free book: "city of prophecy" by peter dudek

I am thrilled to report that my friend Peter's book City of Prophecy, is free on Amazon today through Sunday (9-21 to 9-23)!

I read and reviewed this book last year, and I loved it! If you're a fan of fantasy, you'll love this book ... and if you're not, it's free, so why not give it a chance? I wouldn't be at all surprised to find you love it.

Get it here !

free fiction: "unleavened"

Last fall, I had the privilege of being one of the first people to read a draft of Peter Dudek's new novel, Unleavened. Peter has just released it as an eBook via Amazon, and you can get it free through tomorrow, April 22. After that, it will be $3.99—still a pretty good deal for a book!

Here's the synopsis of the book from Peter's website:

A widowed father. 

A homosexual son. 

Brad Miller, small-town newspaper writer, is numb to the sensation of love. Since his wife died, his once thriving relationship with God has degraded to a distant acquaintance. The only solace he finds is writing anonymously at his blog, a place where invisible readers offer him a safe sounding board to express his detached emotions. 

But after he finds out his son is homosexual, he is forced to ask himself, and his readers, how can homosexuality be reconciled within the Christian faith? Mixed advice from two very distinct church cultures makes him a central point for division among his Christian brothers and sisters. Confusion and distrust abound. 

To save his relationship with his son, Brad must surface his long hidden wounds and emotions and make himself vulnerable to both his church family, and to God.

Here's a bit of what Dudek has to say about his subject matter (for more, see his blog):

Homosexuality is one of the primary “sins” preached against in the Christian church. It is a very taboo topic, but it is not one that should be considered through one-dimensional glasses. Any issue of sexuality is deeply complex and emotional. Christians should realize that even people with whom they hold disagreements are still real people with real hurts, wounds, fears, needs and joys.

I think we can agree that those of us who claim to be Christ followers are often adept at "hating the sin" but struggle with "loving the sinner," and Dudek does a great job of addressing this topic through fiction.

Unleavened will push some buttons. You probably won't agree with every point Dudek makes. (I didn't.) You might even squirm a little. (I did.) This is not an easy, fun read like most of the books I talk about on this blog. But one thing this book will do is force you to think—I finished the book four months ago, and I still find myself thinking about it from time to time.

If you'd like to read it, you can get it here. (And remember, you can also get Dudek's fantasy novel City of Prophecy—which I loved—for just $2.99.)

"city of prophecy" giveaway

I read and reviewed Peter Dudek's City of Prophecy last summer, and it made it onto my "Best Books of 2011" list. Peter just announced that he's giving away one copy (or two if there's enough interest) and a $10 Amazon gift card through a giveaway on his website. All you have to do to enter is "like" his post and leave a comment about a book you'd like to read. Simple!

Go here to enter by April 1. I'm sure you'll like the book! (And if you don't win, you can still buy the book—the Kindle version is only $2.99!)

best books of 2011

I intended to post this before the new year ... obviously, I didn't quite make it!

I read a ton of books in 2011. I reviewed 59 of them, and I probably read at least 10 that I didn't review. If you figure an average of 5 hours per book, that comes to a whopping 345 hours—or just more than 14 days! When you read as much as I do, it's hard to remember which books you liked the most. So I've compiled a list of my favorite reads of 2011 in several different categories (some are a bit contrived so that I can include more books). If I reviewed the book, I've included a link. Note that these are books that I read in 2011—they may have been published earlier.

Historical Fiction
Heiress by Susan May Warren (review)—This is my favorite of all of Susan May Warren's books, which is saying something, since I've enjoyed most of her work. I love how real the characters seem, and it's a great mix of high society and the Wild West. (Sounds strange, I know, but Warren makes it work!)

Contemporary (non-Romance) Fiction
The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt (review)—This is the story of three sisters who gather to go through their deceased grandmother's things. The Fine Art of Insincerity certainly isn't "fluff"—and the book caused me to think about the way I relate to my sisters.

Romance
The Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus (review)—Anyone who's tired of reading about 22-year-old heroines should check out Kaye Dacus's books. She writes about real women. Women who wear a size 14. Women who didn't get married straight out of college. Women who live their lives, rather than waiting around for the "perfect" man. The Art of Romance is the first Dacus book I read, but it won't be the last!

Science Fiction/Fantasy
Forbidden by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee (review)—Ted Dekker is a masterful fantasy writer. (His crime novels? I could do without those.) The Circle series (and all the other connected books), Immanuel's Veins, and now The Books of Mortals feature well-constructed worlds that sweep the reader into them. Forbidden, the first in The Books of Mortals, is my favorite Dekker book since Black—it's that good! 

Romantic Comedy
Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones (review)—The time I spent reading Save the Date was probably the most fun I had reading all year! One of those implausible yet hilarious stories, Save the Date is pure fluff and pure enjoyment.

YA Fiction

Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg (review)—It's Pride & Prejudice set in an elite boarding school. Such fun!

Anthology
Jane Austen Made Me Do It edited by Laurel Ann Nattress—This is the only book on the list I haven't reviewed (though I may still get around to it). It's a series of short stories inspired by Jane Austen's books. Not all of the stories are winners—"Waiting," a continuation of Persuasion, just about put me to sleep—but most are lighthearted and fun.

Nonfiction
Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler (review)—Ira Wagler's memoir chronicling his life in and journey out of the Amish church is an incredibly fascinating look at the Amish faith.

Amish Fiction
Beside Still Waters (review) and Along Wooded Paths (review) by Tricia Goyer—In a sea of Amish fiction, Goyer's Big Sky series stands out. First of all, it doesn't idealize the Amish lifestyle. Instead, it features real characters grappling with issues of faith. I can't wait to read the third book this spring!

Suspense
Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann (review)—A character-driven mystery featuring a protagonist with an eidetic memory. Very interesting and quite suspenseful.

Book I Talked about Most
Longing by Karen Kingsbury (review)—I talked about this book so much because it made me so mad! And now I'm scared to read the final book in this series, Loving, because I just know I'll be really upset if Bailey & Cody don't end up together. Never before have I had such strong feelings for book characters!

Literature
The Opposite of Art by Athol Dickson (review)—I'm not even sure how to describe this book, other than to say that it is art in words. It is well worth your time.

Self-Published
Forsaken Kingdom: City of Prophecy by Peter Dudek (review)—In my time as a book blogger, I have read some absolute drek that is self-published. City of Prophecy is not one of those books. If you just picked it up and started reading, you would have no idea it hadn't come out of a traditional publishing house. I really enjoyed this story, and I hope to be able to read the second book in the series soon!

Favorite Book of 2011
Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin (review)—A World War II story with a timely subplot, Blue Skies Tomorrow is absolutely captivating. I completely devoured the book, and I look forward to reading more books by Sundin!

Any thoughts on my picks? What were your favorite books of 2011?