Overview: Looking for some great Christian fiction books? Here are my favorite Christian fiction authors including Karen Kingsbury, Lynn Austin, and more! FREE PRINTABLE LIST available.
I love to read books for pleasure. It’s important for moms to take some time for themselves whenever they can squeak it into their busy schedules. It isn’t often that I get time to relax with a good book.
When I do have a few minutes, however, I want to be sure I’m going to enjoy whatever I’m taking the time to read.
Below is a list of some of my favorite Christian fiction authors and my favorite books that they’ve written. Some of these books are historical Christian fiction and some take place in more modern settings.
If you love reading Karen Kingsbury or Lynn Austin you’ll love these authors as well. I wish you many hours of pleasure reading these great books!
Here are 19 Christian Fiction Authors Moms Love to Read
Amish Christian Fiction
Tricia Goyer – Tricia has written lots of outstanding books. I love her Amish books, which unlike some authors, she attempts to portray in a more realistic way. I appreciate how Tricia shows us that Amish people have much we can admire, but there also things that they can learn from us English. My favorites so far are her Big Sky Novels which take place in Montana.
Beverly Lewis – Beverly’s mother grew up in the Amish community and that has fueled her desire to write extensively about them. She recommends you read her Heritage of Lancaster County series first.
Christian Fiction with a Fantasy Flair
Lori Copeland – I love her Heavenly Daze series, which takes place on an island which, unbeknownst to the inhabitants, is also the home of several guardian angels.
Contemporary Christian Fiction
Angela Elwell Hunt – I love pretty much everything that Angela Hunt has written. If you haven’t read any of her books before, I recommend you start with her Fairlawn series about a woman who inherits a funeral home. I would never have guessed that books about learning the art of embalming could be heartwarming and funny – but these definitely are!
Neta Jackson – I love, love, love her Yada Yada Prayer Group books. I refused to read these books for several years because the covers were neon colors and the titles made me think I wouldn’t be interested in reading them. I’m so glad I finally gave them a try! Wow! And Yada Yada actually has an awesome meaning that I won’t ruin for you. Read them! 🙂 Note: Start with the Prayer Group books… then you can work your way through her other related books and parallel novels.
Jan Karon – Here’s an author that my readers highly recommended. Her Mitford series featuring Father Tim is wildly popular. From what I hear, they do an amazing job of illuminating the daily struggles we all face. I can’t wait to read these myself!
Karen Kingsbury – If you haven’t read any of the books about the Baxter family, I highly recommend them. You’ll fall in love with this family like millions of other readers around the world. Be sure to read these books in order so that you don’t learn secrets about the family out of the author’s intended sequence. You should read the Redemption series first.
Beverly LaHaye – I love the Seasons series which she wrote with Terri Blackstock. These books are about the women who find themselves living next door to each other on a cul-de-sac. Read these books with a fresh box of kleenex next to you!
Madeleine L’Engle – Many of us have read Madeleine’s books for children especially A Wrinkle in Time. But did you know that she has also written several books for adults? Some of my readers recommend her books The Small Rain and its sequel A Severed Wasp.
Susan Meissner – I stumbled upon Susan’s books a few years ago and quickly read through everything she had ever written. Great books! I’d recommend you start with either The Shape of Mercy or Lady in Waiting.
Linda Evans Shepherd – Linda writes fun books with a message – but she doesn’t pound you over the head with it. Start with her series called The Potluck Club.
Susan May Warren – This is another author my readers highly recommend. She has written several series of books but her Deep Haven series looks interesting to me!
Dystopian Christian Fiction
Terri Blackstock – Terri has written books both before and after becoming a Christian so be sure you do your research before you choose one to read. I love her Restoration series which focuses on typical American families who must change everything they know when all electronics suddenly stop working. Great books if you like suspenseful drama!
Historical Christian Fiction
Lynn Austin – My favorite series of Lynn’s so far has been Chronicles of the Kings. It’s a 5 book series about the kings of Judah. If you like historical fiction, you’ll love these books. They bring many Old Testament characters to life!
Kacy Barnett-Gramckow – I love Kacy’s Genesis Trilogy which is a unique story about a woman who marries into Noah’s family before the great flood. This is an extremely imaginative look at what life might have been like from before the flood through the time of the Tower of Babel. Loved it!
Jocelyn Green – Jocelyn has written a wonderful series called Heroines Behind the Lines, which takes place during the Civil War. These books tell the story of some unsung female heroes who saved hundreds of thousands of lives!
Sally Laity and Dianna Crawford – The Freedom’s Holy Light series takes place during the early days of the American colonies and the Revolutionary War. My readers highly recommended them!
Janette Oke, a popular Christian author, has written 70 books, some of which have even been adapted into movies. Her books are about the brave pioneers of the American and Canadian west and they deal with the struggles families often faced and the faith which helped them to overcome adversity. The Love Comes Softly series was her first and is still popular.
Francine Rivers – Francine has written some amazing books. I especially love her historical fiction such as her Mark of the Lion series which takes place in 70 AD and her Lineage of Grace series about the five unlikely women who were chosen to be in the line of Christ.
Question: Do you enjoy reading Christian Fiction? Which authors would you recommend? Please leave a comment below.
Thank you for posting this. I love to read but find I really do not have time but maybe in a few years I will check back at this list.
Yeah, I get it. Time is precious, that’s for sure. Be sure you try to at least get a little bit of time for yourself when you can… whether you’re reading or taking a walk or a warm bath. Little moments like that can help recharge us and sweeten our attitudes so that we’re able to give even more to our families. 🙂 <3
I highly recommend The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz by Jenny Cote. The series is more for children and youth, but I found them thoroughly enjoyable. These are great to read together, perhaps a chapter a night as a family, instead of watching television. They are not children’s books , the are the size of novels. I think you will really enjoy the characters.
Start with The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud.
I would include Madeleine L’Engle’s fiction for adults in this list. “A Live Coal in the Sea,” “Certain Women,” “Severed Wasp,” “The Small Rain” – are all wonderfully rich reads.
I didn’t realize she had written books for adults. My boys have read some of her books for kids! Thanks for the tip. I’ll definitely check those out!
Jan Karon! She has a HUGE fan base! Her Mitford Series and Father Tim Novels are extremely popular. My mother introduced them to me and they are soothing to the soul!
Awesome! Another author I haven’t heard of. Thanks so much! I’ll add her to my list.
Thank you for the suggestions. I love Lynn Austin’s women’s fiction books (not so much her Biblical ones – no offence to the Bible but they’re a bit too dark for my liking). I adored reading Susan Meissner’s The Shape of Mercy. I’m keen to try Angela Hunt and Neta Jackson. Susan May Warren also writes lovely Christian novels as does Janette Oke (these ones are more historical in nature.) My first inspirational novel comes out in March. I write mostly contemporary romance and have struggled to get my inspirational works published. Anyway, it’s finally happened. Writing is a joy and keeps me sane while I homeschool.
Congratulations, Kathy! How exciting. You’ll have to come back and post when your book is available. I think you’ll love Angela Hunt and Neta Jackson’s books. They’re great. Thanks, also, for your other suggestions. I’ll have to give them a try. 🙂
My mom’s friend Sally Laity writes christian historical fiction & she has a brilliant series set during the revolutionary war. It is so good – another series that really brings past heroes to life. The series is called “Freedom’s Holy Light” & the first book is “the gathering dawn”. Highly recommend!
I’ll have to check those out, Karen. They sound great. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for another great list, Michelle! I’m anxious to try the “Restoration Series” by Terri Blackstock as I really like suspense and mystery. I’ve read a lot of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, and of course The Left Behind Series by Tim Lahaye.
Karen’s suggestion also sounds very interesting! I’ll be checking that one out!
I like you’ll love the “Restoration Series”, Dana. Definitely suspenseful! Terri Blackstock has lots of books that would fit in that category that you can try if you enjoy the first series, too. I love finding good authors and reading through everything they’ve written. 🙂
Jocelyn Green is definitely worth reading. She writes historical fiction. She has a series set during the Civil War and she’s just started a new series.
Thank-you! I’ll have to check her books out as well. 🙂
I love the seasons books as well as anything Terry Blackstock. Thanks for sharing! Any posts about books for boys to read? 🙂 I suppose I could look around on your site lol.
LOL Yes, I’ve got posts with books for boys. Here are a few of them:
– 20 Recommended Books for Tweens (Favorites of My Boys)
– 79 Read Aloud Books that Boys Love! (boys can certainly read these on their own as well.)
– 10 Awesome Non-Fiction Audio Books for Tween/Teen Boys
– 10 Awesome Audio Books for Boys
I would not include Madeleine L’Engle as a Christian author. I think she was more like my friend and neighbor who is very interested in Christianity – and everything else she considers spiritual –
and therefore is a Wiccan. I don’t know if L’Engle considered herself a Wiccan at all, but I know her books introduced me to more Wiccan concepts than Christian concepts.
Thanks so much for this awesome list! I also really like books by Kristen Heitzmann: the Michelli Family Series or A Rush of Wings series.
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll have to check those out.
Lori Wick is my all-time favorite for Christian fiction! She’s not writing anymore but you can find her books at most libraries and bookstores. Susan May Warren’s PJ Sugar series is fun too. I’m excited to try some of these other suggestions!
Thanks for the suggestions, Heather! I hope you’re able to find lots of stuff you enjoy on this list. 🙂
Grace Livingston Hill. While her writings might be a tiny bit outdated, I still enjoy reading her books very much; makes me think of my grandmother and what times were like for her growing up and into her adulthood.
Kristi Ann Hunter and Roseanna White are two of our top favorite Christian fiction authors at this time. Both have written many Series, and we purchase the latest books as soon as they come out on Amazon.
I think Roseanna White is one of the best Christian fiction authors I’ve ever read, skillfully weaving struggles of faith into riveting adventure.
Lynn Austin’s “Wonderland Creek” is one of our most favorite books ever.
Vikki Kestell is possibly the most unique Christian fiction writer out there, with her Laynie Portland spy series as well as the Stealth series (which is my top favorite science fiction series.) I couldn’t put my Kindle down: I was stuck in these books for weeks, and then when I finished them I read them all over again.
Thanks for sharing those, Cynthia! I’ll have to check a few of those authors out. 🙂
Awesome! This list of Christian authors will really help me and my wife traverse our Christian journey as a family! We always love works like these and the ones by Keion, https://www.keionhenderson.com/christian-authors ! Truly this is a blessing!
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll check this list out as well.
This is such a great list! I would add Bodie Thoene (several series about WWII, and then ties into Jewish ancestors all the way back to Jesus’ time.) Also, Marie Bostwick!!! (Makes me want to quilt.) Also, Tracy Groot. I just discovered her- I think she only has 5 books so far but GOOD, GOOD, GOOD. And Lisa Samson- she takes a different slant on some topics. So many- we are all blessed to live in a time when these are available. Happy reading.
Thank you! And yay, more great authors to try. Thanks for the suggestions!