My top 20 books of 2013

For the last few years, I have compiled a list of the best books I read for that year. The first year, I tried for the top 10, and think it was 15 by the time I weeded out the best ones. The next two years, it was twenty, so that is the new number I aim for. I had a list of 29 books this year that I got down to 20.

 It wasn't easy, and more than one thing determined what books I picked. I read more non-fiction books this year, and found some of them immensely helpful, but they weren't necessarily a page turner like a suspense novel by a favorite author. Then some of the fiction books were so interesting and some also were helpful - its amazing how God can use Christian fiction.

I read 170 books this year, so to narrow it down to my top 20 was difficult, but here are the 20 I would say are the best ones I read this year, in no particular order:

Best books of 2013

1) Tenth Plague by Adam Blumer
2) Shattered by Dani Pettrey

3) Stress Test by Richard Mabry

4) Darkness Before the Dawn by Ace Collins

5) The Dance by Dan Walsh & Gary Smalley

6) When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason

7) He Loves Me by Wayne Jacobson

8) Not By Sight by Kathy Herman

9) Trinity by Ronie Kendig

10) Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales by Randy Singer

　
11) Talon by Ronie Kendig

12) Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman

13) Radical by David Platt

14) The Promise by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley

15) Stranded by Dani Pettrey

16) Denali Dreams by Ronie Kendig and Kimberly Woodhouse
　
17) Heart Failure by Richard Mabry

18) Gods At War by Kyle Idleman

19) The Prodigal, a Ragamuffin Story by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett

20) The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

And a list of all of the books I read this year:


January

1)The New Recruit by Jill Williamson

2) Chokepoint: Mini Mission 1.5 by Jill Williamson

3) Vanished by Irene Hannon

4) The Reason by William Sirls

5) Gone to Ground by Brandilyn Collins

6) The Way of Grace by Cathy Bryant

7) The Tenth Plague by Adam Blumer

8) The Delusion by Laura Gallier

9) The Tainted Coin by Mel Starr

10) A Dangerous Stage by Camy Tang

11) Two Crosses by Elizabeth Musser

12) The Next Target by Nikki Arana

13) Redeeming Grace by Ward Tanneberg


February

14) Unbreakable by Nancy Mehl

15) Angelguard by Ian Acheson

16) Flora’s Wish by Kathleen Y’Baro

17) Shattered by Dani Pettrey

18) The Return of Cassandra Todd by Darrell Nelson


March

19) The Grace Painter by Mark Romang

20) The Survivor by DiAnn Mills

21) So Shines the Night by Tracey Higley

22) Unholy Hunger by Heather James

23) Love In a Broken Vessel by Mesu Andrews

24) For the Love of Eli by Lorree Lough

25) Justified Means by Chautona Havig

26) Mismatched by Chautona Havig

27) A Matter of Trust by Lis Whiel and April Henry

28) Frozen Footprints by Therese Heckenkamp

29) Scorned Justice by Margaret Daley

30) Damascas Countdown by Joel Rosenberg

31) Stress Test by Richard Mabry

32) Darkness Before the Dawn by Ace Collins

33) Domination by Jon S Lewis

34) The Dance by Dan Walsh & Gary Smalley


April

35) Jesus Wept by Brock & Bodie Thoene

36) When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason

37) Tales of the Defended Ones by Beth Guckenberger

38) The Gate by Dann Stouten

39) Cast of Stones by Patrick Carr

40) Denali Dreams by Ronie Kendig and Kimberly Woodhouse

41) The Singing God by Sam Storms

42) Firsthand by Ryan & Josh Shook

43) He Loves Me by Wayne Jacobson

44) Not By Sight by Kathy Herman

45) Poison by Jordyn Redwood

46) One Chance by Daniel Patterson

47) The Bond by William Donovan

48) Angel Falls by Connie Mann


May

49) Fearless by Mike Dellosso

50) Homeland Insecurity by Richard & Evangeline Abanes

51) Nowhere to Run by Amy Wallace

52) Wounds by Alton Gansky

53) Last Chance for Justice by Kathy Macias

54) Trinity by Ronie Kendig

55) A Plain Death by Amanda Flower

56) Placebo by Steven James

57) Biking Across America by Paul Stutzman

58) Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales by Randy Singer

59) Jennifer by Dee Henderson

60) No Way Out by Susan Sleeman

61) The Judgment Stone by Robert Liparulo

62) Talon by Ronie Kendig

63) Perilous Cove by Rich Bullock

64) Gone to Ground by Brandilyn Collins

65) Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock

66) Try Dying by James Scott Bell

67) Try Darkness by James Scott Bell

68) Tempted, Tested, True by Arnie Cole and Michael Ross

69) Avenged by Janice Cantore

70) Afloat by Erin Healy


June

71) Try Fear by James Scott Bell

72) Deadly Devotion by Sandra Orchard

73) Fear Has a Name by Creston Mapes

74) An Open Heart by Harry Kraus

75) The Sacred Cipher by Terry Brennan

76) The Maze by Jason Brannon

77) Faith, Hope, Love by Kimberly Rae Jordan

78) The Runaway Pastor’s Wife by Diane Moody

79) The Stupid Crooks Book by Leland Gregory

80) Pieces of the Heart by Bonnie Calhoun

81) The Inner Society by Melinda Louise Bahanon


July

82) Crimes and Misdummeanors by Butler, Ray, and Rose

83) The King by Steven James

84) Grounded by Dave & Neta Jackson

85) The Brotherhood Conspiracy by Terry Brennan

86) Wanted Dumb or Alive by Daniel Butler & Alan Ray

87) Gods At War by Kyle Idleman

88) Misery Loves Company by Rene Gutteridge

89) Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble

90) Restoreth My Soul by Debbie Viguie

91) Superior Justice by Tom Hilpert

92) Superior Storm by Tom Hilpert

93) America’s Dumbest Criminals by Butler, Ray, and Gregory

94) Terminus by Joshua Graham

95) Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman


August

96) Follow Me by David Platt

97) Blood and Bone by Don Hoesel

98) Rules of Murder by Julia Deering

99) The World’s Dumbest Criminals by Daniel Butler and Alan Ray

100) Radical by David Platt

101) In the Paths of Righteousness by Debbie Viguie’

102) The Promise by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley

103) Finding God In The Bible by Darren Wilson

104) The Lost Medallion by Bill Muir and Alex Kendrick


105) Memory’s Door by Jim Rubart

106) Stranded by Dani Pettrey

107) Battle Scream by Mark Romang

108) Carolina Reckoning by Lisa Carter

109) Home Run by Travis Thrasher


September

110) Unlimited by Davis Bunn

111) Trapped by Irene Hanon

112) Critical Pursuit by Janice Cantore

113) The Devil’s Game by Daniel Patterson

114) Back Before Dark by Tim Shoemaker

115) The Machine by Bill Myers

116) Dangerous Passage by Lisa Harris

117) Deadline by Randy Alcorn

118) Fatal Tide by Lis Wiehl and Pete Nelson

119) Dark Justice by Brandilyn Collins

120) A Plain Scandal by Amanda Flower

121) A Plain Disappearance by Amanda Flower


October

122) I, Saul by Jerry Jenkins

123) Heart of the Country by Rene Gutteridge and John Ward

124) Torn Blood by David Bain

125) Dangerous by Caleb Bislow

126) Return to Me by Lynn Austin

127) Pearls Freaks Out by Stephan Pastis

128) The Prehistory of the Far Side by Gary Larson

129) Heart Failure by Richard Mabry

130) Renegade by Mel Odom

131) Fifteen Minutes by Karen Kingsbury

132) Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley

133) Strait of Hormuz by Davis Bunn

134) Singularity by Steven James

135) Peril by Jordyn Redwood


November

136) Critical Reaction by Todd Smith

137) The Overton Window by Glen Beck

138) Derailed by Dave & Neta Jackson

139) Amazing Love by K. Dawn Byrd

140) Traces of Mercy by Michael Landon, Jr and Cindy Kelley

141) Four Blood Moons by John Hagee

142) Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl

143) The Prodigal, a Ragamuffin Story by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett

144) Gates of Zion by Bodie Thoene

145) Severed Trust by Margaret Daley

146) To Know You by Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel

147) The Christmas Wish by Melody Carlson

148) Christmas At Harmony Hill by Ann Gabhart

149) Real by Jamie Snyder

150) The Breed by James Owens

151) The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

152) Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan

153) The Paperbag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne


December

154) Merry Humbug Christmas by Sandra Bricker

155) Pure Eyes by Craig Goss and Steven Luff

156) The Christmas Cross by Max Lucado

157) The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado

158) A Walk One Winter Evening by Al Andrews

159) Cosmic Christmas by Max Lucado

160) The Shoe Box by Francine Rivers

161) If You’re Missing Baby Jesus by Jean Gietzen

162) Christmas By the Hearth by Various authors

163) The Spirit of Christmas by Cecil Murphy and Marley Gibson

164) The Church Builder by A.L. Shields

165) Lost December by Richard Paul Evans

166) Jesus Loves You This I Know by Craig Goss and Jason Harper

167) The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren

168) All Things Hidden by Kimberly Woodhouse and Tracie Peterson

169) The Wonder of Christmas by Derrick Johnson

170) Crazy Love by Francis Chan