|
Christian Fiction January 2018 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35 NKJV
|
|
|
|
| Perennials by Julie CantrellWhat it's about: Two estranged middle-aged sisters face each other for the first time in decades in the weeks leading up to their parents' 50th anniversary party. Their dad plants a special memory garden for their mom as lies from the past keep the sisters' relationship from growing again.
For fans of: Southern fiction. It's set in Oxford, Mississippi and explores thought-provoking topics like truth, forgiveness, and going home again. |
|
| Death at Thorburn Hall by Julianna DeeringWhat it's about: Drew Farthering, an English gentleman, and his American wife, Madeline, are in Scotland for the 1935 British Open when their host, Lord Rainsby, asks for help uncovering possible embezzling. When Rainsby dies in a suspicious accident, Drew and Madeline suspect murder.
Series alert: This is the 6th book in the lighthearted Dew Farthering mystery series (though newcomers can start here).
For fans of: British country house mysteries. |
|
| The Austen Escape by Katherine ReayWhat it's about: Engineer Mary Davies is worried about losing her job (despite reassurances from nice consultant Nathan) and doesn't want to travel to Bath, England with Isabel, her oldest (and most domineering) friend for an immersive Jane Austen experience. Mary goes anyway, and troubled Isabel starts to believe she's actually in Regency England! Mary needs all the help she can get, so she's happy and surprised when Nathan appears.
For fans of: Jane Austen, of course! As well as anyone who enjoys lyrical, character-driven novels. |
|
| Out of the Ordinary by Jen TuranoFeaturing: Gertrude Cadwalader, the devoted paid companion to eccentric Mrs. Davenport, an elderly lady who has a penchant for taking jewelry and other trinkets that don't belong to her; and Harrison Sinclair, a shipping magnate who believes in Gertrude even after his mother catches her trying to return stolen items and thinks she's a thief.
Series alert: This is the 2nd in the Apart from the Crowd series, all of which feature quirky characters in Gilded Age New York and lots of humor; the 1st is Behind the Scenes, and the 3rd (out next July) is Caught by Surprise. |
|
|
All Things Bright and Strange by James Markert In the wake of World War I in the small, Southern town of Bellhaven, South Carolina, the town folk believe they’ve found a little slice of heaven in a mysterious chapel in the woods. But they soon realize that evil can come in the most beautiful of forms. Upon the discovery of a small chapel deep in the Bellhaven woods, healing seems to fall upon the townspeople, bringing peace after several years of mourning. But as they visit the “healing floor” more frequently, the people begin to turn on one another, and the unusually tolerant town becomes anything but.
|
|
|
Light of Dawn by Vannetta Chapman For nine months, ever since a devastating solar flare caused a complete failure of the electrical grid, Shelby Sparks and her diabetic son, Carter, have been living at the ranch of Shelby's ex-high school sweetheart, Max Berkman. Mostly insulated from the chaos surrounding them, Shelby and Max discover that the Texas government has fled the capitol and is barely maintaining control of the state. The governor needs volunteers to search for the new federal government, but no one knows exactly where it might be located--if it even still exists--or what perils await those brave enough to take on the mission. Compelled by Carter's desperate need for insulin and their God-given sense of duty, Shelby and Max answer the governor's call and set out on a treacherous 600-mile journey, where they will experience the terrifying effects of unrestrained anarchy. If they have the faith and fortitude necessary to reach their destination, what will they find when they get there? Book 3 of the Remnant trilogy.
|
|
|
Thomas Kinkade's Cape Light Christmas Blessings by Katherine SpencerShortly before the start of the holidays, successful renovation business owner Sam Morgan has an accident on site that leaves him housebound. The timing could not be worse, as his wife, Jessica, just left her job to run an animal rescue shelter on their property. Now, not only are they without two regular incomes, but Sam has to recoup in the middle of a small zoo. His oldest son, Darrell, a senior in college, assures Sam that he can step in and run the business. But Sam is opposed to Darrell leaving college and doubts his son can fill his work boots. Meanwhile, Jean Whitman has returned to her childhood home, Cape Light, to care for her ill mother. The relationship between Jean and her mother has never been easy; Jean has never been able to please Cynthia. To build common ground, Jean reopens Cynthia's old bookstore café. But what Jean doesn't know is that one of the first customers to walk through the door will change her life forever.
|
|
| The Seekers by Wanda E. BrunstetterFeaturing: Heidi Troyer, a married Amish woman with no children, starts teaching a cooking class in her home as a way to beat back boredom. Her first class includes an engaged woman whose betrothed won't set a date, an unwed expectant mother, a widowed mom of two young children, a Vietnam vet who parks his RV nearby, and an Amish widower who can't boil water.
Series alert: This is the opening book in a new series by veteran Amish fiction author Wanda Brunstetter. The 2nd in the series is The Blessing, and the 3rd, The Celebration, comes out in February. Love this idea? Check out the author's Amish Quilting Class books. |
|
|
Your Heart's Desire by Melody CarlsonMoving to California with her young son to start over after losing her husband during World War II, Caroline takes an assembly line job at a chocolate factory and repeatedly runs into a handsome stranger who makes her question if she is ready to pursue a new relationship.
|
|
|
A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine ReaySince she was eight years old, Emily Price has loved all things art and Italian. Now working as an art restorer, she's just arrived in Atlanta for a few weeks to repair fire-damaged works. There, she meets Chef Benito "Ben" Hillam, who's in town to help his aunt and uncle with their failing restaurant, and feels an instant connection to him. When handsome Ben proposes within a month of their first meeting, always responsible Emily surprisingly accepts! Heading to Italy, the newlyweds quickly face challenges: Ben's father is dying, the rest of his family isn't sure about Ben's quickie marriage to an American, and Emily flounders in an unfamiliar place.
|
|
|
All Summer Long by Melody CarlsonMoving to San Francisco to help her aunt transform an old luxury yacht into an upscale floating restaurant, chef Tia D'Amico is reunited with her long-ago crush Leo Parker, the newly hired captain of the yacht, but he is engaged to another until the tides turn in her favor.
|
|
|
All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes by Betsy St. Amant At twenty-six years old, Kat is still living in the shadows of her family in Bayou Bend, Louisiana. Still working shifts at her Aunt Maggie’s bakery. Still wondering what to do with her passion for baking and her business degree. And still single. But when Lucas Brannen, Kat’s best friend, signs her up for a reality TV bake-off on Cupcake Combat, everything Kat ever wanted is suddenly dangled in front of her: creative license as a baker, recognition as a visionary...and a job at a famous bakery in New York.
|
|
|
When I Fall in Love by Susan May WarrenMax Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen. Which is why he lives for the three-week culinary vacation he takes each year in Hawaii. Upon being paired with Grace for a cooking competition, Max finds himself drawn to her passion, confidence, and perseverance. But just when Grace dares to dream of a future beyond her hometown, Max pulls away.
|
|
|
Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin ThomasMoving to a sleepy mid-20th-century West Virginia community with her daughter in the hopes of an anonymous existence, Perla falls in love with a resigned bachelor while her unique gifts divide the community in the face of a drought crisis.
|
|
|
Miracle at the Higher Grounds Café by Max LucadoAfter a public split from her NFL superstar husband, Chelsea takes a bold step out of the limelight and behind the counter of the Higher Grounds Café, an old-fashioned coffee shop in dire need of reinvention. But when her courage, expert planning, and out-of-this-world cupcakes fail to pay the bills, this newly single mom finds herself desperate for help. Better yet, a miracle.
|
|
|
Dooley Kavanagh was first seen in At Home in Mitford as a barefoot, freckle-faced boy in filthy overalls. Now Father Tim Kavanagh's adopted son has graduated from vet school and opened his own animal clinic. Since money will be tight for a while, maybe he and Lace Harper, his once and future soul mate, should keep their wedding simple. So the plan is to eliminate the cost of catering and do potluck. Ought to be fun. An old friend offers to bring his well-known country band. Gratis. And once mucked out, the barn works as a perfect venue for seating family and friends. Piece of cake, right?
|
|
|
Hopeful by Shelley Shepard GrayMiriam Zehr has worked at the Sugarcreek Inn longer than she cares to admit. The restaurant is a favorite of town residents as well as the many tourists who come to taste the famous Amish fare. Though she always tries to have a smile for every customer who comes in, deep down, Miriam knows something's missing... a family of her own. Miriam has never felt particularly beautiful, especially because she's always been a bit heavier than other girls her age. When the man she's pined after all her life suddenly seeks her out, she's thrilled to be noticed...until she realizes he's only asking for her help to get the attention of her neighbor, Mary Kathryn Hershberger. If Miriam helps Junior court Mary Kathryn, she'll get to spend a lot of time with him, but she may also lose him in the process. Are these few stolen moments worth the sacrifice? Is Miriam right to even hope for the life she dreams of?
|
|
|
Together for Christmas by Katherine SpencerAs Christmas approaches, Molly Harding and her partner—and best friend—Betty Bowman are swept up in the annual holiday rush at Willoughby’s Fine Food and Catering. With the business on shaky financial ground this year, the stakes are high. Suddenly, Betty must step back from the race to care for her husband, who is recovering from a serious injury. Molly is secretly overwhelmed but can’t bring herself to burden her friend with bad news. Meanwhile, a single mother, Carrie Munro, and her son, Noah, have come to Cape Light with the dream of starting a new life.
|
|
| The Wishing Season by Denise HunterFeaturing: PJ McKinley, an ambitious chef and the baby of her family, and Cole Evans, a one-time foster kid turned successful contractor.
What it's about: The owner of an Indiana mansion holds a contest to give away her elegant home to whoever has the best idea for its use. When PJ (who wants a fancy restaurant and B&B) and Cole (who wants a foster home) tie, they must share the house for a year to see who ultimately wins.
Series alert: This is the engaging 3rd novel in the four-book Chapel Springs Romance series. |
|
|
Butterfly Palace by Colleen CobleTexas, 1904. Abandoned by the love of her life and mourning the loss of her mother, Lily Donaldson comes to Austin for a fresh start, working for the Marshall family as a kitchen maid in their luxurious mansion, the Butterfly Palace. Lily's new life will be, if not pleasant, distracting. But one night, while serving at a dinner party, Lily recognizes the man who abandoned her sitting among the distinguished guests.
|
|
|
Christmas Cake by Lynne HintonWith the holiday season drawing near, the ladies of Hope Springs, North Carolina, are making plans for a cake cookbook, a project that will hopefully lift the spirits of a beloved member of their close-knit quartet. Margaret Peele is downhearted now that her cancer has returned. All she wants this Christmas is to visit her mother's Texas hometown and to see their absent friend, pastor Charlotte Stewart, who left Hope Springs to run a battered women's shelter. The trip is planned and over the course of a remarkable journey they will rediscover the greatest Christmas gift of all, eternal friendship.
|
|
|
Summer of Secrets by Charlotte HubbardSummer has come to Willow Ridge, but Rachel Lantz is looking forward to a whole new season in her life - marriage to strapping carpenter Micah Brenneman, her childhood sweetheart. When a strange Englischer arrives in the café claiming to be the long-lost sister of Rachel and her twin Rhoda, Rachel feels the sturdy foundation of her future crumbling - including Micah's steadfast love. As the days heat up and tempers flare, Rachel and Micah will learn that even when God's plan isn't clear, it will always lead them back to each other.
|
|
|
The Measure of Katie Calloway by Serena MillerThe Civil War has ended, but in Katie's Georgia home, conflict still rages. To protect herself and her young brother from her unstable husband, she flees north, finding sanctuary as the cook in a north woods lumber camp. Can she keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love?
|
|
|
Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David GregoryThe mysterious envelope arrives on Nick Cominsky's desk amid a stack of credit card applications and business-related junk mail. Although his seventy-hour workweek has already eaten into his limited family time, Nick can't pass up the opportunity to see what kind of plot his colleagues have hatched. The normally confident, cynical Nick soon finds himself thrown off-balance, drawn into an intriguing conversation with a baffling man who appears to be more than comfortable discussing everything from world religions to the existence of heaven and hell. And this man who calls himself Jesus also seems to know a disturbing amount about Nick's personal life.
|
|
|
Velma Still Cooks in Leeway by Vinita Hampton WrightAs the town's chief cook and part-time janitor for Jerusalem Baptist church, Velma Brendle has never done anything more outstanding than putting on a good meal at Velma's Place, the one restaurant in Leeway, Kansas, but she takes good care of her customers, neighbors, and friends. However, in the midst of these two jobs, Velma's husband stops talking, Cousin Albert comes to live with her, and she finds herself dealing with the town's problems. As memories of past troubles plague her, she grows weary from even the tasks she loves the most. Old Sunday School lessons take on new meanings, and new problems illuminate trials Velma thought were long over. In sudden leaps of faith and moments of tragedy, Velma and all those she loves journey toward facing their sins and finding forgiveness.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
The Public Library 501 Copper NW Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 505-768-5141abqlibrary.org |
|
|
|