All My Favorite Christian Authors You Must Read
Reading is my passion and finding Christian authors that I love is something I am always looking for!
So, I put together a list of my favorites.
Time for a little top Christian author love.
Books make me happy. Time spent lost in the pages of an engaging book written by a favorite author is precious. I honestly can’t get enough.
A good book makes me relaxed and content for hours.
Jeremy says, “Give her a good book and she is happy.” That is SO true. Add coffee and a beach and well, that’s pretty perfect.
This post is full of books, Christian authors and even some of my favorite reading gear.
Let’s start with gear.
1} Amazon Kindle – As much as I love an actual paper book, with our traveling lives, keeping real books on hand just isn’t possible. With a Kindle, I can carry hundreds upon hundreds of books with me wherever I go. I can collect as many as I want and not worry about weight, storage, space or having enough books on hand to read during a trip. What are my favorite kindle-y things?
- Kindle E-reader – I like the basic Kindle. The battery lasts for days, there are no apps or distractions, it is light-weight and easy to carry along with me.
- Kindle Unlimited – Go for it. There is a monthly subscription but I get plenty of use out of it. Between the girls and I, we are always looking for new things to read. This is way easier than logging into a library, waiting for the books and trying to get them on our devices. This is worth the subscription especially if you love books, read fast and have numerous readers in the house. Another reason that I love having this feature, is that I can try new authors, new books on a whim… if I don’t like it, I can move on, return it, download another book and keep reading!
- Kindle App – For those times you forget to recharge the kindle or just need to read on your phone, the app is awesome. They have whisper-sync so it remembers where you were in each book from one device to another. The app is a must, even if you own a kindle!
2} Get a case – Protect your kindle with a case or bag of some kind. The girls have this one. I keep my kindle in a soft-sided iPad bag so I can keep keys, money, my phone and whatever else I want inside with my kindle.
3} Ebook Light – Our bedroom is not well-lit so if I want to read at night, it is nearly impossible to use my kindle. Get a light.
Ok, now let’s talk books and Christian authors. Ready?
This could be a big list. And they aren’t in any order. I truly love them all.
Top Christian Authors
1. Jody Hedlund – Read them all. But her first book, The Preacher’s Bride, might still be my favorite of hers. {And you can read for free with Kindle Unlimited!}
2. Kaye Dacus – Her Ransome Trilogy was amazing… I really enjoyed all three!
3. Siri Mitchell – She has a very interesting writing style. Her books are intriguing and her characters are very real. I think this one is my favorite.
4. Lisa Tawn Bergren – You can read them all. Seriously. But if I have to choose one for you, start the River of Time series. You’ll be hooked and reading for days. Then, go for some travel through Europe with these books.
5. Colleen Coble – Her books are fun to read and easy to get lost in. Choose one and you’ll love it. I always do.
6. Marylu Tyndall – Her books are fun, engaging and full of life. She incorporates God’s Word, his faithfulness, the power of prayer and so many other spiritual truths in her books. Throw in romance, history and pirates for a really great afternoon! Start here.
7. Deanne Gist – If you haven’t read her books, you must. I was in love with her books from the very first one I read.
8. Jenny B. Jones – I just read Save the Date and loved it! I loved this book so much that I read it in about 3 hours. And I was sad when it was done.
9. Maggie Brendan – If you like a good old west story, her books are perfect. Start with this series.
10. Beth Wiseman – She writes Amish novels and I love her ability to bring characters to life through these sweet Amish stories. But one that might catch you off guard and really make you think is The Promise.
11. Brenda Minton – Really enjoy her Love Inspired books… they are simple yet the characters are deep and the story is full.
12. Diann Hunt – Her books are humor, encouragement, faith, and fun. Check out the Smitten collection – you’ll love them. And this one about chocolate. perfect.
13. Tammy L. Gray – Read Mercy’s Fight and then Sell Out.
14. Lisa Heaton – I’m telling everyone about these 4 books. They are long, deep, full, complicated, and packed with emotion. Drama that will keep you thinking and talking for days. I felt like these people were real and I had to tell Jeremy about them. Read them all.
15. Karen Kingsbury – Oh, yes… if you haven’t read her books, get your hands on them today. Make sure you read her series books in order and make sure you have lots of time to read because that is all you will want to do. Her characters come to life in realistic stories that you will fall in love with right away. Her 9/11 series and the Baxter Family – start with Redemption.
16. Tamara Leigh – Do you like a little historical romance? These books are all of that and more. Plus, they are clean.
17. Lynne Gentry – If you haven’t read her books yet, you must! Her Carthage Chronicles series is amazing. Start with the novella and then go to book 1! Oh, and Pastors Wives… read this!
18. Kristin Heitzmann – Full of depth, great characters, fantastic stories… Kristin is an author you will get lost in quickly. She has been a favorite of mine for years. Try Told You So or dig into this series.
19. Dee Henderson – Suspense, mystery and romance plus great writing. ALWAYS a good choice.
20. Kathleen Morgan – Can we say Scottish Highlands and Romance? So good… you will want all her books easily within your reach!
21. Julie Lessman – All of her books are amazing. Great writing, fun characters, enchanting romance… love her work. Start here.
22. Julie Klassen – You will love her historical fiction. I personally love this one. But they are ALL great reads for the Pride and Prejudice style book lovers!
23. Vicki Hinze – This is about as much suspense as I can handle in a book. Deep stories, dark twists, and inspiration mixed in. Start here. A word of caution… watch the publishers here. She does a lot of cross-over work and I wouldn’t recommend her secular titles.
24. Jill Eileen Smith – She writes some beautiful books about wives in the Old Testament. Start with the wives of David series.
25. Tamera Alexander -Her books are amazing and full of faith, love and enjoyable characters. You can’t go wrong with any of them!
26. Becky Wade – READ HER BOOKS!! Sigh… yep. Go read. If I had to pick, start here.
27. Denise Hunter – You’ll love all her books. I just read The Goodbye Bride and loved it!
28. Francine Rivers – You must read Redeeming Love. It is one you will read and read again. I promise. All of her books are wonderful, but this one stands the test of time and is a favorite for many.
29. Sally Bradley – Read Kept. It will really make you think.
More Christian Authors
30. Alana Terry – You’ll be drawn in from the first page. She writes in a real and personal way. Start here.
31. Kristi Ann Hunter – Her books make you smile, laugh and fall in love. Start here.
32. Rachel Hauck – Ah! Her Royal Wedding Series is a must read! You’ll thank me.
33. Michelle Griep – This is a favorite author for sure. Her stories are always interesting, different and well-written. Check them all out or start with this one.
34. Shelley Gray – Start with the Heart of a Hero series. or the Chicago World’s Fair mysteries.
35. Karen Witemeyer – Her books are just too much fun. Humor, romance, history and great characters. Short-Straw Bride is a favorite. Think Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
36. Melissa Jagears – Her newest Frontier Vows series is adorable.
Roseanna M. White, Jen Turano, Victoria Bylin, Dani Pettrey, Melanie Dickerson, Melanie Dobson, Mary Connealy, and Tracie Peterson. So many amazing Christian authors to love.
There are so many more…
What Christian authors are you reading these days? What is your favorite book reading gear?
I like Mesu Andrews books also.
Thank you for your recommendations! I am reading christian fairy tale retellings. I love fairy tales!!! I have read all of Jody Hedlund’s retellings…they are so good!!!! She is an amazing writer with action and adventure. My daughter got me hooked on Melanie Dickerson’s retellings…my favorite writer!!! I read them all, 19 books, two times in a row and some of my favorites (which is hard to choose a favorite) three times in 3 months~! So good and beautifully written. Now, I am reading Melanie Cellier’s fairy tale retellings…which are so enjoyable and full of adventure and fun! I love be taken away to never never land!!!
Valerie M. Bodden is a precious Christian author I found on Kindle Unlimited. I love series books that continue with the same characters, and she knocks this out of the park with her Hope Springs series (Book 10 is coming out in November!!).
Hello,
Thank you for all the recommendations!
As a new Christian writer who just finished her first book, I am wondering what you enjoy about reading a novel over watching a drama or TV series.
What is it about a book that captivates you?
Lastly, do you think that the Christian reading market is thriving? Are people still buying books or going to libraries like 10-15 years ago?
Thanks,
Heather
These are certainly the best Christian authors around! I also recommend the works of Keion Henderson, https://www.keionhenderson.com/christian-authors! Just give it a try and surely you will read it from cover to cover!
I’d add Chautona Havig and TI Lowe to your reading lists. They’re both awesome writers who use the art of storytelling to uplift, entertain, and make you think about what living the Christian life really looks like.
Agreed!!
Thanks so much for including me!
absolutely!
Mindy Starns Clark books are really hard to put down. This summer I’ve been enjoying Denise Hunter’s books, especially the New Heights series.
I love reading Jody Hedlund and Jenny B. Jones as well! Susan Meissner is another one of my fiction favorites. Great list!
I wish I had seen this list on Monday. I was looking for new authors. I have read all the Karen Kingsbury and am patiently waiting her new book. However I need something to read until then so I bought Francine Rivers.
Ok you just made my tiny library list HUGE. Thanks!
I really enjoyed Deanne Gist as well. I think my first one was A Bride Most Begrudging, too! I got sucked into the time periods and couldn’t get enough! I enjoyed the one that was set at the Biltmore as my husband and I had a year’s membership when we were first married.
i love Beverly Lewis books. Im currently reading “Sacred Marriage” but I don’t know who it is by and I’m not getting up to go look :o)
Thanks for some new authors to read! I love books and seem to devour them 🙂 My favorite authors are Debbie Macomber {love her knitting series!!} and Karen Kingsbury {anxiously awaiting her new book!!}