An interesting Sunday (as in the old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times."). On a certain Christian fiction writers' (not readers') loop, one member posted a question that led to a lively discussion: why is C-fic not recognized for its high quality in the larger writing/publishing world? Why no awards for C-fic titles such as the Pulitzer and others?

I don't want to add to the controversy. That's already been done by higher profile persons than me. Some of the on-loop comments have been downright nasty and/or snarky, and I propose to take a higher road.

What books in our market have you read lately, that you thought stood head & shoulders above anything you've read this year? Which would have stood out in the larger pack, had they been published in the so-called secular marketplace? Which were "too good" for Christian fiction?

My short list includes Sandra Byrd's TO DIE FOR. Also Siri Mitchell's A CONSTANT HEART and Susan Meissner's A SEAHORSE IN THE THAMES.

Notice how few there are? Notice that two out of the three are not first-line, highest-profile authors in our market? Maybe that's no accident. I gave up on Kingsbury when she started writing soap opera. The other best-selling Christian authors write in eras and settings that bore me into insanity, so I don't read them either. In fact I read very little Christian fiction these days, since most of it seems as interesting as overboiled porridge.

How about you, readers? What are your "too good" titles and why do you love them?