Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Jaime Jo Wright has written some books that I found to be creepy before. . . but The Souls of Lost Lake is her creepiest book to date, I think. I don't usually do creepy but her books are always so good that I can't help myself. However, I don't do well reading creepy books at night so it took me awhile to read it. The Souls of Lost Lake is a split time story with characters in the 1920s/30s and characters in today's time. In 1930, Ava Coons is accused of murder. The townspeople believe that she murdered her family when she was 13--but they had no proof. They don't need proof to spread gossip and malign Ava's name so when another member of the town of Tempter's Creek is murdered, the pin the murder on Ava. The new preacher, Noah, wants to offer her a safe place because he doesn't believe the rumors.  Today in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Wren Blythe lives and works at a Bible camp near where Ava Coons is said to have murdered her family. . .which is

  Carved In Ebony: Lessons from the Black Women Who Shape Us by Jasmine L. Holmes tells the stories of ten black women of faith in the United States. Holmes tells readers in the introduction that she is a writer, a teacher and a mother. She wrote this book as "part biography and part memoir--part research, part love letter." She tells us that these women were not perfect but that "every one of them represents a beautiful fact of Christian womanhood that has inspired me in my own walk. . ." She hopes that the reader will also see God's handiwork in each of the stories and also be inspired to live and proclaim God's goodness. The ten women featured in Carved in Ebony are: Elizabeth Freeman, a midwife; Sara Griffith Stanley, an abolitionist and missionary; Frances Ellen Watkins Harper,a poet and writer ; Amanda Barry Smith, a preacher and founder of an orphanage; Maria Fearing, a teacher and missionary; Maria Stewart, an abolitionist, speaker, teacher and wri

    Our modern life is hard. We all are juggling a lot of responsibilities--home, jobs, volunteer work, pets, social media, and more. It is hard some days not to feel anxious or concerned about things going on in our lives or even in the world, for that matter. Trusting God in All the Things by Karen Ehmen and Ruth Schwenk is an interactive devotional that offers encouragement to fill your life with the peace and strength that comes from God. Each day's reading starts with a Bible verse in Trusting God in All the Things . Then there is a devotional reading that is written for today's women with real life examples that we can all relate to. Topics include: Not Enough Time, Surrendering Expectations, How to Want what you have, No Regrets, Its okay to rest, and many more that are relevant and encouraging. After the readings, there are a few questions to reflect on. Then, one of my favorite parts of these readings is the prayer. It isn't a blanket prayer written for everyone.

    Really Woolly My First Easter   by Bonnie Rickner Jensen is an adorable board book for toddlers that would be a cute Easter gift. This board book is about 7 inches square and has the heavy pages that stand up to toddlers turning the pages on their own. It is aimed at children ages four and under.  The illustrations in Really Woolly My First Easter are cute and brightly colored springy designs. Each page has a bit of rhyming verse about spring, Easter, new beginnings and more. Some of them may be a little difficult for children learning to read but would be great reading together initially. There is also a Bible verse with each two-page spread and a brief prayer. It could be a cute bedtime devotional to read one a night with  little ones. There are also hidden Easter eggs to look for in each picture, making it a bit of a game too. All in all, Really Woolly My First Easter is a cute book for families to use at Easter time. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Ju

  The Story of Easter by Patricia A. Pingry is a simplified version of the Easter Story about Jesus from the Bible aimed at toddlers. This brightly illustrated book tells the story in simple terms for little ones to understand. If you want more information to be given to your children, you could easily have a discussion with those who can understand more. The Story of Easter is a 22-page board book that is approximately six inches square--a good size for toddlers to hold on their own with the thick cardboard pages that can withstand a lot of use. The illustrations are especially nice and brightly colored. This book has been out for more than 20 years but the publisher updated the illustrations and gave it a fresh look. It is a classic that has withstood the test of time for many families. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.

    Where's My Easter Basket? by Bob Holt is a fun board book aimed at preschool children to coincide with the fun of Easter baskets. Where's My Easter Basket? is a heavy cardboard board book so it would be easy for the little ones to turn the pages on their own. At a little over six inches square, it is also a good size for them to hold on their own too. It is a fun tale about a bluebird looking for his Easter Basket. Along the way he finds all the components of an Easter Basket--and then he finds a basket that becomes the Easter basket when they are all inside the basket. Where's My Easter Basket? is for families that want to focus on the basket part of Easter as there is no religious aspect to this book. I know it is all in fun but I felt a little funny about making jelly beans and chocolate bunnies "alive" as part of the story and then something to eat, but since kids have a big imagination that may not even be something they think about. The illustrations

    Val Locklier and her son, Tucker, moved from Alaska to Washington state. It was a big move that took a lot of courage from this single mom--especially someone as cautious as Val.  Miles McKenzie returns home from a short-term missions trip to discover that he has a new tenant living in his rental upstairs. He also finds out that he will be changing jobs as he is being re-assigned to a struggling local ministry supported by the church.  If you read All That Really Matters, then you already met Val and Miles and have anxiously been awaiting their story like I have. If not, I believe you could read this book on its own but I think it would be better to have read All That Really Matters first.  I already know that All That it Takes was one of my top reads for this year. I laughed out loud--and I also wept big tears. I had all the feels while reading this story. The storyline has a depth that I don't always see in Christian novels. I felt like Val and Miles were real people and I am

  What If It's Wonderful is both encouraging and uplifting. Sometimes non-fiction books can be dry but not this one. I feel like I am sitting with an old friend. Nicole Zasowski shares stories from her life and also talks about the Bible at times because it is a Christian-based book. However, I don't feel like she is preachy. Rather it feels like she is just sharing from her heart and soul both her experiences and her faith. She hopes to help readers through their tough stuff too. And I think she does. I would recommend this book to anyone and anyone of faith who needs to see how joy can be part of their life. In the preface, Jess Connolly talks about how she was afraid to feel joy in her life as a Christian. We put so much emphasis on other aspects of the Christian life that joy feels like dessert--something to be experienced only occasionally. That one really hit home for me. I have shared this struggle. Throughout the book Zasowski shares personal experiences tha

  Have you visited the fictional town of Hope Harbor through Irene Hannon's books? I enjoy this quaint fictional town and the characters so much. Sea Glass Cottage is the eighth book in the series and they do not have to be read in order to be enjoyed. Sea Glass Cottage is a beautiful story of how God can truly change people for the better. Christi Reece is desperate. At one time she was a spoiled, rich young woman and lived a luxurious life. Then she hit rock bottom after several setbacks. She rallied to change her life and make the best of things--while looking to God for guidance. Still, she needs help now so she can help her close friend--and decides to drive across the country to find Jack Colby to see if he will help her. However, Jack and Christi have a history that left Jack feeling bitter and angry with Christi. He has rebuilt his life and isn't sure if he wants to include Christi again--in any capacity.  I really enjoyed the characters in Sea Glass Cottage . They al

    How Great is Our God and The Wonder of Creation by Loui Giglio with Tama Fortner and illustrated by Nicola Anderson are books of science-based devotionals aimed at elementary school students. There is also a third book called Indescribable.  These devotionals aimed at young people are a nice size, measuring about 6.25 by 8.25 inches each. They are all colorful hardcover books that have a ribbon marker. Besides using them within your own family, they would make nice gifts and would even be great in Easter baskets. Each book has 100 devotionals about God and science.  Each reading in the books includes a Bible verse, a short reading about God and Science and a short prayer. These books would be great for homeschooling families to use as they begin their school days. Some of the topics that they focus on include space and time, earth and weather, plants and climates, animals habits and habitats, and our information on our bodies. There are also fascinating facts included in each day&#