Reading, Writing & Pondering

  Three sisters are on the run. Laura, Jilly, and Michelle are all running away from their step-father. They thought he was a good man before their mother married him, then they found out he was a cruel man. He also planned to marry the girls off to other cruel men.  In The Element of Love by Mary Connealy, Laura and her sisters leave with an elaborate plan to get away as fast as they can and go as far away as they can. The goal was for each of them to get married and then come back to claim their inheritance in part of the lumber empire their father left them. The Element of Love mainly tells Laura's story.  I enjoyed the sisters and the adventures throughout The Element of Love . I also enjoyed how they each took so much time to reflect on their next move and also to pray about each step they took. It was a different book than I usually read but I have not read a Marry Connealy book before. This is clearly Christian fiction as the girls connect with a group of missiona...

  I think a lot of us are facing or have face some real life challenges in the past couple of years along with the pandemic. Aggressively Happy by Joy Marie Clarkson sounded like just the book that I needed to help me see things differently--and it doesn't disappoint.  In Agressively Happy , Clarkson shares stories of both joy and sadness from her own life. She also shares stories from the Bible and other prominent Christians from years past as this is a Christian based book. Each chapter reads like you are visiting with an old friend. Then in between the chapters, Clarkson has pages that list ideas for you to read, to watch and to ponder. I especially liked those pages and the recommendations that she made. Some of them I was familiar with and some of them made me curious enough to check them out. I would recommend this book to both new Christians and those who have been following Christ for awhile. There is something to learned for nearly everyone in Aggressively Happy . ...

    Are you a fan of World War 2 history? If you are, I encourage you to read Sarah Sundin's historical fiction if you haven't read her books yet. Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin is her second book in this series following When Twilight Breaks. I think they are better as a series but it can also stand alone. In Until Leaves Fall in Paris, Lucie Girard is a ballet dancer with the Paris Ballet and then the Nazi's march toward Paris. When her Jewish friends feel that they must escape she buys their English-language bookstore and continues to run it. When the Germans make it difficult for her to keep the bookstore afloat, she works with the resistance passing secret messages through books.  Through the bookstore, Lucie meets Paul Aubrey, a widower, who brings his little girl to the bookstore. Paul is an American who chose to stay in Paris and keep his factory running while passing German information along to the Americans.  I enjoyed Lucie and Paul's story. Th...

    Super You! by Anne Kennedy Brady is a brightly colored, fun children's board book for toddlers. This 24-page board book measures seven inches square. The thick cardboard pages make it easy to toddler to look at on their own.  The words in Super You! are fun and uplifting for little ones. The prose has great rhymes and it is a fun book to read out loud. At the same time, there are some large words in this book that may be difficult for little ones to read yet on their own.  I especially like how Super You! invites kids to be the hero in their own lives. Children can learn to be kind and care for others. Even when they make mistakes, they can be a hero and do the right thing. I think this theme of love and compassion for others is the best part of the book as well as the rhyming way it is presented. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.

  I don't know many of us that aren't facing challenges in these days and times. One things I can always count on is that Joel Osteen will help me get my mind going in the right direction. Rule Your Day is a great book to remind yourself that you don't have to give way to negative thoughts. Instead, Rule Your Day encourages readers to rule their attitude and thoughts each day when they get up in the morning. Rule Your Day is a fairly small book that is a quick read. However, Osteen offers easy to follow and understand advice for keeping your mind on the things that help you look towards God and serving Him each day. Each chapter in this book offers some advice, Bible verses and stories from Osteen's life that relate to each point he is making. If you are struggling to see the good in a situation or in each day, I encourage you to pick this book up and to begin applying the principles in it. It is a good pep talk for any Christian who needs one. I received a copy of t...

  Good Morning, Little One by Amy Kavelaris is just simply a gorgeous children's book. This is a large book at about 10 inches square with a dust jacket and is 32 pages long. The author also illustrated the book and I just love the sweet pictures with the rhyming prose. Good Morning, Little One is written to remind four to eight year olds that God is with them throughout the whole day. For the animal lovers, the illustrations are just lovely. And the book looks perfect for spring and Easter baskets. It is a nice book to have for your own family and a nice book to give as a gift. Based on Bible verses, the book is written to remind young children that God is watching over them and they are safe in His care. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through JustRead Tours. All opinions within this review are my own.

  The Rooted Life by Justin Rhodes is a gorgeous book that could be truly inspiring for those who want to grow their own food and live a more sustainable lifestyle that is connected to the land. The Rooted Life is full of color photos that show beautiful pictures of gardens, chickens, egs, harvesting produce and time spent together as a family enjoying the land. I wasn't familiar with this author before this book but he teaches people to grow their own food through a YouTube channel and his own streaming platform called Abundance. Some of this information may be from those platforms but it is all new to me through this book. If you are new to gardening and raising chickens, there is a lot of step-by-step instructions along with the pictures in this book. There is also a chapter with recipes using garden produce, chicken and/or eggs in them. Everything is up-to-date and helpful for life in our world today. There is also an appendix in the back that shows how much space to leave in ...