Reading, Writing & Pondering

The Edge of Everywhen by A. S. Mackey is billed as a middle-grade book but I think this is a book for the whole family to read and enjoy. Thirteen-year-old Piper and her autistic brother, Phoenix, are sent to live with Aunt Beryl after their mother passes away in a car accident. Their father is also missing while working construction overseas. Together Piper and Phoenix find a mysterious book calling to them from Aunt Beryl's library. Novus Fabula is a story that will speak to each of them and change their lives forever. I truly enjoyed The Edge of Everywhen I found Piper and Phoenix to be a very likable main characters. I especially resonated with Piper's love of books and I liked that so many bookish quotes and references were made in this book. While I was rooting for the main characters throughout the book, I also liked Beryl by the end of the book. I also enjoyed Mr. Greene and Sofia. Within the fantasy realm, this story was captivating and uplifting. I liked the m...

Standoff by Patricia Bradley  is the first book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series and it is the first book that I have read by this author. Luke Fereday and Brooke Danvers are old friends and neighbors. Luke arrives back in Natchez too late to save Brooke's father, John, from being killed as he tries to stop a drug deal. Brooke is determined to find out who her father's murderer is--but she may not be safe either. Together, can they find the culprit? There are quite a few secondary characters in Standoff . One of which is Daisy, Luke's grandmother. I liked her a lot. She was the one person who most reflected her faith and it felt authentic. I also liked that Bradley gave a nod to author Rachel Hauck through her. Otherwise, I struggled to connect with many of the characters. I especially didn't like Brooke's over protective friend, Emma. Honestly, while I did root for Luke and Brooke, I didn't feel real warm about them. I wanted them to find ...

Warfare Prayers for Women: Securing God's Victory in Your Life by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock is a beautiful colorful book packed with prayers for all sort of occasions based on Scripture. Warfare Prayers for Women starts out with a brief introduction and is then divided in to eleven parts: Praying with Power, Praying against Hindrances, Praying for Life's Milestones, Praying for Children and Grandchildren, Praying for Family and Friends, Praying When Single, Praying through Tough Times, Praying in My Senior Years, Praying for My Community and Nation, Important Prayer Helps, and Scriptures for Intercession and Warfare. I like that Warfare Prayers for Women is a book that encourages women to pray based on Scripture. In the introduction, the authors make it clear that the most important thing is that we take time to pray each day and to be honest with God and not worry so much about the form of our prayers. We need to spend time praying to God, looking to Him ...

Susan May Warren has been a favorite author for many years. I like that her suspense books contain adventure, mystery and fast-paced action. The Heart of a Hero , which is the second book in the Global Search and Rescue series, contained all of those elements. I liked Doctor Aria Sinclair and former SEAL Jake Silver from the first book, The Way of the Brave . They are book real people who face physical, emotional and spiritual struggles as they consider a relationship with one another. In the background of The Heart of the Hero we see glimpses into a future book with a backstory of Signe and Ham--another couple with real problems to overcome. I liked the characters in this book and I found the plot to be fast-paced. I was definitely driven to keep reading and to find out how the story worked out. I also liked that Warren takes on some spiritual challenges and weaves them in seamlessly. They don't feel preachy or stilted. At the same time, there is one struggle I wish she wo...

Working Moms, stay-at-home moms, praying moms, Aunties, sisters neighbor women, church grandmas, all kinds of women play roles that A Mother's Love is written for. It is book "celebrating every kind of mom." A Mother's Love is divided in to five parts: Love That Breaks the Mold, Love While Holding Them Close, Love and Laundry, Love While Letting Them Fly and Love around the Table. Along with celebrating all types of moms, this is a book for women of all ages and types. Each section includes several chapters written by different types of women. Throughout the book, there is also a journaling page for reflection on your own life and thoughts. A Mother's Love is truly a beautiful gift book with a ribbon page marker and pretty illustrations. It is about the size as most of my other writing journals and would be easy to carry along with a Bible or alone for your quiet time reading. The writing is superb and is a mix of personal stories, reflection thoughts...

Bringing Maggie Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer was so good and I was wishing it had a sequel. Talk about wishes coming true! The main couple in Unveiling the Past , Sean and Meghan, are from her first book, Bringing Maggie Home . Actually we get to revisit several characters from Bringing Maggie Home . Hazel, Diane, Meghan and Sean were all a big part of the first book. Sean and Meghan are cold case detectives who are working to solve cases. There are a few other new characters we follow in this book too. Amazingly, it was easy to follow them all. I also enjoyed them by the end of the book. Sawyer has a way of helping us see the flawed characters good points. I just love that! This book also involves some mysteries that are uncovered and I didn't figure out the ending, which was a plus for me. Those who want to read fiction with solid Christian themes will appreciate Unveiling the Past. There is definitely solid Christian teaching woven throughout the storyline. My one pet peeve ...

Hadley Beckett's Next Dish by Bethany Turner is one of the top books that I have been looking forward to this year--and it did not disappoint me. I am a foodie who loves a good rom-com so I was anxious for this one with that special mix. I imagine many readers didn't like Max Cavanagh to begin with in Hadley Beckett's Next Dish . However, Hadley Beckett was easily likable. Then the mixture got stirred and folded and we ended up with characters that I both liked in the end. Max was not only a better human being than I thought at first, he was proof that we can all learn and grow. Hadley was a little more relatable than at first glance, which just made her more likeable in my eyes. She was proof that forgiveness and mercy are doable. As a whole, I liked that these characters were like real people with real problems who got caught up in the business of television cooking shows. I am a foodie and I love good cooking shows. I enjoyed the subtle humor sprinkled throughout the...