Book Review: Seasons of Wonder

 

Seasons of Wonder

Making the Ordinary Sacred Through Projects, Prayers, Reflections, and Rituals: A 52-week devotional

by Bonnie Smith Whitehouse

Pub Date 15 Nov 2022 

 Convergent Books 

 Christian 

A copy of Seasons of Wonder has been provided to me by Convergent Books and Netgalley for the purpose of this review;

The purpose of this 52-week interactive devotional is to help family and friends discover God enfleshed in the world around them.

With Seasons of Wonder, you are able to gather together weekly with your loved ones and explore divinity, specifically the radical but faithful idea that everything is sacred. There are weekly contemplative activities included in this devotional, as well as interactive and transformative practices that connect us to surprise, awe, and wonder, such as:

uncomplicated crafts that honor creation

•  simple recipes to make together

•  conversation guides to cultivate the gifts of storytelling, deep listening, mystery, and community

•  accessible introductions to liturgical observations and rituals

•  plus four additional weeks of activities that you can incorporate whenever they’re appropriate, such as birthdays, sick days, or when you’re traveling together or blessing your home.

To understand Ash Wednesday’s significance, readers might make a hiking stick in February to embark on a holy pilgrimage (even if it’s just in their neighborhood). In the summer, readers can make prayer cards, bath salts, and family time capsules to celebrate the Earth’s seasons of holy pause while reading peaceful liturgies and ancient prayers to learn how to cherish these seasons of holy pause.

Bonnie Smith Whitehouse’s book is based on the idea that small, intentional moments of wonder represent the grand presence of Christ in us, in our world, and on this dazzling, vast, and increasingly endangered blue planet. Seasons of Wonder can transform an ordinary meeting into a sacred experience by spending a short amount of time together each week this year.

I give Seasons of Wonder five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Trust Me

 

Trust Me

by Kelly Irvin

Pub Date 08 Feb 2022 

 Thomas Nelson--FICTION,  Thomas Nelson

 Christian  |  Mystery & Thrillers 

I am reviewing a copy of Trust Me through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

After her best friend is murdered the same way her brother was years ago, Delaney is left to wonder if there's anyone she can trust.

Delaney Broward found her brother’s murdered body at the San Antonio art co-op he founded with friends, a decade ago  despite his not-guilty plea.

This morning, Hunter walks out of prison a free man, having served his sentence.

The killer warns her to stay out of it, or she will be the next victim.

Hunter has never stopped loving Delaney, but he doesn't blame her for not forgiving him He knows he’ll get his life back one day at a time, one step at a time. But he’s blindsided to realize he’s a murder suspect. Again.

After Hunter shows up on her doorstep asking her to help him find the real killer. Delaney's head tells her to run away, but her heart tells her there’s more to his story than what came out in the trial. An uneasy truce leads to their probe into a dark past that shatters Delaney’s image of her brother. She can’t stop and neither can Hunter which lands them both in the crosshairs of a murderer growing more desperate by the hour.

I give Trust Me five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: What is Saving Faith

 

What Is Saving Faith?

Reflections on Receiving Christ as a Treasure

John Piper

Pub Date 03 May 2022 

 Crossway 

 Christian 

I am reviewing a copy of What is Saving Faith through Crossway and Netgalley:

John Piper argues that the spiritual affection of treasuring Christ belongs to the very essence of saving faith, in this Bible-saturated meditation on the nature of saving faith.

In What Is Saving Faith John Piper argues that the spiritual affection of treasuring Christ belongs to the very essence of saving faith. If Christ is not embraced as our supreme treasure, he is not embraced for who he is.

I give What is Saving Faith five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: My Love God, Is Everywhere

 

My Love, God Is Everywhere

by Victoria Robb Powers; Cameron Mason Vickrey

Pub Date 15 Aug 2023

 Thomas Nelson: CHILDREN'S,  Thomas Nelson

 Children's Nonfiction 

I am reviewing a copy of My Love, God is Everywhere through Thomas Nelson Children's and Netgalley:

In this beautiful poetic book geared towards children between the ages of four to eight child asks her mother "Is God here, or is God there?" and begins to understand that God's attention, kindness, and comfort are everywhere. Young children will learn that:

God is present in all parts of nature

God is present with them when they are scared or brave, happy or sad, and in all situations

each person is loved and good because they are God's child and God is present within them

If you are looking for a book to show children who God is, I highly recommend My Love, God is Everywhere!

Five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: What Happens Next

 

What Happens Next

by Christina Suzann Nelson

Pub Date 17 Jan 2023 

 Bethany House,  Bethany House Publishers

 Christian  |  Mystery & Thrillers  |  Women's Fiction 

I am reviewing a copy of What Happens Next through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:

Faith Byrne is a popular podcaster and ex-reporter who made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy--but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells.  Her daughters are spending the summer in Hawaii with her ex-husband and his new wife, she must manage life on her own. All of that changes when she's asked to spotlight her childhood best friend's missing person case on her podcast.

Dora Crane has never accepted that her younger daughter could be dead, keeping her home looking the same as when her daughter disappeared. But when her husband leaves her and her older daughter intervenes, she agrees to counseling and to pack up her missing daughter's belongings under one condition: Faith Byrne comes to Deep Valley and sheds light on the cold case.

The long abandoned investigation finally moves forward, while old wounds and long-buried secrets are exposed. Will these two women, whose lives have never been the same, finally get the answers they need to reconcile the past and the future?

I give What Happens Next five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Uprising

 

Uprising

The Epic Battle for the Most Fatherless Generation in History

by Kris Vallotton

Pub Date 25 Oct 2022 

 Chosen,  Chosen Books

 Christian  |  Nonfiction (Adult)  |  Religion & Spirituality 

I am reviewing a copy of Uprising through Chosen Books and Netgalley:

This generation is facing an unprecedented battle!

The role of a Father is one of the most influential roles in a person's life.

But there are an unprecedented number of men are abandoning this noble calling.     Due in part to this we have seen a rise in violence and poverty on the rise, families broken and a lost generation immersed in immorality and corruption.

This powerful book by bestselling author Kris Vallotton reveals that the war for culture starts with the battle for men's hearts. With passion and insight, he gives men the tools they need to unlock the full potential of their souls, eradicate the orphan spirit and fully step into their God-given destinies.

Now is the time for an epic awakening that unites generations, inspires change and empowers the hearts of men. It's time for men to become mighty again, restoring fractured families and unleashing life in a culture of death. 

I give Uprising five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Courage to Love

The Courage To Love

From Abuse to Happiness, a Healing Memoir (Guy Giard Love's Healing Journey)

by Guy Giard

Pub Date 01 Mar 2023 

 BooksGoSocial 

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  Self-Help 

I am reviewing a copy of The Courage to Love through BooksGoSocial and Netgalley:

Guy was the silent good boy Intimidated in his family, at school and at work.  He avoided attracting attention – but his nightmares caught up with him. Scared by his sexuality, alone, he desperately sought love to give meaning to his life. While his passion for the arts sends him to study in Europe, mysterious and unexpected memories emerged...

This book covers sixty years of incredible adventures spanning three continents, at times humorous, tender and even shocking, Canadian-born artist Guy Giard reveals the secret of how he healed himself from repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse, PTSD, low self-esteem and suicidal ideation. In this page-turner of an autobiography, you’ll be amazed at the extent to which realms as varied as music, art, journaling, humanitarian clowning, and Vipassana meditation restored Mr. Giard’s love and gave him a new purpose in life.

Guy Giard was born in the francophone province of Quebec, Canada, has lived for a number of years in Europe and has traveled to three continents. He’s a Certified Humor Professional (CHP), Certified Laughter Yoga Leader, and holds a Bachelors of Visual Art from Concordia University in Montreal, with advanced study from the Netherlands national art academy. He has received grants from the Canadian Arts Council and from the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec. An author, speaker and life coach, he has been exhibiting his artwork for over four decades, and performing as a musician for over thirty years. Under the name Uku the Clown, he has also provided humanitarian aid around the world in collaboration with Patch Adams, M.D., and gives lectures and workshops focused on healing from abuse and creating an extraordinary life.

I give The Courage to Love three out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: American Born

 

American Born

An Immigrant's Story, a Daughter's Memoir

by Rachel M. Brownstein

Pub Date 30 Mar 2023 

 University of Chicago Press 

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  History  |  Nonfiction (Adult) 

 

I am reviewing a copy of American Born through University of Chicago Press and Netgalley:

Reiser Thaler arrived alone in New York in 1924, she was only eighteen.  She resembled the other Yiddish-speaking immigrants from Eastern Europe who accompanied her. But she already had an American passport tucked in her scant luggage. Reisel had drawn her first breath on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1905, then was taken back to Galicia (in what is now Poland) by her father before she turned two. She was, as she would boast to the end of her days, “American born.”

Rachel M. Brownstein, The distinguished biographer and critic began writing about her mother Reisel during the Trump years, dwelling on the tales she told about her life and the questions they raised about nationalism, immigration, and storytelling.     For most of the twentieth century, Brownstein’s mother gracefully balanced her identities as an American and a Jew. Her values, her language, and her sense of timing inform the imagination of the daughter who recalls her in her own old age. The memorializing daughter interrupts, interprets, and glosses, sifting through alternate versions of the same stories using scenes, songs, and books from their time together.

I give American Born five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Edinburgh Seven

 

The Edinburgh Seven

The Story of the First Women to Study Medicine

by Ms Janey Jones

Pub Date 30 Apr 2023 

 Pen & Sword,  Pen & Sword History

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  History  |  Nonfiction (Adult) 

I am reviewing a copy of The Edinburgh Seven through Pen & Sword , Pen & Sword History:

Women have been healing since the beginning of time, but accessing a proper  medical degree was impossible for them in Britain until the late 19th century. In 1869, a group of women began arriving in Edinburgh to study at the medical faculty, led by the indomitable Sophia Jex Blake. They would come to be know as The Edinburgh Seven.  They were delighted to become students of medicine and as Sophia said, they simply wanted 'a fair field and no favor.

Unfortunately not all of the traditional professors of the University approved of women becoming doctors.  The medical women would soon discover that they were welcome as hobbyists but not as competitors with male students. There were legal wrangles, court cases, personal attacks and even a full blown riot - all because some male medics wanted rid of the women. And the women did leave Edinburgh - without degrees. But they finished their studies in mainland Europe and came back as fully fledged doctors.

It wasn't until 2019, that all Seven women receive their degrees posthumously via current day medical students. At last, the right thing was done, but the struggles of the original Seven should never be forgotten. This is their story.

I am reviewing a copy of The Edinburgh Seven five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

 

Book Review: To the Girl Looking For More

 

To the Girl Looking for More

90 Devotions to Help You Ditch the Lies, Love Yourself, and Live Big for God

by Grace Valentine

Pub Date 11 Apr 2023 

 Thomas Nelson: CHILDREN'S,  Thomas Nelson

 Children's Nonfiction  |  Christian  |  Middle Grade 

I am reviewing a copy of To the Girl Looking for More through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

Grace Valentine encourages you to stop settling for the world's image of post-worthy perfection and live for more: more joy, more peace, and more meaning, In your this 90-day devotional for young women!

Grace like so many others, has felt the pressure of our culture's conflicting messages about girls and God, from the picture-perfect “good Christian girl” that toxic culture touts or the God who treats women like sidekicks or after-thoughts.

For any girl who is tired of the lies and expectations, Grace has a message for you: you are important to God, and He has so much more for your life.

In her first devotional, Grace shares the lessons she has learned through her own challenges and guides you to discover your true identity and self-worth in the eyes of your Creator.

In these 90 daily devotions, Grace breaks down the truth of Scripture with her genuine, been-there honesty that has made her a role model for young women. She shows girls of all ages how to

stop hustling to please, perform, and be perfect

recognize toxic relationships and leave them

let go of impossible expectations on yourself, your people, and your body

replace worry, pressure, and fear with God's peace

choose kindness and positivity

navigate all the mixed messages around sex and dating

live out God's amazing plans for your life

I give To the Girl Looking for More five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!I'm 

Book Review: Black From Pyongyang

 

Black Girl From Pyongyang

The extraordinary true story of a West African girl’s upbringing in North Korea under the protection of President Kim Il Sung

by Monica Macias

Pub Date 02 Mar 2023 | Archive Date 02 Mar 2023

 Duckworth Books 

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  Multicultural Interest  |  Nonfiction (Adult)

I am reviewing a copy of Black Girl from Pyongyang through Duckworth Books and Netgalley:

In 1979 when she was only seven Monica Macias was transplanted from West Africa to the unfamiliar surroundings of North Korea. She was sent by her father Francisco, the first president of post-Independence Equatorial Guinea, to be educated under the guardianship of his ally, Kim Il Sung.

Within just a matter of months, her father had been executed in a military coup; her mother became unreachable. Effectively orphaned, she and two siblings had to make their life in Pyongyang. At military boarding school, Monica learned to mix with older children, speak fluent Korean and handle weapons on training exercises.

After completing University, she went in search of her roots, passing through Beijing, Seoul, Madrid, Guinea, New York and finally London – forced at every step to reckon with damning perceptions of her adoptive homeland. Optimistic yet unflinching, Monica’s astonishing and unique story challenges us to see the world through different eyes.

I give Black Girl from Pyongyang five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: On My Honor

 

On My Honor

by Patty Smith Hall

Pub Date 01 Dec 2022 

 Barbour Publishing,  Barbour Fiction

 Christian  |  Historical Fiction  |  Romance

I am reviewing a copy of On My Honor through Barbour Publishing, Barbour fiction and Netgalley:

In On my Honor A Girl Scout Troop, joins the Battle of the Atlantic!

Ginny Matthis had finished nursing school and had no intention on staying in the outer banks but after war broke out with her father away she felt duty bound to stay.  She would stay in order to help her Mom and younger sister.  While working as a clerk for the Oregon Inlet ferry, naval officers ask Ginny and others to be watchful for German U-boats reportedly spotted in the area. So to help occupy her teenage sister, Ginny enlists the Girl Scout troop she leads to help watch for suspicious activity along the coast.

Timothy Elliot is not a stranger to death.  A British reporter working for the M-6 , he’s numb to the losses of war after two years of fighting the Germans. Maybe that’s why he volunteered for this mission—to connect with an ex-German naval officer who stole the Furor’s battle plan for the Atlantic war. When the boat giving him passage to New York is bombed near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Tim is thrown from the boat and wakes up in the care of a group of young girls.

Ginny follows her sneaky younger sister in a clandestine mission and discovers the shipwreck victim. Ginny knows she must take charge, but is this man the enemy, or does he hold secrets that could turn the tide of the Battle of the Atlantic in the allies’ favor?

I give On My Honor five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Acting Up

 

Acting Up

Winning in Business and Life Using Down-Home Wisdom

by Janice Bryant Howroyd

Pub Date 13 Aug 2019

 Lioncrest Publishing 

 Biographies & Memoirs  |  Business, Leadership, Finance  |  Self-Help 

I am reviewing a copy of Acting Up through Lioncrest Publishing and Netgalley:

If you are looking to be an entrepreneur, the good news is many of the barriers to starting a business have come down since forty years ago.  But that does not mean you aren't going to face challenges.  Entrepreneurship can be a dog-eat-dog world. But if you want to stay true to yourself and your values as you rise to the top, you’re in good company.

Janice Bryant Howroyd grew up in the segregated South in a family of eleven children and nurtured by a loving mother and father.  But as she began her business  she faced racism and sexism in addition to the challenges faced by every new business owner. None of that stopped her from becoming the first black woman to own a billion-dollar business.

Janice shares the model she lives by and continues to represent: that of a Leader who works for good, for growth and innovation, for her family values, and for the same ideals upon which she founded her company.  In acting up.  Janice will help you discover the Leader inside yourself and show you how to use your uniqueness to conquer the business world.

I give Acting Up five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!