Dangerous Best // Five Fall Favourites Day 6

Well, cupcakes, it’s day 6. The wrap-up of it all. Giveaway winners are announced, books are on sale, TBRs are crammed full, and bookishness is (partially?) satiated. We have a weekend to recover from our binge… with books, of course. Maybe even a new one. Recommended in FFF ’22. I have a PDF for you to download with a complete list of all the books recommended (even those by our guest bloggers yesterday!) so keep scrolling, but first, the very last post of it all is a roundup of our top favourite books…

“Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled ‘This could change your life’.”

Helen Exley

That’s right, our very favourite books of the year, so far. I might read a ton more 5 star books between now and January 1, but it’ll be hard to replace these books, I can tell you that!

1. That Printer of Udell’s by Harold Bell Wright.

Dick Falkner’s childhood consisted of poverty and abuse from an alcoholic father. Recognizing his life for what it was, he ran away from his home, but he could not run away from all of his problems.
Sixteen years later he found himself hungry of body and empty of spirit in a small Midwestern town. He was determined to make something of himself and to not be controlled by alcohol.
Initially, he finds no help in this so-called Christian town. Eventually, he is taken in by George Udell, a local publisher and a kind-hearted man. George Udell gives the young man a job, and something more important: spiritual support. Through hard work and Christian morals, the man who becomes known as “that printer of Udell’s” rises above his past to a new life with God, inspiring those around him along the way.
As in Wright’s The Shepherd of the Hills and The Calling of Dan Matthews, good deeds and a strong belief in God form the basis for a happy life, no matter what the past.

I beg to differ with the synopsis—it isn’t Udell who gives spiritual support, it’s Uncle Bobby. And he’s a dear. This book was recommended to me last year as one of the top 12 books I should read this year. It thoroughly justified its recommendation. It’s a splendid novel with excellent writing and characters and a powerful message.

Full review here | Download free from Gutenberg here

2. Dìlseachd: A Stolen Crown by Cheyenne van Langevelde.

A TIME OF DARKNESS
Six years since the Danes invaded Scotland, slaying her finest men.
Five since the Highland King married one of the enemy, betraying his countrymen and losing the Lowlanders’ support.
Three since the king died and the Danes imprisoned the remaining blood heir to the throne.
Her crown stolen, her country desolated, Fiona McCurragh now faces the looming threat of execution.
The Lowlanders, weary of enemy rule, seek to free their stolen homeland. With the aid of a blind harper, they attempt to rescue their Highland princess when the Danes ride in on Lowlander territory, shattering the fragile peace. The Scots are left with no choice except to launch a war in the face of the coming winter. If they do not attack now, the Scots—and their princess—may not live to see the spring.
In the face of despair, Fiona McCurragh finds courage in friendship with two chief’s sons. Yet conflict lies on more than one side, and for some of the Scots and their allies, loyalty no longer has any meaning.

Medieval Scotland—harps—danger—family—broken souls—hilarious cinnamon roll characters—hope—what more can a girl ask for? It’s enough for this girl, anyways. This is one of the best indie books I’ve ever read, I had a hard time putting it down once it was finished, and I am so, so excited for the rest of the series!!

Full review here

3. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell.

This is Elizabeth Gaskell’s first novel, a widely acclaimed work based on the actual murder, in 1831, of a progressive mill owner. Mary Barton, the daughter of disillusioned trade unionist, rejects her working-class lover Jem Wilson in the hope of marrying Henry Carson, the mill owner’s son, and making a better life for herself and her father. But when Henry is shot down in the street and Jem becomes the main suspect, Mary finds herself painfully torn between the two men. Through Mary’s dilemma, and the moving portrayal of her father, the embittered and courageous activist John Barton, Mary Barton powerfully dramatizes the class divides of the ‘hungry forties’ as personal tragedy. In its social and political setting, it looks towards Elizabeth Gaskell’s great novels of the industrial revolution, in particular North & South. Set in Manchester, between 1837-42, it paints a powerful and moving picture of working-class life in Victorian England.

This book would have made it under my “top 5 favourite romances” only I was saving it for this genre. The plot kept me gripped, and I didn’t want to let go when the book ended. I cried and laughed and reflected and aww-ed. I can’t wait to revisit this book soon…

Full review here | Download free from Gutenberg here

4. Lighten Our Darkness by Sarah Beth Brazytis.

“I do not believe to live through this war; I have seen too many die to tell myself otherwise. I can be careful, but what is that? I am going to fight.”
A fighter pilot ready to die. A girl whose world has crumbled. A city bombed and broken. A country struggling for existence.
As a Polish fighter pilot serving in the RAF, Pilot Officer Jedrick Ondraski does not expect to survive the war with Nazi Germany; he only wants to avenge his family and homeland before he dies. But when he meets Helen Smith, a young American woman, during an air raid on a dark London street, the encounter forces him back into the world he has renounced. A marriage of convenience seems to be the only way for him to provide her a home and a life after the bombing that destroyed her tranquil home. Helen, destitute and alone, clings to him for help and comfort; but when he joins his squadron in aerial battle with the very enemy who destroyed his own country, there seems little hope of a future for either of them. As the Luftwaffe aggressively targets civilian London, the whole country braces for a Nazi invasion. And in the blackout of the London Blitz, two young souls reach out for life, love… and the One Who can lighten their darkness.
The first WWII historical novel by author and historian Sarah Brazytis, Lighten Our Darkness will take you to the bombed streets of London, the barracks of the RAF, and the flak-riddled skies of the Battle of Britain.

Oh, my heart. Did this book ever make me smile… and made my heart sing. It’s adorable, powerful, living. The characters and plot are some of my favourites ever. The message is marvellous. Ah… I don’t even have words. I love this book so very, very much.

Full review here

5. Fiercehearted by Holley Gerth.

A fiercehearted woman looks life in the face and says, “You can’t beat me.” She knows love is a risk but reaches out anyway. She chases Jesus with a tender, world-changing wildness. She never gives in, never gives up, and never lets go. Best of all, the potential to be a fiercehearted woman is inside each and every woman on earth.
In her most powerful book yet, beloved bestselling author Holley Gerth inspires her readers to become the stronger, braver, truer women they long to be by sharing personal stories of her own struggles and victories. As readers join Holley on this journey, they’ll discover a freedom they never imagined could be theirs: the freedom to experience life, love, and faith to the fullest because fear can no longer hold them back.
For the woman who is restless or longing for more, Fiercehearted is an invitation to the life God has always meant for her to embrace.

This book changed my life. Someone seemed to understand almost everything I’ve ever felt and struggled with and put it into words. She gave me hope, and courage, and tools to fight the lies. The writing itself is beautiful—but the messages are just… awesome.

Full review here

As you pack up and leave, remember to check the giveaway winner, snag more recs, and pick up several more freebies over at Kate’s…

And here’s the promised PDF with all the book recs for 2022. Let me know in the comments if you can’t download it for some reason (and the PDF I gave on Monday with my former book recs, too).

Oh, dearie me… I just want to reread these all over again as I remember them. They’re so good, and I really hope you can read and enjoy them as much as I did! 💙 What were your favourite books this year?