Monday, July 15, 2013

Christian Fiction sampler from New York Public Library

Many of my ideas for posts arise from other blogs and articles in the library "blogosphere," such as today's.  A librarian from New York's Public Library wrote about how to find one popular genre of stories.  I have edited the article and links to reflect the Ruidoso Public Library's collection.

If you have questions about a specific genre or format (such as audio or graphic novels) please ask in the comments below, by email, or phone.

God in the Stacks: The Scoop on Christian Fiction


You can say it started in 1678 with the publication of
 John Bunyan's Pilgrim Progress. Then along came Hall Caine'sThe Christian (1897) and C.S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia in the 1950s. Fast forward to the 21st century, major news magazines such as Time were talking about the Left Behind series. Yes, my interest was piqued when I read a 2002 Time magazine cover article titled "Apocalypse Now"about the popularity of the series. I checked them out of the library and read each one in order. I was intrigued and fascinated.
I decided to give a little more attention to the genre. My interest intensified over the last few years as I observed the genre really taking off and expanding into many sub-genres. I found various list of authors online and decided I would read at least one book by every author in the genre. It was an ambitious feat and I faced the challenge of new authors being published regularly and also, reading every book published by an author I particularly like.
I also discovered many authors not mentioned on the Internet by doing a keyword search in the catalog on "Christian fiction." ...[F]ound the king of legal thrillers — Robert Whitlow.  We have Jimmy in large print.
Christian Fiction can be defined as follows, according to a Library Journal Book Buzz on Christian Fiction (2009):  
"...Most readers would agree that there is a core of biblically-based attitudes, values, and actions, and likely there would be very little, if any, profanity, sex or violence. Generally, Christian fiction has religious themes infused into a regular genre story. ... Christian fiction gives readers characters and situations that demonstrate the growth of faith, depth and breadth of moral responsibility, the possibility of conversion and redemption, and examples of Christian living for men and women of all ages, races and cultures."

Cover art of a storm over a pine covered hill
Christian Fiction are books written by primarily Christian authors with one or more of the following characteristics: an overarching Christian theme, embracing Christian values and behavior, characters who have faith in God. The Christy Awards and later on the Carol Awards were established to recognize best fiction published in the genre. Pilgrim Progress is an allegorical work of the journey of a Christian from this world to heaven. In the Chronicles of Narnia, Jesus is Aslan the Lion, the ever present guide. The Left Behind series is a fictional series based on Biblical prophecy and historical facts about events regarding the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus as King.
If you have read and enjoyed faith based fiction, here are some others you may enjoy. You can borrow them from the Ruidoso Public Library with a library card. If you are a digital reader, you can download and read library e-books for free. I have enjoyed many of them on my tablet while waiting for appointments.

Lady in bonnet in three-quarter profile
Amish Fiction

Fiction

HiSmiling bride in veil looking up at dance partnerstorical Fiction

Lynn Austin - Song of Redemption
Kathleen Morgan - A Love Forbidden
Janette Oke - Dana's Valley
Tracie Peterson - Hope Rekindled
Francine Rivers -  A Voice in the Wind

Legal Thriller

John Grisham - The Street Lawyer, The Last Testament
Robert Whitlow - Jimmy

Murder/Mystery/Crime

Davis Bunn - The Amber Room
Ted Dekker - Thr3e

Cover art of a woman, marble columns, and landscapeRomance/Romantic Suspense

Colleen Coble - Lonestar Sanctuary
Catherine Palmer - The Happy Room

Supernatural/Science Fiction


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