The Cross Review

 

The Cross: Crucified with Christ and Christ Alive in Me by J C Ryle is a Christian non-fiction short work on the topic of the cross and its value in our lives.

 

I gave this work 5 out of 5 stars. I loved Ryle’s approach to the topic of the cross. Not many people address the definition of the cross and its different uses in scripture, but Ryle does. Furthermore, he really gets to the heart of the topic all while staying very close to scripture. Not to mention how approachable his writing style is. It would be no exaggeration for me to say that I think every Christian should read this and perhaps read it again every year.

Classics for Kids

 Today I am focusing on books I would classify as "classics" (roughly early history to 1945). I am going to break it down into some subgenres to keep things from getting too overwhelming. So today it is books that are primarily written for children (roughly 5-15 years old). That being said, they are still excellent books for any age. I have also tried to make this list with lesser known or read children's classics, so if one of your favorites isn't on here, that doesn't mean I don't recommend it.

General:

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott

Jack & Jill by Louisa May Alcott

Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

A Garland for Girls by Louisa May Alcott

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli

What Katy Did series by Susan Coolidge

White Fang by John London

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Fantasy:

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien

The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Frank Baum

Ozma of Oz by Frank Baum

The Fairy Caravan by Beatrix Potter

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Rose in Bloom Review

 

Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott is the sequel to Eight Cousins. We follow Rose as a young adult coming into her own along with her cousins.

 

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I love this story. It is full of important topics and many neglected truths, especially around romance and marriage. The story is captivating and keeps one guessing at what will happen next in these young people’s lives, even though it is more a character driven story than plot driven.

The characters are all still wonderful, but perhaps even more so since we finally get to know some of the cousins much better. Rose has grown into a lovely young woman by the beginning of the book and thankfully we still get to see her continue to learn and grow here. I loved seeing her challenges and the way she came through them.

Simple Faith of Mr Rogers Review

 

The Simple Faith of Mr Rogers by Amy Hollingsworth is a Christian non-fiction biography/ autobiography of the friendship of Fred Rogers and the author with a particular look at the effect of Mr Rogers faith on Hollingsworth.

 

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. It was a lovely book. Even though this didn’t turn out to be a biography of Mr Rogers with a focus on his faith as I initially thought it would be, I still found myself thoroughly enjoying it for what it is. I liked seeing Mr Rogers through the eyes of a friend and getting a look at the influence he had particularly in relation to his faith.

The writing style is comforting, open and friendly. I loved the anecdotes and powerful life lessons that Hollingsworth learned through her friendship with Mr Rogers. This was a quick and fascinating read that was unexpectedly powerful on a personal level.

Christian Living Recommendations

 Today I am sharing the Christian living books that I would recommend ranging in subgenre from spiritual disciplines to Christian character. These books are for everyone; young and old, men and women. The authors also vary from middle ages to modern.

Help My Unbelief by Barnabas Piper

God’s Way of Holiness by Horatius Bonar

Honest Faith by Charles Spurgeon

The Mark of the Christian by Francis Schaeffer

Waking the Dead by John Eldredge

Anxious for Nothing by John MacArthur

Pleasing God by R C Sproul

How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit by A W Tozer

            Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Laurence

            Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney

Habits of Grace by David Mathis

Prevailing Prayer by Dwight Moody

Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney

Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tylor Staton

Too Busy Not to Pray by Bill Hybels

Ten Words to Live By by Jen Wilkin

Learning Contentment by Nancy Wilson

Growing in Gratitude by Mary k Mohler

Humble Roots by Hannah Anderson

Habits of the Household by Justin Earley

Choose Joy by Kay Warren

Live Your Truth and Other Lies by Alisa Childers

If You Want to Walk on Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg

The Overcoming Life by Dwight Moody

Standing Strong by John MacArthur

Counter Culture by David Platt

Counterfeit Kingdom by Holly Pivec

Hope for the Troubled Heart by Billy Graham

Deeper by Dane Ortlund

Eight Cousins Review

 

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott is a children’s classic. We follow recently orphaned 13 year old Rose who goes to live with her single Uncle and Aunts where she meets her seven cousins (all boys).

 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. This was such a fun and charming book. Rose was a lovely child to follow and see her learn and grow. We don’t really get to know all the cousin’s especially well, but what little we see of them is interesting. Uncle Alec was a wonderful parental figure with many healthy ideas of raising girls.

The content is full of thought provoking ideas. Some purely in relation to the times it was written and others that are still important today. One thing I would like to point out in the negative is one brief moment of what we would consider racist content toward Chinese people, but would not have been seen so in the day written.

Overall, a lovely story and I highly anticipate reading the sequel.

The Heart Between Us Review

 

The Heart Between Us by Lindsay Harrel is a Christian contemporary novel. We follow Megan who had a heart transplant 3 years ago but hasn’t learned to live since and her twin sister Crystal has the seemingly perfect life but it is on the verge of crumbling. When Megan sets out to fulfill the bucket list of her heart donor Crystal comes along with her in an attempt to mend their broken relationship.

 

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. This was a wonderful book. I loved the focus on the sister’s relationship with each other; it was so touching and heart-warming. The romantic subplots were thrilling touches. I also enjoyed the themes of restoring faith, not letting fear control you and moving forward from difficult life situations. It is such a powerful story.

The characters were so well done. They were interesting and flawed and fascinating. I felt so deeply for them and with them on their journeys. It was so emotional, in the best way.

There are a number of darker subjects addressed here: sexual abuse, childhood disease, and crumbling marriages. Thankfully they are handled with great delicacy and intentionality. I feel the need to address one specific scene with questionable content for a Christian novel, that is when the sisters skinny dip, but it was also handled so well that I was able to appreciate why it was included in the story.

Picture Book Recommendations

I know this genre is probably unexpected, but picture books are far more than just funny little rhymes for little kids. Yes they can teach lessons, but they can also be pieces of history and looks into different parts of the world and different cultures. Nor are they primarily written for 2-4 year olds. There are some picture books written with 8-12 year olds in mind and I firmly believe that adults can benefit from them as well. So here is my list of recommended picture books for all ages.

Christian:

The Tallest of Smalls by Max Lucado

Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey by Tyler Van Halteren

The Birds of Bethlehem by Tomie dePaola

God Gave Us Easter by Lisa Bergren

God Gave Us Christmas by Hannah Hall

I Love You No Matter What by Jarrett Rutland

 

Historical:

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler

Shooting at the Stars by John Hendrix

A Day for Rememberin’ by Leah Henderson

Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Ramsey

The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow by Amy Lee-Tai

Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Most Beautiful Village in the World by Yutaka Kobayashi

Camels Always Do by Lynn Manuel

The Summer of the Marco Polo by Lynn Manuel

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola

Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade

Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved the Violin by Tracy Newman

 

Cultural:

The Magic Paintbrush by Julia Donaldson

My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom

Gazpacho for Nacho by Tracey Kyle

When Christmas Feels Like Home by Gretchen Griffith

The Boy Who Wanted to Cook by Gloria Whelan

Freedom Soup by Tami Charles

My Day with the Panye by Tami Charles

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

A Different Pond by Bao Phi

Seven Spools of Thread by Angela Medearis

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns by Hena Khan

Just Plain Fancy by Patricia Polacco

Eight Winter Nights by Laura Melmed

Powwow Day by Traci Sorell

Watercress by Andrea Wang

 

Other:

A Squash and a Squeeze by Julia Donaldson

The Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson

No Pirates Allowed by Rhonda Gowler Greene

Brother Sun, Sister Moon by Katherine Paterson

Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett & Gary Rubinstein

Stacey’s Extraordinary Words by Stacey Abrams

Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson

Tea Rex by Molly Idle

Rescue & Jessica by Jessica Kensky & Patrick Downes

Somebody Loves You Mr Hatch by Eileen Spinelli

Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

The Yellow Bus by Loren Long

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages Review

 

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages by Trenton Lee Stewart is the last book in his children’s adventure series. Reynie, Sticky and Kate are now teenagers and Constance is an older child. They are thrust into what may be their final adventure together as they are growing up and apart.

 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. This was another fun, riddle filled adventure. What made it extra special was seeing the kids older and struggling with what it means to grow up and deciding what their futures and friendships will look like, especially while trying to work together to solve the riddles and stop the plots. It was refreshing to see them deal with normal awkward feelings and issues dealing with the future while still exhibiting their own unique  geniuses. I did feel that the end could have delved a bit deeper into that instead of focusing mostly on the adventure they just had, but it was still pretty satisfying.

Now that I have reached the end of the series, I understand why this is a bit of a modern classic children’s series. I enjoyed these kids and the adventures they went on and the lessons they learned over the years. These are books that I look forward to reading with my kids when they are old enough.

Truth Unchanging Review

 

Truth Unchanging: Hearing God Daily in the Midst of Motherhood by Becky Thompson is a devotional book specifically written for women with children, especially small children. The truths discussed are really applicable to all women, it is just the personal stories she includes are all related to motherhood. It can be used daily or weekly based on the readers preference.

 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. Thompson’s writing style is very approachable and enjoyable to read. I really like how she went through the Bible from Genesis through the New Testament to emphasize eternal truths that touch us today. The short devotionals are the perfect length and provide a nugget of truth to ponder through the day. It didn’t always feel like the personal stories (and occasionally the Bible stories) she included truly expressed the point that she was making, but the points still came through and were overall Biblically sound. Anything I felt wasn’t truly correct theology was small and I don’t believe would cause a spiritual life problem. My favourite part was the prayers at the end of each devotional, they really hit the heart of each topic and how to turn to God with it. The issue I struggled the most with was that the scripture references weren’t mentioned at location but in the back of the book and I don’t know what the primary translation was, so don’t know how reliable it is. But overall, I truly did enjoy this devotional.