Skip to main content

Preferences and Style

rose placed on book with book pages curled in to form a heart

Since we all have things we tend to gravitate toward, I thought I would compile some of my observations about my library and tastes from over the years.

For Christian fiction, I have noticed that:

  • I have a penchant toward getting series, especially for historical fiction. And due to being a completionist, I try to get as many backlist titles as I can.
  • I am growing a small collection of suspense books to offset the amount of romance that I read, but at the end of the day, I still like the warm and fuzzies (although some romances are definitely set against grittier themes).
  • I have some auto-buy authors, but I am realizing that I am quickly running out of space on my bookshelves. I appreciate the new releases; however, I am likely still trying to catch up!
  • I am starting to read more from independent authors, especially due to Kindle Unlimited. It has definitely been a way to find more Christian authors, and I appreciate that I don't have to worry about availability through the library.
  • I am finding that more and more contemporary titles seem to incorporate things that I would not necessarily have envisioned within Christian books. I understand that some authors are becoming cross-over authors for broader appeal, but there are still some things that are surprising to see from time-to-time, given the Christian worldview. As a result, I am more often second-guessing my contemporary fiction purchases whereas for historical fiction, I don't have to scrutinize my decisions as much.

For Christian non-fiction, I have noticed that:

  • I deeply enjoy reading books on apologetics. This stems from being introduced to The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel at a young age, and appreciating books more centered on logic and facts than on emotions.
  • I have a lot of books on cross-cultural relations due to my passion for this topic. There has definitely been more books on racial relations now than existed a few decades ago when I was writing my theses about the subject.
  • I am starting to add more books about contemporary issues, like the aforementioned. Since a lot of the Christian non-fiction books I have are from my time in Bible college and seminary, finding updated books has kept me a little more current with the social issues we're facing.
  • I have a sizeable amount of Christian books related to work, leadership, productivity, organization, and so forth due to professional development funds and gifts from over the years. I have not read all of them, but I am grateful that I get to have a Christian perspective on these topics.
  • I also have more biographies than I realized! I used to think this was a small section based on a few gifted books from authors, but it has been steadily growing. I think this may be attributed to the inspiration behind the book, 50 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe.

There you have it; a brief glimpse of my evolving library. My tastes will likely continue to change, but it's nice to be able to see my preferences as a snapshot in time.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All the Cheese

I've been coming across content within the past several weeks that has stereotyped Christian books (and other mediums) as being cheesy on Christian accounts. While this isn't a new label or even a new topic, what has surprised me somewhat has been seeing more Christian authors jump into this conversation who wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Although some authors will name others whom they believe are writing non-cheesy fiction, I feel as though the damage has been done by repeating this blanket statement. While readers have freely been engaging in this type of commentary for some time, it's been interesting to see authors chime in, where in some cases, there seems to be an emphasis on self-promotion over reflection. I'm not stereotyping and saying that all authors or even the authors I'm connected to respond with this tactic (because I really don't think they do!), but there are a few out there from my limited experience who seem to respond to this disc...
11 comments
Read more

Fallen

This is a post that I wish I didn't have to write. Please understand that I recognize that we are all fallen; therefore, everything that we create is marred, imperfect, and tainted due to sin. What I'm exploring is what happens when there are authors or other creators who have acted in a way that harms others and there is little-to-no news of repentance or reparations being made. I'm not writing anything investigative as many skilled and brilliant Christians are already doing so. I'm more writing as a bystander who is grieved at some of the news that has come up and attempting to process it all. The first news that really impacted me was learning about the passing of Jennifer Lyell, former Lifeway Vice President, whom headlines have also called a Southern Baptist Convention abuse survivor . This hit close to home for a multitude of reasons even though prior to yesterday, I hadn't heard of her story. One of the reasons it affected me was because the professor who was...
Post a Comment
Read more

Diverse Stories

One of the things I've been challenging myself to do this year has been to read more Christian books written by authors from other countries. I love that the body of Christ spans the four corners of the world and that we get to benefit from hearing so many different perspectives. I've also appreciated getting to know some amazing authors and readers online from other nations and continents as it's enriched my understanding of how Christians experience life. It helps me realize that the views I take for granted may only be limited to where I am situated, geographically and culturally. I haven't read all of the authors below yet, but here are a few Christian fiction authors who write from outside of North America if you're interested in reading more: Africa Ivy Emerson Enewerome Anna Jensen Tope Omotosho Asia Joanna Alonzo Joy Crain Australasia Narelle Atkins Liz Chapman Iola Goulton Jessica Kate Bessie Le Couteur Carolyn Miller Jennifer Mistmorgan Honey Stone Jessica...
Post a Comment
Read more