Christian Novels for Summer Reading 2

Christian Novels for Summer Reading 2  

The Book of Hours

By T. Davis Bunn

The Book of Hours is an interesting Christian novel both historical and a mystery. Set in a small town in England, the story revolves around Brian Blackstone, a young man who has inherited Castle Keep from his deceased wife. The estate is about to be foreclosed and sold to entrepreneurs who plan to demolish it. Brian and his new friends in the village discover a sequence of letters from his wife’s deceased Aunt. The letters, each with a puzzle to solve, reveal many secrets hidden at the estate. Through twists and turns of this they struggle to hang onto Castle Keep. A renewal of faith and recovery from grief by Brian is well described and inspiring and affects the entire village.

Lord Foulgrin’s Letters: How to Strike Back at the Tyrant by Deceiving and destroying His Human Vermin 

By Randy Alcorn

Lord Foulgrin, as a senior devil, writes letters to a student devil instructing him how to deceive and tempt humans and thus entice them into sin and away from God. This excellent book is as good as The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Alcorn has added alternate chapters about Fletcher and his family, who the student devil is assigned to, bringing the issues to real life.

Throughout the letters God is referred to as the Tyrant or the Enemy – the way a demon would think of him. This fact is a bit unnerving when reading the book. The advice given the student devil is ingenious, teaching him to be subtle and to know his subject. The book touches on many of the issues of our day including moral relativism, diversity, honestt, money and possessions, anger and more. We are told by Scripture that Satan prowls around like a lion seeking who he can devour. We are also told that our battle is against the principalities and powers in the heavenly realms. This book confronts us with our own sin temptations and adaptations to the world that keep us from our God-given purposes. There’s much to ponder in this excellent book.

The Ishbane Conspiracy

By Angela, Karina & Randy Alcorn

This novel is similar to Lord Foulgrins Letters (above) and the Screwtape Letters of C.S. Lewis in which we hear demons reflect on how to defeat or lead astray the main characters. Randy Alcorn and his two daughters present a fascinating work of fiction with great truth in it. The story focuses on four youthful characters and their families. We learn the trials and temptations that beset each of them. Some are dabbling in Ouija boards and the occult, others are depressed and thinking of suicide, all are unaware of each other’s problems and needs. Letters between two demons reveal the strategies they use to keep us from the Enemy (God). This is an excellent book for both young and old.

Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard Von Bingen

By Mary Sharratt

Illuminations portrays the life of Hildegard Von Bingen, a woman of note who grew up in the Middle Ages. The youngest of ten children, Hildegard’s mother gave her to the church as the family “tithe” at the age of eight. Her father and older brothers were fighting in the Crusades and she reported having visions which greatly distressed her mother. In the monastery she was sequestered in one room with a disturbed young nun. This powerless, imprisoned child nevertheless grew up to be a powerful leader, a writer of visions and a champion of her sisters. The story is beautifully written and riveting with many twists and turns. It sheds light on life in the Middle Ages as well as the life of young women dedicated to the Church. This is a very good read.

Blessings, Dottie