Reading, Writing & Pondering

    Do you read daily during Advent season? If so, you may want to consider Advent Unhurried: Daily Devotions for a Season of Wonder and Stillness by Micha Boyett. Advent Unhurried has daily readings covering Hope, Peace, Joy and Love--representing the four candles of Advent. At the start of this book, there is a brief section about how to engage with this book and how to read a poem prayerfully, following the general book introduction. The book is a mix of poems, readings and prayers. I especially like that aspect of the book. Bible verses are also a part of the daily readings but sometimes they are at the beginning and sometimes in the midst of the readings. I would say Advent Unhurried is aimed at more progressive or mainline protestant Christians. My faith has changed through the years and I fall into this category. I liked this devotional more than others I have read in recent years because I could relate to it spiritually more than others. I also like that there were ...

  Do you know a young person who enjoys inventions and learning about how things work? Next Stop: The Future: A Journey Through Tomorrow's Science by Tom Jackson and Irma Ruggiero is a cool book that explores creations and ideas that just might change the world in the years to come. Next Stop: The Future is aimed at young people ages nine to eleven years old. It is 128 pages long and this full-color hardcover book measures just under 7 1/2 inches by 10 inches in size. The book is divided into four sections that look at the future in those areas: Space, Machines, Our World, and The Body. From the possibility of living on Mars to sensors in clothes that may make people better athletes to nanobots that help keep bodies healthy, this book is full of ideas for how the future could be different and help humans in various areas.  I think Next Stop: The Future would be interesting for any young person interested in science or inventing things for the future. There are some ideas yo...

  Meet The Invisibles by Mike Barfield and Jess Bradley is a cool book aimed at young people ages nine to eleven. Meet The Invisibles are the tiny organisms and energy waves in your world that you cannot see--but that doesn't mean they aren't there. There are Three main sections to Meet The Invisibles : Only Natural about tiny microscopic marvels, What's the Matter which is about atoms and particles in space, and Hi, Energy--about energy sources and waves.  Meet The Invisibles is a beautiful, full-color book that measures about 8 1/2 by 11 inches in size and is 96 pages long. There are charts, graphs, and all sorts of illustrations that show the various tiny invisibles in our world and in space. This is a fun book for those who are interested in science. It could also be a great book for those who homeschool too.  I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Amazon Vine Program. All opinions are my own. 

  I picked up my copy of The Bright Side of the Other Side by Sara McDaniel intending to peruse it before reviewing it. . . but it quickly drew me in and I couldn’t put it down. I was done in 24 hours. Sara’s story reads like a novel, complete with a difficult storyline, yet full of hope, and complete with a happy ending. There are a lot of people who have faced difficulties and have a story that offers hope, but not everyone can write that story in such a beautiful way. Sara’s written story flows so well. Her heartbreak and challenges are balanced by her hopeful outlook. I think this book could offer hope to other people facing hard things of various kinds. I felt hopeful after reading it and my hard things are different than Sara’s. Sara faced infertility, infidelity in a marriage, and an unwanted divorce. She also dealt with a big health challenge and faced a job lay-off. Unbeknownst to her, restoration was coming in several ways after facing these challenges.  She moved b...

Do you like fast-paced spy novels? Loose Arrows by Lynn Horton kept me turning pages quickly. I grew up watching James Bond movies. . .this book puts a different spin on that type of story. There is a middle-aged woman who is the lead spy that the story centers around. I love that! CIA Operative Nina Abrams is the daughter of an artist. She took time away from her job to spend it with her dying father. As he is on his deathbed, Nina's dad shares some shocking information. Along with that, Nina had someone shoot at her at his studio.  After her father passes, Nina then has to find some missing nuclear warheads as part of his dying wish.  She also hopes to find out what happened to her 4-year old daughter who was kidnapped years earlier. As she works to figure out what is going on, Nina befriends Alan Kelso. He investigated the shooting at her Dad's house and works with the sheriff's office. She needs an ally who will help her. Will he do it?  Loose Arrows is my first boo...

Do you have a special skill or talent that is unique to you? My Voice is a Beat by Kevin Olusola with Daniel Bernstrom is inspired by the author's true story of having an uncommon talent and using it in a special way. I love that My Voice is a Beat invites children to embrace their gifts and develop those gifts or talents as something that makes them special in a good way. The book shows that at first Kasey was teased for being himself with his unique skills. Then, when the kids see Kasey at a talent show, they cheer him on and his talent is showcased. This book might be a good gift for a young children who is struggling to be themselves with their own gifts from God. My Voice is a Beat is a large colorful picture book aimed at children ages four to eight. The book is 32 pages long and measures roughly 9 by 11 inches in size. At the back of the book, there is  an author's note from Kevin's heart about how he found the courage to be the perfect kind of different that God...