It’s another month of our challenge: Tackle Your TBR Pile. So go dig through that stack taller than you of books you’ve been meaning to read and start reading away. Since this year is based on your TBR pile, I will not have a recommendations page, but I’m leaving the link here so it’s easier for me to set up NEXT year’s blog posts.
Find recommendations at Reading Challenge Recommendations, Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, Avid Readers of Christian Fiction, or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.
Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes from my shelf can be found here.*
Reading Challenge 2025: Tackle the TBR Pile
If you’re anything like me, you have a TBR pile that is bigger than you can hope to read in a lifetime. This is the year we’re going to try an tackle at least twelve of those books. Head to your shelves and find books that fit each month’s challenge.
This Month: November – Award-winning book
Next Month: December – Oldest book on your TBR pile
We Three Kings: A Romance Christmas Collection
by Crystal Caudill, Cara Putman, Angela Ruth Strong
Yep, totally cheating this month because I JUST finished my draft mid-week and the first book I picked up to read during my sabbatical was a new release that I’ve been waiting for since I read the first book in the series. So I’m cheating and featuring the Christmas collection I was in with the amazing Cara Putman and Angela Ruth Strong. It really was a blessing to work with and learn from these spectacular women, and their stories were unique, and I enjoyed reading them. (Especially since they were the descendants of my characters. LOL) If you’ve read my Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age series (the one with the Secret Service operatives), you’ll see Josiah Isaacs as a side character in my award-winning story “Star of Wonder.” (Y’all, winning that award still makes me cry as that award is physical representation of God’s goodess, restoration, and redeeming of a horrible horrible horrible lots of horrible years in the midst of a horrible seven years of family medical trauma. I’m not tooting my own horn, because it still blows my mind that this story would win. It doesn’t makes sense to me. But God. And I am so thankful for His working and lavishing great love on me.) Okay enough with the asides.
If you like WWII-related stories, you will ADORE Cara’s as the hero and heroine work to identify and restore art stolen by the Germans to their rightful owners, set in a bomb-stricken town where loving and serving the community brings about a new love and understanding of Christmas.
If you like rom-com with depth, Angela Ruth Strong’s story is perfect. This soon-to-be single mom is an event planner who is in need of kindness and a restoration of the Christmas spirit. Funny with depth, I love how Angela takes a hard thing and makes it beautiful.
Genre: Christmas collection spanning 1880s, Post WWII, and contemporary timelines
Plot Overview:
In this Christmas collection, Weise men still seek Jesus—and love
“Star of Wonder” by Crystal Caudill
The Christmas-themed maiden voyage of his family’s grand steamer ship was supposed to be Aldrich Weise’s chance both to instill investor confidence and to romance Celestia Isaacs. Instead, he must foil a criminal and leave his lady love behind forever.
“Beauty Bright” by Cara Putman
Lieutenant Charles Weise served as a Monuments Man after World War II and now works to restore stolen art to rightful owners. Captain Lillian Thorsen pairs up with him not only to return treasures but also to fix the war-torn lives around them.
“Perfect Light” by Angela Ruth Strong
Essential oils mogul Brendon Weise is drawn to Lacey Foster, the event planner for his huge Christmas lights festival. But when he inadvertently makes a spectacle of her on television, Lacey wants nothing to do with him. Will a chance to give gifts to those in need at Christmas be the key to discovering common ground—and maybe love?
Purchase Links:
Giveaway
For your chance to win an e-book copy of We Three Kings or a book off my prize shelf, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. *Giveaway Policies can be found here.
I read Shadows of th3 Past by Patricia Bradley. It was her first book and a character from that book is th3 main character in her most recent book.
I pkan on reading Th3 Preacher’s Bride by Jody Hedlund for December. It’s the first one that I entered when I got on goodreads in 2015.
For Reading Challenge I read the book Claws for Concern (Maddie Sparks Mystery Book 3) by Lesley A. Diehl
I read Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky. I enjoyed this dual timeline, sweet, inspirational story with a message of forgiveness.
Sadly I have not read a book for 5 months. Due to an accident to my eyes during laser surgery I have been having operations to my eyes. I c
have recently been able to read my computer if I make the print large enough and are trialling spectacles to remedy a refractory problem I have been left with. My favourite books have been Historical Biblical Fiction. I look forward to reading again in the New Year.
I read A Healing Touch by Suzanne Woods Fisher.
I read the last book in the Shadows of the White City series by Jocelyn Green, Drawn by the Current. It was a really good end to the series.
I also read “We Three Kings”! It was such a good book, and I can see why you won an award, I so enjoyed your story!