Reading, Writing & Pondering

  I have been anxiously awaiting Last to Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn for a few months now. This book is the third book in the Gossamer Falls series. You could read it as a stand alone but it would be more enjoyable if you read the series in order. This book is Bronwyn Pierce and Mo Quinn's story. I have been wondering about them since the series began. This book did not disappoint. Bronwyn is running The Haven, her family's exclusive mountain resort. She runs a tight ship and does a good job. . .but something is off and she can't put her finger on the problem. Mo is a former army intelligence officer so she asks for his help in finding a problem in the book-keeping that her gut tells her is there. She also feels she is being watched. Her family has a lot of issues and she isn't sure how the "bad" guys are in this situation. Can they figure it out before her time runs out? I read Last To Fall in a day and enjoyed it all. I liked how the relationship developed be...

  Are you looking for a new Easter book for a child? The Great Waking Up by Sarah Shin is a colorfully illustrated picture book aimed at children ages 3 to 8. This Easter book measures a little less than 9 inches squared. It is bright and colorfully illustrated. I love that it is so inclusive--including Jesus looking fairly historically accurate. The illustrations are so beautiful that they bring to mind stained glass windows when I look at them. Anastasia loves dreams. In The Great Waking Up she talks about her dreams with her mother. Her mother tells her that there will come a day when there is the Great Waking Up with no more death. In this book, they live in the time of Jesus. They see Jesus do miracles. Then they see Jesus is crucified and become confused about his role--until He wakes up himself. This whole book is the story of Jesus and Easter told through the eyes of a young girl. The Great Waking Up is this author's second children's book. In the back of the book, t...

  Not That Wheel, Jesus! by Mary Katherine Backstrom is a book that I could relate to in several ways as someone who was hurt by church people but still loved Jesus.  Not That Wheel, Jesus! is for people like me who have followed Jesus as an Evangelical and then deconstructed their faith. I did not walk away from Jesus but after watching three churches split and a whole lot of other stuff that wasn't pretty at those churches, I needed a break from church people. If you have had experiences like that too, then you may also enjoy this book. If you don't have any experience with that, than this book probably isn't for you. She does use a few minor cuss words sprinkled throughout the book too so if that bothers you, then this book isn't for you either. I pretty much read this book in a day. While I can't relate to all of the things that the author went through, I could relate to several of them. I also liked her writing style. She has a sense of humor that made me lau...

  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...