100 books like Dare

Orphan’s Song is a lot more of a subtle allegory than some of the books on this list, but that is not a criticism! The author has such a gorgeous writing style, and her world really draws you in. It’s the kind of place you want to visit, but it doesn’t bog down the story. The music theme is also very well done, and there’s a hint of mystery that keeps you turning pages. If you like griffons, this is the book for you.

A Cast of Stones brought me back to a magical time in my childhood when I could truly get lost in stories. Despite being a boring grown-up with boring grown-up problems constantly vying for my attention, this book took hold of me completely. Our main character, Errol Stone, is truly and devastatingly flawed. He’s an alcoholic, he has major dad issues, and he’s treated like trash by many around him. His doubts, his fears, his virtues, all of it comes to life on the page. I found myself rooting for him as I root for Frodo and Sam on the slopes of Mount Doom. If that wasn’t enough, the rest of the characters, plot, and prose are wonderful, too. 

The Oath is an unmissable read for anyone who is fascinated with the wickedness of Smaug in The Hobbit. The way that Frank Peretti writes his non-human villain is absolutely masterful, but don’t worry, there are plenty of homo sapien villains to go around as well! As you read about the adventures of our main character, Steve Benson, your expectations are pulled in one direction, only for the author to jump out and surprise you at every turn. Like Tolkien, Peretti understands that though sin and corruption can be complex, some evil is just evil. 

Part of what I love the most about The Lord of the Rings is the way that J.R.R. Tolkien made Middle Earth feel like it could be real. I have to remind myself it’s not history, but fiction. Reading Recorder gives me the same feeling. Sure, technically, it’s science fiction. It’s set in space. But there is a depth and honesty to the world that Cathy McCrumb has created that is rare and worth exploring. It is both a prescient warning about the future of humanity and a powerful story about found family and finding hope when up against impossible odds. Also, the romantic subplot of this book will absolutely shatter you.

This one’s an intentionally short read, fast-forwarding through Leith’s life at breakneck speed, only stopping to check in every few years to see what game he was into then. The whole thing feels like a strange fever dream or stream of consciousness, particularly in the first few chapters when his childhood memories are probably as fuzzy as the TV he played Planetoid on. Still, it’s a fascinating look at how certain games stick with you over the years. I have my own collection of games that don’t necessarily reflect my favorites of all time but certainly define key moments in my life.

I always enjoy a good mystery and R.M. Greenaway’s River of Lies is definitely one I would recommend. This book is the fifth in the B.C. Crime Series of mysteries by Greenaway but it was the first I had read—and it won’t be the last. The two detectives, Cal Dion and David Leith, are strong characters who come together in this book to solve a murder of a young black female janitor, a missing child case, a drowning, and an apparent suicide. Once they find the missing link between all these incidents, they are able to make progress. I found this an absorbing whodunit that held my attention to the very last page.

Yvonne Rediger’s The Wrong Words is set on beautiful Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada. The Wrong Words is a page-turning cozy mystery with all the proper investigative procedures. Adam Norcross, the main protagonist, is a man with a mysterious past. I liked how he and the female cop Bethany Leith worked together. Sometimes the male lead overpowers the female lead. But not in this story. And I didn’t guess whodunit; when that happens, that is the best.

A. J. Jacobs, a journalist, decides to read the Bible and try to follow it literally for a whole year, to the point of eating locusts, throwing small pebbles at couples he suspects of adultery, slaying idolatry, and speaking the naked truth… Struggling to follow archaic rules, he lives a disconcerting experience under the perplexed eyes of his family and becomes quickly out of step with the present time. The Year of Living Biblically depicts a clash of worlds with a caustic humor and I’ve burst out laughing a couple of times. I recommend it to believers and non-believers, both will be amused by this witty book that gives us food for thought.

If scholars are still trying to completely understand the Bible, how are we supposed to navigate it?

Inspired steps back and takes a look at Scripture, inviting us to ask questions and know it better, from both a spiritual and literary perspective. While I didn’t agree with everything the author suggests, everything made me pause and think. It’s a rare book that both challenges and encourages, but this one most certainly does both.

I first heard the audio dramatization of this book on a podcast call The Untold Podcast, showcasing speculative fiction from Christian authors.

The story is short, telling of our unnamed narrator who is struggling with sin in his life. He reads the Bible verse, if thy hand offend then, cut if off. From there begins his meltdown into wanting to take off his hand because he has done sinful things with it.

What made this one so chilling is the rational outlook of the narrator. Then comes the grisly bits that make you squirm in your chair as you listen. Now, it’s in book form and I guarantee you, it’s a very good book. Thank God for grace!