Grateful Review

Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass is a Christian non-fiction book on the topic of gratitude. Bass claims it to be intended for all people, not just Christians, but her use of Christian faith and scripture is so heavily present and used to define gratitude as well as a common element in the stories and examples presented that it really can't be classified as anything else.

I only gave this book 2 out of 5 stars. I was very disappointed with it and downright didn’t like it. I did like how in-depth she defined gratitude. Sharing many aspect of what it looks like as well as the benefits of it. Her four part model of gratitude (me/we and emotions/ethics) was very fascinating, but I didn’t feel that she elaborated enough on it.

The first half of the book was interesting and I could see so much potential for it being a really profound, helpful and practical book. However, it just went down-hill from there. My first issue is that she uses the “we” portion of the book to push her political platform. She seems to be using the book to emotionally deal with the results of the 2016 US election. I didn’t feel like she was still talking about gratitude, I didn’t see the connection and it didn’t even appear that she was practicing gratitude amidst what were trying times for her.

Secondly, she seems to have a habit of impressing her view and ideas onto what she reads, making them say what she wants them too. One example is her use of the book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She has impressed her view of gratitude over the story to make it say and teach what she wanted us to learn. I’m not saying that her ideas about the book are necessarily wrong (there may be some truth to them), but she puts it forward as obviously the case no doubt about it when I have never heard anything like it in an analysis of the book. Furthermore she does make at least one completely incorrect statement about the book.

What was even worse is that she treated scripture the same way. She took the story of Zacchaeus and put her own spin on it to say and teach what she wanted in complete disregard for all past exegesis on the passage. Again, there may be some historical truth to her interpretation, but not in disregard to what is being directly said. It is always dangerous to look at a piece of scripture with our own views in mind first (looking to prove our theory correct instead of looking to see what God is saying). We need to first look and see what it says, who it is speaking to and in what context it is speaking, etc. and then we can extrapolate from that basis. But that is very clearly not what she did.

Furthermore, she would randomly pull individual scripture verses out of context to use as support for a point she was making in other parts of the book. But she never addressed any scriptures that very clearly say the opposite of the idea she was putting forward. All this was just too much for me. With it I felt she lost all credibility and reliability, let alone any authority to speak into the topic. This was just a bad book. I don’t hate it, but nor would I ever recommend it.

Nevermoor Review

Nevermoor : The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend is a middle grade fantasy book, first in the Nevermoor duology (with possible future books to come?). It is about Morrigan, a young girl who was one of the “cursed children” who were to die at the end of the age, which happened to be on their 11^th birthday. However, a mysterious man arrives on the eve of her “death” to whisk her away to the magical land of Nevermoor and sets her on a path of trials to join the lands most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was such a fun and fascinating read. The writing style flowed well and was enjoyable. I found the characters delightful and cleverly done. They fairly jumped off the page and made the journey a pleasant one. Even the bad characters were a pleasure to read (made you dislike them or cringe, etc. in just the right way). Morrigan was a wonderful person to live the story with, she was very “real” and “honest” and relatable as a person. There were so many characters with such differing personalities, that I liked for different reasons, that I couldn’t possible mention them all here.

The plot was wonderfully done and interesting. I was eager to continue reading and see what would happen next, or what mystery would be resolved. The “big reveal” came as no surprise, but that made it no less enjoyable. There is only one hole in the story that I wish she had cleared up before the end (or at least at the end of this book).

Overall this was a lovely read and I look forward to the next book. The only hitch being that the next book doesn’t come out until later this month and I won’t be able to dive right in to see what happens next now.

Top Ten Tuesday: Platonic Relationships

I thought it might be fun to try the top ten Tuesday weekly post. I don’t know if I will do this every week, but I might just throw one out there now and then. All of the books that I am including in this list (and of course any future lists) got at least 4 stars. So todays topic is some of my favorite platonic relationships in books. 

1.       Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austen – The main character, Caroline, has a pseudo-paternal relationship with an older black servant, Eli, that is so beautiful read. Their relationship influences her in so many ways and affects the decisions that she makes as we move through the story. (Christian historical fiction)

2.       Unshaken: Ruth by Francine Rivers – This was such a beautiful retelling of the Biblical story of Ruth. I love how she fleshed out the relationship between Ruth and Naomi, her mother-in-law.  (Christian Biblical retelling)

3.       Nightmare Academy by Frank Peretti – This book follows teenage twin brother and sister, Elijah and Elisha, who end up in a dangerous situation with no one else to help them. The way they rely on each other and stick by each other to make it out is very fun to read. (Christian young adult thriller)

4.       The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson – Here the main character, Avelina, a servant sent to masquerade as a nobleman’s daughter forms an unlikely friendship with Lady Magdalen. How they connect and become so dear to each other (as well as what they do for each other) is so sweet. (Christian fairytale retelling)

5.       Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay – In this book is a lovely relationship between the main character, Samantha, and a young boy, Kevin. They form this unique friendship based on mutual experience where they are able to help each other deal with the traumas of their respective pasts and move forward into better things. (Christian contemporary)

6.       The Hawk and the Jewel by Lori Wick – I love the relationship between Sunny and her niece Holly and nephew Miles. Because they are all around the same age, they are able to form a type of relationship that is closer than just friends, but  not quite siblings. How they relate to each other and interact with each other is fascinating and fun. I also really liked looking at the brother / sister relationship she had as her brother was old enough to be her father, but of course he isn’t. (Christian historical romance)

7.       Entwined by Heather Dixon – The main character, Azalea, is part of a large family of girls who have a distant and slightly dysfunctional relationship with their father. I love seeing how they learn to understand each other and relate to each other in a loving and health way. Of course we also get to see the sibling dynamic with sisters both close in age and where there is a large age gap. (Young adult fairytale retelling)

8.       Winter by Marissa Meyer – This is the final book in the Lunar Chronicles and has a fantastic group of friends dynamic. These people are all very different, in personality and background, but they bond together to accomplish their goal and become truly wonderful friends. They complement each other in the best way and it is because of their uniting together that they succeed. (Young adult sci-fi)

9.       The Host by Stephanie Meyer – I love the relationship of the main character, the parasitic alien Wanderer, and the human host, Melanie. This is such a unique relationship to look at and I found it fascinating and cleverly done. (Young adult fantasy/ sci-fi)

10.   P. S. I Like You by Kasie West – Lily, the main character, and her best friend have such a strong relationship. I loved seeing how they grew closer to each other and learned the value of their friendship. It was also really nice to see them go through something that could have torn them apart, but to rise above it and stick together. (Young adult contemporary)

Mandie and the Secret Tunnel Review

Mandie and the Secret Tunnel by Lois Gladys Leppard is a Christian children’s historical story and the first book in the Mandie Mysteries series about a young girl named Mandie. When her father dies, her world is thrown upside down and she tries to find out where she belongs now. With the aid of her Native American Uncle Ned, she will find the place God has prepared for her.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was a lovely read. The writing style reminded me of a mix between Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables. I really liked the flow of events and how Mandie grew in her faith through them. I was surprised by how much I liked the mystery element to the story and how it hooked me. I was even more impressed with the ‘big reveal’ of the mystery and how I never would have predicted it and loved it.

I think this is a fantastic story for young girls. It has many real life elements (especially historically) to discuss and lessons about life and God that will be meaningful to them. The only element to the story I wasn’t too fond of was the romance. I didn’t feel that it was needed, especially as Mandie was only 12 (and many of the readers I imagine are that age and younger). I felt it was just addressed prematurely. The whole young crushes thing I don't really mind, but I feel it would have been better to hold off on them confronting feelings until future books.

That being said, I still think it is a wonderful story for young girls and look forward to seeing what is to come for Mandie in the coming books.

Cheers to the Diaper Years Review

Cheers to the Diaper Years: 10 Truths for Thriving While Barely Surviving by Erin Brown Hollis is a Christian non-fiction book on the topic of motherhood. 

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. It was okay. I am sorry to say that I found her voice to be choppy and often like she is trying too hard to be “our friend.” I also found myself frequently confused by how she phrased things. On top of that, sometimes it felt like she was making references (maybe to movies? music?) that I just didn’t get.

However, the main content was helpful, encouraging, valuable and timely for me. I needed reminders like it not being a mistake that I am mother to my kids and that God cares more about the state of my heart than the state of my house. Hollis had some very important truths here; some that we either forget to apply to our motherhood status or we kind of know in the back of our mind but never stopped to really dwell on, etc.

Overall, I appreciated what she had to say, just didn’t mesh well with her voice.

Mary Poppins Review

Mary Poppins by P L Travers is a children’s chapter book about a magical nannie that shows up at the house of young Jane, Michael, John and Barbara Banks. And thus begins a series of unusual doings.

I am sad to say that this book only got a 2 out of 5 star from me. The story really took me by surprise and not in a good way. I enjoyed the familiar magical adventures and wonderful oddities, but must say that I didn’t like Mary Poppins herself. She was vain, arrogant and moody and not a very nice or pleasant person. I didn’t understand why the children and others seemed to like her so much, there didn’t seem to be any ground for it. I suppose a child wouldn’t notice that and would simply enjoy the mystical and unusual things happening, but it put me off. The other characters were all a bit flat and / or we only saw them in one story (one chapter) so couldn’t build that likeable connection to them.

The plot was definitely different than the movie. It was a fairly random series of events and stories that didn’t really teach lessons or pull together to tell a specific “story” other than: these things took place because they had a magical nannie. I have to say that I miss an overarching plot, but don’t know that it is strictly necessary here (especially for the young intended audience).

Overall, I didn’t feel like we learned anything or that the children grew (character-wise). It is just a collection of unusual things taking place because Mary Poppins happened to be there. I found it disappointing and with messages about behavior that I wouldn’t want my children taking away from it (rudeness, vanity, and arrogance being okay in adults, misbehavior to be okay from kids). I may read the second book to see if it gets any better, but I haven’t decided yet.

A Wind in the Door Review

A Wind in the Door by Madeline L’Engle is the second book in her middle grade science fiction Time Quintet. It picks up with Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace shortly after Charles has begun first grade. Things aren’t going well for him. He is being bullied and there is a serious problem with his health. Then they encounter a supernatural being who calls himself their “Teacher” and sets them all assignments with a fellow “student”(a cherubim) with the goal of saving Charles Wallace.

I gave this book a 3 out of 5 stars. It was okay. The story is kind of interesting, but I found it to be very slow and some parts overly scientific (especially with terminology). The scientific content doesn’t seem to fit with the intended age group (too complex). Besides that, It took me forever to figure out what the plot is supposed to be. I did like some of the thoughts presented, like the nature of love (and it not being a feeling) as well as the concept of what is “real” being real regardless of what we think or have experienced. And there were some good lessons in here about patience and understanding others.

It didn’t help my level of enjoyment any that Meg was the character we follow the most; the other familiar ones just weren’t present as much. Not to mention how obnoxious she was. She was whiney and constantly being contrary and obstinate. She showed no real character development until like the last chapter. None of the other characters were very likeable either, except Calvin (who we didn’t see a great deal of). However the cherubim grew on me by the end.

As for the Christian elements, they were definitely there (ex} Biblical creatures). Just like in the first book, L’Engle’s faith is clearly present in the book and I liked that. However, some of the ideas put forward might be a bit over the heads of children and too much for them to try to wrap their minds around.

Overall, I wasn’t that impressed by this one. It wasn’t nearly as good as the first. I do think I will continue with the series to see if it improves, but if it doesn't I may have to drop it. 

One Thousand Gifts Review

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp is a Christian non-fiction book on the topics of joy and gratitude through a partial memoir format.

I was really anticipating this book, but was sad to find it didn’t rise up to my hopes. I ended up giving it only 3 out of 5 stars, it was just okay. I found Voskamp’s voice difficult to read. Her writing style just didn’t work for me, it was often confusing and / or unclear. Sometimes it was like she was trying to write in a thought process or in a dialogue like manner, but it was just frustrating to make sense of. I found myself many times wishing she would just write in complete and clear sentences.

This is especially sad, since I think Voskamp has something important to say here. Not only on the topic of gratitude itself, but also a practical application that could have an immense impact on our individual walks of learning to be grateful and accepting the gift of joy. Furthermore, she discusses the effect of gratitude on trust, anxiety and fear (which is an area of my own life that I have struggled with for years).

Overall, I have learned a number of valuable messages and tricks to set myself on the right path to finding joy and full trust in God. However, the writing style just bogged me down and made it so much harder to get through.

After I Do Review

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid is an adult contemporary romance. It is about a woman named Lauren. She has been with her husband since she was 19, but lately things have been falling apart. So, in order to try and save their marriage, she and her husband agree to a year apart (with no contact). So begins a year of growth and learning what love and marriage are really all about.

I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was a very interesting book. I appreciated this look into marriage, love, etc. from the world’s perspective. Having grown up in the church and being raised with a Biblical viewpoint on marriage, I have never been able to understand or relate to non-believers on the topic. Throughout this story it seemed so clear to me why God has made marriage the way He did. This seemed to show in clear detail how hard it is if we don’t have, or I imagine keep, God at the heart of our marriages. Even though I disagree with the worldview and ideology expressed in the book, I find it helpful in understanding the people around me who are not believers and beneficial to how I can interact with them (especially in dialogue about marriage).

One thing I found fascinating was that the main character turns 30 in this book and I am turning 30 next month (so I have a unique perspective with her). I was really able to see the parallels, or lack of, from Biblical living compared to world living, etc.

There was some cursing in the book and I found that distracting whenever it came up, but thankfully it was only occasionally present. The sexual content was also a bit more than I am normally comfortable with, but it wasn’t overly descriptive. I was able to appreciate that Reid only got as descriptive as she needed to for context within the plot (it played a role in the development of the story). Not that the sex was needed, but the level of description varied based on necessity. So I wasn’t totally okay with it, but can understand it’s presence.

Overall this was an interesting and thought provoking read (especially coming at it from a Christian perspective). Because of the content I wasn’t able to “really like” or “love” this book, but it is still a good read. It would probably be a great book to dialogue in a group setting.

The Orphan's Wish Review

The Orphan’s Wish by Melanie Dickerson is a Christian historical fiction set in Germany during the Holy Roman Empire. It is the 8^th book in the Hagenheim series and is a retelling of Aladdin. The young Aladdin is rescued as an orphaned child on the streets in the Holy Land and taken to Hagenheim where he befriends the Duke’s daughter Krystin and sets out to make something of himself.

Like all of Dickerson’s books, this was a wonderful, quick, easy and fun read. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars. The writing style flows so well and moves things along at a swift pace that keeps you turning the pages. As with her previous books, Dickerson is so clever in her retelling of this fairytale. I love how creative she is in molding the story to fit into a specific place and time in the real world, and make it so realistic that you would think that it could possibly have happened.

I was pleasantly surprised that Aladdin was the main character (usually the female is the main character or it is fairly equally split between the male and female leads). Predominantly following Aladdin’s perspective was different and lovely and I really enjoyed the change. All the characters were so well done. They were multifaceted and felt quite real.

The overall plot was captivating and thrilling. I felt so many different emotions as I read and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. There were a few times when the pacing felt like it was slowing down, but it always picked up again. I especially liked that there was one chapter after they were married and an epilogue. It is a unique perspective to see after a couple gets married and I always love getting a glimpse of the future of a couple that I become invested in through the story. This was even more of a pleasant surprise as all the other books in the series end with the wedding day.

As with her other books, the faith of the characters in God was portrayed so realistically (especially within the context of the time). Some had strong faith where as others seemed more “Christian” because of society expectations than because they actually had a relationship with God. It was nice to see those people with true faith lean on God and learn from Him in all that they go through.

The romance was sweet and heartwarming. I liked the childhood friends to lovers theme with all the memories they shared and the growing of love. It was also nice to see them learn to see themselves through the others eyes. As for the sexual content: there was kissing and hugging, but nothing too descriptive.

Overall I was not disappointed with this book. I had fun reading it and think it is a wonderful addition to this series. Only now I am eager for her next book to be released and don’t know when that will be.

Book Girl Review

Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson is a Christian non-fiction book. It is part memoir of her growing up loving books and the positive effect it has had on her life and partly her sharing this passion by looking at the different benefits and offering recommendations for specific areas of life (primarily directed toward other women).

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I really liked it. I love the memoir aspect of the book and this unique look into Clarkson’s life and the books that touched her and changed her and how she grew as a reader and person through what she read. It is wonderful to see another kindred spirit and share her joy and experiences.

I also appreciated how she shared her recommendation lists with the stories around her first encounters with them and / or how they affected her or what they taught her. Having those short lists of recommendations for each area of her life (interspersed within all the chapters) was helpful in bringing what she had to say into greater clarity. I much preferred it to having a giant list at the end of the book.

I would recommend this to all girls who love books, as a source of kinship to other bookish girls and a resource to further book recommendations.

Can You Keep a Secret Review

Can You Keep a Secret by Sofie Kinsella is an adult contemporary novel. It is about a young woman named Emma who has a lot of little secrets (from boyfriend, friends, family and coworkers) that she never dreams she could tell. However, on a plane ride with heavy turbulence, in fear she spills out all those secrets to a complete stranger who she never expects to see again. Then he shows up at her job only for her to discover that he is the CEO of the company.

I was really looking forward to this book. The concept sounded so funny and cute. However, I only ended up giving this book 2 out of 5 stars. I just didn’t really like it. None of the characters were that likeable and some I down right disliked. It didn’t help that I found Emma to be quite self-centered and annoying and the main male lead (Jack) was secretive and, at times, a jerk.

The story was funny and entertaining when just looking at that main plotline. But the amount of cursing was so distracting and made me uncomfortable. The main character’s belief in and use of horoscopes made me roll my eyes and say “really”. I didn’t like the way the author dealt with sex either. The characters spoke about it in a very blasé, open and intimate way (sometimes even in public places). Not to mention how much sex is in here. She has sex, she runs into people having sex (in apartments, in public) and she attempts to have sex at work – it’s everywhere.

It also didn’t help that the perspectives of the characters reflect very worldly views: on sex, relationships, work, the nature of lying, etc. Not that I am unaware that these are accurate representations of the current western world mindset, but I have never read anything that so blatantly put it out there. Most of the contemporary books I have read are light and fun and don’t reflect this (they focus on other things); but that may be because they are predominantly young adult novels, not with an adult audience in mind.

I must admit, it was also hard for me to get behind the reconciliation at the end. A major breach of trust occurs and I didn’t feel that the man did anything to warrant such a quick return of trust. The consequences of that breach are just brushed aside and other issues are used to distract the audience into forgetting what he did. I didn’t like this and couldn’t be happy for their being together at the end. Perhaps if this situation was handled differently I would have enjoyed it more.

Overall I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed with this book. I am willing to give the author another try, but if that one turns out in a similar way as this than I don’t think I will be reading anything else by her.

The Warden and the Wolf King Review

The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson is the last book in his Christian middle grade fantasy Wingfeather Saga. This is the conclusion of the story of Janner Wingfeather and his family as they come against, not only the armies of the Fangs of Dang, but Gnag himself.

This book gets 4 out of 5 stars. It is heart wrenching and intense. There were twists that I never could have seen coming. For most of the book I had no idea how Peterson was going to resolve the story. I kept wondering how it could possibly end well, how they could succeed, etc. And yet the ending was well crafted and came out the bitter-sweet that is so common for truly memorable stories. I was especially pleased that it wasn’t just a “bad guy is stopped and all is well” kind of resolution. The fact that he showed that there is damage to be repaired and that healing is a process that begins with the fall of the bad guy was very well done and felt very true to life.

It was really nice to see how the characters continued to grow and develop through the events here. Peterson has a way of showing people as they are, the crazy mix of good and bad and everything in between. He shows our flaws, but at the same time gives us hope that we can rise above them to be the people we were created to be.

There are some powerful messages in this story (both this book itself and the series as a whole) that reflect the Christian faith. Things like what love looks like in action, and the value of sacrifice, and how we let ourselves perceive others as well as how we treat them.

What a conclusion to this truly “epic” tale. The only thing I wish he had done was give a more solid epilogue. He hints at some things in it that I would have preferred to know in a definitive way. Perhaps he means us to take it as granted that the things implied do indeed take place, but, without asking Peterson himself, there is no way to know if that is true or not. If I was just looking at this book (on it’s own) this really wouldn’t matter to me. But in looking at this as the ending to the whole series, it makes a really big difference to me which way it goes.

Overall this was such a wild ride. I feel quite drained, but in that good kind of way that leaves me content with the story coming to a close. I am so happy that I discovered this series and hope Peterson will go on to write many more stories.

October Overview

I have been quite sick this month, so I allowed myself to deviate from my written TBR for the month and just stuck with mood reads that fit into the theme. With my kids being sick too, I did a lot of reading picture books to them. All the books with a review up already have a * and all those with a review coming have a >.

Christian Non-fiction -

Honey For a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt*

Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel>

Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson>

Themed books :

Christian fiction –

Mandie and the Secret Tunnel by Lois Gladys Leppard (children)>

Mandie and the Cherokee Legend by Lois Gladys Leppard (children)>

Mandie and the Ghost Bandits by Lois Gladys Leppard (children)>

Mandie and the Forbidden Attic by Lois Gladys Leppard (children)>

Mandie and the Trunk’s Secret by Lois Gladys Leppard (children)>

North or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson (middle grade fantasy)*

The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson (middle grade fantasy)*

A Wind in the Door by Madeline L’Engle (middle grade science fiction)>

Fantasy –

Mary Poppins by P L Travers (children)>

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (children science fiction)>

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (middle grade)>

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (middle grade)>

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins (middle grade)>

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins (middle grade)>

Poetry –

Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee and Frank Newfeld

Button Up by Alice Schertle and Petra Mathers

Out of the Box by Karma Wilson and Diane Goode

Boo! Haiku by Deanna Caswell and Bob Shea

Picture books –

This list only includes new books we have read this month, not any I have mentioned before or the ones we have read countless times. I do mini reviews for these on Goodreads (I will link to my page at the bottom of the post if you are interested).

The Reader by Amy Hest and Lauren Castillo

Gazpacho for Nacho by Tracey Kyle and Carolina Farias (my eldest’s new favorite)

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore and Jan Brett (my daughter’s choice, and yes I gave in)

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Sylvia Long

God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren and Laura Bryant

Panda Bear Panda Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.

If I Was a Mouse by Karma Wilson (Christian)

Babies First Mother Goose Treasury by Sourcebooks, Inc.

The Boy Who Wanted to Cook by Gloria Whelan (6+ years)

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola (6+ years)

The Most Beautiful Village in the World by Yutaka Kobayashi (7+ years)

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Thank You God for Blessing Me by Max Lucado

Thank You God for Loving Me by Max Lucado

Maneer Konijn en Zijn Chocoladefabriek by Elys Dolan (Dutch)

En de Maan Lachte by Petr Horacek (Dutch)

Big Bouffant by Kate Hosford and Holly Clifton-Brown

Goodnight Little Monster by Helen Ketteman and Bonnie Leick

Harry’s Spooky Surprise! By N.G.K. and Janelle Dimmett

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/19319918-chelsea