Today the Managing Editors of Inside Pages (Stephanie Smith) and River North Fiction (Natalie Myers) are trading guest posts to round up some of the best in both fiction and non-fiction! Visit www.rivernorthfiction.com to read “5 Non-Fiction Books for Fiction Readers.”
Natalie Myers is a social media specialist with Moody Publishers and the managing editor of the River North Fiction blog. When she’s not reading books or tweeting about them, Natalie enjoys perfecting her cheesecake recipe and trekking the Chicago area in her little M&M blue car. Follow her on Twitter @natalie_elyse for infrequent pieces of trivia from her life and the publishing industry.
“Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
As a child, I believed that books only had two categories: “for kids” and “for grown-ups.” When I was a slightly-older child, I learned that the two categories most accurate to book-sorting were actually “fiction” and “non-fiction.”
Although I tend to lean toward non-fiction—travel books, cookbooks, biographies—I’ve found that reading fiction makes my non-fiction reading better, and vice versa. With my recent role as managing editor for the River North Fiction blog, I’ve had the chance to be exposed to our fiction titles on a regular basis. With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite picks of fiction books that even non-fiction readers might enjoy:
1. Pearl in the Sand, by Tessa Afshar
Can a Canaanite harlot who has made her livelihood by looking desirable to men make a fitting wife for one of the leaders of Israel? Shockingly, the Bible’s answer is yes.
Tessa’s debut novel sweeps readers into the story of Rahab, combining quick wit and excellent research to create characters you will want to hold onto long after the pages are done. (Fortunately, Tessa’s next book, Harvest of Rubies comes out this May!)
2. Walk With Me, by Annie Wald (releasing in September 2012)
Inspired by the timeless classic Pilgrim’s Progress, Annie Wald’s Walk with Me exposes the journey of marriage as the epic passage that it is and the refining process it can become.
3. A Marriage Carol, by Gary Chapman and Chris Fabry
On Christmas Eve twenty years earlier, Marlee and Jacob were married in a snowstorm. This Christmas Eve, they are ready to quit. When their car slides off the road and Marlee wakes up to find Jacob missing, she rushes to look for help. In the midst of the snowstorm, she finds help she never expected—and a decision she must be ready to face.
4. The Familiar Stranger, by Christina Berry
When Craig Littleton lands in the ICU after an accident with a fuzzy memory of the life he once lived, his wife Denise rushes to help him get better. Yet on their road to recovery, she discovers some dark secrets. An affair? An emptied bank account? A hidden identity? An illegitimate child?
What will Denise do when she realizes Craig is not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?
5. Ruth’s Redemption, by Marlene Banks-Benn
A gripping slave-era novel, Ruth’s Redemption is a story of love, forgiveness, and (naturally) redemption. As a slave purchased and sold primarily for breeding, Ruth’s heart is filled with resentment and bitterness. Yet when she meets Bo, a godly man and freed slave, her life is destined to change.
What fiction books would you recommend to non-fiction readers? What non-fiction book would you recommend to someone who says he only enjoys fiction?
Howdy! This blog post couldn’t be written any better! Looking through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I’ll send this information to him.
Pretty sure he will have a very good read. I appreciate you
for sharing!
I hardly leave a response, however i did some
And, if you are posting on additional online sites, I’d like to keep up with anything fresh you have to post.
searching and wound up here 5 Fiction Books for Non-Fiction
Readers | Inside Pages. And I actually do have a few questions for you if it’s allright. Is it just me or does it appear like a few of the responses look like left by brain dead visitors?
Could you list of the complete urls of all your community pages like your
Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?
Hi! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the great work!
Your means of explaining the whole thing in this post is in fact pleasant,
all be able to effortlessly know it, Thanks a lot.
Greetings I am so grateful I found your blog page, I really found you by mistake, while I
was browsing on Digg for something else, Nonetheless I am here
now and would just like to say kudos for a tremendous post and a all round thrilling blog (I also love the
theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also included your RSS
feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the awesome work.
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something
that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for
me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!
You could certainly see your expertise within the article you write.
The sector hopes for more passionate writers such as you who are
not afraid to say how they believe. At all times go after your heart.
It’s an remarkable piece of writing in favor of all the web users; they will take benefit from it I am sure.
I am regular visitor, how are you everybody? This paragraph posted
at this web site is really fastidious.
I am truly happy to glance at this webpage posts which contains lots of helpful information, thanks for providing such information.
Great list of books! I can’t believe that I haven’t checked these out already. I will be definitely checking these out!
I have recently been getting into non-fiction, and especially love non-fiction adventure books. If you ever want to check out a great book, you must read “Drifting on a Headwind” by Jim Harlan- it is a fabulous travel memoir that chronicle’s the author’s adventures around the world over the last 30 years. It was a really fun book for me.
http://uncommonadventurespress.com/
Chris Fabry’s books have made me more of a fiction reader. I loved his first book Dogwood. And Sweeter than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott was really good too.
Pingback: 5 Non-Fiction Books for Fiction Readers | River North Fiction