Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Isn't the cover of You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Toni Shiloh a gorgeous cover? I was drawn to the cover and I also am drawn because I enjoy books by this author. This sweet novella did not disappoint me--I enjoyed this "feel good" read. Starr Lewis is back home for the holidays--Thanksgiving and Christmas. She isn't very excited about it though. Her sister is getting married--to her former boyfriend. Starr has just been laid off from her job in New York City and is unsure what to do next. Life is up in the air for her. Waylon is struggling to feel the holiday spirit since his mom passed away and his sister is overseas with her military husband and children. Waylon's good friend, is Starr's brother so he invites Waylon to join in the Lewis holiday celebrations. What he doesn't count on is seeing Starr all grown up. Starr and Waylon hit it off. . .but is it just a holiday fling? Or do they have something longer lasting? I enjoyed You Make It Feel Lik...

  Do you struggle with big feelings? Feelings you aren't sure what to do with? I Cry In Corners by Chari Orozco might be just the book that you need to help you manage those emotions. I Cry In Corners will turn the reader towards Jesus. Each chapter focues on an emotion with a look towards Jesus to handle that emotion. Orozco deals with overwhelm, loneliness, fear, insecurity, anxiety, disappointment and more. Throughout the book, she shares stories from her own life that relate to each emotion. Some of her stories deal with big hard things like being unable to get pregnant while others deal with smaller issues. We all have big and small issues of our own that bring out our emotions. She also shares from the Bible and how she believe Jesus deals with those emotions. The author is down-to-earth and the writing is easy to understand and relate to. For those who want help in dealing with emotions, or someone who they can relate to, they may want to read I Cry in Corners . I received...

  He Should Have Told the Bees by Amanda Cox is book about family, mental health struggles, relational struggles and, of course, bees. While this book does deal with some heavy topics, I did not find it to be a heavy book. I always enjoy the way that Amanda Cox weaves a story and this book was no exception. Beekeeper Beckett Walsh lived with her father on a small farm in their own little world, so to speak. After her father passes away unexpectedly, Beckett is forced to share "her" farm with a new part-owner. Callie Peterson has always struggled with challenges in life, growing up with her mother being an addict. Many times, Callie didn't always know where her next meal would come from. Callie has been trying to make her life better, to become a business owner through the sale of her homemade soap and bath products. Unfortunately, she recently had a setback. Then she gets a letter in the mail saying she inherited part of a farm she doesn't know how she is connect to....

  It is no secret to many of us that the world is broken. When the World Breaks by Jason Adam Miller discusses our broken world in relation to the Beatitudes. Emily Freeman wrote the introduction to this book, which is one reason that I was drawn to As the World Breaks , as I enjoy her books. However, I struggled to get into this book.I do think it is a good book, but sometimes, I don't think books come to us at the right timing for us. This book is quite readable and easy to understand and relate to. Miller includes a lot of his own stories to make his points and they are interesting. At the same time, I think I just was hoping for something a bit more upbeat. This isn't that sort of book. This is a book that turns my thoughts inward and leaves me introspective and reflecting. That is often a good thing. If  you want to reflect on our broken world today in light of Jesus' teaching, then you may be interested in When the World Breaks. I would encourage you to give it a try...

  How do we have friends? I think that can feel mysterious, even for adults sometimes. Brindlefox   by John Sandford is a fable of a fox and a heron who become friends. For me, personally, this book took me back to when I read Aesop's fables as a child from a book my Aunt gave me. This book is Aesop fable worthy. Brindlefox has no friends. Since he doesn't invite anyone over, his house is rather a mess. One day a tree starts growing out of his back, which is odd, but he really doesn't care. However, because of that tree, in a roundabout way, Brindlefox learns about friendship--how to be a friend and how to have a friend. Brindlefox is a beautifully illustrated children's book aimed at children ages four to eight. This gorgeous book has a dust jacket and is roughly 9 1/2 by 10 1/2 inches in size and 32 pages long.  This book would make a lovely gift for a young child. It would be a good book to have in your home library. It could spark some good discussion among family...

  Have you seen a Monarch butterfly flying along quickly--like it has somewhere to go? Home Is Calling: The Journey of the Monarch Butterfly by Katherine Pryor beautifully tells the story of the Monarch Butterfly. Home Is Calling is a beautifully illustrated book that measures about 10 inches almost square and is 40 pages long. It is aimed at children ages 4 to 7. Prayer does a beautiful job of telling the story of the travels that the butterflies make each year. Peterson does a great job of illustrating this book. It is clear that these gifted authors worked hand-in-hand to make this book that is truly well-done. This is a great book for teaching children about the Monarch Butterfly. I also like that there is real-life scientific information at the back of the book so children can learn the anatomy of a butterfly, their life cycle, learn about the importance of milkweed and threats to Monarch Butterflies. There are also ideas and good information for those who want to get involv...

    Do you have dreams that have been on hold? That you are waiting to come to fruition? You Can Live the Dream by Nick Nilson will inspire you to keep going while you are working towards those dreams. At the start of Live the Dream, Joel Osteen writes the forward. Nilson is an associate pastor and works with Osteen at Lakeside church and they are friends. Osteen's forward primes the pump to get the reader started in the right direction as they read Live the Dream. As you might expect, this is a book of encouragement and hope for the reader. Throughout the book, Nilson shares stories from his life and his family's life, as well as stories from the Bible. The books flows well and I enjoyed reading it. I like books like this that encourage me with both God's Word and by "hearing" stories from fellow Christians that remind me that I am not alone in my hopes and dreams. Nilson shares stories that remind readers that their perspective is important and how they can cont...

  Every year I look forward to Melody Carlson's Christmas novella. Her newest novella, A Royal Christmas , is quite a bit different than her last few novellas. This book is centered around American law school student Adelaide Smith. Adelaide received a certified letter in the mail inviting her to a small country called Montovia to visit her real father, King Maximillian V, who rules the country. At first Adelaide thinks it is all a joke. Then she discovers it is all real and is soon on to a new adventure to meet her father in a country she has never visited before. For the most part, I really enjoyed A Royal Christmas . It is a happy feel-good story in many ways. There is some spiritual talk in the book, but it didn't have a faith-filled story-line. I especially enjoyed seeing the relationship with Adelaide and King Max develop. There is a bit of a mystery in the story as to the whereabouts of Max's brother, which added some intrigue.  There is a possible love interest for ...

  It is hard to believe it is already August and some children are back in school. Before we know it, Fall will be upon us. Pumpkin Day at the Zoo by Susan Meissner is a fun new children's book for Fall. Pumpkin Day at the Zoo is a good-sized children's book measuring about 8 1/2 inches by 10 1/2 inches. It is aimed at children ages four to eight. I especially like that this book encourages the use of repurposing pumpkins. Until I read the back page of this book, I had no idea that zoos could feed uncarved pumpkins to animals. Pumpkin Day at the Zoo is well-written. I Have enjoyed many of Susan Meissner's adult books, but I think this is her first children's book that I have read. This book has lyrical writing that flows so well--I think it is clearly written by an experienced writer. The words just roll out--one after another--so easily on the tongue. It is a fun book to read aloud with children. It also has great illustrations and will delight those who love animals a...

  One of my new favorite authors that I discovered in the past couple of years is Toni Shiloh. Her newest release The Love Script deals with so many modern issues and struggles that Christians have today. Nevaeh Richards is a hair stylist who enjoys being anonymous in a world of stars in Hollywood. She has been doing Lamont Booker's mom's hair for the past year. She hasn't spent much time with him--until he catches her as she nearly falls down a step. That catch is caught by a cameraman and it is insinuated that something else is going on between them. What do they do when this picture and false information goes viral? The Love Script is a fun contemporary Christian novel by Toni Shiloh. I enjoyed this book and thinking about some of the modern challenges that we have in our world today and how to handle them. I especially enjoyed the romance as Lamont and Nevaeh got to know each other better. I also enjoyed seeing the relationships between Lamont and his two friends. I li...