Reading, Writing & Pondering

  God Loves Kids by Jamie C. Finn is just what the title says it is, A Gospel-Centered Book About Foster Care. This book is aimed at Christians who are in some way part of the foster care system. The author has been a foster mom and writes from a trauma-informed perspective, according to the book. I have never been a part of the Foster care system either as a child or as a parents. However, I think it is a good way to step up and help someone in the system if you are able to. This book is easy to read and understand. It is definitely aimed at Christians as the title suggests. The book is 32 pages long and measures roughly 8 inches squared. It is a good size for kids to hold and look at themselves. It is also a good book to use as a discussion starter within a foster family or even a family considering getting into foster care so that all family members understand the process. God Loves Kids seems to be a good book for Christian foster families. The pictures are also inclusive and...

  Do you sometimes wonder who you are? Or what you were made to do in this world? What God Says About You by Hosanna Wong is an uplifting and encouraging book aimed at children ages four to eight.  What God Says About You is a large picture book with a dust jacket measuring about 8 by 10 inches in size. It is 32 pages long. Even though it is aimed at children ages four to eight. I would lean towards this book being more interesting to the older end of that spectrum but it depends on the child, of course.  What God Says About You is rhyming verse. It is kind of long and uses some larger vocabulary words, which is why I suggest it for children on the older end of that spectrum. I think the illustrations are gorgeous. They are fairly inclusive and I like that too. At the end of the book there is a 2-page spread summarizing all the good things God says about us and that spread is especially good. This book could make a nice gift for someone to encourage them or even as a good...

  Hearts in Circulation by Sarah Monzon is the second book in the Checking Out Love series. I have been anticipating this read ever since I finished the first book, An Overdue Match. It did not disappoint! As the circulation librarian, Hayley Holt drives the "new" book mobile which is anything but new. It is an old VW bus donated by the mayor to score political points. On the first day on her new route, the book mobile breaks down about the same time as a rock slide blocks the road near her first stop at Turkey Grove. Hayley is thankful for enough cell service to call a tow truck. Mechanic Levi Redding comes to Hayley's rescue and tows her and the book mobile into Turkey Grove. Turkey Grove is a tiny town with few residents. With the rock slide blocking the road, Hayley is forced to stay with Levi until the state fixes the road again since there are not hotel style accommodations in town. I enjoyed getting to know Hayley and Levi through Hearts in Circulation . I liked b...

  Have you ever been in a friend relationship that turned into more? Her Pretend Holiday Beau by Susanne Dietz features this fun trope. Mick Larson and Sadie Dalton have been friends for years. Mick is the town veterinarian. Sadie is a florist. This year, Mick asks for Sadie's help in planning a town Christmas nativity event. She agrees--but she also needs a date for a wedding in return.  Mick agrees to be Sadie's Plus-One at a wedding where she will be seeing her ex-boyfriend who is engaged to someone else. That day, they are caught under some mistletoe and well-meaning matchmakers think they are a couple. Mick and Sadie agree to pretend to be a couple through the holidays to appease the matchmakers.  Her Pretend Holiday Beau is a quick read full of fun holiday events and family gatherings that Mick and Sadie attend. I enjoyed seeing the couple grow in who they were as individuals and as a couple. As the book went along, their communication got better too and I liked t...

    Book Review: Let the Biscuits Burn by Abby Kuykendall is a book that could be especially helpful for younger Christian women--both single and newly married women.   Abby Kuykendall shares how she made hospitality a priority while a single woman, newly married woman and as a new mother with a baby. She starts off the book by explaining why community matters. She then shares how to begin showing hospitality, how to invite others into your place, and how to continue to serve others without burning out in life. At the back of the book she offers a liturgy for your heart to think about when being hospitable. She also gives table tips and offers ideas for food to serve. The part I especially liked about Let the Biscuits Burn was in the beginning when she explains the difference between entertaining and being hospitable, which is something I hadn't thought about before. I was raised to entertain by someone who valued perfection so learning to serve in an imperfect way...

        The Man Next Door is my first book by Sheila Roberts. I wasn't really sure what to expect but I was thinking this book would be mostly a mystery. There definitely is a mystery--but there is also family drama, romance, and some light humor in this book. The Man Next Door is a unique rom-com spin on the classic Alfred Hitchcock story, Rear Window.  Zona is recently divorced and moves back home with her mom, Louise. Her gambling ex-husband lost all of their savings--and robbed her young adult daughter's nursing college fund. Zona is determined to help her daughter Bree go to nursing school. After watching her mom deal with some unhealthy relationships, Bree isn't sure she ever wants to be in one. Louise is planning a single's cruise, which starts off great--until she makes a wrong move on the dance floor. Then Louise is back home from the cruise and Zona is helping her through her challenges.  Zona and Louise are also enjoying their new neighbor, Ale...

  I listened to the audio-book of Perfect: A Sweet Guilded Age Romance by Kimberly Keagan. This is the first book in the Hearts on Display series. The narrator was Robin McAlpine and she did a good job of making the story interesting with her voice. William Walraven and his brother Bert Walraven left Philadelphia to head up the construction and development of the family's first New York department store. William has worked hard to make this store top-notch in spite of constant struggles with his father--who doesn't want to let go of the helm in spite of others urging him to retire to restore his health. Ivy King and her grandmother run a bookstore that Ivy's parents owned before they passed away. They work hard to make it go and have faced some challenges. Ivy also works as a librarian part time at a private nearby library. One day Ivy twists her ankle while walking on a street near William and they meet. As time goes on, he and Bert check on Ivy at the bookstore and the c...