Reading, Writing & Pondering

  I like to support authors from my home state so I wanted to read This Side of the Sky as the author is from Iowa and lives near me. This Side of the Sky by Laura Wifler is a book of poetry mainly aimed at women.This book released on September 15 and is now available every where books are sold. This Side of the Sky includes 101 poems and Scriptures for women. The book is divided into 5 acts with an introduction, an intermission and a benediction. The book is printed on thick ivory paper and the poems are arranged in a lovely format. The author explains the book in the introduction and what each section represents. The poems are beautiful and many are relatable. She also explains that she didn't start out to write poetry and how her poems came to be. This book is aimed at Christian women and Scriptures are woven throughout so many women can likely relate no matter what stage of life they are in. This Side of the Sky includes  poems on motherhood, friendship, marriage, woman...

    Worthy Girl by Marshawn Evans Daniels is based on Ephesians 4:1, " I urge you to live a life WORTHY of the calling you have received." Worthy Girl is a large beautifully illustrated picture book aimed at girls ages four to eight. The book is fairly large, measuring a little over 10 inches squared, and it is 32 pages long. This book features a dark-skinned young girl so would be good for children of all ethnicities. A couple of pages show children of all skin colors in the illustration, which I especially like.  The book is mainly written in rhyming prose although that starts and stops a couple of times as the book sort of shifts gears. I think it is a book that sends positive messages to young girls. It is definitely aimed at Christian children so it is religious in nature.  Bible verses are included in the text too.   Purchase link:  Worthy Girl by Marshawn Evans Daniels I received a copy of this book from the publisher through FrontGate Media. All o...

  Katie Powner is another author that I always look forward to when she has a new release. The Second Chance Trailer Park was a character-driven novel full of fun characters. Meredith McGillicutty is ready for a change of pace. After she gets passed over for a promotion at work, she is ready to retire. She not only follows through and does retire, but she lies about her age to get into a retirement community. However, Peaceful Pines Retirement Community may not end up being as relaxing as she dreamed about. There are a lot of fun older folks that Meredith gets to know there, as well as a couple of younger ones, so there is a little mix of ages. I enjoy older characters as I worked in a nursing home as an activity assistant for a couple of years and met some older characters myself. I not only enjoyed getting to know Meredith, but I enjoyed the other characters at Peaceful Pines. The characters seemed real and had some true-to-life struggles. It also had some humor and heart becaus...

  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of my favorite Christmas classics. Belle's Christmas Carol by Michelle Griep expands on Dickens' story by telling readers her version of what happened to the woman that broke up with Enbeneezer Scrooge.  Belle Beaumont is Ebeneezer Scrooge's former fiance who unexpectedly inherits a struggling orphanage. Barrister Rafe Munro is a lawyer fighting for an innocent man and searching for a child he believes is his relative. His search leads him to Belle's orphanage. Belle has her hands full with her new business, especially with Christmas coming. Rafe jumps in to give her a hand as he also works to figure out if the child he searches for is there. I enjoyed Belle's Christmas Carol . This is a cute story, partly based on history, along with her interpretation of where Scrooge's fiance ended up. There is some mystery. There are some mishaps at the orphanage, some of which are humorous. There is some romance as sparks fly b...

  The Heart of the Maker: How to Put Your Passion to Work by Jake Weidmann is a new book aimed at artists and creators of all sorts. Weidmann is an artist and Mat Penman.  I looked up the definition and found out that a master penman is a title rarely given to an elite artist who has reached proficiency in handwriting skill, ornamental penmanship, and/or calligraphy.   The Heart of the Maker offers solid advice and encouragement for those who are creators/artists or wish to be from someone who has experience and proficiency in a creative field. I don't make art professionally, but I enjoy making it for my enjoyment. This book has encouragement for all kind of creatives and artists. From the Publisher:   Unlock the transformation of your passion with the keys of purpose-driven work in  The Heart of the Maker . Whether you’re an artist or entrepreneur, writer, weekend warrior or looking for a way to activate your calling, this book serves as a blueprin...

  The Roman Holiday Rule by Andra Loy captivated me from beginning to end. Loy is a debut author and this book is a wonderful debut! Lexi Walker is off on an Italian adventure. She has an itinerary to complete the dream trip she had planned with her mother before her mom passed away. Her mom is an artist and she will present her final painting at a festival. Lexi is also carrying letters her mother left her to open at certain locations in Italy. Mark Russo is an Italian-American Archetect who was once burned by an American tourist so he is a bit leary of Lexi upon meeting her.  Still, he is captivated by Lexi as they share their flight to Rome--and an interest in photography.  I loved The Roman Holiday Rule . I could have read it in one sitting if I had had the time. This book has some mystery, some history and a romance that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing from beginning to end. There is also humor as it is a rom-com. Even though there is a sadness in Lexi from her mother's...