Inspirational and Religious Fiction and Gentle Reads


Inspirational and Christian Fiction

The term Christian fiction applies to those novels being published by evangelical Protestant Christian publishers like Bethany House, Word, Thomas Nelson, Crossway, and Tyndale. While many of these novels have an overtly Christian message, others are merely stories that lack profanity and references to sex and violence. Christian fiction covers a wide territory ranging from these gentle reads to stories of biblical characters to apocalyptic tales of cosmic good struggling with cosmic evil. [adapted from Westerville Public Library in Ohio].

Christian Fiction (Lansing PL, IL): 53-page PDF. 'This genre covers a wide range from the 'gentlereads' of Janette Oke to the apocalyptic tales of good and evil of Frank Peretti. While some have a distinct Christian message others are just good stories of people trying to live out their faith or work through their doubts. They don't include profanity, sex or graphic violence.' Author, title, pub. year, series listings for about 1,000 books, from a series by Randy Alcorn to James Yoder's Black Spider Of Tiegenhof.

What To Read Next: Christian Fiction (Tulsa City-County Library, OK): Provides titles, series notation, and webcat links for Christian historical and contemporary fiction and short story collections/anthologies. The historical fiction is further subdivided into time period/genre: Biblical, Early Church History, Medieval Times/Middle Ages, Colonial America/Revolutionary War, Western Frontier Pioneers, European, Victorian Era (Civil War - World War I), Great Depression, World War II, Mystery, and Other. The contemporary fiction is subdivided into type: gentle reads, including romance; and darker Reads, including mystery/suspense, spiritual warfare/apocalyptic, and science-fiction/fantasy. Hundreds of books listed. [March 2008 note: Unfortunately, page doesn't load properly in Firefox.]

The Spirit Within: Inspirational Fiction (Duluth Public Library, MN): Author and title only for novels/series published by Christian and mainstream publishers with Christian or inspirational themes. Works by almost 200 authors listed, from Ginny Aiken (Bellamy's Blossoms series) to Vinita Wright (Velma Still Cooks in Leeway).

Biblical Characters in Adult Fiction (Lincoln City Libraries, NE): Listed by Biblical character (Jesus is omitted), provides author, title, and webcat link for most. Lists about 45 characters and about 140 books. Compiled April 2004, updated March 2005.

Inspirational Fiction in Series (Wolfner Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Jefferson City, MO): Excellent mini-bibliography, lists about 100 series by 25 authors, with series name and titles in each series and description of series. These wholesome books tell a good story without sex, violence, or strong language, and reflect strong moral values and courage in overcoming obstacles. From Lynn Austin's Refiner's Fire series to Lori Wick's Yellow Rose Trilogy series.

Inspirational Fiction Series (Dorr Township Library, Dorr, MI): Listed by author, series name and titles in order. Over 85 series listed.

Bread Upon the Waters: Novels of Faith (Lynne M. Kennedy, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY): Authors, publication info, and summaries for more than 110 books, from Hannah Alexander's Sascred Trust to Vinita Hampton Wright's Velma Still Cooks in Leeway. Updated 2005.

Faith-Based Fiction by African-American Authors (Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD): Compiled 2005. About 15 books, published from 2003-2005, with author, title, webcat link, and summary, from Maxine Billings' A Measure of Faith to Carl Weber's Preacher's Son.

Inspirational Fiction (San Antonio Public Library, TX): Author, title/series name, summary, and publication year for each of 16 books or series, from June Masters Bacher's Love's Soft Whisper series to Lance Wubbels' Gentle Hills series. Updated Sept. 2004.

Inspirational Fiction: Gentle Reads and Best Christian Recent Fiction (Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, MA): 'These novels tell heart-warming stories of the lives of good, faithful people trying to live morally in their worlds. They are simply told without scenes depicting graphic sex or violence and without using profane language.' Provides author, title, publication data, summaries, and links to catalog information on each of over 25 titles and series similar to books by Grace Livingston Hill, Taylor Caldwell, Catherine Marshall, and Eugenia Price. Also, a list of Top Ten Christian Fiction Novels of 2000 and of 1999, all with summaries.

Christian Fiction (Waterford Township PL, MI): Author, title, webcat link, pub. year, genre for about 120 titles.

Inspirational Fiction (Fairfax County Public Library, VA): Author, title, summary, and webcat link for about 45 books, by Phillip Gulley, Ann Tatlock, T. Davis Bunn, Morris West, Jan Karon, Rumer Godden, Wendell Berry, Liz Curtis Higgs, Francine Rivers, et al. Updated Aug. 2007.

Inspirational Fiction Authors A-C (Jasper County Public Library, IN): Authors and titles only. Lists titles/series for about 35 authors whose last names begin with A-C, followed by pages for D-G, H-K, L-M, N-R, S-V, and W-Z.

Christian Fiction List (Marla Wilckens, Great Falls Public Library - Fiction-L List): Author, title, and genre (fantasy, historical, romance, western, etc.) provided for over 80 books or series. Compiled 1996.

Inspirational Fiction (Shannon R. Salter, Durham County Library, NC): Author and title(s), listed by genre: Mystery, Apocalyptic Thriller, Medical Thriller, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Western, Romance, and Biblical Fiction. April 1998, updated 2000. Also a separate page, with paragraph-length summaries of 24 novels of Inspirational Romance (by Shannon Salter, September 2000).

Notable Christian Novelists (Paula Gray-Overtoom, Monroe County Public Library, IN): Lists author, titles, webcat link for about 30 titles. From Randy Alcorn (Heaven) to Suzanne M. Wolfe (Unveiling). Updated Dec. 2006.

Christian Fiction Booklist (Ruby Cheesman and Xiaolian Deng, Salt Lake County Library, UT): 6-page PDF. Author, title, summary for about 40 novels, from Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin to In the Shadow of a Secret by Lance Wubbels. Compiled 2004.

Women of Faith (Shannon Salter, Durham County Library, NC): Provides author, title, summary of each of 15 novels. From The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope Stokes to Whispers from Yesterday by Robin Lee Hatcher. Compiled Jan. 2000.

Jesus & Early Christianity in Fiction: Fictional tales about men and women from the Bible (Johnson County Library, Overland Park, KS): Author, title, publication year, cover image, webcat link, and one-line summary for 10 books.

Christian Genre Fiction (Addison Public Library, IL): Title, author, and webcatalog link for 2 contemporary romance titles, 6 historical romance series, 5 horror novels, 11 suspense novels, 2 mysteries and a mystery series, 1 science-fiction book, 1 fantasy series, 2 apocalyptic fiction series, all written from a Christian perspective. Compiled Oct. 2000.

Historical Christian Fiction (Addison Public Library, IL): Author and title for about 50 books by more than 20 writers of Christian historical fiction series (and some single titles). Authors include Stephen Bly, T. Davis Bunn, Joseph Girzone, Angela Elwell Hunt, Steve Lawhead, Gilbert Morris, Judith Pella, Francine Rivers, Bodie and Brock Thoene, Sharon Ewell Foster, Jan Karon, Penelope Stokes, Denise Williamson, and others. Compiled Oct. 2000.

Fiction with Episcopal Church Background (Jasper County Public Library, IN): Authors and titles (with a few annotations) for about 15 novels. Compiled May 2001.

Catholic Fiction (Jasper County Public Library, IN): Authors and titles only (no summaries) for about 20 novels involving the Catholic faith. Compiled May 2002.

Contemporary Novels with Religious Themes (Jasper County Public Library, IN): Authors and titles only (few summaries) for about 25 novels, 'written by authors who are not known for writing about religious subjects.' Most have Christian theme, two books have a 'bit of a Buddhist bent.' From Patricia Anthony's God's Fires to Lee Smith's Saving Grace. Compiled Jan. 2000.

Characters who Learn to be True to Themselves... (Jasper County Public Library, IN): Authors and titles only for a dozen books in which characters claim their truth, from Open House by Elizabeth Berg to A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe. Compiled 2002.

Christian Fiction: Gentle Reads (Reader's Advice): 'Christian books with little or no sex, no violence.' Author, title, and Amazon link for about a dozen series and a few single titles. Updated Oct. 2006.

Christian Fiction (Hennepin County Library, MN): Author, title, and webcat link for about 15 contemporary Christian novels, from Randy Alcorn's Deception to Lori Wick's White Chocolate Moments; plus another dozen historical Christian novels.

Christian Mystery (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA): Author, title, publication info, summary, webcat link for about 15 books, from Hideaway by Hannah Alexander to Unveiling by Suzanne M. Wolfe.

Religious Thrillers or Puzzlers (Jasper County Public Library, IN): Authors, titles and some summaries for about 25 books. Compiled Aug. 2006.

Christian Westerns (Reader's Advice): Author, title, and Amazon link for about a dozen series and a couple of single titles. Compiled Feb. 2000, updated Jan. 2004.

Inspirational Romance (Shannon R. Salter, Durham County Library, NC): Paragraph-length summaries of 24 novels of inspirational romance. Sept. 2000.

Christian Romance (Reader's Advice): 'Romance novels for the Christian lifestyle.' Author, title, and Amazon link for about 250 titles, from Carolynne Aarsen's Every Faithful to Lenora Worth's Wedding at Wildwood. Compiled Dec. 1999, updated Feb. 2008.

Magdalene.org Booklist: Author, title, publication info, ISBN, comments, summaries, reviews and Amazon links for about 90 non-fiction and fiction titles focusing on Mary Magdalene.

Papal Succession Fiction (Berwyn Library, IL): 6-page PDF, with author, title, publication year, and summary for more than 25 novels, from Dan Brown's Angels and Demons to Morris West's The Shoes of the Fisherman.

Millennial/Apocalyptic Fiction (Reader's Advice): 'Christian fiction featuring the second coming, the end of the world, the rapture, and/or the aftermath.' Author, title, and Amazon link for about 125 titles (many in series), from Ken Abraham and Daniel Hart's The Prodigal Project series to Barbara Wood's The Prophetess. 'Left Behind' series and spinoffs are listed separately within list. Compiled Aug. 1999, updated Oct. 2007.

What To Read Next: Tales of the Apocalypse: End of the World Fiction (Tulsa City-County Library, OK): Provides authors, titles, short summaries, publication years and webcat links for more than 15 books and series, from Irving Bening's The Messiah Stones to Maria Doria Russell's The Sparrow and Children of God.


If You Like ... (Inspirational Readalikes)

If you liked Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven ... (Springfield City Library, MA): List of 6 fiction and 4 non-fiction books similar to Mitch Albom's books. Only author and title listed. Updated Oct. 2004.

Da Vinci Code readalikes and similar.

If You Like Anita Diamant's The Red Tent (Leane Ellis - Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, MA): Books listed by aspect of the novel that might have appealed: Sisterhood (9 books), Worshipping the Goddess (4 books), and Biblical Overtones and Characters (19 books). Authors, titles, publication dates, and summaries of each book. Updated March 2007.

Red Tent for Men (Karl G. Siewert, Fiction-L): Author and title for about 20 books, from The Apostle by Shalom Asch to Judas, My Brother by Frank Yerby. Compiled Aug. 2003.

If You Like Tim LaHaye (Kansas City Public Library): Lists author, title, and webcat link for about 15 similar books, from Hal Lindsey's Blood Moon to Frank Peretti's Visitation.

Oke, Wick, and Snelling Readalikes (Denise Jeffrey, Fiction-L): Lists over 30 authors similar to these authors of Christian fiction/gentle reads, with some series and titles noted. Compiled Feb. 2000.


Fiction about Religion (not necessarily Christian)

Books of Faith (AART, Rolling Meadows Library, IL): Author, title, publication year, page count, and summary for more than 35 novels involving faith, from Pearl Abraham's The Romance Reader to Ted Wojtasik's No Strange Fire. Compiled 1998.

Questions of Faith (Lukie Marriott, Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, publication year, webcat link for about 30 novels that 'contain a strong element of spiritual quest. There may be a loss or a rebirth of faith, a struggle to reconcile lifestyle or events with one's faith, or the pursuit of spirituality beyond the boundaries of organized religion. From Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to Penelope Williamson's The Outsider.

Fiction of Faith (New York PL): Author, title, publication info, webcat link, cover image, and summary for 25 novels, by authors including Janette Oke, E.L. Doctorow, Jan Karon, Miriyam Glazer, Sylvia Bambola, and others. Most but not all are published by Christian publishing houses (Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Bethany House, etc.). Compiled in 2001.

Questions of Faith (Overbooked): Author, title, pub. info, summary for 20 novels, most with starred reviews from the reviewing journals, from The Passion of Reverend Nash by Rachel Basch to The Unveiling by Suzanne Wolfe.

Spiritual Journeys Booklist (Gillian WaringGreatorex, Salt Lake County Library, UT): PDF. 'A collection of fiction and nonfiction titles focused on living life to the fullest and allowing others to do the same. They provide spiritual insight in many areas including: inner peace, healing, wisdom, sacred space, balance, love and freedom.' Author, title, summary for 25 books -- most are non-fiction. Compiled 2006.

Contemporary Authors Who Write Novels with Religious Themes (Thirza Krohn, Fiction-L): Lists over 20 novels with a religious theme, though not necessarily Christian fiction. Includes Gospel by William Barnhardt, Andrei Codrescu's Messi@h, Norman Mailer's The Gospel According to the Son, and others. Compiled Nov. 1999.

Faith and Faithful People (Kingston Frontenac Public Library, ON, CN): Author, title, webcat link for about 35 books, in title order, by Karen Kijewski, Maile Meloy, Ann Burton, Louis De Berniáeres, Tim LaHaye, Lawrence Kushner, et al.

Belivers and Doubters (Kitchner PL, ON, CN): Author and title only for about 150 books. ('Believers' and 'doubters' not noted.)

Adult Fiction on Biblical Themes (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends): List from the Quakers of many unusual works that draw from Biblical themes and stories, including Robert A. Heinlein's Job: A Comedy of Justice (science-fiction satire), Daniel Berrigan's A Book of Parables, Old Testament stories retold from the perspective of America of the 1970s, and Elizabeth Hollister Frost's Mary and the Spinners, which views the birth of Christ obliquely through the eyes of Mary's childhood friends. Author, title, publication information, and short summary.

Religion and Beliefs (Auburn Hills Public Library, MI): 'Fictional stories dealing with religion and beliefs.' Author and title only for about 125 novels, from A. Manette Ansay's Vinegar Hill to James Wood's The Book Against God. Updated Oct. 2007.

Quaker Fiction: Anecdotes and Folk Tales (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends): List from the Quakers of about 90 novels featuring Quaker characters or the Quaker faith, from Marjorie Hill Allee's Judith Lankester to Kathryn Worth's They Loved to Laugh. Author, title, publication info, page count, and short summary.

LDS Fiction (Ruby Cheesman, Salt Lake County Library, UT): 'These books are written by authors of the LDS faith and contain references to LDS doctrine or religion.' Author and title only for about 650 titles.

Mainstream Science Fiction and Fantasy with Latter-day Saint (Mormon) Characters and References (Adherents): Extensive and detailed list. Author, title of story or novel, publication year, presentation of Mormons (positive, negative, mixed), time period in which set, and summary/excerpt. Scroll down for A-C, then click on continuing pages: D-L, M-Z, and page 4, which contains science fiction references to Utah, Key to Latter-day Saint Themes in Orson Scott Card's Fiction, Classic Latter-day Saint Novels, and a Sampling of Major Science Fiction/Fantasy Movies Filmed in Utah.

Mormon Mysteries: Mainstream Mystery Novels Featuring Mormons (Adherents.com Religion in Literature Database): 'The novels on this list feature Mormons as the protagonist (the detective), as the antagonist (or possible suspects), or as both.' Lists authors of Mormon mystery and detective novels, and lists fictional detectives in Mormon mystery novels, as well as summaries and details for some series.

Mormons In Popular Literature Bibliography: 1979-2000 (Michael Austin): Author, title, publication info for over 100 novels in categories of Westerns, Historical Romances, Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror, True Crime Novels, and Mystery Novels.

Amish and Mennonite Fiction (Lansing PL, IL): 9-page PDF. Author, title, summary for about 45 books, many by Beverly Lewis and Tamar Myers, from A Fruitful Vine by Carrie Bender to Black Spider Over Tiegenhof by James D. Yoder. Compiled Sept. 2005, updated Feb. 2006.

Great Jewish Fiction (National Yiddish Book Center): Author, title, and publication year for the '100 best' Jewish books, from Tales of Mendele the Book Peddler (1869) by S.Y. Abramovitch to Selected Poetry by Natan Zakh. Includes books from the 1990s and this century as well (such as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon).

Jewish Interest (Northbrook Public Library, IL) : Author, title, summary for over 80 fiction titles and a dozen mysteries, including books by Benjamin Zucker, S.Y. Agnon, Joseph Ehrlich, Hortense Calisher, Joshua Henkin, Noah Gordon, Binnie Kirshenbaum, Bernard Malamud, Amoz Oz, Frederick Reiken, W.G. Sebald, Aryeh Lev Stollman, Batya Gur, and David Liss.

Jewish Fiction List (Jo Davies, Salt Lake County Library System): Four-page PDF file. Compiled February 2003. 'These works of fiction for adults are written for the most part by Jewish authors and may contain references to Jewish religion, culture and traditions.' Author, title, summary for about 50 books, from Herzog by Saul Bellow to Louisa by Simone Zelitch.

Jewish Fiction, not Holocaust Related, for Book Clubs (Amy Cervene, Fiction-L): Author/title for about a dozen non-fiction titles and almost 60 fiction titles. Compiled April 2002.

Pagan Fiction (Beth's Pagan Stuff): Author, title, and summary for more than 75 books in these categories: Pagan-Themed and Mythological Fiction; Society and Community; Arthurian Fiction; and Faery Fiction. Some YA books mixed in. Also: Pagan Non-Fiction.

Pagan Fiction (Fiction-L): Author and title only for about 75 titles, not in any order.

New Age Fiction (Springfield City Library, MA): Author, title, summary for 10 books, from Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach to The Laws of Return by Cameron Stratcher. Update Jan. 2008.

Theological Fiction (Auburn Hills Public Library, MI): 'Stories involving gods, demigods, saints, the afterlife, etc.' Author and title only for about 50 novels, from Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently Series to Leslie What's Olympic Games. Updated Sept. 2007.

God, Goddess and Godless (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA): 'Books about religion or the lack thereof.' Author, title, cover image, webcat link and summary for 8 books. Updated July 2007.


Gentle Reads

Generally cheerful with no explicit sex or violence, these books usually endorse traditional values and are often cozy and domestic in feel.

For more domestic reads, see the Domestic Fiction page

Old Fashioned Reads: Books Your Parents and Grandparents (and Maybe You!) Loved (Katherine Hoylo, Moorhead Public Library, Moorhead, MN - Fiction-L List): About 100 series listed in order by authors' last names, from Louisa May Alcott to Henry Winterfeld's series, Detectives in Togas. Also lists 10 more single books.

Crumpets and Tea: A Celebration of Brit-Literature (Lynne M. Kennedy, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY): Author, titles, publication info, and summary for more than 160 books, many in series. These are 'gentle reads,' genteel, generally peaceful, with a cozy feel. From Anthony Trollope's Palliser novels (1865-1880) and Elizabeth von Arnim's Elizabeth and Her German Garden (1898) to Joan Aiken Hodge's A Death in Two Parts (2000).

Gentle Reads (Lansing PL, IL): 11-page PDF. Author, title, summary for about 50 books, The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams [?] to It Had To Be You by Linda Windsor. Compiled June 2004, updated March 2006. Also: Gentle Fiction Reads But Not Religious, another PDF list, of 19 pages, with author, title, summary for about 90 books, from Eliza's Daughter by Joan Aiken to That Summer by Joan Wolf. Compiled April 2005, updated March 2006.

Gentle Reads (State Library of Tasmania): Author and title (some with summaries) for books in these subcategories: General fiction (40 books/series/authors), Family sagas (about 40 authors), Crime (50 series/books), Romance (about 20 authors), and Non-fiction (7 authors). Updated March 2008.

Pleasant Places (Sarah Cody - Fiction-L): Compiled Sept. 2006. Author and title for about 60 titles/series set in nice places. (Mostly gentle reads.)

Gentle Reads (Sharon Weinberg, Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, publication year, webcat link for about 35 books without 'scenes of graphic violence, explicit sex, and dysfunctional families' and with 'wholesome characters, some humor, a little romance.' From EF Benson's Mapp and Lucia to Effie Leland Wilder's Out to Pasture: But Not Over the Hill.

Gentle Fiction (Reader's Advice): 'Good stories with no sex and no violence.' Author, title, and Amazon link for about 90 books (many in series), from Bess Streeter Adrich's A Bess Streeter Aldrich Treasury to Effie Wilder's Fairacres series. Compiled Aug. 1999, updated regularly.

Village Cozies: Books Set in and about Village Life (Addison Public Library, IL): Title, author, summary, and webcatalog link for 13 series, of which 8 are mysteries. Compiled Oct. 2000.

Gentle Reads V (Wilmette Public Library, IL): Author, title, publication year, webcat link, and summary for 11 books, from Elizabeth Buchan's Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman to Marcia Willett's A Week in Winter. Also: Gentle Reads VI, with another 12 books listed. Both lists last revised Aug. 2006.

Christian Fiction (Hennepin County Library, MN): Author, title, webcat link, and summary for about 20 gentle reads, from Elizabeth von Arnim's The Enchanted April to Ann B. Ross's Miss Julia Speaks her Mind, plus a long list of authors of similar books.

Gentle Reads (Joan Christensen and Judy Yaka, Salt Lake County Library, UT): 11-page PDF. Author, title, summary for about 30 fiction titles, about 15 mysteries, and about 10 Southern fiction titles.

Comfort Reading (Suzanne Booker, Monroe County Public Library, IN): Author, title(s), webcat links listed for books by about 45 authors, including Jane Austen, Barbara Pym, Olive Ann Burns, Jan Karon, Rosamunde Pilcher, Angela Thirkell, Michelle Magorian, Dodie Smith, Miss Read, Bailey White, PG Wodehouse, E.F. Benson, more.

Village Fiction (State Library of Tasmania): Books featuring endearing characters and the social routines of village life. Author and title listed for about 20 books/series, summaries for some books. Authors include Bailey White, Barbara Pym, Miss Read, Angela Thirkell, Joanna Trollope, Ann Purser, Rebecca Shaw, others.

Country Life (Halton Hills Public Library -- Georgetown, Ontario, CAN) : Listed by author, titles of novels about life in the country and on the farm, with links to webcat. About 50 books, from Gail Anderson-Dargatz's The Cure for Death by Lightning to Jane Roberts Wood's Dance a Little Longer.

Pastoral Fiction (i.e. Jan Karon) (Reader's Advice): 'Peaceful village life, punctuated with heartwarming and funny episodes.' Explicitly Christian books are labelled. Author, title, and Amazon link for about 200 titles (many series), from Elizabeth Adler's Summer in Tuscany to Sheila Williams' The Shade of My Own Tree. Compiled Aug. 1999, updated regularly.

Heartwarming Novels (Nancy Alexander, Fiction-L): Compiled Sept. 2001, many of these are gentle reads. Lists title and author for over 60 novels (no summaries).

Stories from Small Town America (Lake County PL, Merrillville, IN): Author, title, pub. year for about 50 books (some short story collections) set in small towns. Updated 2004.


Jan Karon Readalikes

If You Like Jan Karon's Mitford series... (Multnomah County Library, OR): Author, title, publication year, summary for more than 25 single titles and series similar to the Mitford books, from Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity series (mysteries) to Jane Roberts Wood's Lucinda Richards trilogy.

What to Read Next If You Like Jan Karon (Tulsa City-County Library, OK): Author, title, pub. year, webcat link and summary for about 30 books, from Carrie Brown's Rose's Garden to Effie Leland Wilder's Out to Pasture but Not Over the Hill.

Neighbors of Mitford (Central Rappahannock Public Library, VA): Author, title, summary, webcat link for 24 books with quirky characters living through miracles and misery in small towns, from A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry to The Cape Ann by Faith Sullivan.

IF YOU LIKE JAN KARON, then you might like ... (San Antonio Public Library, TX): Author, title, publication year, summary for over 25 books similar to Karon's, from F. Benson's Make Way for Lucia to Effie Wilder's Out to Pasture (but not over the hill). These are more gentle reads than Christian fiction. Updated 2004.

If You Like Jan Karon (Ames PL, IA): Author, title, webcat link, summary for 15 novels, from A Fruitful Vine by Carrie Bender to Quite a Year for Plums by Bailey White. March 2007.

If You Like Jan Karon (Arapahoe Library District, Englewood, CO): Author, title, cover image, webcat link, and summary for 15 books, including Land Girls by Angela Huth and The Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast by Bill Richardson.

If you like Jan Karon's Mitford, then travel to ... (Waterford Township PL, MI): 'Books about pleasant places.' List in order of place, from Abbotsford, North Carolina to Tory, Illinois. Author, title, pub. year, webcat link for about 20 series/books. Updated Dec. 2006.

Jan Karon Read-a-Likes (Michaela Haberkern, Skokie Public Library, IL): Books that appeal to a 'longing for community, for kindness, for faith, and for simplicity in life,' featuring 'quietly quirky, friendly, honest characters.' Author, title, pub. year, webcat link for about 25 books, from Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin to Katherine Valentine's Grace Will Lead Me Home. Updated Feb. 2006.

If You Liked... At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon (Timberland Regional Library, WA): Author, title, cover image and webcat link for about 30 titles, from Dan Binchy's Loopy to Bailey White's Quite a year for plums. Compiled July 2007.

If You Like Jan Karon's Mitford Books ... (Duluth Public Library, MN): Author and title only for about 50 novels/series similar to the Mitford series books, from Bess Aldrich's Mother Mason to Vinita Hampton Wright's Velma Still Cooks in Leeway.

There's No Place Like Jan Karon's Mitford... (St. Charles Public Library, IL): ...but some of these come close. List of about two dozen books (series noted) with ambiance similar to the Mitford series, from Make Way for Lucia by E. F. Benson to Out to Pasture by Effie Wilder. Compiled May 1999.


Rosamund Pilcher Readalikes

What Should I Read Now? If you like Rosamunde Pilcher... (Tulsa City-County Library, OK): Provides titles, short summaries, and webcat links for books by over 25 authors similar to Pilcher's The Shell Seekers, including Annabel Davis-Goff, Sarah Woodhouse, Mary Wesley, Eugenia Price, Patricia Veryan, Grace Livingston Hill, Hazel Hucker, Elizabeth Cadell, Katie Fforde, and others. Updated April 2008.

If You Like ... ROSAMUNDE PILCHER (Manchester Public Library, Manchester, CT): Author, title, brief summary for books by a dozen similar authors, from several by Maeve Binchy to Marcia Willett's A Week in Winter. Updated June 2004.

If you like ... Rosamund Pilcher (Novi PL, MI): Author and title only for about 40 books, from Margaret Bacon's The Ewe Lamb to Sarah Woodhouse's Other Lives.