Reading, Writing & Pondering

  The Restitching of Camille DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin is the second book of a young adult fantasy duology. You need to read the first book before this on for it to make the best sense. I would also add that if you like fantasy and like classic literature, you will likely enjoy the book as an adult too. Emlyn DuLaine, the main character in the first book, accidentally bridges story worlds together. She then goes back and tries to sever the connections without destroying the stories themselves.  At the same time, Laramie is lost in a story world with Frank, a special wyvern who needs Rivenlea air to survive. Laramie is the story boy who has grown on Emlyn and Frank is a creature cherished by both of them. Emlyn also needs to find her sister, Camille, and save her. Can they do it all in time? This second book is told from multiple points of view. I like that aspect as the first book was just Emlyn's point of view. We get to hear from a variety of the characters. It is also...

    Does the Christian life feel complicated to you?  Uncomplicate It by Hosanna Wong is a book that gives you permission to live your life in a less complicated way in your own uniqueness. This book is divided into four parts: This is Your Permission Slip, which encourages you to be your own person and to live your life in your own unique way, the way God made YOU. The second section covers roadblocks to living that way--busyness, distractions, grief, shame and more. The third section gives shortcuts to better living the Christian life through your own personality, playing, pruning and more. The fourth section is called The Great Uncomplicating: How do you live life as the real you and how do you make sure it lasts?  There is a lot to think about in Uncomplicate It . It is a thoughtful and easy to read book in that the author writes as if she were talking to you over a hot beverage at the kitchen table.  From the Publisher:   What if enjoying life w...

      Emlyn Dulaine lost her sister seven years ago. She literally vanished before Emlyn's eyes. No one believes Emlyn's version of what happened. They think she is crazy. Then Emlyn is pulled into a portal with a magical library. Is this where her sister went too? The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine by Lindsay Franklin is the first book in a fantasy duology that will leave readers wanting to know more--especially since this one leaves the reader with a cliffhanger.  To start with, this book is aimed at young adults and I'm a middle-aged woman so my perspective might be different. Emlyn had to grow on me. I didn't care for her at first with her sullen attitude. As the book went on, though, I started to care for her a great deal. I also liked getting to know the other characters in this story. Also, I wanted to read this because fantasy is a genre that I have not read much of. I found it easy to get into the author's world that she built, which I think says a lot. I had...

    I have done several Beth Moore Bible Studies and have learned so much from her. I was excited to see that she has a new one-- Walking with God . This one released from Tyndale House Publishers in January. It looks like a good study to do with Lent as it is about walking with God. It could be done any time though, of course. What does it really mean to walk with God–not just for a season, but for a lifetime? No two people in Scripture walked with God identically, and the same is true for all of us. Sometimes, a stretch of miles when God seems gloriously obvious can be followed by months of wondering where he’s gone. God has his own objectives for each season of our walks, and some of them will remain a mystery until we see his face. Join  New York Times  bestselling author of  All My Knotted-Up Life , Beth Moore, as she leads you on a five-week journey through Scripture to explore what walking with God looked like throughout the Biblical storyline: t...

  Mind, Body, Spirit, Food by Nicki Sizemore is a beautiful holistic cookbook.  As the cover states, the recipes are adaptable and there are grounding meditations and there is encouragement for preparing meals with joy and intention. This book encourages the reader to focus on the process as they cook. I love that. I also like how flexible these recipes are. The recipes offer advice for making each recipe in your own way with ingredients you have on hand and in such a way that your family's likes and food intolerances are taken into consideration.  I see our bodies as holistic so this book is especially meaningful to me in that way. There is encouragement to have an attitude of gratitude as you work with ingredients, prepare your food and eat with family. There is also a spirit of meditation included. This is definitely a book for my keeper cookbook shelf.   The recipes themselves look to be flavorful. The instructions are easy to follow. There are full color p...

    A King Washes Feet by Jessica Claire Bond releases on February 10. This book gives the reader 40 readings for a Lenten read or a Bible study. On the last night of Jesus’s life, He picked up a towel and washed His disciples’ feet–people who would soon betray, deny, and abandon Him–giving an example of what it really means to love and forgive like the King. He clothed Himself in humility, providing for us a picture of what it really means to follow Him. This book is an invitation to sit on the footwashing stool and let Jesus heal you, then kneel with the King and learn how to wash the feet of your friends  and  enemies. We need this picture–and this posture–more than ever. All around us are disappointed, disillusioned, and wounded people, covered with the grime of ambition, jealousy, self-protection, church hurt, broken relationships, and world-weary hearts. Jesus calls us to kneel before them, whether they are friend or foe, to perform acts of love, m...