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Five Fall Favorites Day 1: Bible Times

by Kellyn Roth |
October 2, 2017

Hello ladies and gents!
Welcome to my blog … and to my first post in Five Fall Favorites 2017! I’m sure you remember the amazing blog party we did last year, and if you don’t, this invitation will give you the highlights:


To find out more, check out today’s post by Rebekah A. Morris. Through this post, you will also find the other blogs participating, etc. Which is all stuff you need to find the “book room” for the day. (More on that later!)
Basically, we’re sharing our favorite books in six categories, handing out free ebooks, and giving away a grand prize including several paperbacks! (The winners will be announced this Saturday.) (And if we get enough entries, we will add a second … and then a third … prize!)
*squeals* THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZING! I can’t wait to share my favorites in each category with you, to direct you to the giveaways, and all the other awesome stuff!

Without further ado …

Five Books Set in Bible Times

This was kind of hard for me since, though I love historical fiction, I don’t really like historical fiction set in Bible times all that much? I’m very much a Victorian and early 1900s girl. 😉
But … I did find up five amazing historical stories set during the time of the Bible.

The Centurion’s Wife by Janette Oke & Davis Bunn

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When I first read this book, I was absolutely mind-blown! I’m not a huge reader of Biblical fiction, but … wow. Just wow! What an incredibly moving story. When I read it, I was going, “How can anyone not believe in Jesus?!” Read my review here.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

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I read this a couple years back and really enjoyed it. Besides being pretty moving, it’s also a great adventure story. I found myself really caring about the choices of the main character, Daniel. I enjoyed how he slowly changed and became a better person, following a higher calling instead of his own agenda.

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

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The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

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Although this book does not include any stories from the Bible, and therefore is not “Biblical fiction,” it is set during the time of the Bible – around 1400 B.C. It’s an exciting adventure story, and I really enjoyed the characters. Also, Ancient Egypt is one of my favorite settings. 🙂

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

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When I first read this play, I was ten or eleven and really didn’t like it (despite the fact that Julius Caesar has always been one of my heroes). I mean, I was just a kid. I was seriously too young to understand Shakespeare! Now, however, I think it’s beautiful. I really love Shakespeare … it’s like a riddle to be solved. I LOVE RIDDLES!

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers

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I promised myself I’d never read a Francine Rivers book, but I did read this one because it’s one of my best friend’s favorites. And … I didn’t love it. I liked it, though. My full review will explain my reasoning behind it. (Although this is an adult book; it’s not for children, and parental guidance is recommended for teens.)

Buy on Amazon ~ Add on Goodreads

Giveaway

The grand prize consists of a basket filled with …
• Signed copy of Dylan’s Story by Rebekah A. Morris
• Signed copy of Dandelion Dust by Faith Potts
• Signed copy of Kate’s Innocence by Sarah Holman
• Signed copy of The Twin Arrows by Kate Willis
• Signed copy of Journey to Love by Amanda Tero
• Coffee Nut M & M’s
• Packets of Apple Cider
• Cute Fall Mug

If we reach 75 people we’ll add a 2nd prize. If we reach 100 people, we’ll add a 3rd prize.

Click to Enter!

“Book Rooms?”

Now, here’s another way (besides the giveaway) to get your hands on some free books!
Every day, one blog in the party with host the ‘book room.’ The ‘book room’ will have a free ebook – probably a short story or novella – for everyone!
So find it to get a free ebook! *is excited for you* *and for me since I’m gonna track down the book rooms* 😉 (You can track down the book room through Rebekah’s blog.)
On that note, my room for today is …

DON’T YOU DARE LEAVE JUST ‘CAUSE THERE AREN’T FREE BOOKS!
I MEAN IT.
NO LEAVING ME.
I’m lonesome …
Look, I’ve got bicycles! I mean, yes, they’re virtual bikes, but … but … bicycles are fun!

Until tomorrow,

~Kellyn Roth~

p.s.

Did you enjoy the book recommendations? Did you find the book room? What are some of you favorite Biblical fiction reads (if you’ve read any)? What era would you travel back to if you got the chance?

For me lovely followers: Ivy Introspective could possibly be Book of the Month at LAS Reviews! Hop over and vote!

What do you think of my thoughts?

48 Responses

    1. Well, as a child, I found him to be an honorable man, faithful to his country and those he was responsible for, and I like people who are good at what they do (e.g. wars and politics, I guess … he sounds pretty bad now that I’m not six 😉 ). I also feel that he was unfairly killed, which was enough to make my blood boil.
      I think that most of my hero-worship came from my big brother loving the Romans (well, at least loving their amazing battle strategies) as a teen and me wanting to be just like him. I also learned A TON about Rome when I was little, partially because of my brother. He used to make up these stories where me and my brother and him were Romans and we were going out to defeat and evil bear named “Big Bad Bruce.” 🙂
      But … I do think Julius Caesar was a good man despite being a member of a corrupt society. He obviously wasn’t a Christian, though, so not the best role model. Still, I did admire him. Probably still do, although I don’t know if that’s just memories now. 🙂

      1. Thanks for sharing. 🙂 It’s interesting to hear what others like in a historical figure. I’ve never cared enough to look into much of his life, so this was a bit of fun history for me. 😉

  1. I read The Centurion’s Wife while it was an nice read I prefer the second book in the series. It may be that tend I skip to the end of a new of a new book if I have never read a book by that author. Don’t tell.?

    1. I haven’t gotten to the second book in the series, though I want to. I have a lot of books to read! 😛 I used to do that, but now I don’t so much because people from Goodreads tend to tell me about a book before I read it, so I’m informed. 😉

  2. Now everyone’s making me want to get my hands on every single Biblical times fiction and read them. 😛 I’m actually reading Julius Caesar right now, (so confusing!!) and I already have “The Centurion’s Wife” added to my TBR list. Janette Oke is a favorite author, so I do want to read it. I didn’t realize “The Bronze Bow” was about Daniel! I need to read that, too. *eyes widen with overwhelming realization that I will never finish reading everything I need to read*
    CutePolarBear

      1. LOL! I hope the TBR pile isn’t evil, because if it is, we wouldn’t want it to be our Read pile… or is it evil only because it’s a TBR pile? Now I’m confused. 😛
        CutePolarBear

  3. I’ve read Julius Caesar for school. I’ve been wanting to read The Centurion’s Wife for quite some time now!

  4. I remember your recommending The Centurion’s Wife last year! I read it after you recommended it, and I enjoyed it. I’m so excited for the party. 😀

  5. We have the Golden Goblet(two copies!!!!), but I have not read it yet…………I think I started, thought it was boring and put it down or something…..
    I do that a lot…………. The other books look good!
    Ah, William Shakespeare………..
    😉

    1. Well, I had to read it for school, so I had to finish it and get into the adventure and all. 😛 Plus I was going through an “obsessed with Egypt” stage when I read it for the first time. 😉
      Wait, is this a good “Ah, William Shakespeare” or a bad one? 😛

      1. Good! I have never read any thing he is written, but I hope to someday! Maybe his Romeo and Juliette…….(he has one right?)
        😉

        1. Hmm … I wouldn’t go with Romeo and Juliet, personally. In my opinion, it’s kind of a dumb story that teaches people bad things about love. But I don’t know; everyone else thinks it’s some great classic, so who am I to judge? 😛

  6. OOh I got Centurion’s Wife from the library a few days ago! I’m looking forward to reading it! Sounds so good! But I’m waiting for my mom to look it over before I read it. *sighs*

  7. Oh my goodness, Kellyn! I did go over to Rebekah’s blog to tell her “in person,” but this whole Five Fall Favorites thing that she’s organized – the organization and work put into it is incredible! Good on her! And thanks for including all your readers in it!
    Also, your five titles intrigue me. (Except for A Voice in the Wind, because I started reading it, then stopped, for many of the same reasons that you covered in your review… and that you covered in a post I just commented on at Reveries Reviews. But based on what you wrote on Goodreads, it seems the morality in the book only got worse as the plot progressed. I’m glad I stopped.)

    1. It is quite incredible! This is her second year of doing it, and I quite frankly don’t know how she puts it all together. I mean, I find it overwhelming just to put six little (basically identical) posts together and choose books for each category. 😛
      Yes, the book was set in a very amoral time, and it just wasn’t an uplifting read. I think I mostly finished it because my BFF loved it. And … I do think that it has some incredible messages besides the content. But I can see that you probably wouldn’t enjoy it. 🙂

      1. About A Voice in the Wind… I see that there were some valuable truths explored, even given the little that I did read. Seeing the world through Hadassah’s eyes – someone who just loved God and wanted to serve Him – was a powerful tool on the part of Ms. RIvers. But I found it… exhausting(?) going back and forth between her viewpoint and others’ which were less-than-edifying (for me), to put it nicely. Maybe other people at different places in their walks with God would not find it hindering. And I mean *genuinely* not find it hindering.

        1. Well, I wasn’t really bugged by the other viewpoints as much as most would be, I imagine. I think I’m just generally less affected by what I read than most, and I tend to take things with a grain of salt, as well. And then I really do think people need to be a least semi-educated on what sin really is, how it affects people (even from a firsthand account), etc. I feel that a lot of Christians fall prey to the “holier than thou,” attitude, and it’s important to understand that sin really is super hard to resist … not just “little sins” that we commit every day like speaking cruelly of someone or something, but the sins that most of the conservative (I’d say “good”, but … um … yeah … no judging!) Christians harshly condemn. But most people don’t believe that you should read about sin at all, so … I understand that, and I’d advise anyone even considering reading this book to seriously think about whether or not they can handle it and it is what they need right now. It could definitely be a stumbling block!

          1. It’s really a hard balance! I read something in Boy Meets Girl which was referring to courtship but I think it applies to many areas, that tension can be a good thing. I think I would agree with that when I stop to think about it… but when I’m living it out it’s just plain hard! Because one the one hand I don’t want to have that “holier than thou” attitude you mentioned (and also, I do agree with what you wrote in that other post on Reveries Reviews that God talks about sins of all types in the Bible, and so there are ways to handle any subject in a godly manner).
            But on the other hand, I do believe that God calls us to live holy lives (as in set apart from the world) by His Grace, which inevitably means throwing off certain things that we wouldn’t throw off if we belonged to the world.
            So where does that leave us? With a lot of tension! In this particular case, it reminds me that not everyone is tempted, tried or hindered by the same things. Where did I hear that Francine Rivers was an author of erotica before she became a Christian (I think she must have changed her pen name)? I genuinely believe it could have been a freeing and sanctifying process for her to write it, as well as for others who read it and love it. And I don’t believe that people have to be great sinners for it to help them! Not at all! They just have to be at a different place in their walk with God.
            The tension is hard, but God’s grace is so much greater. May He give us that grace to extend to others, and may our love for Him and for other be our driving motivation.

What do you think of my thoughts?

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