How to Start Reading Barbara Bartholomew
If you are new to Barbara Bartholomew's clean, fantasy-infused romances and mysteries, deciding where to start depends entirely on your preferred flavor of fiction:
- For Time-Travel Adventure: Start with The Time Keeper (1985), the opening book of her classic young adult sci-fi trilogy. It is a fantastic entry point for readers who enjoy clean, classic time-travel stories. Alternatively, the standalone novella The House Near the River (2012) offers a self-contained time-travel mystery with a romantic core.
- For Small-Town Mystery and Ghosts: Dive into the Lavender, Texas series starting with The Ghost and Miss Hallam (2012). This series combines a historical Texas setting with gentle supernatural elements and local mystery.
- For Light Magic and Family Bonds: Begin with Everyday Magic (2014), the first book in the Three Sisters series, which follows the magical and everyday adventures of the Wagstaff sisters.
- For Retro Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Fun: Pick up The Cereal Box Adventures (1981), the start of her interactive "Starring You / Making Choices" gamebooks published in the 1980s.
The Lavender, Texas Series Reading Order
Set in a fictional Texas town, this historical romance series blends mystery, family secrets, and gentle ghostly occurrences. The series should be read in order of publication to follow the town's characters and timeline. The short story "Christmas Time" serves as a lovely holiday companion, best read after Lavender Dreaming.
- The Ghost and Miss Hallam (2012)
- Letters From Another Town (2013)
- Leaving Lavender (2013)
- Lavender Blue (2013)
- Lavender Dreaming (2014)
- Christmas Time (2015) — Short Story
- Missing in Lavender (2016)
- Stranger in Lavender (2016)
- Anywhere but Lavender (2017)
- Christmas 1915 (2017)
The Time Keeper Trilogy
This is Barbara Bartholomew's signature science fiction work from the mid-1980s. It features a straightforward chronological narrative centering on young protagonists navigating the dangers and responsibilities of shifting through time. It is highly recommended to read this trilogy in order:
- The Time Keeper (1985)
- Child of Tomorrow (1985)
- When Dreamers Cease To Dream (1985)
The Three Sisters Series
Perfect for fans of cozy, small-town stories with a touch of whimsy, the Three Sisters series follows the magical happenings surrounding the Wagstaff family. Read them in order to watch the family dynamics unfold:
- Everyday Magic (2014)
- More Than Magic (2014)
- Almost Magic (2014)
- Granny Magic (2018)
Other Notable Series & Duologies
Bartholomew has penned several other shorter series and duologies that are excellent for quick, clean reads:
The Medicine Stick Series
This series blends past and present, exploring personal discovery and historical secrets across three books:
- Wrong Face in the Mirror (2013)
- Wakening the Past (2014)
- Bobbi and the Bootlegger (2014)
Ancient Cities Series
A historical adventure trilogy focusing on archaeology, secrets, and romance:
- The Pot-hunter's Daughter (2015)
- Stolen Years (2015)
- Poet and Dreamer (2015)
The Chosen of Sanctuary Duology
A fantasy duology featuring high-stakes mystery and alternate-world elements:
- Dreams of Earth (2012)
- Nightmare Kingdom (2013)
Chronicles of the Magic Land (Chronicles of Endymion)
A YA fantasy series exploring magical realms and royal duties:
- Finding Endymion (2010)
- Princess Alice (2011)
Wolf Creek Mystery Series
A cozy mystery duology set in a tight-knit community:
- Those Who Mourn (2016)
- Darkness in the Daytime (2017)
Interactive "Starring You / Making Choices" Books
In the early 1980s, Barbara Bartholomew contributed to the popular Christian interactive gamebook series "Making Choices" (published by Chariot Books under the "Starring You!" banner). Similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure format, these books allow the reader to choose branching paths to reach multiple endings. Because they are standalone interactive stories, they can be read in any order:
- The Cereal Box Adventures (1981)
- Professor Q's Mysterious Machine (1982)
- President Is Stuck in the Mud (1982)
- Dr. Zarnof's Evil Plot (1983)
- Help! I'm Drowning! (1985)
- Trouble in Quartz Mountain Tunnel (1985)
- Mr. X's Golden Scheme (1985)
- Help! I'm Shrinking! (1986)
- General K's Victory Tour (1987)
- Time Warp Tunnel (1995)
Award-Winning Work and Standalones
Bartholomew's standalone contemporary and historical romance novels showcase her clean, emotionally resonant style. A major highlight of her career is Julie's Magic Moment (1983), which won the Golden Medallion Award (the predecessor to the RITA Award) from the Romance Writers of America in 1984 in the Young Adult category. These novels require no prior reading and can be enjoyed individually:
- Anne and Jay (1982)
- Flight into the unknown (1982)
- Mirror Image (1983)
- Julie's Magic Moment (1983) — 1984 Golden Medallion Award Winner
- Something Special (1984)
- A Promise Once Made (1984)
- For Every Season (1985)
- Silent Song (1986)
- Man Of Character (1986)
- Romantic and the Realist (1986)
- Out of the Blue (1987)
- A Dog's Dream (1994)
- The House Near the River (2012)
- By the Bay (2012)
- This Edge of Forever (2014)
- Through Flame and Fire (2015)