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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

6 of the Best Grace Livingston Hill Books You Should Read

by Chautona Havig · 6 Comments

In this episode, I share what I consider to be the 6 best Grace Livingston Hill books and how I came to read them after not liking the first one I read. via @chautonahavig

Over a century after her books were written, Grace Livingston Hill’s books continue to be popular among avid readers of Christian fiction—but why?  And if you haven’t read any, where on earth would you start?  The woman wrote over a hundred books!

I’ve brought her up in two of my other episodes: Episode 1 and Episode 7.  You can find those HERE.

Well, I’ve chosen six of my favorites, and in this episode, I tell you what they are and why!

6 best Grace Livingston Hill Books

Links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

6 of the Best Grace Livingston Hill Books You Should Read

After reading The Angel of His Presence, I doubted I’d ever pick up another one of Grace Livingston Hill’s books.  That one didn’t grab me, as I explain in the episode.  However, dear friends got me to reconsider my opinion on the books when they shared their favorites.  As a result, I can recommend six of them to get started with (or to read—either again, or to discover new delights from this prolific author!)

Counting down from least to most favorite (almost…) of Grace Livingston Hill’s books we have:

Cloudy Jewel—the story of a beloved aunt whose kind heart and love for her nieces and nephews save her from a life of drudgery.  A sort of Cinderella story. (Free at the time of posting)

Aunt Crete’s Emancipation—another Cinderella-ish story about another aunt who received the love and affection of a beloved nephew who arrived to lavish it on both his aunts and his cousins but wasn’t met with a warm reception by all!  I mention a link to a website while I was talking about that book.  It’s HERE.

A Daily Rate—  A young woman in a miserable existence receives an inheritance that she uses to brighten the lives of others in a similarly miserable situation. (More of a romance than the others)

The Enchanted Barn— The Hollister family needs a place in the country, and the only one they can afford is an old barn, so they fix it up into a lovely home. (Another more romantic story).

The Obsession of Victoria Gracen— One aunt invests in the lives of her nephew and his friends, against the advice and to the shock of the town, resulting in beautiful things. (only available for Kindle in that box set right now)

Found Treasure— Euphemia Martin doesn’t have a very good reputation—nothing sordid, just a girl who is known for being careless, boyish, and flighty.  A chance encounter with the town darling shows her the meaning of her name, Euphemia, and over the next years, she becomes the personification of who the Lord meant her to be.

Our Sponsor:

grace livingston hill collectionSo, instead of a sponsor today, I wanted to point out that all or most of the Grace Livingston Hill books are in the public domain and can be read FREE at Gutenberg.org.  They are also available on Amazon.com and other websites, often free or for just a dollar or so on Kindle. In fact, here’s one collection of twenty-six of her books, including FOUR of the books I talked about today (doesn’t include Found Treasure or A Daily Rate.

I even found a few on Kindle Unlimited.

Often the hardback copies are inexpensive on sites like eBay.com.

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Comments

  1. Michel says

    November 8, 2021 at 6:21 am

    I have about 30-35 of Grace Livingston Hill books. My mom collected them for many years. I did sell locally over 50 books. If anyone here is interested in buying any let me know. Or if anyone knows a place (other than a thrift store) that would be interested in them let me know that as well. I am moving and just can’t keep all these books.

    Reply
  2. Angela Martin says

    July 10, 2020 at 5:47 pm

    I think my first Grace Livingston Hill book was The Red Signal. I seem to remember large pimply Nazis. You named my favorite – The Enchanted Barn really stands out for me.

    I need to check out some of your favorites. I don’t remember a couple of them. I always liked her books that ventured out a bit and yours seem to vary a bit from her formula of rich girl or man falls in love with poor man or girl. (And when the male love interest was rich, the mean rich girl wore red lipstick. The female protagonist never wore red lipstick. ?)

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      July 10, 2020 at 11:20 pm

      Right! The lipstick. Reminds me of that book with Ron Howard as a little boy and he’s convinced the girl is “bad” because she has “skinny eyes” and all the bad girls in movies and comics have “skinny eyes.”

      Reply
  3. Joan Ricken says

    July 9, 2020 at 8:11 am

    My high school (Sentinel High School – Missoula, Montana) in the early 60’s was the only public high school in the US to have a chapel in the school. Our Bible Club was run by Miss Clark, Miss Simmonton. and Mr. Lawerence. (Moody Bible schooled) I saw them 30 years later and they were about the age I thought they were 30 years before. In our chapel was a Holiness Table. Inside of the table was a library of all of Grace Livingston Hill books. I don’t remember when and how we discovered them but “what a find”. I spend many an hour reading them. You have inspired me to see if I can find them and reread them.
    Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Joy Hamilton says

    July 7, 2020 at 10:06 am

    My Mama got me started on Grace Livingston Hill and I have greatly enjoyed her books for many years. As you said, plenty to chose from. Every book cannot be a winner for any author but she usually pleases me. I am thankful to be directed to you by way of my daughter and granddaughter. I haven’t been disappointed yet. Blessings to you Chautona

    Joy Hamilton

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      July 7, 2020 at 1:10 pm

      Aside from the Schuyler books and Angel of His Presence, nothing I’ve read by Hill didn’t have something I really liked. Even if they weren’t absolute favorites. They ALL can’t be favorites,right?

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
byChautona Havig

Shannon Sue Dunlap isn’t new to rom-coms, and her first book in the Sweetheart Series promises to be a literary riot, and it lives up to that promise. I’m only halfway through it and am thinking mean, ugly thoughts of everything keeping me from being able to escape into the crazy small-town politics and quirky characters. So far the com far outweighs the rom, which makes me thrilled to bits. Listen in to discover what makes Lone Star Sweetheart so much fun.

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Why Did This Author Write a Rom-Com about a Loveable Shrew?

Well, I think we can safely blame Shakespeare for that. Shannon Sue Dunlap has taken inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in her Katherine, but unlike Katerina, Dunlap’s character is actually trying to learn to tame the tongue. Maybe someone should send her over to the book of James. There’s that whole bit about not being able to tame it, being an “unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

Kate’s isn’t that bad, but not for lack of trying. Or something.

Shannon Sue Dunlap isn’t joking when she says that her Katherine is a “loveable” shrew. Seriously, I love this character. She’s forthright, no-nonsense, and “what you see is what you get” in her approach to life. I respect that. Add to that her boss who has shaken up the town of Sweetheart, Texas, and you’ve got the makings of a great story. I’m loving Lone Star Sweetheart.

But this isn’t all Dunlap has written.

Under the pseudonym, Shannon Kent, you can find her sweet and clean romances (including one Christian romance) inspired by Korean dramas. If you said I’d be not only chomping to read a sweet and clean romance about Korean tour guides and all that entails but also ready to watch a Korean drama on Netflix… Okay, I might not have laughed in your face, but I’d’ve been laughing on the inside.

Best part… one of them ties into her Sweetheart Series

Lone Star Sweetheart by Shannon Sue Dunlap

Katherine Bruno’s passionate, unfiltered temper makes her the shrew of small-town Sweetheart, Texas. When she’s drafted to help the mayor’s wife run against her own husband, Katherine meets opposing big city political consultant Ryan Park. The good-looking, flirtatious campaign manager gets under her skin, but fraternizing with the enemy is off-limits.

Katherine must battle her lack of experience, campaign sabotage, and her growing feelings for Ryan as she strives to succeed. His unprejudiced acceptance of her strong-willed character beckons her heart, but his jaded rejection of God is an insurmountable barrier. Will Ryan return to his faith and stay with her in Sweetheart or leave when the election ends?

You can find out more about Shannon Sue Dunlap AND get that first novella in the Korean Crush series free on her WEBSITE.

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Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
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