Standing up for truth

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about the spiritual life of Dr. (Rev.) Martin Luther King, Jr., while reviewing Jonathan Eig's biography, "King: A Life." Dr. King first and foremost identified himself as a Baptist preacher. He spoke often about Christian, brotherly love and pacifism as remedies for curing the social ills of…

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Review of King: A Life, Part 1

“Flawed,” “Brave,” “Radical… “And under heavy attack by the FBI.” All words meant to describe Dr. (Rev.) Martin Luther King, Jr., the focus of Jonathan Eig's “King: A Life,” set to release on May 16, 2023. Let me say first that the cinematic quality of Eig's writing made for a rich, sensory experience while reading.…

A Review of ‘Mere Christianity’

I went into reading "Mere Christianity" with some trepidation, having read “The Abolition of Man.” I worried I’d stop in the middle because the material was dry or hard to understand. I've had this on my list to read though because this book is one of C.S. Lewis’ most quoted works I find while reading…

The Other Anne Wilson, otherwise known as “Anne with an E”

The song “My Jesus” introduced me to the other “Anne Wilson” in the music industry. The only Ann Wilson I knew then was the lead singer of Heart. This is Anne with an "E," just like “Anne of Green Gables." I listened to this song on repeat. I originally thought Carrie Underwood or Jenn Johnson…

“Mere Christianity” Part 1

“The ‘mere’ Christianity of C.S. Lewis…is a way of life, one that challenges us always to remember, as [he once said]: ‘There are no ordinary people’ and that ‘it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit.’” – Kathleen Norris, editor C.S. Lewis’ book “Mere Christianity” is a classic loved by…

On Getting Out of Bed

Mental illness doesn’t carry the same stigma it once did. Today I see people posting all the time on social media about their anxiety or PTSD. Some TikTok content makers recently received backlash for pretending to have a mental illness just for the “likes.” Suffering is a normal part of living in this broken world…

The Magi & King Herod

Merry Christmas! I slept for about two hours last night. I decided to go out to the living room, turn on the lights to the Christmas tree, make some warm milk, and read while using my heat wrap. Dayton has suffered a winter blast, and my body felt it. I've been waiting out a migraine…

What I’m reading now at Christmas

My usual MO is to read a book in its entirety before reviewing it, but for the sake of timeliness, I wanted to share what I’m reading this holiday season. I decided to pick “fun reads” and "light reads" to finish out the year. Fiction A Wish For Father Christmas I finished this first book…

How can I be silent?

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer in his book, “We Will Not Be Silenced,” wanted to “reclaim the church” and encourage Christians. He wanted us to not compromise our beliefs and instead continue to reach unbelievers despite the cultural pressure here in the United States. He answered questions I had about how and why deceptive ideologies, like Marxism, socialism,…

A Review of Edenbrooke 1 & 2

I started reading Julianne Donaldson’s “Edenbrooke: A Proper Romance” as a nice bedtime story, but I found myself reading chapter after chapter…and not sleeping. Marianne’s mother died while riding and she feels indirectly responsible, but responsible, nonetheless. Part of that reason is because she is sent to live with her grandmother in Bath not long…

Reviewing “A Heart That Works”

"A Heart That Works" takes readers on a journey through the mind of a father who is still walking through devastating losses and profound grief. Rob Delaney wrote this memoir as a tribute to his 2 ½ year old son Henry who died from cancer in 2018. His quote in a The New York Times…

A most reluctant convert

I just finished watching “The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C.S. Lewis" that I had checked out of the library. It's available on Amazon Prime. I had seen the trailer for this last year and wanted to see it. Actor Max McLean plays C.S. Lewis. I know him as the voice narrating my…

A novel for NYC art & history lovers

Historical fiction provides a way for writers to imagine possible dialogue and scenes as they research the facts about an era's people and times. They weave a new story and breathe life into historical figures and places, much like a historian or docent at a museum. In her latest novel "The Magnolia Palace," Fiona Davis…

Seeing the Good in Life

Looking through Netgalley for my next book to read, I saw the book, "See the Good" and thought, "Yes!" I mean, who doesn’t want to “see the good” in life? After years of... Living in a pandemic, Consuming a daily diet of doom-and-gloom news, Fearing rising prices and supply shortages Sign me up! In his…

Always “Pray First”

I watched Chris Hodges speak on the topic, “Pray First” before reading an advance copy of his book, "Pray First: The Transformative Power of a Life Built on Prayer." I wish I'd thought to do a search for him speaking sooner. He's from Louisiana and said he's Cajun, which made for fun reading. I now…

You don’t have to hide

Christian author and podcaster Jasmine L. Holmes grew up Black in a predominantly white evangelical community. A pastor's kid and the oldest of 9, she went through puberty in front of the watchful eyes of her church. She said she often felt like wore a mask. She tried to live up to the image of…

Winning the War on Worry

Family members used to tell me I reminded them of my Grandma Mae because of my tendency to worry. I often battled "what-if" thinking and had months of anxiety attacks that seemed to come out of nowhere. I’m a Christian so I know I wasn't “given a spirit of fear,” but sometimes worry hijacked my…

Beach town love story has the beginnings of a Hallmark movie

I requested an advance review copy of Grace Worthington’s “A Wedding in Wild Harbor” because the premise had me at subterfuge. A man and woman who don’t like each other agree to a pretend relationship for their own gains. Liam Henry is a Chicago businessman who wants his mother, Jane, off his back when it…

The Beauty of Forgiving Others

In “It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way,” Lysa TerKeurst wrote about handling life’s disappointments, detours, and derailments. Lysa had been enduring a separation from her husband who had been unfaithful, while also dealing with serious health concerns that almost killed her. True to form, Lysa didn’t hide her feelings. She spoke as if someday…

A most unusual read

I recently repainted this faded garden gnome. I hadn't realized at the time these fairytale mushrooms were probably Amanita muscaria. Before reading a book about Jeremy Downs' near-death experience, I couldn’t have told you anything about Amanita muscaria mushrooms. And yet my outdoor garden gnome sat among them all this time. They were featured in…

A review of Tamara Leigh’s “Lady At Arms: Book One”

I have long enjoyed reading Tamara Leigh’s contemporary romances, but I had not read her historical ones – and she’s written quite a few now. I wanted to go back to her beginnings and read her first works of historical fiction. I learned those were the “Bride” novels (no longer in print) rewritten as the…

Must-read novel for fall

If this novel ever finds its way onto the screen, Kristina McMorris' "The Ways We Hide" would have these descriptors: “strong female lead, WWII drama, suspense, based on true events and mature audiences.” McMorris wrote her novel from the perspective of Fenna Vos, a Dutch-American woman living during World War II, a time known as…

Defending the faith in the manner of Jesus Christ

Dallas Willard, taken fromChristianity Today article I first learned about the works of American philosopher Dallas Willard reading John Eldredge's book on resilience that I reviewed here. Dallas experienced a painful childhood. His mother died when he was 2, and his father remarried a woman who exiled him from the home. (I still haven’t learned…

Talking with God

As a young mother, Suzanne “Suzie” Eller struggled to find the words to pray, despite prayer lists or formulas. She wanted to hear from Jesus. She wanted to have intimate talks with Him like she would a dear friend. When she didn’t know how to pray in difficult seasons of her life, Suzie found the…

The Highwayman kept riding…

“A Cross-Country Trip through Regency England Brings Intrigue, Rogues, and High Adventure.” Michelle Griep’s “The Noble Guardian” had me so engrossed in this tale I had a hard time shutting my light off at night to go to sleep. The Regency romace reads like a stand-alone novel, but I later learned it's part of “The…

Living a bold and blessed life

Beauty, fashion and lifestyle guru Dominique Sachse is one of my favorite personalities on YouTube. She started her channel in 2014 with her tagline, “Be Bold and Be Blessed.” At last count, she has 1.74 million subscribers. I subscribed after seeing a video on how to style a bob. I later learned this poised and…

A review of Anne Graham Lotz’s book about the work of the Holy Spirit

A power outage this weekend allowed me to finish the 2019 book "Jesus in Me" by Anne Graham Lotz. Anne is the daughter of Billy Graham and a gifted Bible teacher. In this book, she gave a biblical overview of the Holy Spirit along with His role within the trinity, God the Father; God the…

Secret letters and secret rooms: A Review of Ladd’s “The Letter from Briarton Park”

Imagine you are a 19th century woman who thought you knew all you needed to know about your past. You were about to leave to find work elsewhere. The school where you lived since a child would close soon. But then, as she lay dying, the headmistress told you she's held onto a letter for…

On regaining spiritual resiliency

I just finished Christian author and counselor John Eldredge's “Resilient: Restoring your weary soul in these turbulent times,” the perfect read after all we've been facing. He used the recent pandemic and prophecies about the end of the age to share with readers a way to access the source of our resiliency and strength found…

Reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes with fresh eyes

My second origami crane in gold next to the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. My cousins are planning a special memorial in May, a way to remember and celebrate my Aunt Elaine, who died Dec. 30 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. My cousins Abby, Rachel, and Aaron will hang a thousand…

A different “Lizzy and Jane”

Recently I've found I gravitate to stories about chefs and food. I favorably reviewed "A Coincidence of Coconut Cake" by Amy E. Reichert, and the debut novel from Charmaine Wilkerson's "Black Cake" not too long ago. "Lizzy and Jane" by Katherine Reay became the next "cheffie" or "foodie" story for me to read. Available to…

Review of Behind the Lights

If you’ve enjoyed music from “for KING & COUNTRY," then you may be familiar with members Joel and Luke Smallbone. They are brothers of Rebecca St. James, who I had thought blazed a trail for them with her own career in the Christian music industry. But really the Smallbone family as a whole has been…

A Review of Jane Austen’s Genius Guide

"The finest novelist" "Moral philosopher" "Sharp social commentator" These are three of the ways Haley Stewart described one of my favorite writers of all time, Jane Austen. Her added appellation though is the topic of this book: "Life Coach" I went into reading her book with this in mind. Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life:…

Review of 3:16: The Numbers of Hope

In this relaunch of his 2007 book, “3:16: The Numbers of Hope,” Max Lucado returned to this well-known-loved-quoted passage of scripture from the book of John: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” – John 3:16.…

When Your Hiding Place Is God

Corrie ten Boom wrote of her family's part in the Dutch resistance movement during World War II in her book, "The Hiding Place" that was later made into a movie. Her family and others with the resistance helped hide their Jewish neighbors in her father's watch shop from the Nazi forces. Despite their arrest, the…

Review of 2022 debut novel “Black Cake”

I just finished the novel Black Cake, which is on Goodreads members’ list of the most anticipated books of 2022. Charmaine Wilkerson grabbed my interest from the first troubling scene in the prologue. From the editor's synopsis, I knew estranged siblings Byron and Benny had come together following the death of their mother. Eleanor Bennett…

A Review of Jane Austen Ruined My Life

Beth Pattillo’s "Jane Austen Ruined My Life" made for a conversation starter when I carried the book to appointments. She had made Edward her Knightley, and he didn’t measure up in the least. How dare Austen fill her readers’ heads with happy endings and perfect love matches! I finished this book the week of Christmas.…

First Impressions of Jane Austen

I believe this was the cover art of the edition we read in class of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, published Dec. 1, 1983. I first read Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” in graduate school. I had taken a course on romantic love in English literature at Kent State University with Dr. William Hildebrand. Crazy…

Review of Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table by Louie Giglio

Nine life-changing words from a friend’s text resulted in the title and jumping off point for Louie Giglio's latest book, “Don’t Give The Enemy A Seat At Your Table.” He centered his study on Psalm 23 and focused particularly on the first part of verse 5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence…

A review of “The House at the End of the Moor”

I am a Victorian literature fan, so I am delighted when I read from a kindred spirit. Michelle Griep's “The House at the End of the Moor” not only has a Bronte-loving character, but it's like she donned Dickens' writing cap or something and created characters he would love. The story featured three main characters…

Review of “The Armor of God”

War Room movie poster from Wikipedia I was already Priscilla Shirer fan after seeing her in the movie, "War Room." She played Elizabeth Jordan, a real estate agent whose marriage was falling apart. Karen Abercrombie played Clara Williams, a client who started to mentor Elizabeth and help her take back control of her life by…

The note inside the Santa Suit

Christmas in July has passed I realize, but ‘tis the season for publishing Christmas stories. I just finished reading an upcoming novella from Mary Kay Andrews called “The Santa Suit.” I requested the title from Netgalley after reading the synopsis. Ivy Perkins bought a farmhouse based solely on a real estate listing. She knew it…

Page-turning, romantic, foodie adventure in Milwaukee

“The Coincidence of Coconut Cake” by Amy E. Reichert is a romantic foodie adventure about finding love, being true to yourself, and letting passion be your guide. And it’s a great virtual tour of the best of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Movies like “No Reservations” (2007) with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Abigail Breslin, and Aaron Eckhart came to mind…

An Early Review of “A Christmas Legacy”

Anne Perry's latest Christmas story comes out Nov. 2, 2021 though Penguin Random House publishing. I requested an advanced copy of New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry's "A Christmas Legacy" that comes out Nov. 2, 2021. When I started this novel, I thought this was a standalone tale, but as I read the back…

A review of “I’ve Seen the End of You”

“Gripping." "Haunting.” “Mesmerizing.” These were some of the descriptions I saw for the book: “I’ve Seen the End of You: A Neurosurgeon’s Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know.” Brain surgeon W. Lee Warren, MD, served in the U.S. Air Force and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from his experiences during the…

Shipwreck, smugglers, and scoundrels – oh, my!

Danger at sea, survivors of shipwreck, smugglers and scoundrels filled my mind and had me hooked while reading “The Light at Wyndcliff” by Sarah E. Ladd. The third book in the Cornwall Novels series took place in 1820 and opened with a prologue introducing a new character to the series, Evelyn Bray. She and her…

And I ran out of that cave…

elijahs-cave.jpg (450×450) (wordpress.com) Thanks to Netgalley, I received a free review copy of Chris Hodges’ new book “Out of the Cave: Stepping into the Light When Depression Darkens What You See” . Hodges is a pastor who struggled with anxiety and depression and understands the stigma surrounding mental health issues, especially among Christians. He says…

Review of “Nothing Wasted” by Kasey Van Norman

You may have seen these quotes floating around on the Internet: "Your past doesn't define you," "Your past doesn't define your future." The positive message conveyed, at least to me, is that who I was in the past doesn't have the final say in who I am becoming. I'm to forget the past and stop…

Review of Gothic fiction pioneer’s “The Castle of Otranto

In October, I started Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto because it was one of the works that inspired Jane Austen to write the Gothic satire “Northanger Abbey.” Walpole, the 4th Earl of Orford, was 48 when he wrote this work in 1765. He said he'd awakened from a dream about seeing at the top…

“God Loves Ugly” book & study guide review

My women's group chose Christa Black Gifford's "God Loves Ugly & Love Makes Beautiful" book and study guide for a 9-week study on Zoom. Christa is a popular blogger, singer, songwriter, and violinist, as well as an author and speaker. She has played violin on tour with the Jonas brothers, Jordan Sparks, and Michael W.…