Reading fiction books is like reading the minds of the greatest writers, the creativity of these writers are just phenomenal. Here a 24 literature and fiction books that you must read.
1. The Girl From Tenerife
From the first moment the beautiful, yet unavailable, Sahily comes into his life everything changes. He is inspired both to win her heart and defeat the whispering ghosts of famous dead writers who tell him he’ll never be good enough. That he’ll never stand toe-to-toe with the champions.
The Girl From Tenerife is both romance and literature. It is a heart-wrenching story of passionate, dangerous love. Tremendous victory over all odds. Stunning and unendurable loss. Several famous authors make appearances to taunt the narrator, but none more so than Papa himself, the great Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway carries around his heavyweight championship belt, constantly reminding the book’s narrator he’s not worthy of even carrying Papa’s spit-bucket.
By the book’s end, both Hemingway and the reader will have their answer as to whether or not that is true.
2. Zero Hour, Shifting Power
In the year 2041, the U.S. is no more after planned chaos runs its course. Through years of machinated planning and orchestration, the evil underworld organization Scorpion achieves what it set out to do all along: bring down capitalism and Christianity in the West. Not only that, but also set the stage for a coming one-world government. However as it turns out the road to such a destiny is paved with fraught and peril as good confronts evil in an epic showdown in Zero Hour, Shifting Power.
3. Time and Again
Visiting another century… not the summer vacation she had planned.
Abby thinks tutoring an “an economically disadvantaged adolescent” as her college service project for the summer will be a snap.
Merrideth, her sullen 11-year-old student, thinks “No thanks, I don’t need a babysitter.”
John thinks Abby’s kidding when she tells him she can fast-forward and rewind life. Not her own, of course, but that of the girl who lived in Merrideth’s house 160 years ago.
It’s difficult for Abby to break through Merrideth’s emotional wall. The girl has been closed down ever since her parents’ divorce, especially since she was forced to move to the dilapidated old house that her mom inherited.
But when her dad sends her a top-of-the-line computer to make up for it, Abby and Merrideth discover a crazy program that invites them to “Take a Virtual Tour” of houses around the world– including Merrideth’s.
It’s a tour all right… a tour of the past when the house was new and a girl named Charlotte Miles lived there 150 years before.
4. Atomic Summer
THREE friends, TWO secrets, ONE lie, and the summer that changed their lives.
2012 Southern California Book Festival, Honorable Mention recipient.
In 1953, three teenage girls’ innocent conversations about what each of them would do if the end of the world were imminent, coupled with a friend’s obsession, become the catalyst for a prank that spins wildly beyond control and draws in an entire town. In 1973, a reunion trip to the small town of their youth returns them to the summer of 1953 and the passion and betrayal that changed their lives.
“Be prepared. This summer is going to be Atomic!”
5. Mustard Seed Baby Doll: a novella
Finding herself alone and living in an abandoned subway tunnel after her mother’s death, Rachael feels the pull of her ten-year-old starlet heart to become what she always knew she would be; an actress. But growing up is its own learning curve; a regular street corner full of lessons.
Samson may have grown up. As a bodybuilder, he may have even gotten big and strong just like a real man is supposed to, but that doesn’t mean that life has given him all answers quite yet, or if it ever will.
For Jim and Maudelyn, retirement and growing old hasn’t been a bed of roses. And after their only child ran away, sitting and staring at each other from opposite sides of the same apartment for the last ten years hasn’t helped matters. But distance makes the heart grow fonder…
…and even the smallest kernel of faith can sprout into something capable of moving the very mountains themselves.
6. If I Never Went Home
Written in two distinct, alternating voices, If I Never Went Home follows ten years in the turbulent lives of two narrators – thirty-something Bea, an immigrant in Boston, and ten-year-old Tina in Trinidad – as they separately navigate devastating losses, illness and betrayal in their quest to belong.
Moving back and forth from the present to the past through flashbacks, this is the powerful story of how these women unearth family secrets that go beyond anything they could have imagined. Then unexpectedly their lives collide, and they are offered the chance to create a home. But can this gamble survive one last surprise about Tina’s real identity?
7. I Stopped Time: A Historical Novel
Disgraced politician Sir James Hastings has resigned himself to retirement in a secluded Surrey village. He doesn’t react when he learns that the mother who had abandoned him dies at the age of 108: he imagined she had died many years ago. But, when he inherits her life’s work – a photography collection spanning over six decades – he is forced to confront his past.
8. These Fragile Things
As South London still reels from the Brixton riots, Graham Jones, an ordinary father, grows fearful for his teenage daughter Judy who faces a world where the pace of change appears to be accelerating. But even he cannot predict what will happen next. A series of events is about to be unleashed over which he will have no control, and the lives of his family will change forever. When Judy claims to be seeing visions he will call it a miracle, and, to his wife’s horror, the hungry press will label their daughter The Miracle Girl. Elaine, present when she came close to losing her daughter a first time – knowing it was the paramedics and surgeons who saved her – will demand a medical explanation. But Judy, refusing to become caught in this emotional tug-of-war, is adamant. She must tread her own path, wherever it takes her.
Delusion, deception, diabolic – or is it just possible that Judy’s apparitions are authentic?
9. Christmas Guest
It’s Christmas, and fate is forcing Scott Morgan to rethink his successful executive life. First, an encounter with a curly-headed foster child seems to have thrown his efficient, logical psyche out of balance. Then a phone call in the middle of the night drags him back to his grandparents’ farm, a place of old memories he has avoided for twelve years.
While at the farm, he suddenly recalls a childhood sled ride that whisked him into the past. He had been sure it was all a dream, but the magic is about to repeat itself. This time, a badly broken leg will make it impossible to get home as fast as he would like, and an infection threatens to keep him in the past permanently. Struggling to get home in time for Christmas, he uncovers a family secret and soon comes to realize that his life is interwoven with that of the small foster boy.
And he learns that, in the end, somehow you always come home.
10. The Tragedy of Fidel Castro
When God receives a request from Fátima to help prevent a war between Fidel Castro and JFK, he asks his son, Jesus, to return to Earth and diffuse the conflict.
On his island, Fidel Castro faces protests on the streets and realizes that he is about to be overthrown. Alone, surrounded, and aware that the end is fast approaching, he plays his last card.
Meanwhile, Christ arrives on Earth and teams up with Fátima, who is convinced she can create a miracle to avoid the final battle between JFK and Fidel Castro and save the world as we know it.
At the end, something really extraordinary happens!
11. In His Stead (A Father’s War)
The award winning novel In His Stead tells the compelling & gritty story of Retired Army Ranger Thomas Lane whose youngest son is called up by the National Guard to serve. Having already lost one son in Afghanistan, Lane knows he will do anything to save his child—even if it means going in his place, a pursuit unheard of since the Civil War when the rich sent the poor to serve in their place. Lane battles the Army & its JAG corp. At home another conflict ignites with the very son he’s trying to protect and his own wife who has the Solomon-like choice of either sending another son or her husband off to war.
12. A Whisper to a Scream (The Bibliophiles)
A Whisper to a Scream has been hailed for its “fluid prose and realistic dialogue” and has been called “a vivid portrayal of contemporary marriage.” Praised by Publishers Weekly for its “fearless truthfulness,” the novel centers around Sarah, a stay-at-home mother of two, and Annie, a PR executive dealing with fertility issues. When they meet through a classics book club, each thinks the other ones life is so much better than her own. But is the grass truly greener on the other side of the fence?
13. Gumbeaux
Where do you go when you disappear?
For young heiress Mary Fait, the answer is New Orleans. After the death of her parents, she is placed in the care of her alcoholic uncle. For years, she assists her uncle in growing the family empire, all the while plotting his demise and / or her escape. A college scholarship gives her the opportunity to break free of her life to start a new one – under a new name. Follow Mary and her often hilarious misadventures in the early 1990’s while attending college in a small town in Louisiana. The story reads as a series of diary entries which chronicle the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of the main character during this time in her life. The novel’s title refers to a cajun restaurant in which the main character works as a waitress. The colorful descriptions of the town of Bayou Bend, the college, its inhabitants and the surrounding areas paint a vivid and amusing tale of life in the South.
14. Dreaming of Laughing Hawk
In 1964 Elizabeth Leigh is looking forward to college, escape from her unhappy home, and the fulfillment of her dreams. Adventure. Love. Her place in the sun. On a restless afternoon, she leaves school early and discovers her mother is packing to run off with a lover, abandoning Elizabeth and her stepfather. Worse, she learns her mother has squandered the college money her grandfather left her.
A fortuitous invitation from her cousin Melina to come to Los Angeles rescues her from an uncertain future. In Los Angeles, Elizabeth finds security in the embrace of her aunt’s family and is introduced to the man who soon becomes her fiance, Collin Greenslade, an ambitious, up-and-coming real estate developer. Life could not be more perfect.
When her cousin’s boyfriend, a civil rights activist, has his Thunderbird vandalized in Mississippi, he enlists his roommate, Mark Laughing Hawk, to tow his car back home. Melina insists that she and Elizabeth should come along for the ride, but what starts as a fun romp across the country becomes a journey of the soul that complicates love and endangers lives.
DREAMING OF LAUGHING HAWK explores the desire for love, power, and sense of purpose and the lengths we will go to attain them.
15. Drop Out
What would you do if you knew you only had days to live?
Would you freak out? Would you waste it in self-pity, resentment, or denial? Or would you go and pursue everything you’ve ever wanted to do?
Nearly a decade had passed since Nathan stood inside someone’s home, since that terrible September morning when he lost everything he ever loved.
Outside, a hurricane sounded like it was beating palm trees against the siding. Nathan didn’t know the sickly woman who’d rescued him from the throes of the epic storm. Her name is Miriam and she is about to change everything he ever thought about the meaning of life and what lies beyond.
Nathan discovers the strength of love can piece his shattered world back together and heal wounds that cut deep into his soul. With the clock ticking toward the end of Miriam’s life, he never figured the perils he and this dying woman were about to face by knowing the most horrible knowledge one can know.
Read what Kindle Nation Daily called “the sleeper hit of the year” what Kindle Fire Department called, “riveting, touching, and deeply heartwarming, a book that will stay with you forever”; an Indie Book of the Day winner in 2012.
It will affect you! Grab a copy today!
16. Almost Persuaded: Miss Mary King
Mary King admired George Wickham from the moment she first set eyes on him. Handsome and charismatic, he satisfied her every notion of what a consummate gentleman ought to be. She longed to garner his affection. He, on the other hand, never once looked her way. What happens when Mary becomes the heiress of ten thousand pounds? As the adage goes, be careful what you wish for. Will Mary learn the meaning of this sentiment the hard way?
This Pride and Prejudice SHORT STORY follows Miss Mary King’s search for love. What she finds may or may not be what she wants, but will it be precisely what she needs?
17. Mrs. Lieutenant: A Women’s Friendship Novel
When newly married Sharon Gold suddenly finds herself in the unfamiliar culture of the U.S. Army during the unpopular Vietnam War, she realizes she must quickly adapt to this alien world. If she does not learn to “fit in,” the consequences could have a severe impact on her husband.
The women’s friendship she unexpectedly experiences turns out to be her lifesaver.
18. Possoons: stories
The engaging stories in POSSOONS explore, with both quirky humor and poignancy, the ever-evolving landscapes of the heart. Characters from twenty to sixty, male and female, gay and straight, substantial and ethereal navigate relationship, love, and loss.
In “Not About Tahiti,” a housewife who yearns to visit the South Seas cultivates a tropical paradise around her husband’s recliner. In “Harry Meets The Goddess,” a divorced car salesman fantasizes about writing letters to Penthouse, but gets more than he ever dreamed of when a goddess named Lu materializes in the front seat of his Oldsmobile. In “Possoons,” a woman tries to make sense of the fact that her perfect lover left because he was too happy. And in “Restoration,” a painter who has been unable to touch brush to canvas since the death of his partner finds creative resurrection.
These and the other stories in this collection will evoke a laugh, a tear, and perhaps new possibilities to ponder.
19. Diary of a Wildflower
Diary of a Wildflower is a biographical fiction book based on my own mother’s early years on a mountaintop in Southwest Virginia. As Lorelei emerges from a heartbreaking childhood, she vows to go out into the world and make a life for herself, away from the hardships and poverty of her past. In an old historical Virginia city, she finds herself dazzled by the carefree world of flappers, bobbed hair, the Charleston and the notorious speakeasies. More important she becomes a bit player in the high society circle of old money. Here she loses her heart to a man who is wealthy, educated and handsome. How can a simple wildflower ever compete with the exotic orchid by his side?
20. Broken Vessels
Family and friends revere Trinity Porter’s ambition, independence and good reputation. By all outward appearances, twenty-seven-year-old Trinity has everything figured out. In reality, she’s spent years hiding behind a façade. Her guise starts to crumble when she bumps into Tony, a former friend who betrayed her. As Trinity and Tony continue to cross paths, she is forced to face the secret she’s kept from everyone. To make matters worse, Trinity is losing patience with her family’s tendency to ignore its own issues–especially when it comes to her brother’s untimely death.
For the first time ever, Trinity is losing control. With her world turned upside down, she questions her faith and must make a decision. Will Trinity get out of God’s way or continue to do things her way?
Broken Vessels exposes Trinity’s struggle to realize that her past does not define who she is. You will fall in love with Trinity’s sarcastic wit, sensibility and hidden vulnerability. This novel is for anyone who has grappled with betrayal, acceptance or forgiveness.
Testimonial:
“Broken Vessels is a work of pure love. Sharing her deep principles about family, personal courage and self-respect, Saunders’ work reveals her understanding of the challenges faced by so many of us. Writing with passion and humor, Saunders takes us on one woman’s journey from betrayal to self-awareness, while reflecting on the importance of family, friendship and faith. You will love this book!” -Heather Neff, author of Leila: The Weighted Silence of Memory
21. THE BRIDGE TO CARACAS (THE KING TRILOGY)
THE BRIDGE TO CARACAS is Volume one of THE KING TRILOGY, an epic story, spanning four tumultuous decades, of an inconvenient fortune and its catastrophic affect on a loving family.
Stephen Douglass’s knowledge of the Oil and Gas Industry is woven into a plot similar to John Grisham’s tales of lawyers, judges, and the law. Both are terrific at storytelling at a brisk pace coming with a knowledgeable background. You will be educated as to the Oil and Gas Industry, especially the dark side of money making, and entertained by a romantic, engaging action story. This book belongs in a class with “Unbroken”, “Lost in Shangri-La”, “In the Garden of the Beasts”, and other five star books that I have enjoyed this summer. (5 star review)
Jim Servito shatters the hopes and aspirations of star-crossed lovers, Mike King and Karen Taylor, while simultaneously engineering a grand theft ranking as one of the largest and most audacious in Canadian and U.S. history. Cynical and remorselessly ruthless, he possesses a brilliant criminal mind, has enormous contempt for the law, police, governments, and the system in which they function. He assumes rules are for fools, and takes sadistic pleasure in breaking them. Using The Peace Bridge as his fulcrum, he steals $325,000,000 from the U.S. and Canadian governments, steals enormous quantities of gasoline by illegally installing valves in Golden National’s Buffalo refinery, then murders everyone who can implicate him.
22. Magic Bridge
How far would you travel to keep a promise to someone you love? The tiny hamlet of Crown King, Arizona is the setting for this story about love, travel, and completing an epic journey. Bridgette Madden and Matt Decker crash into each other-literally-in the wilderness of the Bradshaw Mountains and begin a love story with each other, Arizona, and world travel. Their adventure circles the globe; castles in Germany, the gentle beauty of Ireland, Nepal’s Himalayas, the seas of Honduras, Italy’s shimmering Cinque Terre, and finally back to Arizona where it all began. Bridgette finds the strength to honor a commitment to her husband and return to the places they loved the best.
23. Trying the Knot
The Eighties are dead! And maybe a bridesmaid too. At the dawn of the 1990’s six recent college grads reunite for a hometown wedding. On the eve of the ceremony, the bride’s stepsister sleeps with the groom and then overdoses. Getting hitched without a hitch? Not likely, for this crew.
24. The Miscellaneous Adventures of Princess Leona: Episode 1 (Fairytaledom)
Princess Leona is no ordinary fairytale princess. Or rather, she is “too” ordinary (not to mention boring and dull) to be a true fairy tale princess. As she journeys through the Dark Woods on a fool’s errand for the Wicked Witch of the West in search of some rare nettle pollen, she befriends all sorts’ colorful characters that run the entire gamut of fairytaledom, and discovers that there is more to her character and personal strength than meets the eye.
In this fast paced adventure witches, wizards, trolls, leprechauns, dark nights and even the occasional vampire clash in a fight for your laughter while weaving a magical tale that is sure to leave your head spinning and put a smile on your face.
