We’ve previously written about Christian fiction for women—see
our “Bonnet Fiction” reading list—but what about Christian fiction for
men? This list contains Christian novels
in a variety of manly genres, from westerns and legal thrillers to paranormal
suspense and adventure fantasy.
Nothing
to Hide
by
J. Mark Bertrand
When
a decapitated body turns up in a local park, Detective Roland March finds
himself embroiled in a complicated mystery involving Mexican drug cartels and
the FBI. Bertrand mixes thrilling
suspense with complex issues of faith and morality in this excellent mystery
novel.
Sun Dance
by
Sigmund Brouwer
Because of
his excellent scouting skills and good standing with Chief Red Cloud, Marshal
Samuel Keaton is asked by Lieutenant Grimshaw of the U.S. Calvary to guide a
detachment of officers through hostile Sioux territory. When the expedition goes horribly awry,
Keaton sees the error of his arrogance and realizes he must place his trust in
God if he wants to find redemption.
Lion of Babylon
by T. Davis Bunn
The
Middle East is the setting for this tense thriller by prolific Christian author
T. Davis Bunn. Featuring an
ex-Intelligence Officer who returns to the field when a friend/former colleague
disappears in Baghdad, the action packed
Lion
of Babylon is
filled with vivid descriptions, humane characterizations, and thoughtful
insights into an often misunderstood area of the world.
River Rising
by
Athol Dickson
Winner of a
Christy Award for Best Suspense novel, River Rising mixes
mystery and miraculous events when an unknown preacher wanders into rural
Pilotsville, Louisiana right before the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. Dickson skillfully handles what could have
been an overly sentimental novel by realistically portraying the physical
hardships and spiritual struggles of his characters.
Soon
by
Jerry B. Jenkins
Jenkins,
co-author of the popular Left Behind series, ventures out on his own in this
electrifying apocalyptic novel. 36 years
after World War III left the earth devastated, the nations of the world have
outlawed all religions in an effort for peace, though the Christian underground
movement continues to grow in the wake of miraculous signs and wonders.
The Dead Don’t Dance
by Charles
Martin
Men
who enjoy literary fiction and aren’t scared off by a little emotion will enjoy
The
Dead Don’t Dance, a
poignant character-driven novel of a man faced with many trials and
tribulations. Protagonist Dylan Styles
lives a comfortable life until his pregnant wife goes into a coma. Alone and full of despair, Dylan seeks to
understand God’s plan for his life.
Eli
by
Bill Myers
The
thought-provoking Eli
by
Bill Myers imagines a parallel universe where the Son of God arrives in our own
contemporary age rather than 2,000 years ago.
Eli, the Christ figure in the story, is born in a laundromat and grows
up to expose the hypocrisies of modern religious attitudes, mirroring Jesus’s
own experiences with the Pharisees in the synagogues.
The
Visitation
by
Frank Peretti
Frank Peretti
gained renown as one of the best selling and most celebrated Christian fiction
authors for his paranormal thrillers about spiritual warfare. The Visitation, like
his classic This
Present Darkness,
contains many supernatural elements.
Jaded minister Travis Jordan tries to uncover the truth about a miracle
performing visitor who has amassed a large following in his town.
The Legend of the
Firefish
by Bryan Polivka
If you like
adventures on the high seas and fantasy stories involving mythical beasts, then
you’ll love this book. Failed seminary
student turned skilled swordsman Packer Throme seeks to catch the legendary
Firefish, and his hunt has him crossing paths with a band of murderous
pirates. An inspiring tale of faith, The
Legend of the Firefish
is the story of one man’s quest for purpose in life.
The Twelfth Imam
by Joel C. Rosenberg
The
Twelfth Imam is the first book in an exciting suspense series from Joel
C. Rosenberg, a WORLD Magazine contributor and author of the best-selling The
Last Jihad. David Shirazi, an undercover CIA operative
who has infiltrated the Iranian government, must find the location of two
missing nuclear warheads before an attack is launched on Israel.
Dying Declaration
by Randy Singer
Dying
Declaration, an arresting legal thriller from Randy Singer, does not
shy away from difficult moral and theological issues. The plot concerns a couple whose son dies
when they believe his ailments do not need medical attention and can be cured
solely through prayer. To their defense
comes Charles Arnold, a lawyer and street preacher who is persuaded to take the
case.
Paul:
A Novel
by
Walter Wangerin
Follow the
dramatic transformation of Saul of Tarsus from self-righteous Pharisee to
impassioned missionary in this fascinating fictionalization of the life of the
Apostle Paul. Steeped in historical and
biblical research, Paul:
A Novel will
give you a new take on one of the most important figures of the early
church.
The Sacrifice
by Robert Whitlow
Christy
Award-winning author Robert Whitlow draws upon his experience as a private attorney in writing his fine legal thrillers.
His stunning The
Sacrifice,
a story about a lawyer who agrees to represent a young man accused of a
horrific church shooting, will have you on the edge of your seat.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Music - Girl Power: Japan!
All Samuels Public Library cardholders are eligible for
three free downloads a week from Freegal, a massive online database containing
over 500,000 songs. Sifting through such
an enormous selection of music can be a daunting task, so we here at Samuels
have decided to offer a few suggestions for the overwhelmed (or new) Freegal
user. This week we recommend three great songs by female Japanese pop/rock artists:
Takako Minekawa
The 5.6.7.8’s
Garage rock girl group The 5.6.7.8’s were immortalized by Quentin Tarantino when they appeared as the house band at a Japanese go-go club during a climactic fight scene in Kill Bill: Vol. 1. “Woo Hoo,” one of the songs made famous by the movie, is a blistering two minutes of rockabilly riffs and ferocious drum fills, with the only lyrics being the “woo hoo” of the title.
Puffy Amiyumi
Takako Minekawa
"Fantastic Cat"
From Roomic Cube
Armed with a moog synthesizer and some nonsensical sing-song lyrics, Takako Minekawa crafts an absurdly fun earworm of a tune about a happy happy fantastic cat. The poppy peppiness and bloops and bleeps would feel right at home in the bright flashing colors of an anime cartoon or an old school Nintendo video game, two other awesome imports from Japan.
Armed with a moog synthesizer and some nonsensical sing-song lyrics, Takako Minekawa crafts an absurdly fun earworm of a tune about a happy happy fantastic cat. The poppy peppiness and bloops and bleeps would feel right at home in the bright flashing colors of an anime cartoon or an old school Nintendo video game, two other awesome imports from Japan.
The 5.6.7.8’s
“Woo Hoo”
From Bomb the Twist
Garage rock girl group The 5.6.7.8’s were immortalized by Quentin Tarantino when they appeared as the house band at a Japanese go-go club during a climactic fight scene in Kill Bill: Vol. 1. “Woo Hoo,” one of the songs made famous by the movie, is a blistering two minutes of rockabilly riffs and ferocious drum fills, with the only lyrics being the “woo hoo” of the title.
Puffy Amiyumi
“Love So Pure”
From Hi Hi Puffy
Amiyumi
Huge stars in their native Japan, Puffy Amiyumi may be
familiar to American audiences fond of the Cartoon Network—they performed the
theme song to Teen Titans, and their
own Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi cartoon ran
for three seasons. This compilation gathers tracks
in both English and Japanese, and the English-language “Love So Pure,” with its
Beatle-esque buoyancy and ooh-la-las, is one of the standouts on an album
filled with great tunes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)