Velma Still Cooks in Leeway, (2000) 294 p., Vinita Hampton Wright
In the small town of Leeway, Kansas, Velma Brendle owns the local diner and is the part-time janitor for Jerusalem Baptist Church. She and her husband, Albert, have lived in Leeway forever, and everyone confides in Velma. When teenage neighbor Shellye is date-raped, and distant cousin Howard needs a place to die in peace, her home is a natural refuge. But why has Albert been so quiet lately? The story has sad moments but is not depressing. Recipes from Velma's diner are included. Audience: Adult or YA
Debbie Darwine, LaGrange Public Library

A Delirious Summer, (2004) 333 p., Ray Blackston
Spanish-language teacher Neil Rucker needs a break from his job of instructing new missionaries in Ecuador. Besides, he hasn't had a date in months. A student suggests that he travel to Greenville, SC where there is a beach, lots of girls, and a cheap place to stay. Neil is warned about the girls of Greenville, however B they are church-hopping to meet guys of different denominations. There's a lot of humor in this story, and though the story is about singles in their mid- to late- 20s, teens could also enjoy this Christian 'chick lit' book told from a male point of view. This book is a sequel to Flabbergasted. Audience: Adult or YA
Debbie Darwine, LaGrange Public Library

The Shunning, (1997) 283 p., Beverly Lewis
Katie Lapp has always had trouble conforming to the rules of her strict Amish community in Hickory Hollow, PA. Now that she is engaged to widower John, and is going to be step-mother to his five children, she hopes she will be able to settle down. But memories of her true love, Dan, whose body was lost at sea in a sailing accident several years before, linger, along with the beautiful but forbidden music he introduced her to. Katie learns astonishing things about her past which lead to life-changing decisions and to her being shunned by the Amish community, including her own family. This is the first title in the 'Heritage of Lancaster County' series. Audience: Adult or YA
Debbie Darwine, LaGrange Public Library

True Devotion, (2002) 329p., Dee Henderson
Kelly is a lifeguard whose navy SEAL husband died on a mission three years ago. She has since sworn off any relationship with a man in such a dangerous profession. Joe was both Kelly's and Nick's best friend. After being rescued by Joe during a particularly difficult rescue of a child (Ryan), Kelly tells Joe that she loves him. A hap-hazard relationship begins between then, as the myterious Charles (Ryan's father) courts Kelly's affections as well. Ryan and Joe bond as Joe teaches him in the ways of the sea. When Joe is called on a mission similar to the one that took the life of Nick, EVERYONE'S lives are at stake. Kelly and Nick had known the love and power of God for a long time. They both prayed privately that he would guide their relationship. They also pray for each other, especially in critical times of need. Joe had recently become a Christian and envied their comfortable and close relationship with him. Kelly's relatinship with God has been strained by her husband's untimely death. She finds it difficult to not blame God for taking her husband from her.
Linda Conrath, Orland Park Public Library

Joshua: A Parable, (1983) 301p., Joseph F. Girzone
A man called Joshua moves into a cabin in a small town and is a curiosity to the people there. He has no job, receives no checks in the mail (nosey postman), yet is able to live in the small cabin and purchase small amounts of food at the store and a bottle of wine from the liquor store. The cabin has a small workroom in the back. He is a carpenter and his works are exquisite. Whenever he looks at someone they feel that he is looking right through them, as if able to see their soul. Word of his talent spreads and soon people are requesting carvings from him. He also visits a different house of worship each week. This causes unrest amongst the holy and he explains that God is not in the structures, but in the hearts of the inhabitants. Many other religious teachings are posed to him and his answers are fair and straight-forward. This causes discomfort among the religious leaders, and Joshua finds himself answering to higher ranked leaders, causing him to take trips, eventually out of the country and to Rome, to meet with the Pope, who questions him, too. Eventually the Pope's attendants came after Joshua where he was staying, and went to retrieve him from his room. What they found puzzled all except for the true believers in Jesus Christ.
Linda Conrath, Orland Park Public Library

Abiding Hope (2001), 240p. Angela Benson
Marvin and Shay are together again, after a brief separation stemming from the death of their six-year-old son, Marvin, Jr. They are leaving behind the mission house they managed, Odessa House, in Odessa, Mississippi, and traveling to Atlanta, Georgia, where they have been called by a minister friend who had re-located there some years before. He tells them there is a need for a mission house, there, as well. Although unable to conceive after the birth of their son, Shay is hopeful she will become pregnant again. They meet up with their friend, Daniel, and meet Vicky, who also is working on the mission. Shay and Vicky become friends instantly and soon thereafter Shay reveals her pregnancy to Vicky, although Marvin has insisted no one be told until after the first trimester. Vicky has a secret love for Daniel, although it is futile because he is totally committed to the church, thereby remaining single. Daniel tells Marvin about the young man, Bo, whom he has used to do odd jobs around the church. Marvin and Shay take him under their wing and help point him on his way to success and a love for the Lord. Notwithstanding many bumps along the emotional road, the ending satisfies the reader and leaves everyone with a warm fuzzy.
Linda Conrath, Orland Park Public Library

Ashes on the Wind
This book was listed on John Mort's Top 10 Christian Novels from Booklist. Mort calls him the "amusing Fischer." This is just proof that humor (or amusing) is a matter of taste. This book was a complete mystery to me. I had no idea what theme the book was trying to promote. The people I liked seemed to be the least religious characters. The plots revolves around the switching of the ashes of two recently deceased women, one of them a beloved wife and mother,the other the wife of a disreputable snake-handling evangelist preacher.
Audience: Adults
Debra Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

Left Behind, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
The first of a twelve-part series on the Rapture and its aftermath, Left Behind combines a strict reading of the Bible (specifically the book of Revelations) with an action adventure story. When all children under 12 and many adults simply disappear from the planet, many theories are bandied about. But it soon becomes clear that all who disappeared were in a state of grace, and survivors soon realize that they fall into two camps - those who are newly-saved, and those who reject Christianity. The stage is set for an epic battle between the followers of Christ and the followers of the Antichrist.
Audience: Adult and YA
Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; C. S. Lewis
On the surface, this classic of juvenile/young adult fiction (Book 1 in the Chronicles of Narnia) is not obviously a Christian novel but more a novel of fantasy. C.S. Lewis, an adult convert to Christianity, more saw his books as a fantasy series into which the Christian element "pushed itself... of its own accord. Nonetheless, the character of Aslan, the great lion, sacrifices himself to save others and rises again. Lewis stated that Aslan was what Christ might become like, it there really were a world like Narnia and He chose to incarnate and die and rise again in that world as he actually has done in ours. The stories illustrate Chritianity in a way accessible to children, in a world where magic is common and animals talk.
Audience: Adult, YA, and Juvenile
Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

Three (2003), 352p. Ted Dekker
This riveting, page-turner plunges readers into the life of 28 year-old seminary student Kevin Parson, who suddenly becomes the target of a stalker called Slater, who baits him into a unavoidable game of cat and mouse, using cryptic riddles that he must solve or die trying. FBI Agent, Jennifer Peters, and his childhood friend Samantha offer their assistance even while sometimes questioning the legitimacy of the threats. Something in Kevin and Samanatha's past may offer a clue to the identityof Slater, but one can't be too sure - Dekker keeps his readers second-guessing until the last page.
Debbie Deady, Downers Grove Public Library

Arena (2002), 393p. Karen Hancock
Callie Hayes volunteers for what she believes to be a harmless psychology experiment, but she is unwittingly thrust instead into a dangerous alien world called the Arena, where she must fight for her very survival, armed only with a few mysterious supplies and an undecipherable guide book. The only way out of the Arena is through an exit called The Gate, which is intentionally blocked by unimaginable dangers and Callie is threatened at every turn. She is aided by a mysterious stranger (as well as an unknown benefactor known only as Elhanu), and she soon realizes that her only hope is to trust them with her life. This suspenseful and fast-paced novel, is both a fantasy and a well-crafted Christian allegory. However, readers should be warned that this novel contains scenes of both physical and sexual violence - not for the squeamish or young teens.
Debbie Deady, Downers Grove Public Library (2005)

Savannah From Savannah (2004) 330p. Denise Hildreth
Victoria Phillips, the former Miss Georgia, southern belle, and current Mary Kay Consultant, was born and raised in Savannah, GA. Naturally, when her first child was born (a little girl, of course) there was only one logical choice for her daughter's name. Now grown, and a college graduate with a degree in Journalism, Savannah returns (albeit reluctantly) to her home town, after learning that her first prize win in a prestigious fiction contest may have been rigged by well-meaning mom Vicky. Savannah takes a job with the local newspaper, where she is able to come to terms with her family, her past, and her future. A sequel: Savannah Comes Undone, was published August, 2005.
(Christian Chick Lit)
Debbie Deady, Downers Grove Public Library

Come Spring (2005) 137p. Tim LaHaye and Gregory S. Dinallo
Dylan Cooper, a photographer from the Scottish highlands, has immigrated to Boston, MA in 1918, hoping to make a name for himself (and an income) at a time when photography has not yet been accepted as an art form, and America has just joined the war in Europe (WWI). Dylan's pleas for a showing at the prestigious Van Dusen gallery are at first rebuffed, but he is somewhat consoled by winning the affection of the gallery's lovely assistant, Grace MacVicor. While his unique talents are eventually rewarded, the war directly impacts the lives of both Dylan and Grace, delivering a less than satisfying conclusion (and hints of a sequel).
Debbie Deady, Downers Grove Public Library

The Plum Blossom: Alexis Albright-Private Investigator (1994) 319p. Janice Miller
This book is one in a short-lived series that featured a subtle interweaving of Hawaii and traditional Japanese cultures on the island of Oahu. The other book is The Jade Crucible. The main character is Alexis Albright a private investigator who once was an intelligence analyst for the DEA. She is a widow of narcotics investigator, so she is well aware that Hawaii isn't all palm trees and beautiful sunsets. But Alex is not prepared for the maze of international crime that is about to draw her in.
Peggy Hanlon, Orland Park Public Library

Memoirs of Pontius Pilate: A Novel (2000) 222p. James R. Mills
Thirty years after the death of Jesus of Nazareth, an exiled Pontius Pilate compiles his memoirs into a history of the Jewish faith and the rise of Christianity. He contemplates his role in sentencing Jesus to death by crucifixion and puzzles at the rapid spread of the teachings of that simple man. A true politician, he denies any blame for his part in Jesus' final hours. Instead, he lays the blame at the feet of the crowd who cried for Barabbas to be released and at the feet of the temple officials who called for his trial. Subtly, Pilate's fascination with Jesus and his teachings gives life to his recital, and glimpses of Pilate's own thoughts and feelings surface. Mill's (Gospel According to Pontius Pilate) expertise with his subject provides unexpected depth to this intriguing glimpse at a man vilified for his place in history.
Peggy Hanlon, Orland Park Public Library

Amorelle, (1934) 390p. Grace Livingston Hill
This is pretty much like a lot of Ms Hill's books, a girl orphaned and unprotected in the world, Amorelle goes to live with relatives who use and treat her like a servant, with a room on the third floor even! But she stays as a witness to her Uncle who begins to care for her greatly. This book differs from a lot of Ms Hill's other books in that in Amorelle's loneliness she accepts the care and physical attentions of a handsome gentleman, but he is as usual absolutely controlling and unreasonable. She soon realizes that they are not suited for each other. The book is one of Ms. Hill's later books and displays humor. (Amazon) She also meets another man, who is her soul mate.
Peggy Hanlon, Orland Park Public Library

The Matchmakers, Janette Oke
In this gentle read, old friends Judith and Cynthia conspire to hook up Cynthia's widowed father with the widowed mother of P.C., a new member of their church. Cynthia, a fairyly new widow herself, is not sure how much "meddling" she should do, trusting God to handle things, but Judith favors a more active approach. Cynthia's sons also get involved - since their father has died, they are very interested in enlarging their family. In a clever denouement, a pairing occurs and all parties are satisfied.
Audience: Adult and Young Adult
Nancy Bent, LaGrange Public Library

Passing the Samaria (2000) Sharon Ewell Foster
A young black woman finds the lynched body of her childhood sweetheart. To keep her out of trouble, her parents send her to Chicago to live with an aunt. There the young woman works in her aunt's local mission and meets an attractive young man. Complications arise from another young man, a Pullman porter, who is determined to lead our heroine on the Wrong Path and the 1919 Chicago race riots. This is a first novel and it shows. The characters could have been better developed and fewer pages could have been spent preaching at our young wayward characters. Not bad, but could have been much better.
Audience: Adults and Young adults.
Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

I'll Watch the Moon, (2003) Ann Tatlock
Nova tells the tale of 1948, the year her brother contracted polio. Nova's mother is a bitter, widowed woman with many disappointments in her life. She, Nova, and Nova's brother live with a cousin who owns a boarding house in St. Paul. One of the borders is a Polish Catholic man who lost all of his family during WWII. His faith and ability to forgive helps Nova's mother get over her past and get onto a better future. Tatlock writes a simple story about serious topics. This would be a good book for even young teens. The religion is organic to the characters, not heavy handed and the historical content of this and other of Tatlock's novels are good introductions to a time when life was slower, but in many ways more dangerous.
Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library