemporary mystery. Imagine chick-lit meets Nancy Drew. It stuck with me for a few reasons. One, it was really funny and full of zany characters. I found myself laughing and smiling throughout it, despite the grisly nature of the heroine's profession as a crime scene cleaner. I also really enjoyed that it was set in my home area of Virginia Beach and Norfolk. This is the first novel I've read that I could literally picture all the streets and neighborhoods. Maybe that's typical for some people, but it was a rare treat for me. Overall, I would say this book was just fun, fun, fun. And I'm not a mystery expert, but I enjoyed putting the clues together and the many surprises along the way. If that's what you like in a book, then I highly recommend Hazardous Duty.

Blue Enchantress by Mary Lu Tyandall is definitely my pick for romance of the year. I love romance, but can quickly grow bored with predictable club type romance novels. This book was full of adventure and excitement. It was funny and spiritual all at once. And there was passion aplenty both in the delightful Caribbean pirate setting and between the hero and heroine. The heroine was exquisitely flawed, which made her unique and memorable. She sought attention and affirmation from men in a way that frequently got her into trouble. The book opens with the heroine being auctioned as a slave, and the hero having to sell his hard-earned ship to save her, despite the fact that she has always snubbed him. Now how can you forget a story like that?

Sailing Between the Stars by Steven James is the final book I would like to mention, although it may well have been the most memorable of all. I've placed it last only because it is not a novel, and this blog is devoted primarily to inspirational fiction. I read very little nonfiction. I don't want people to just tell me stuff. I want to experience a story and learn and grow alongside my characters. But that is precisely what Steven James allows me to do in this exquisite nonfiction book. I was mesmerized by his use of personal stories, intimate thoughts, and insightful poetry to portray spiritual realities. The subtitle of this book, Musings on the Mysteries of Faith, says it all. Unlike the typical Christian nonfiction, this book does not attempt to give absolute answers. Rather, it is an exploration into these subjects that will spark your mind and spirit to come to their own rich conclusions. This new style of postmodern nonfiction made famous by authors like Donald Miller and Anne Lamott is by far my favorite variety. But for me, Steven James tops them all with his depth of spiritual understanding. I will read this book again and again searching out every nugget of truth.

Sailing Between the Stars gets my highest recommendation this year because the format allows it to contain such a wealth of spiritual insight. This book also inspired me to write my own work of postmodern nonfiction titled Secrets of the Teddy Bear Indian Dance: Mysteries Unveiled While Spinning Between Earth and Sacred Praise. I wrote the first draft in six days based largely on the inspiration I received while reading Sailing Between the Stars. It had my mind working on overdrive. So without a doubt, I was more inspired and changed by Sailing Between the Stars than by any other single book this year.

That's all for now. But don't be surprised if I come back later this week and say, "Oh, wait. How could I have forgotten..." There are just so many great new books out there, and I have so much fun exploring them. Join me in the adventure.