Happy Tuesday, readers! This week has been designated a ‘choose your own topic’ week by That Artsy Reader Girl, and since this weekend has been all about steam trains at our house, I thought I would do a train theme for this week.
Each year, the Hunter Valley (NSW) has an event called Hunter Valley Steamfest, celebrating steam technology in all its different guises but most particularly steam trains. And it’s the most exciting weekend of the entire year as far as my kids are concerned! So, in celebration, here are my top ten books featuring trains!
The Railway Children – Edith Nesbit
Of course I was going to start with this one! Have you read this? Such a beautiful story. And now I have my own railway children 🙂 Although, they’re about four years older than this photo now! <3
Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie
This one’s had a recent resurgence in popularity thanks to the recent movie version, but I still remember my amazement at the big reveal when I read this as a teenager.
To Wager Her Heart – Tamera Alexander
Sylas Rutledge has just invested everything he has in his purchase of the Northeast Line Railroad, and one man holds the key to his success. At the same time, he’s hoping to clear his father’s name in relation to the devastating crash that took place a year ago.
Read my review
With You Always – Jody Hedlund
This is the first book in Jody Hedlund’s Orphan Train series, which pretty much speaks for itself as far as relating to today’s topic! I haven’t read this one yet, but book two, Together Forever, comes out in just two weeks.
Life After – Katie Ganshert
Autumn Manning was the sole survivor of a train bombing in Chicago in this fantastic novel released by Katie Ganshert last year. Not a light read, but WOW!
Read my review
A Higher Justice – James Scott Bell
I’d forgotten about this series until I went trawling through my Goodreads list. Book five in a series about a young female lawyer in 1900s San Francisco who takes on the case of a young boy who was killed by a street trolley (yes, I’m stretching ‘train’ here a little!). In my defense, she does go up against a coalition of railroad men and politicians.
The Girl From the Train – Irma Joubert
Another one I haven’t read, but the title speaks for itself. Another sole survivor, this time on a train headed for a concentration camp in World War II. It’s on that ever-increasing TBR…
For Such a Time as This – Kate Breslin
Okay, now I’m beginning to clutch at straws. The train only comes into the story towards the end, but it was a pretty tense ending from what I remember. (It’s a few years since I read this one). An Esther-inspired story set in World War II, so it’s worth a read, even if the train connection is slim!
Prince Caspian – C. S. Lewis
Um, remember clutching at straws? The Pevensie children are sitting on a station at the beginning, waiting for a train, when they’re called to Narnia. And they end up back at the station… That counts, right?
The Thorn Healer – Pepper Basham
There’s a train on the cover! Um…and I think she arrives to her home town on a train? (Someone help me out here). But seriously, this is a great read, and I do love the train on the cover, so it might as well be on the list. 😉 Plus, it gets me to ten.
Are you a train lover? Or have you read a book that features trains? Do share!
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I still need to read Murder on the Orient Express. And Prince Caspian- good call! I never would have thought of that one!
The Railway Children! It’s been so long since I read that. Great list!
Great list! I’ll add Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.
Fun topic! I definitely think Prince Caspian counts. 🙂 Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
I have trains in most of my stories – no train in my colonial or my contemporary but everything in between. My grandfather worked for the NY Central RR, so I grew up with a fascination for it. I love train travel.
Haha I love your take!
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
Ooh! Love your choice of topic. The Girl From the Train was one of my favorite books last year. For Such a Time is also one of my all time favorites. I’ve been meaning to read Life After as I keep hearing amazing things about it!
let’s also not forget the train station closet kiss in TTH 😀
Oh, I’d totally forgotten about that! Shame on me! That definitely makes it worthy of this list! (PS. I have now fully refreshed my memory 😉 )
Hahaha!
I LOVE TRAINS!!!!! I’ve been on a couple leisurely, tourist-y rides on older trains but I have always wanted to travel across country via train. On my bucket list is to ride some or all of the Rocky Mountain Express across Canada.
Indie author Amber Stokes has a novella releasing soon called “Where Trains Collide”, which features a contemporary setting in the pacific north west. I’m reading it soon! I’ve noticed that most stories that include trains are historicals rather than contemporary.
My TTT 11 Characters Who Would Make Great Leaders of a Camping Trip
Oh, and I remember that train travel is a big part of the beginning of Lauraine Snelling’s book “Ruby”. That was my first Christian-historical-fiction read that got me into the genre!
Fun idea, Katie, and that’s a great list. I’ve read 3 or 4 of them. I loved Life After, The Thorn Healer, and With You Always.
For Christmas a few years ago, my husband and I took all our kids and grandkids on the Polar Express in Heber City, Utah. They have a train there that’s called The Heber Creeper, and during the Christmas season they turn it into the Polar Express. They serve hot chocolate and cookies, and there’s a visit from Santa. The trip takes about an hour, and it’s such fun.
Great topic!! I loved Murder on the Orient Express, and my dad used to make model railroads for Christmas, and it was always so neat!!
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