100 Books Like My Brother, the King

Connilyn’s novels always tease every emotion for me. I also love how her books, though written in series, both stand alone yet build on the series before it to follow the chronological story of the Bible. The main or minor characters in each new series are somehow connected to the family we met in her first book (Counted With the Stars) from her first series (Out of Egypt).

Connilyn uses fictional characters to tell the Truth about major events in the Bible. This book sets the stage for Israel’s historical and political landscape during the reign of King Saul. The series title, The King’s Men, previews the novels’ subject matter—the soldiers who fight alongside Prince Jonathan and what a soldier’s life might have been like with a romance complication or two.

This book was published in 2009. For many years before its release, I could only find three Christian authors writing biblical fiction. All other novels about biblical characters were published in the mainstream market without regard for biblical truth. Jill’s well-researched and biblically accurate account tells the story of King Saul’s daughter, who was given as a wife to the warrior David.

The story was raw, yet softened by the nuanced portrayal of both main characters. It showed what may have been the true motives behind the choices made in the biblical text. The depictions of the surrounding culture, living conditions, and daily life—masterfully woven into the story—felt like gulping cold water after years of drought.

I’m 61 years old, and I was diagnosed with ADHD ten years ago. Though it answered many of my questions about concentration, it’s still difficult to focus while reading any book.

This journal has been so helpful because 1) each volume contains only one book of the Bible; 2) when I open a passage, the left page is filled with Scripture; and 3) the right page is either blank (with faint lines for journaling) or has a small graphic to help creative doodlers start drawing. I write a date in the margins next to the Scripture and then journal what God is doing in my life or answer the question, “What does this verse—or these verses—say to me in this season of life?”

I live in a Western culture. I’ve visited Israel twice and read through the Bible a few times. But what do I really know about the ancient Hebrew language and heritage? My knowledge is limited to what I’ve learned through researching rabbinic interpretations of the Tanakh, Legends of the Jews, Josephus, and other Jewish sacred texts.

The Jewish Study Bible gives me expert rabbinic commentary on every verse from a Jewish perspective! I finally understood Abraham’s and his descendants’ vital role in preserving God’s story—His story, history—from Creation to present.

A dear friend told me the Bible was a single Love Letter written to me—Genesis to Revelation—and I’d find Jesus was the Messiah in Genesis, not only in the New Testament. So I opened my Bible—the Love Letter—and found God waiting there. Every day, He’s waiting there to chat. 

Because how can you have a list of the greatest Jewish books of all time without this? (apologies for putting it in last place!). The one that has defined life as we know it yet so few of us have ever really read. Actually, "reading" seems too gentle a word for what happens when you dive into this ancient text - grappling, struggling, or wrestling seem more apt. The pre-eminent scholar Robert Alter renders the ancient Hebrew into a powerful, faithful English translation which soars.

This is the go-to history of Jerusalem, an easy read that makes the city’s vast past digestible. It won’t leave you feeling overwhelmed with dates and names.

This is a fine effort to tell a complicated story in a single volume, with the caveat that it lends more weight to the Jewish and Christian points of view, and less to Arab and Muslim perspectives. 

I really wanted to know who the Israelites were, whether the Exodus happened, the conquest of Canaan, and other historical facts behind what is today Israel and its claim to the Holy Land…and this book gave me more than I bargained for.

Raised a Catholic, I found it a natural step to question how all this Christian stuff happened. Before I could do that, I first had to know how Israel came about and the rise of the Old Testament. A fascinating read, this book captivated me from the initial introduction and let up. I found some of it heavy going and resorted to fact-checking many things, but I could not ignore the verified body of archaeological evidence that cast a new light on many things I was taught.

This book naturally led me to probe deeper, raising more disturbing questions.

When I was seeking God for some things greater than I felt I deserved, I began to search for reading material that could strengthen my faith and help me understand some of the things shared in the Word of God pertaining to faith. Well, the late Dr. Fredrick Price became my go-to-author. In this book, he really dissects some of the greatest stories pertaining to faith found in the Bible and helps his readers to get a full and complete understanding. I am recommending this book because it’s definitely an easy but informative read that you won’t soon forget.

As a writer of fantasy fiction, I know the importance of asking the “what if” questions.

And, as a reader of the Bible, I often read scripture and wonder what life was really like for some of the people, what they felt like, or what drove them to do the things they did. That’s why I love a well-written biblical fiction novel, and Eden is the perfect book to feed my often-insatiable curiosity.

Brennan McPherson is the perfect fit for a job like this. His understanding of the Bible and the intricacies of human nature give him the ability to bring us a unique look into the lives of people like Adam and Eve.

Imagining the life of Adam and Eve was at the center of the story of my novel. More importantly, this story personalized Earth’s first couple and made me evaluate my relationship with God.    

I loved this book because it was such an easy read, but still somehow managed to really capture the whole story of the Bible.

The author also did something that was really unique. After the first chapter, he began to write a summary of the entire Bible. Then, at the end of every other chapter, he simply added to it. By the end, the reader is left with a very concise, but complete summary of the Bible. That was quite ingenious!

Recommended for anyone!