I had my librarian ask me to go through some catalogs and choose some christian books that the library could purchase for our system. I need any advice of the newest, hot authors or maybe a series of books.  Please help me out !  

Thanks,

Melissa

fiction, nonfiction, or both?

As far as fiction goes, these are some our library has:

Redeeming Love by Francine RIvers (or anything else she's written)

Beverly Lewis

Ted Dekker

Eric Wilson

Lori Wick

Janette Oke

nonfiction?

maybe see if they are willing to get some Bibles like:

ESV Bible

ESV Study Bible

NASB study Bibles

NIV study Bibles

Justin Lookado has a series "Dirt on..." that's very good for teens and also has his "Dateable" books

Bloom (published by Focus on the Family, a girls guide to growing up)

Boom (Published by Focus on the Family, a guys guide to growing up)

The ladies in my christian book club have really liked books by Deborah Raney, Nancy Moser, and Karen Kingsbury.

I totally agree with the others listed above.  I handle the library at my church and we have the following in it:

Fiction:

Tracie Peterson
Tamera Alexander
Don Brown (would appeal to men)
Terri Blackstock
Steven James
Mel Odom (NCIS series)

Great source to check is www.christianbooks.com.  Can pull up authors by gender, age. etc.

A lot of the authors above write series. 

Dee Hederson, Angela Hunt, Robin Lee Hatcher are also some great authors.

I strongly, strongly recommend the fiction by Gene Edwards -- he has fictionalized parts of the Gospels and they're very well written and accurate.  In particular:

The Divine Romance

The Prisoner in the Third Cell

The Chronicles of Heaven series (The Birth / The Beginning / The Escape / The Triumph / The Return)

Kathy Tyers also wrote the Firebird trilogy (Firebird / Fusion Fire / Crown of Fire) that would appeal to science fiction readers.

maybe see if they are willing to get some Bibles like: ESV Study Bible, NASB study Bibles, NIV study Bibles

Three excellent recommendations for Protestant Bibles. Another great one I would recommend is the New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha (NRSV). I assume they already have at least one King James.

If this is a public library, I would also recommend (if they don't already have them):

JPS' Tanakh (Jewish)

At least one edition of the New American Bible with study notes and one Jerusalem Bible or New Jerusalem Bible (Catholic)

The Orthodox Study Bible (Eastern Orthodox)

I posted a link to the ECPA Bestsellers List which has fiction and non-fiction. (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) and also for the Top 50 link for CBA (Christian Booksellers Association).

http://www.ecpa.org/bestseller/index.php

http://www.cbaonline.org/nm/documents/BSLs/Top_50.pdf

When I worked at the local library, I also got to help chose the Christian Fiction titles and Amish stories always flew off the shelves and had long waitlists.

The Secret Life of Becky Miller by Sharon Hinck

Francine Rivers

Frank Peretti - good for men or women.  The Oath has been enjoyed by those who like Stephen King

Ted Dekker - good for men ot women.  Some books are described as supernatural thrillers.

You guys are great!! Thanks for all the suggestions and links.  It is a small library but they already have several of the older Francine Rivers, Lori Wick, Janete Oke, Beverly Lewis titles. Mostly all of the Christian fiction has been donated and they are not anything published recently.
They already have several Bibles so those are not needed. I was wanted both fiction and nonfiction. Tomorrow I'm will talk to the librarian and ask her again what seems to be what people are looking for.  She is knew to her postion and seems somewhat loss in the Christian section although she is open to suggestions.

I  did want  to know about authors who write  thrillers, I'm not familiar with them since that is a genre that I don't normally read.

I was thrilled to take on this opportunity. I really appreciate everyones help.

For thriller there is Ted Dekker, TL Hines, Brandilyn Collins (kind of a mix of thriller/romantic suspense) and Jerry Jenkins new one (Riven) can be considered a thriller. Though, if the patrons of the library haven't read any Christian thrillers yet, I'd start with thrillers that aren't considered 'edgier' which means they push the envelope just a little bit with the description of violence. I also live in a smaller town where the patrons really enjoy Christian Fiction but prefer to lean toward the romance and 'light' supsense rather than thrillers. They chose Christian Fiction based more on the content (no foul language, no sex, no onstage violence) rather than because they want to read stories with a Christian worldview. A good thing to find out is why the readers in your library read Christian fiction, that would help narrow down what books to add first to the collection.

A good blog to read reviews for reviews on suspense, plus she does drawings.  The Suspense Zone http://www.thesuspensezone.com/  (I can't seem to get links to show up correctly). If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a PM. As I'm trying to break into the Christian market, I try to keep up to date on the market (especially with mysteries/supsense).

Have fun choosing the new books for the library. = D

Wow that's wonderful!!

Can you ask the patrons?  Put out a suggestion box.  I would love for our public library to do this!!  They have so little christian fiction to choose from.

Check for christian authors in your state.  It's fun to have and support the authors in the area.  And then you can display them.  Like here in NE our library has Mary Connealy , Stephanie Grace Whitson & Meredith Efken. and others I can't think of at the moment.

As I'm trying to break into the Christian market, I try to keep up to date on the market (especially with mysteries/supsense).

Just curious Christine, but what do you mean about trying to break into the Christian market?  Are you wanting to write, review, etc?

Beth Moore books seem to be quite popular. Orson Scott Card has a series on women of the Old Testament that is quite good.

Cynthia, I'm trying to write fiction for the Christian market. = )

Will Cramer

Charles Martin

I always recommend the Bodie Thoene series.   The Zion Covenant and The Zion Chronicles series are so engaging.   They are historical novels written around the time of WW2.   Wonderfully written.

That's great Christina.  All the best in your efforts.  Maybe you can sometime give us a sneak peek?  I would love to read it.

If I may, I'd like to put in a word for "Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White" by Claudia Mair Burney. The interracial element adds a lot of depth and interest to this contemporary Christian romance. It's a really fun read, and educational without being preachy. I'm also a fan of "The Exorsistah" and "Wounded."