Here are 100 books that Cyndere's Midnight fans have personally recommended if you like Cyndere's Midnight. Book DNA is a community of 13,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

Catharina Steel Author Of Vanishings: The Wythic Wood Mysteries Series, Book One

From my list on delving into magic worlds for middle grade.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always loved stories set in magical worlds with fascinating creatures and have read many books with these features. The mystery element to adventures set in mythical worlds is my favorite genre to read. Over the last seven years, I have worked with some talented and experienced editors and read several books on various aspects of the writing craft. This has all helped me to develop my writing skills, which I’ve found has influenced my opinion of the books I read. I now understand why I’m getting pulled out of a story and how this impacts my reading enjoyment—and the books I recommend.

Catharina's book list on delving into magic worlds for middle grade

Catharina Steel Why Catharina loves this book

I loved this story! The world is darker than I expected but tactfully done. I found myself shivering with the descriptions of the fangs and getting angry at them, right along with the characters, when they did awful things—which was always.

I loved the forest, full of freshly created dangerous creatures I’d not read about before. I was tickled to read about the treehouse, and the treetop walk within this forest as it reminded me of some elements in my own story.

I found myself hoping Janner, a 12-year-old boy, would uncover the truth about his family and respected his determination to do so. I was often anxious about his younger sister's pet dog as I'm not fond of seeing pets harmed.

An excellent start to the series.

By Andrew Peterson ,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

After living for years under the occupation by the evil Fangs of Dang, the Igiby children find a map rumoured to lead to the lost Jewels of Anniera - the one thing the Fangs will do anything to find. The family is thrown headlong into a perilous adventure, uncovering truths about who they are that will change their world forever.

Repackaged with new illustrations, this is the opportunity to discover the Wingfeathers.


If you love Cyndere's Midnight...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Debra Clewer Author Of The Secret Rings

From my list on historical fantasy for middle-graders.

Why am I passionate about this?

An avid reader since the age of 7, I have long loved history and fantasy. As a writer, I have a passion to share those things with young readers. I try to create stories that engage imaginations and share some historical facts along the way. As a member of a book reviewing team for new kids’ publications for an online kid lit blog, I also get to read and enjoy what other authors are putting out there as well.

Debra's book list on historical fantasy for middle-graders

Debra Clewer Why Debra loves this book

This is another one I have re-read because I love the fantasy aspect. I didn’t come across C.S. Lewis’ books until I was a young adult, and then it was his adult writings. Now, I’m loving catching up on his Narnia series.

Written in 1950, this classic tale lives on, never becoming out of date, and I love that it is currently a stage production.

As a Christian, I also love a classic tale of good versus evil, with the drama between the white witch and the lion hero, Aslan, who overcomes death to save Narnia from the witch’s evil spell. For me, it’s a truly inspirational allegorical tale that stands the test of time.

By C. S. Lewis ,

Why should I read it?

37 authors picked The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Lucy steps into the Professor's wardrobe - but steps out again into a snowy forest. She's stumbled upon the magical world of Narnia, land of unicorns, centaurs, fauns... and the wicked White Witch, who terrorises all. Lucy soon realises that Narnia, and in particular Aslan, the great Lion, needs her help if the country's creatures are ever going to be free again...


Book cover of By Darkness Hid

Lindsay A. Franklin Author Of The Story Peddler

From my list on YA Christian fantasy to unlock your imagination.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m Lindsay, and I never stop falling in love with human creativity. From the moment I first cracked open a library-borrowed copy of The Wizard of Oz as a child, I’ve been asking “What if…?” and I’ve delighted in how other authors imaginatively tackle that question. My interests are eclectic, ranging from history and politics to baking and sparkly things. I read to be swept away and to take a peek inside the storyteller’s mind and heart.

Lindsay's book list on YA Christian fantasy to unlock your imagination

Lindsay A. Franklin Why Lindsay loves this book

The quintessential YA Christian fantasy story in my opinion! Jill hits every fantasy beat perfectly, and I particularly loved the obvious care she put into the details. The result is a world that feels ripped from the pages of history, yet it’s overlaid with spiritual themes, supernatural happenings (bloodvoicing, anyone?), and allusions to Christ that will resonate for followers of Jesus. When I want a story that has overt and uplifting Christian themes, I reach for this series. 

By Jill Williamson ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked By Darkness Hid as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Darkness divides the land.

Half of Er'Rets is locked beneath an impenetrable shroud. On the side that still sees the sun, two young people struggle to understand the mind-communication abilities thrust upon them.

It's called bloodvoicing. Some say it's a gift. One of the newly "gifted" wish it had never come.

Achan had been a slave all his life. Worse than a slave—a stray. He is consigned to the kitchens of a lord and forced to swallow a foul potion every day. When an enigmatic knight offers to train Achan for the Kingsguard, he readily accepts. But his new skills…


If you love Jeffrey Overstreet...

Book cover of Crossing: A Chinese Family Railroad Novel

Crossing by Lisa Redfern,

Crossing is a vividly human re-imagining of the love, sacrifices, and accomplishments that two Chinese brothers - American Immigrants - experience as they travel to California to build the Transcontinental Railroad. 

Book cover of Of Fire and Ash

Lindsay A. Franklin Author Of The Story Peddler

From my list on YA Christian fantasy to unlock your imagination.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m Lindsay, and I never stop falling in love with human creativity. From the moment I first cracked open a library-borrowed copy of The Wizard of Oz as a child, I’ve been asking “What if…?” and I’ve delighted in how other authors imaginatively tackle that question. My interests are eclectic, ranging from history and politics to baking and sparkly things. I read to be swept away and to take a peek inside the storyteller’s mind and heart.

Lindsay's book list on YA Christian fantasy to unlock your imagination

Lindsay A. Franklin Why Lindsay loves this book

Easily one of my favorite epic fantasies I’ve read in recent years. The complexity of Gillian’s world is a highlight, yet she still makes the story and those within it accessible for her readers. It felt deep, not cluttered. She writes distinctly and with heart from three different points of view. I couldn’t flip pages fast enough, anxious for the moment these three story threads would intersect. It was more than worth the wait. 

By Gillian Bronte Adams ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Of Fire and Ash as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

She rides a fireborn, a steed of fire and ash, trained for destruction.

Ceridwen tal Desmond dreams of ruling like her father over the nation of Soldonia, where warriors ride to battle on magical steeds—soaring on storm winds, vanishing in shadow, quaking the earth, and summoning the sea. After a tragic accident claims her twin brother, she is exiled and sworn to atonement by spending her life—or death—for her people.

But when invaders spill onto Soldonia’s shores and traitors seize upon the chaos to murder her father, Ceridwen claims the crown to keep the nation from splintering. Combatting overwhelming odds…


Book cover of The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints

Leslie Bustard Author Of Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children

From my list on there's no such thing as too many books.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always loved reading to myself and others. I've been an English teacher for years. I love sharing good books and have the reputation of being a good resource, especially for moms with children. I’m happy to share everything from memoirs and history books to classics and children’s picture books. Walking through a library or a bookstore is a favorite activity, so finding not only new books but excellent books about books is always a treat. I love to understand what makes a book work well as a story, thus books that delve into the richness of a story through personal narrative or literary criticism have been favorites to keep on my shelves. 

Leslie's book list on there's no such thing as too many books

Leslie Bustard Why Leslie loves this book

I loved reading Jessica Hooten Wilson’s insights into the eight novels she recommends in her book. Jessica asks the age-old question “how do we become better people?” but then posits we need to enlarge the question to “how do we become holy people?” She also says we need to enlarge our imaginations in how we seek the answers. She examines the main characters of eight different modern books and what we can gain from them. Some of the books she recommends are Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin, Kristin Lavensdatter by Sigrid Unstead, That Hideous Strength by CS Lewis, Moses, Man of the Mountain by Zora Neale Hurston, and The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene. I really enjoyed the deep dive into some books I already loved. 

By Jessica Hooten Wilson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Scandal of Holiness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How do we become better people? Initiatives such as New Year's resolutions, vision boards, thirty-day plans, and self-help books often fail to compel us to live differently. We settle for small goals--frugal spending, less yelling at the kids, more time at the gym--but we are called to something far greater. We are created to be holy.

Award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson explains that learning to hear the call of holiness requires cultivating a new imagination--one rooted in the act of reading. Learning to read with eyes attuned to the saints who populate great works of literature moves us toward holiness,…


Book cover of For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care

Kyle Meyaard-Schaap Author Of Following Jesus in a Warming World: A Christian Call to Climate Action

From my list on helping Christians navigate the climate crisis.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was never an outdoorsy kid. But I was a church kid. As I grew up and moved into a calling to serve the church in ordained ministry, that calling took an unexpected turn when I visited West Virginian hollers poisoned by nearby mining operations and met the people living with the consequences. Subsequent trips to Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans, drought-wracked Kenyan hillsides, and to international climate negotiations in Paris all solidified for me the truth that loving my neighbor required loving God’s creation too. I’ve spent the last 10 years speaking, writing, and teaching Christians across the country the same simple truth.

Kyle's book list on helping Christians navigate the climate crisis

Kyle Meyaard-Schaap Why Kyle loves this book

This book was my gateway into Christian climate action 16 years ago.

When my older brother came home from a semester abroad in New Zealand and told my conservative Christian family that he was now a vegetarian because of his environmental convictions, he handed me this book to help me understand why.

It was the first time that I was given permission to engage pollution, environmental destruction, and climate change because of my faith, rather than in spite of it. Nothing has ever been the same.

By Steven Bouma-prediger ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked For the Beauty of the Earth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Caring for the environment is a growing interest among evangelicals. This award-winning book provides the most thorough evangelical treatment available on a theology of creation care. "Authentic Christian faith requires ecological obedience," writes Steven Bouma-Prediger. He urges Christians to acknowledge their responsibility and privilege as stewards of the earth. The second edition has been substantially revised and updated with the latest scientific and environmental research.


If you love Cyndere's Midnight...

Book cover of Almost Home

Almost Home by Howard Means,

Almost Home is a fictional retelling of the last great tragedy of the Civil War.

In late April 1865, almost 2,000 newly freed Union prisoners of war are packed onto the steamer Sultana, in poor repair and with a listed capacity of 376 passengers. Among them are four Indiana soldiers…

Book cover of His Amiable Bride: A Featherbottom Chronicles Novella

Rebecca Lange Author Of Healing the Orphaned Heart

From my list on swoon-worthy Christian historical romance.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since I can remember I had a special love for western romance books. My mom has written several books set in 1800s America and that probably stirred me in that direction as well since I love her books (they're in German, which is why I couldn’t recommend them). Regency has become my second historical fiction genre, which is probably why I write and read both time periods. I'm a German-born US-Indie author and total romance fanatic. I write Christian Romance set mostly in the above time periods. I'm a massive Harry Potter fan, have been married to my husband for nearly 18 years and we have two teenage sons. 

Rebecca's book list on swoon-worthy Christian historical romance

Rebecca Lange Why Rebecca loves this book

This was a sweet regency novella. I enjoyed the characters and plot, even though it was a bit rushed at times and the ending a bit abrupt, but it was a delightful read and kept me hooked enough that I wanted to know what would happen next. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

By Kasey Stockton ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked His Amiable Bride as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Can something beautiful grow from a marriage born of spite?

When Cori Featherbottom accepts her neighbor’s shocking marriage proposal, she has no idea that he still loves her sister—until after the wedding. Guarding her heart, she determines to make the most of her loveless relationship and find a friend in her husband.

Adam Arnett does the only thing he knows for certain will remove a title-hungry flirt—he marries her sister. It doesn’t take long before he finds himself attracted to his new bride, but when her sister tries to throw a wrench in their budding relationship he must fight to…


Book cover of Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense

Molly Worthen Author Of Spellbound

From my list on helping a secular person understand the weirdest parts of religion.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in a secular home, but when I got to college, it dawned on me that religion is an incredibly important framework for understanding the world. So I started to take classes and read books about religion—and I never stopped. After spending my whole adult life sidling up alongside religion but never quite getting it at a personal level, I accidentally let myself get evangelized three years ago, became a Christian, and now attend a Baptist megachurch. I guess I am like a scientist who fell into my own experiment. I still find religious beliefs and practices completely bizarre, even though I’m now a believer myself!

Molly's book list on helping a secular person understand the weirdest parts of religion

Molly Worthen Why Molly loves this book

He is so hilariously good at swearing!

That’s a major reason I love this book: Francis Spufford raises profanity to a high art, and he does it in a book that is, ostensibly, about Jesus.

A Christian friend recommended this one to me, and I bought it and let it sit on the shelf for a long time before I finally picked it up. Then I read it in maybe three sittings, because it’s silly and profound at the same time. (Also it’s short and carries you along—this is a good one to stick in your bag and read a couple pages at a time whenever you are at a bus stop.)

Spufford is mainly a novelist, and his aim here is not to convince you that Christianity’s fact claims are true. (Although he does think it’s all true.) Instead, he’s explaining the way the Christian picture of God and…

By Francis Spufford ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Unapologetic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Unapologetic" is a brief, witty, personal, sharp-tongued defence of Christian belief, taking on Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and Christopher Hitchens' "God is Not Great". But it isn't an argument that Christianity is true - because how could anyone know that (or indeed its opposite)? It's an argument that Christianity is recognisable, drawing on the deep and deeply ordinary vocabulary of human feeling, satisfying those who believe in it by offering a ruthlessly realistic account of the bits of our lives advertising agencies prefer to ignore. It's a book for believers who are fed up with being patronised, for non-believers curious…


Book cover of The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race

Geraldine Heng Author Of The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages

From my list on race before the modern era.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m that infamous medievalist who wrote the big book on medieval race. It took 20 years of thinking and research, and a whole lot of writing, but now people are convinced that there was, indeed, such a thing as race and racism between the 11th and 15th centuries in the West (aka Christendom/Europe). I'm Perceval Professor of English and Comparative Literature, with a joint appointment in Middle Eastern studies and Women’s studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

Geraldine's book list on race before the modern era

Geraldine Heng Why Geraldine loves this book

You’ll be dazzled by the brilliance of this author, and the beauty of his writing. The book is impossible to summarize, but if you want to understand how the spread of a specifically Christian imagination around the world produces a racial grid, racial thinking, and racism, this book is indispensable. Whether you’re interested in modern race, or race in all the long centuries before, you’ll come away with a better understanding of how the spread of the Christian religion has produced race and racisms.

By Willie James Jennings ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Christian Imagination as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A ground-breaking account of the potential and failures of Christianity since the colonialist period-winner of the 2015 Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion and of an American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence

"Detailing the nooks and crannies of white supremacist Christianity, The Christian Imagination allows not only for greater sophistication when considering race and theology. It also points to possible cures to the disease so elegantly diagnosed."-Edward J. Blum, Journal of Religion

"[A] theological masterpiece."--Chris Smith, Englewood Review of Books

Why has Christianity, a religion premised upon neighborly love, failed in its attempts to heal social divisions? In this ambitious…


If you love Jeffrey Overstreet...

Book cover of Creativity, Teaching, and Natural Inspiration

Creativity, Teaching, and Natural Inspiration by Mark Doherty,

I have woven numerous delightful and descriptive true life stories, many from my adventures as an outdoorsman and singer songwriter, into my life as a high school English teacher. I think you'll find this work both entertaining as well as informative, and I hope you enjoy the often lighthearted repartee…

Book cover of Jesus Listens

Larry Randolph Author Of Miracles in the Meadow

From my list on God's amazing Grace and love.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been around animals all my life and have a deep sense of love for these God created creatures and their amazing gifts to humans. I started a therapy dog ministry in 2007, bringing therapy dogs into hospitals, nursing homes, trauma and disaster sites, and many more places. Spirit-filled volunteers then share God's love, hope, and salvation message. Hundreds of people serve in this wonderful ministry. I have seen people's wonderful compassion and kindness for animals and how they make this world a better place with unconditional love, just like our savior, Jesus Christ. My heart is full of joy and peace when I read these types of books.

Larry's book list on God's amazing Grace and love

Larry Randolph Why Larry loves this book

Every morning in my prayer time, I pray, talk, and listen to God through this wonderful 365-day journey of Scripture-based prayers that draw you closer to the One who loves you perfectly. Often, the prayers written reflect exactly what I am going through and enhance the words that I can say to God to comfort me and encourage me as I walk in step with my Lord.

The book has many prayers of peace, joy, and hope, as they will guide you in your daily walk with Christ.   

By Sarah Young ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Jesus Listens as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When your days feel overwhelming and life has you anxious and stressed, you can find peace and hope in Jesus. In this 365-day devotional prayer book from the author of Jesus Calling, you'll find confidence to come to God in all circumstances with short, heartfelt prayers based on Scripture.

God desires a relationship with you?through continual conversation-prayer.?Jesus Listens (R) empowers you to pray daily, whether it serves as your only prayer for the day or simply a jump starter to your own prayers.?

This comforting book?is ideal for those?who . . .

are going through difficult times?and are looking for…


Book cover of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Book cover of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Book cover of By Darkness Hid

Share your top 3 reads of 2026!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

186

readers submitted
so far, will you?