Hey guidesters! Long time no SEA… ehehe
This isn’t a writing tips post, but everyone knows the first step to becoming a better writer is reading everything you can get your hands on. So here are some books!
I’ve had many a Sabbath afternoon where I longed for something to read and I hope to remedy that for as many people as I can by providing a list of some of my favorites. The type of books I will be recommending are going to be the “Sabbathy” type. (Of course only you can determine for yourself what is okay for you on sabbath, and of course any and all of these books can be read at any part of the week. And of course I read more books than just these, but again. Sabbath-specific)
The shameless plug is at the bottom. Enjoy, guidesters!
(Take note of the fact that these are all books that I have read over many years, so some may be above/below certain guidesters reading levels and some might need parental permission because of mature themes. I personally have no problem recommending these to you but I understand that others have different standards.)
Okay, let us commence with the list!
- Sam Campbell’s Living Forest Series set. These books are full of humor, nature, life lessons — and more humor.
- Almost anything by L.M. Montgomery. I highly recommend the Anne of Green Gables series and the Emily of New Moon series. These books, while not explicitly christian, contain many christian themes. A main theme of both of these series is the wonder and glory of God’s creation. Very satisfying reads.
- Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis. These allegorical fantasy stories are always a delight and a learning experience. For more advanced readers, I also recommend his Space Trilogy.
- The Time Quintet, O’Keefe Family Series, and The Austin Family Chronicles, all by the one and only Madeline L’engle. These books blend science fiction, fantasy, and faith in such a unique and sensible way that it made my head spin. She somehow takes characters and makes us care about them, while also making us care for the universe and the cosmic problems they have to face. Incredible writing, great themes, highly recommend.
- Bradley Booth. He’s written a lot of books, but I’m talking more specifically about his collection of books about kids in bible times, such as “Adventures in Galilee”, “Seekers”, “Shepherd Warrior”, and “Esther: A Star is Born”. He’s written quite a few of these, and I really enjoyed them when I was younger.
- The Imagination Station book series. History, Mystery, Time travel — it’s basically the Magic Tree House series but set in the Adventures in Odyssey Universe.
- Detective Zack. I have unfortunately outgrown this Adventist classic, but I will not hesitate to recommend this and Jerry D. Thomas’s other books to you.
- I don’t have a series name to put here, but Sandy Zaugg. She’s written books like “Secret of the Yellow Van,” “Escape”, and “Alice, an Adventist Girl”. My favorites of hers growing up were always the ones about animals 😊
- The Shiloh Series. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is an amazing author who tugs at your heartstrings. This one’s not exPliciTly advEntiSt but I would personally give it an honorary membership in the Sabbath Afternoon Book Club.
- The Hyacinth Chronicles by Patty Froese Nthihemuka. These books almost perfectly capture what it’s like to be a 2nd grader growing up adventist. Read for nostalgia, if anything XD
- The “In Grandma’s Attic” by Arleta Richardson. These books are very funny and sweet. Their style is reminiscent of L.M. Montgomery’s work. Wholesome and entertaining.
- The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. These are generally good books, very outdoorsy and slice-of-life — but just know, a lot of the views held by the author are outdated at best, offensive at worst. It features dehumanizing language and stereotypes that reflect 19th-century settler prejudices. If you decide to read this series, and I still do recommend it, please just keep this in mind.
- Dahveed by Terry Fivash. If you like action (lots and lots and lots and lots of action) read this series. It follows Dahveed on his journey from a lowly shepherd boy after God’s own heart to one of the best-known kings of Israel. Goes without saying, but I will warn the more sensitive among you — this is the old testament. There was a LOT of fighting. Also may I remind you that Dahveed killed like 22,000+ people in his lifetime? This book does not shy away from that fact. Do with that information what you will, I still say these are great books.
- Shadow Creek Ranch and Honors Club series by Charles Mills (if he’s written other books I recommend those too) these are very raw, very real books that cover a lot of the struggles of human existence but somehow manage to be hopeful and uplifting at the same time.
- Norman’s Ark by Thelma Norman. This is an incredibly funny, incredibly interesting account of a lady and her many many many pets. Ranging from jaguarundi’s to sugar gliders to snakes to dogs, there is not one single boring story in this book.
- Never a Dull Moment by Kay D Rizzo. This is a charming, humorous, moving true story about Kay and her experience being a girls dean at a boarding academy. It’s funny, sad, and even a little bit mischievous — but above all, it’s relatable.
- The Cooper Kids Adventure Series by Frank Peretti. So, disclaimer time, I liked these books, thought they were well written and interesting and all that but the fact remains that they are basically Christian horror/thriller. So if you really don’t like being anxious or thinking about that kind of stuff, these books are not for you. That being said, for those who really enjoy having their emotions yanked towards the clammy palms and spine tingles zone, these books ARE for you.
- Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Bud Gardner. You can’t really go wrong with these, there are like a million of them, they’re uplifting, and they’re nice and thicc. Perfect for curling up on the couch with a blanket, or sitting outside in the sun with.
- The Sword of Denis Anwyck and The Quest of Alinor Dagworth by Maylan Schurch. These are two cute lil allegorical books set in the Middle Ages. The characters are quirky, the parallels are parallel and — and— knights! Swords! Dutch boy haircuts! It’s great, you should check it out.
- Modern Conversations of a Slave Mother by Mitchell Harvey. A lady at my church wrote this book and it is really good. It’s basically her autobiography and how her past has shaped her into who she is today. It’s very inspiring and a good read.
- My Life As A Smashed Burrito With Extra Hot Sauce by Bill Myers. This is the first in an outrageous series about our dorktastic hero, Wally McDoogle. If you enjoy slapstick and Christian values, this 9(?) part series is for you.
- The Camporee of Doom and The Day the School Blew Up by Seth J. Pierce. (He’s the guy who wrote What We Believe for Teens, which — y’know what? I also recommend) These books follow the wacky misadventures of 10-year-old Peter Paul Pappenfuss, a Preacher’s Kid who just wants to have fun with his friends, annoy his sister, and survive the disasters he gets himself into (of which there are many) these are some of the most funny christian kids books that I have ever read, and I think they set a standard for the genre. 10 out of 5 stars, highly recommend ☺️
- Mister God, this is Anna by Fynn. Guys, this is one of my favorite books. It’s all over the place and it’s tragic and you might cry and you might have to read it a couple times to understand some of the concepts introduced in this book but please I beg of you: read this book. It explores God and nature and science and people in a way I’d never seen before, and it’s all through the eyes of a 6 year old girl and her giant friend, Fynn. It’s a bit of an old book so I doubt its being sold in the ABC van but look it up, get it off facebook marketplace or ebay I don’t care I need someone else to read this and sob about how good it is with me. 😭
That’s all I got (for now) we have a lot more “Sabbathy” books at my house, but, erm, a lot of them are really old missionary stories that I haven’t perused in-depth. Or if I have, it’s been too long for me to remember what they’re about. If I find more, though, I’ll let you know.
And now, the Shameless Plug!
I would like to recommend the Beloved Daughter Series by A. A Vogel! So far it is three books, with a fourth one on the way. (It’s going to be a five book series) It is written by an author who is local to me and who I actually got to meet! The premise of the books is very interesting, about a young girl named Claire who moves to Saudi Arabia (and later on, in boarding school) and all her adventures. The books tackle themes like faith, fear, trust, forgiveness, and living with a disability.
(also overthrowing the patriarchy >:)
Mrs Vogel’s books deftly blend foreign culture with Biblical themes, and if you’ve read Madeleine L’engle you’ll see some of her inspiration.
If you do decide to read these books, I would like to tell you as nicely as I can that there is… a lot of improvement from the first book to the second book. The first one is good, don’t get me wrong, but, um, don’t stop reading after that one, it gets way better, I promise.
Anyway I highly recommend trying out her books! You’ll help support an indie author and you’ll get a fresh story to enjoy on Sabbath afternoon!
That’s all for now folks. I hope this list helps someone. If you guys have another series or single book to recommend, drop it in the comments. I might have to do that as well, there’s a series whose name I just can’t remember…
1 thought on “My list of favorite Sabbathy books”
Thanks, SEA! May I add a series to the list? I’ve enjoyed the “Epic Order of the Seven” series by Jenny L. Cote and its prequels entitled “Max & Liz.” And, since they average about 600 pages, they’ll keep you occupied for a while! Anyhoo, love that you can appreciate Montgomery! Thanks for the terrific book recommendations, and also that’s really great, your “shameless plug” (lol I’m not even sure what that translates to) at the end.