Reading, Writing & Pondering

The 5-Minute Bedtime Treasury by Hannah C. Hall is a beautifully illustrated children's book with some fun rhyming stories inside it. Measuring roughly 8 1/4 inches square it is a fun size to read in bed together. This story book is aimed at pre-school children up to age 4. There is one story that talks about going to school so kindergarten children may enjoy it as well. There are six stories in the 5-Minute Bedtime Treasury.  God Bless You and Good Night God Bless My Friends God Bless My School God Bless My Family God Bless My Home All of these stories are illustrated by Steve Whitlow with what I would call softly-vibrant pictures. The pictures look soft and warm and yet are vibrant in color. I think they are just gorgeous and well liked by children. Then all of these stories are nicely written in a rhyming style that is truely a pleasure to read and fun for children to listen to.  The 5-Minute Bedtime Treasury could be a fun baby gift or a gift for a young child, besides buying

  One of the first Christmas specials that I enjoyed as a child was A Charlie Brown Christmas. It is a fond memory for me and my family watches it nearly every year. Is it a favorite for you too? If so, you may want to know the back story of this special. The Inspiring, Untold Story of the Making of a Holiday Classic: Charlie Brown's Christmas Miracle by Michael Keane is a book about how this special came to be made--against the odds.  The Inspiring, Untold Story of the Making of a Holiday Classic: Charlie Brown's Christmas Miracle is a fairly lengthy book but it is also well told and quite interesting, I think. I liked how easily it reads. I enjoyed the back story quite a bit. It is a book that I just couldn't rush through and takes some time to read. I liked the historical photos in the middle of the book too. This is a book that will appeal to those who enjoy history, to those who enjoyed the Charlie Brown Christmas special through the years, and to the fans of Charles

  Grey loves food! Today, Grandma is teaching him how to make Vietnamese dumplings. In What's In a Dumpling, Grandma? by Linda Meeker, families can learn how to make dumplings along with Grey. How cool is that for those of us who are foodies? In What's In a Dumpling, Grandma?, children can learn to try and appreciate foods from either their own culture or a different culture. There are many ways this book could be used that could make it fun and educational. I must admit, I am not on TikTok so I was not familiar with Grey and Mama. Those are are fans would definitely want a copy of the book. However, if like me, you hadn't heard of them, this is a fun book for families who enjoy trying new foods. It also could be a fun book for grandparents as it shows the love and care between the generations. It a fairly large book, measuring a little over 9 inches square. The illustrations by Sandra Eidi are bright, colorful and well done. It is just a lovely book for children and famili

  In the introduction of Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life by Joel Osteen, Osteen talks about how his parents taught their children to read the Bible every morning. That is a great legacy to have. However, I would add that if you aren't a morning person, read it every night or at noon. Whatever time of day works for you is fine--the important thing is to do it consistently. Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life includes 100 daily devotions. Each devotion starts with a Bible verse, then there are two or three paragraphs of a reading to reflect on the Bible passage, and concluding with a prayer for the day. This book is full of short readings that are all based on Psalms and Proverbs, as you would expect. The readings are all uplifting and offer hope in the midst of today's challenging world. The book is a nice size to carry along or leave on a night stand as it measures about 5 by 7 inches in size. I like this edition of Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life . I think this

  Julia Monroe just turned forty. She has been a widow for ten years and the single mom to two boys who are now in college. Now time for a fresh start for Julia in Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet. Bet her fresh start may be more than even she was hoping for. What Julia doesn't count on is an old boyfriend coming to town and joining the church she attends. Samuel Reed is a handsome former Green Beret with an eye patch. He comes to New Orleans to start a new life too after his accident left him deciding not to re-enlist. Sparks fly with Julia and Samuel get together. Can they heal their wounds and make a new start together or is it too late for that? I was really looking forward to Julia Monroe Begins Again . I have really been enjoying contemporary books with lighter elements this year and have read several. However, for me, this book just wasn't very funny. Humor is an individual thing and I know it isn't easy to write. I laughed a couple of times. However, mos

  Into the Fire is the first book is Irene Hannon's new Undaunted Courage series. This book was a different take on suspense than my usual suspense books for me in that the villain throughout the book was a suspected arsonist. Brianna Tucker was a storm jumper when she lived in Idaho. After a career-ending injury, she moved back to her home city of Saint Louis where she started working as an arson investigator. She is also living near her family. ATF Special Agent Marc Davis is assigned to a case with Brianna (Bri). He moved back to Saint Louis to help care for his Grandmother who has been in treatment for breast cancer.  Between Bri and Marc, there are some sparks but they both have some walls up when they meet each other. Will those walls come down in time? Can Bri and Marc solve the puzzle of a fire that took the life of a former colleague for Bri? Her former colleague was continuing to research several cases that, at least in his mind, were tied together. Neither Marc nor Bri

    Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Mountain Storm Survival by Cathy McDavid, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours !   My Review: Mountain Storm Survival by Cathy McDavid is part of the Mountain Rescue series. This is the first book that I have read in this series. I like to take Love Inspired Books with me since they are a great size to carry along. Kate Spencer gets a new job helping with a youth wrangler camp full of young foster kids. Rand Walkins is the Ranch Manager. Kate was formerly in prison so she is glad to have this job. Rand isn't glad to have her because he is part of the reason she was in prison. Along with their challenging working relationship, they become trapped in the Superstition Mountains with two of the campers as illegal miners try to hunt them down in the midst of a storm.  There is a lot going on in this Love Inspired book. This is a tale of forgiveness and redemption among a few people. There is also a lot of action and suspense as the group tries t