Journey Through Genres: Inspirational Fiction
We're exploring many genres through a year-long book club – Journey Through Genres. Inspirational fiction is our next stop on this adventure.
Inspirational fiction, also called Christian fiction, weaves themes of faith, hope, redemption and spiritual growth into the stories. Readers often turn to this genre because they know the books will not contain explicit content and it will align with their beliefs and worldview. I enjoy this genre for the varied ways it shows characters wrestling with living out their beliefs, sometimes facing hard decisions but finding the strength to stick to their convictions.
There are many different types or sub-genres of inspirational fiction. Historical novels might creatively retell stories from the bible or novelize stories of past figures of faith. Some novels focus on particular Christian communities – like the Amish or Mennonites. Inspirational romance novels and contemporary family-friendly stories focus on human relationships and the pitfalls that can befall people. Thrilling suspense novels are also a popular subgenre with crime fighters, first responders or amateur sleuths battling evil in our world.
Read on to explore a few of my all time favorite books representing many types of inspirational fiction.
Contemporary timelines – some with a dash of romance
On of my favorite Inspirational fiction books is June Bug by Chris Fabry. It starts out as a sweet story about a girl (June Bug) and her father, and their life traveling around in an RV – but something is off. Is the man really June Bug’s father? You’ll have to read the book to find out and to discover the rights and wrongs of this situation, which may surprise you.
Other authors I like who write thoughtful inspirational fiction set in the present day include Charles Martin who writes about poignant family situations. I've also enjoyed the sweet Amish fiction of Beverly Lewis. Her books feel like donning a cozy robe and slippers as you slip into a simpler lifestyle.
On a more lighthearted (and more romantic) note I greatly enjoyed Carla Laureano’s Saturday Night Supper Club, which features a chef in Denver and her harshest critic forming an odd alliance. I also love Lisa Wingate’s early books, which were inspirational novels featuring romance and whimsical characters and settings - such as in Talk of the Town.
Historical Tales
Inspirational novels that combine an exploration of history with spiritual aspects really appeal to me. One of my favorites is The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Younts. This book takes us to an asylum in the 1930s, which is a very grim place that contains a remarkable young woman named Brighton. She grew up there with her mother. Now a young woman, Brighton is determined to escape and to take her best friend with her. Brighton’s courage astounded me in this novel. I also learned a lot about asylums in our past and the horrifying ways they treated patients who often had little wrong with them.
One of my other favorite authors from this category is Francine Rivers, a well known fixture of inspirational fiction. She has written novels set in multiple time periods and her characters always shine vividly on the page. Lynn Austin is another favorite of mine. Her writing is so memorable I can recall several scenes and characters from her novels years after reading them. Other favorites include Michelle Shocklee a rising star in the genre, Liz Curtis Higgs whose Scottish romance novels forever endeared me to that country, and Cathy Gohlke whose family-based historical novels always touch my heartstrings.
Inspirational Thrillers
Randy Singer’s By Reason of Insanity is a legal thriller that features a woman whose visions give her intimate knowledge of a series or crimes, but also make her a prime suspect. Will the lawyer helping her be able to clear her name and discover the real killer? This book really kept me guessing as to how things were going to be resolved!
Some other favorite suspenseful authors I enjoy are Katherine Reay – whose recent The Berlin Letters featured spy craft in Berlin during the 1950s and 1980s – and Steven James, whose Bowers Files thrillers are top notch.
Fantasy and Apocalyptic
The creative minds of Ted Dekker and James Beauseigneur (among others) are more than able to satisfy readers who wants to delve into fantasy worlds or explore end times scenarios. These author's books tend to be more dark and creepy than other types of inspirational fiction.
Finding more inspirational reads
I have found many of these authors by following the Christy Award. Several books are awarded this honor every year for excellence in Christian fiction in categories like Contemporary Romance, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Speculative and Young Adult. Be sure to check out this award if you love the genre or are exploring it for the first time - you can't go wrong with these award winners.
Don't miss the chance to chat about Inspirational fiction with me and other avid readers Thu, June 26, 6-7pm in the Fiction Wing during the Journey Through Genres Club event. We'd love to hear about which books you recommend and which books were not your cup of tea.
