Christian Book Trends

I usually write a musing about reading or faith at the beginning of the week, but I wanted to open it up and ask if anyone has noticed trends in Christian books (fiction or non-fiction) in recent times.

This can be about anything and is more to learn from your observations. What have you seen, and what might I be missing? 😀

I can start with a few:

📚 Over the past 25 years that I've been reading Christian fiction, I have seen so many genres come out that I wouldn't have known what to call them back in the day. I'm sure the concepts of speculative, dystopian, time-slip, or romantasy fiction existed, but there seem to be a lot more specific types now. What are the emerging genres you've seen?

📚 I'm noticing a rise in more politically themed Christian non-fiction books. I'm not sure if I never paid attention before or if there are just more books on the topic now. Is this a trend due to the current state of affairs in certain geopolitical areas?

📚 Books seem to go out of print or become unavailable to purchase online a lot quicker now! This is definitely a reminder that I shouldn't wait years before getting something (even finding books from three years ago can be challenging!) 😆 Is this a post-pandemic or supply chain issue? It used to feel like you could get books years after the fact, but if books are being pulled off the shelves, is this driven by anything in particular?

I often have more questions the deeper I research books, so I'm all ears as to what you've encountered or experienced!

Comments

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...

Review: A Garden Grows - Hills of Harvest #1

Just in time for the upcoming spring season, a new series launches today. A Garden Grows , the first book in the Hills of Harvest series by Karen Higgins , is one that will have you planning and desiring to plant the garden of your dreams once the weather clears up. It's a welcome reprieve after a time of dormancy, awakening the joy of seeing God's creation in all of its splendour. Many thanks to Mountain Brook Ink for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis One plucky widow, six scrubby acres, and an unlikely group of gardeners, all brought together by a long-ago promise. Fifty years is a long time to wait. Posey knows Elliot meant his promise, and oh, how he tried, but time and money didn’t grow on the sagebrush blanketing their high-desert land. Neither did life go exactly the way they planned. Now, Elliot is gone, the sound of his plea ringing in her ears ... “Build the garden, my love!” This English ga...

Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available or you don't qualify for one 😊 Christian Publishers B&H Publishing Group Previously offered the B&H/Lifeway Blogger program which has since closed Availability: Professors and instructors Link: B&H Academic Book Requests Baker Publishing Group Availability: U.S. and Canadian residents Genre: Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction Imprints: Bet...

Christian Shelves

Search This Blog