{The End.} Top 10 favorite reads of 2015.

I traveled a great many places in the world this year... through the power of books! See my completed 2015 book map on Pinterest to see my favorite spots I got to "visit".



With the year coming to a close, it's time to perform the end-of-the-year round-up of favorite books read during these last 12 months... Usually I try to do a "Top 10" post for this annual event, but... extra books get in the way of me being able to declare exactly 10. I'm sure you're excited to hear all about my favorite books this year, no matter how many there are! >>>

In no particular order, my top 10 favorite picks...

Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo
This is the kind of children's fiction I grew up reading and still enjoy to this day. It's an amazing story filled with historical impact, a quality plot, and the hidden secrets of the human mind. {Read my full review here.}

A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God by Trisha White Priebe
This book provides readers with how to look at the literary character of Sherlock Holmes from a Christian perspective, and furthermore, using the art of deduction to find God's everlasting mercies in your life. It combines two big things in my life: a fictional detective who has stood the test of time and God, who created time itself and everything in it. {Read my full review here.}

The Band That Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic by Steve Turner
Never before has so much information been collected in one volume concerning these 8 men -- the most well-known of them being Wallace Hartley, the bandleader. This book is a treasure -- for music and maritime enthusiasts alike. {Read my full review here.}

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
So easily was I sucked into the deep and mesmerizing world of Rebecca's, the one she left behind before her death. The one that continues revolving without her -- yet always with her. I think one day I shall have to re-read this vintage classic. {Read my full review here.}

Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott
I read this one for my annual Louisa May Alcott reading challenge! A beautiful gem of a book, penned by the same hand which authored the time-honored novel Little Women. This is the sequel to the charming volume entitled Eight Cousins. {Read my full review here.}

The Sound of Diamonds (Steadfast Love #1) by Rachelle Rea
The plot thickens, twists, and surprises the reader with every chapter. As a reader of historical fiction, I found this book to outwit and surpass many a book I've read before. So much research and study went into its writing. The historical details weave themselves so effortlessly into the plot, as only a true wordsmith can make the words do. The use of Dutch and Spanish authenticate the dialogue. Sweet romance harmonizes with the enthralling plot. And the spiritual transformation completes the story as a whole. {Read my full review here.}

Chronicles of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
A collection of several short stories penned by the beloved L.M. Mongomery, author of the Anne of Green Gables series. Her stories bring out the best of emotions; blissful happiness and the bottomless pit of despair, sometimes at the same moment. {Read my full review here.}

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
Erik Larson has researched and collected together everything you need to know about the Lusitania in a single volume. It covers Captain Turner and his life, Kapitänleutnant Schwieger and how he destroyed the largest moving ship, and the government's angles on the whole affair as well. {Read my full review here.}

Adventures and Adversities (Tales of Taelis #1) by Sarah Holman
I just adore Adventures and Adversities, and felt it to be quite refreshing in the midst of all the books available on the market today. This is exactly what good, clean, Christian fiction is supposed to be. I think this book would be best enjoyed by pre-teens and young adults, although anyone could certainly appreciate the story. {Read my full review here.}

Winter Passing by Cindy McCormick Martinusen
A woman's pursuit of her family's history. When her grandmother passes on, Darby Evans latches onto the dying wish -- that Darby visits Austria and sets things aright. Grandmother Celia, born in Austria, escaped during World War II after the country was overtaken by the German occupation. Upon the start of Darby's investigation, she starts to realize that her grandmother left many things unsaid. {Read my full review here.}



And now, for the honorary mentions...

River of Grace: Creative Passages Through Difficult Times by Susan Bailey
A running theme that you learn all throughout this book is how creativity and spirituality go together, hand in hand. Susan tells how God's mercy has shown her a greater kind of essence, once she let herself glide along with His unending grace. How you can create new life in your surroundings as you allow the river of grace to run through you? {Read my full review here.}

Christy by Catherine Marshall
A beautiful book that illustrates quality morals and character-building traits. This book is now considered by most a vintage classic, especially in the Christian community. In 1912, Christy Huddleston is a courageous 19-year-old, daring to shed her high-society life to become a schoolteacher in a little community set among the Appalachian Mountains... {Read my full review here.}

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R.A. Dick
Yes, it's about a ghost. Yes, this ghost haunts a house. Not in a spooky way, though, but in a delightful way -- or once you get to know him, it's not really a spooky idea at all. {Read my full review here.}



Previous years of top favorite books:

2014 // 2013 // 2012 // 2011 // 2010