If there is something I love doing more than just about anything it’s to read. So today, for the last paper of the semester, I put together a list of my most loved books for the year.
10. The Flame Of Olympus By Kate O’Hearn
This book is for those who love the Percy Jackson series. It is a new spin on the stories of the Greek gods. Pegasus has fallen. He is found on the roof of an apartment where a little girl lives. The flame of Olympus has been stolen, and it’s up to the girl and an unforeseen ally to help Pegasus get the flame back. I have only read the first book in this series but it was a lot of good-natured fun. I can’t wait to see the rest of what this author has planned. This book got a 75% from me.
9. Life Just Got Real By Sadie Robertson
This book is about a country girl who is brought into the big city. It follows the story that is very much like Sadie’s life actually. This book made me laugh out loud and cry tears of joy. It’s good because it’s just like real life, with all of its quirkiness. It was a quick and easy read. I gave it a 75%.
8. The Silent Songbird By Melanie Dickerson
Do you like knights and castles but also like the Disney genre? This book is a great mix of all of those. The story follows Evangeline, a girl known for her melodic voice. She is betrothed to a wicked and powerful man. To get out of the marriage, she runs away and disguises herself and a mute peasant. But she is being hunted mercilessly by the man she fled from. This book was like another Disney story, which meant I loved it. It gets 80%.
7. Ready Player One By Ernest Cline
This book was packed with high action and extreme nerd vibes. I felt right at home. There was a little language in it that I could have done without but the story was well worth the read. This book is set in the near future, where a millionaire has left his inheritance to whoever can win his virtual reality game. And so the race begins. A solid 85%.
6. Unlocked By Karen Kingsbury
What happens when an autistic young boy is introduced to music? Well, it might just be the key to “unlock” his future. This is a book about God’s providence and healing. A must read for all. A 90%.
5. The Burning Maze By Rick Riordan
I have loved reading the Percy Jackson books through the years. While I do love the first two series more, this series has been fun to read as well. It follows the adventures of Apollo, who has been cast down by Zeus to live as a mortal for a time. I can’t say any more right now because it’s the third book in a series, but you should definitely check it out. A solid 90%.
4. A Reaper At The Gates By Sabaa Tahir
This is the third book in the Ember in the Ashes series. We follow the adventures of Laia and Elias as they fight to save a crumbling society. It is set as if back in Roman times. A real page-turner. There is adventure, mystery, action, and a little bit of romance sprinkled in the mix. I give this book a 95%. I am anxiously waiting for the last of the series.
3. A Moment Of Weakness By Karen Kingsbury
This is part of the Forever Faithful trilogy. I haven’t finished the series, but the last book is waiting on the bookshelf for when I have time. This series is all about how people like you and I can overcome even the most horrible of tragedies and still be happy with God’s amazing plan to turn bad into good. A book I will continue to recommend to literally everyone. A high 95%.
2. Redeeming Love By Francine Rivers
This is a retelling of the book of Hosea from the bible. God tells Michael to go and get a particular woman named Angel out of prostitution. He must try to show her that the love she was taught isn’t true and that she is worth more than she is told. Angel hates Michael and wants nothing to do with him, but he won’t give up. Neither will God. 100%, the second-best score possible.
1. The Masterpiece By Francine Rivers
This year was the first time I got my hands of one of Francine’s books. I am now an avid reader of hers, and this is why her books have placed so high in my list. This book is about a successful LA artist named Roman Velasco. He seems to have everything he wants. The only person who knows even part of the truth is Grace Moore, his newly hired assistant. The demons of Roman’s past seem to echo in his empty mansion. What Grace doesn’t know is that he wrestles with those demons: by tagging buildings as the Bird, a notorious but unidentified graffiti artist. This alto ego could ruin his life forever.
Like Roman, Grace is wrestling with secrets of her own. A disastrous marriage threw her life completely off course. She has vowed never to let love steal her dreams again. Both are hardened and sad people, but together, they may patch all of the pieces back together. I fell in love with this story. I wish there was another book so I can learn more about Roman and Grace, but it seems I’ll have to settle for reading Francine’s other amazing books. This book received the highest praise I can give it. A 100% and a gold star.
Thanks for sitting down with me to talk about my favorite books of the year. I can’t wait to read the stories that are coming next year. There will never be enough time in the world, but I guess I’ll have to manage.