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I thought it would be fun to see what everyone's favourite Amish novels were from this year. They don't have to be published in 2011, just ones you read this year. Perhaps if enough people are interested Diane and I can compile a list at the end of year and see which books got the most mentions? Anyway, I'm opening this thread now and feel free to start posting lists and adding to them if you read any more great Amish books in November and December!

I think my favorite one I have read all year is The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman.

I also enjoyed Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long and The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall.

Hey, I loved Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman but also have a true soft spot for Lilly's Wedding Quilt...the favorite thing I've written.
Thanks,
Kelly

I think my favorite so far this year was The Caregiver by Shelley Shepard Gray. But I really liked Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long and A Time to Heal by Barbara Cameron.

Ach, I have too many favorites! *smile*

If I had to pick though, I would probably say it was a tie between The Rose Trilogy by Beverly Lewis and Something Old by Dianne Christner.

Wow, this is a tough decision. I would say some of my favorites that I read in 2011 are:

1) Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer
2) The Journey by Wanda E. Brunstetter
3) The Healing by Wanda E. Brunstetter
4) Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long

Summary:

Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer - 1,2
A Baby for Hannah by Jerry S. Eicher - 1
Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer - 1,2
The Caregiver by Shelley Shepard Gray - 1
The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall - 1
Ella Finds Love Again by Jerry S. Eicher - 1
A Gift of Grace by Amy Clipston - 1
The Healing by Wanda E. Brunstetter - 1
Hidden by Shelley Shepard Gray - 1
The Journey by Wanda E. Brunstetter - 1
Judgment, The by Beverly Lewis - 1,2
Levis Will by W. Dale Cramer - 1
Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long - 1,2,3,4,5,6
The Mercy by Beverly Lewis - 1
Paradise Valley by W. Dale Cramer - 1
A Place of Peace by Amy Clipston - 1
Plain Fear: Forsaken: A Novel by Leanna Ellis - 1
Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman - 1
Plain Promise by Beth Wiseman - 1
The Prodigal by Beverly Lewis - 1
The Promise of an Angel by Ruth Reid - 1
A Promise of Hope by Amy Clipston - 1
Sanctuary by Beverly Lewis - 1
Seek Me with All Your Heart by Beth Wiseman - 1,2,3
Something Old by Dianne Christner - 1
The Thorn by Beverly Lewis - 1,2
A Time to Heal by Barbara Cameron - 1
The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman - 1,2
The Wounded Heart: An Amish Quilt Novel by Adina Senft - 1,2

Diane, you're being so organised already! :) Should we put each of the Rose books in individually, just in case someone nominates one of the books in the series but not all of them?

I have 7 that are definitely in the running so far. Here they are in the order that I read them:
1. The Prodigal by Beverly Lewis
2. Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long
3. The Promise of an Angel by Ruth Reid
4. Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer
5. Plain Promise by Beth Wiseman
6. Seek Me with All Your Heart by Beth Wiseman
7. Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer

These are all the Amish books I gave 10/10 this year! I have loads of 9/10 as well so I'll have to think about my final three books. Unless I read some really awesome stuff around Christmas.

Also, I love that Kelly's book has so many votes already! It was wonderful.

My favorites:

1. Paradise Valley by W. Dale Cramer
2. Hidden by Shelley Shepard Gray
3. Sanctuary by Beverly Lewis & David Lewis

Updated!

Not sure if I can update it this weekend, I still have no cable & internet.

No problem, Diane, I'll copy the list into my top post and update it if you're not around. I've heard crazy things about the snow you've been having!

I have two favorites for 2011:

Plain Fear: Forsaken: A Novel by Leanna Ellis; and
The Wounded Heart: An Amish Quilt Novel by Adina Senft.

I am eagerly awaiting the next books from both of these authors.

The Thorn, and The Judgement, in The Rose Trilogy, are two of the best Amish Fiction books I have ever read! It's like they are chocolate chip cookies and I am the Cookie Monster, lol, I am devouring them! I have read one book each week, and I rarely do that anymore. I just couldn't put these down though! I am actually at the very end of The Judgement, and looking forward to The Mercy. I have to admit though, I will be sad to leave these characters!

Barbara Ann wrote: "I think my favorite so far this year was The Caregiver by Shelley Shepard Gray. But I really liked Lilly's Wedding Quilt by [author:Kelly Long|1329565..."

Thank you to Barbara Ann and Diane U. for saying you enjoyed A Time to Heal! I loved writing that book and that series -- and have an announcement about the series soon!

Barbara wrote: "and have an announcement about the series soon! "


No fair dangling something like that out there in front of us!!! How long is soon?

Editor should get back to me Monday or Tuesday. I forgot when we talked the other day to ask if I can make the announcement.

Barbara wrote: "Barbara Ann wrote: "I think my favorite so far this year was The Caregiver by Shelley Shepard Gray. But I really liked Lilly's Wedding Quilt by [autho..."

Barbara, I love your work! But I must agree with Barbara Ann, that's not fair to tease us like that!!! :) Please let us know as soon as you can!

Updated!

I got my cable and internet back around 7:30 last night! Yippeee!!!

I love all the amish stories, I have read Cindy Woodsmall's "The Christmas Singing" great story, then "Emma's gift," story of one young woman who is little fat and doesnt think she will ever get married, I loved the way someone truly loved her and she finally accepted that he did. I have one coming by Beth Wiseman and cant wait to read it.

Diane U wrote: "Updated!

I got my cable and internet back around 7:30 last night! Yippeee!!!"

Welcome back!

My favorites are [book:Seek Me with All Your Heart- Beth Wiseman- The Wounded Heart- Adina Senft- And A Baby for Hannah- Jerry Eicher!!!!! My favorites for 2011!!!!

I am glad to hear that you also enjoyed The Wounded Heart: An Amish Quilt Novel by Adina Senft. It is a great story that seems not to have gotten as much attention as it should have.

I thought it was a beautifully written story- I was touched by it. I think that is Adina's first Amish book but she did well- and I think she her next book come up in the series in a couple of months!!! So it was the start of a series!!!

I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Carolyn wrote: "I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series."

::blush:: Thanks, ladies, so much. The next book in the series, The Hidden Life, will be out in June 2012. I just turned it in and the cover is already up on amazon!

Well I'm just going to have to go get the first book now! It sounds wonderful!

Updated!

I love checking up on this list, it's interesting to see which books are getting the most votes :)

Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman won the ACFW Carol award in 2011. Excellent story!

I love the Land of Cannan series and the series that Plain Paradise is in. I loved all the stories in both those series! It's neat to have two series that are so closely related too.

Updated!

Ella Finds Love Again by Jerry S. Eicher

Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer

Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long

Seek Me with All Your Heart by Beth Wiseman

Updated!

Updated!

I am very new to this group but I wanted to add a novel to this list. It is not a rromance novel. It is a very interesting novel about someone who had been raised Amish. Levis Will

I haven't read it Michelle, but it's on my bookshelf waiting! It sounds so good!

Updated!

Michelle wrote: "I am very new to this group but I wanted to add a novel to this list. It is not a rromance novel. It is a very interesting novel about someone who had been raised Amish. Levis Will"

Paradise Valley is written by the same author, right?

Ooohhh I LOVED Paradise Valley!

I think you linked to the wrong one though, I think it's this Paradise Valley you meant? At least that's the one I meant!

I love all of W. Dale Cramer's books. It appears that Cramer has dropped the "W." from his name for the new series (which may cause some confusion). I noticed that our library listed his latest book, The Captive Heart, under the name Dale Cramer (without the "W."). I believe this latest book will be out in January, 2012.

Correction: According to Dale Cramer's website, The Captive Heart will be available on December 1, 2011.

Wow! Thanks, Carolyn.. I can hardly wait!

Sarah wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I am very new to this group but I wanted to add a novel to this list. It is not a rromance novel. It is a very interesting novel about someone who had been raised Amish. [book:Levi..."

I meant Levi's Will, it is a novel about a young man who was Amish and left the community. I guess it is more a novel about a man's struggle to reconnect with his Amish roots and also to find a way to successfully integrate his non-Amish wife and family.

Camille wrote: "I think you linked to the wrong one though, I think it's this Paradise Valley you meant? At least that's the one I meant!"

I have not read Paradise Valley yet but it sounds very interesting. "Levi's Will" was my first book by this author. I really enjoyed it but maybe it does not really belong on this list. Sorry. It is a novel about a man who left the Amish community and was consequently but under the bann for doing so, this novel tells us the story of his life as he tries to find a way to become a part of his family once again. We also see how he lives in a world that was alien to him. I found the novel to be fascinating.

Michelle, I haven't read it, but my understanding of this list is whatever each of us personally feels is one of their favorite reads is eligible for the list! So if you think it was one of your favorites, by all means nominate it! :)

Camille wrote: "Michelle, I haven't read it, but my understanding of this list is whatever each of us personally feels is one of their favorite reads is eligible for the list! So if you think it was one of your f..."

Yes, if you read this book sometime in 2011, and it's Amish then it's eligible for nomination! That's all there is to it :) It's great seeing what everyone's favourite reads were :)

Well thanks to this group I've got a lot of books on my "wish list" to read. Some new authors that I read this year were Suzanne Woods Fisher, and Beth Wiseman. Seeing how I had my 6th child in Dec 2010 and he just turned 1 I've not really had much time to read this year. I will say that I enjoyed Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman and I'm not reading Plain Pursuit (about half way through). I can't wait to read some of the other wonderful authors listed above. Like I said I've got their books on my wishlist on PBS. Now that my son is walking and I'm having to chase him and 5 other kids, my reading is SLOW!

Unless anyone else has any more favourite books to add, it looks like our group's top reads of 2011 were:

1. Lilly's Wedding Quilt by Kelly Long

2. Seek Me with All Your Heart by Beth Wiseman

and several books tied for

3. Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer
and Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer
and The Judgment by Beverly Lewis
andThe Thorn by Beverly Lewis
and The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman
and The Wounded Heart: An Amish Quilt Novel by Adina Senft

those are all wonderful book along with the many others that did not make it.

EXCELLENT authors, too.