Wrapping Up Two Christmas Reads

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Barbara Harper

I just finished my last two Christmas novels and thought I’d review them together.

In Hope for Christmas: A Small Town Christmas Romance Novella by Malissa Chapin, Merry Noel (who insists her last name is pronounced Knoll, not No-el) is trying to close one last deal before Christmas Day. If she can’t get everything together for it, the client will call the deal off. But her office is in the midst of a Christmas party and she can’t get anyone to make copies or do the things needed to close the deal.

Even without the pressure of this last deal, though, Merry hated Christmas and wouldn’t be celebrating.

After a disastrous series of events, Merry ends up losing her job. She didn’t want to go home to Wisconsin, but she has nowhere else to turn.

Having gotten used to city life in Atlanta, Merry chafes at going back to the farm. And how crazy was it to come back when the whole town was in the throes of their annual community Christmas celebration.

But her mother’s new neighbor, time with her mother, a blizzard, and an unexpected visitor in need all help Merry face her issues.

When I first started reading this, I thought it was going to be a modern retelling of A Christmas Carol. A couple of Merry’s coworkers even call her Ms. Scrooge. But Merry’s motivations aren’t related to business or finance.

I very much enjoyed Merry’s journey and this story, which were both heart-warming and faith-filled.

Malissa is the author of a book I read and loved last year, The Road Home (linked to my review). She also wrote Murder Goes Solo: A Piper Haydn Piano Mystery, which I have not read yet. Cozy mysteries are not my favorite fare, but I do read them sometimes, so I probably will check this out at some point.

I had not heard of Beth Moran before. But I had finished my audiobook a few days before Christmas and wouldn’t get another Audible credit until the end of the month. So I looked around Audible’s “free with a subscription” selection, and Beth’s Christmas Every Day caught my eye. I’m wary of modern secular fiction because usually it has bad language or bedroom scenes. But I figured this was low risk–if I came across something objectionable, I could just delete it from my library.

Jenny is another Christmas-hater, but for different reasons. Since her parents’ divorce, she usually spent holidays alone. But in light of her impending engagement, she has every hope that she’ll spend Christmas in a lovely place with a real family this year.

But then her boss/secret boyfriend announces an engagement not with Jenny, but with her beautiful, popular twin sister.

Jenny leaves for an old cottage in Sherwood Forest that she inherited from her grandmother, who passed away six years earlier. She expected the place to need a little clean-up. But she hadn’t known her grandmother had become a hoarder or that the house would need so much.

She gets off on the wrong foot with her curmudgeonly neighbor, Mack. But slowly, she begins to form friendships with other people in the village and gets a job.

Then she’s invited to an unusual book club. A couple of the participants are so cantankerous that they can’t agree on what books to read. So the group decides to shift focus and work on a personal challenge for the coming year, reporting on their progress at the monthly meetings instead of books. A private investigator wants to learn to bake. A dying older woman has a list of daring feats she wants to accomplish. A single mom wants to find a good man with whom she can have a real relationship. A super-fan wants to find the location of a reclusive author said to live in their area and invite her to the book club.

As Jenny deals with the house, her new job of minding a lively family of five children, her neighbor, and her new friends, she finally learns what belonging and family are all about.

This story is funny in places and heart-warming in others. Jenny’s series of comedic disasters got a little old at one point—but I guess I got used to them, or maybe they just toned down a bit. They kept happening but didn’t seem so outlandish as at first.

Even though this is written from a secular standpoint, there was a really good section on forgiveness.

There was a smattering of bad words, but otherwise the story was very clean.

Helen Keely did a superb job narrating the audiobook. I had to slow down the narration just a tad, as the British accent spoken very quickly was hard to understand in places.

I liked this books so well that I am willing to try more from this author. And I hope Helen Keely narrates them all.

Be Transformed

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Barbara Harper

Warren Wiersbe divided his commentary on the gospel of John into two books. The first was Be Alive (John 1-12): Get to Know the Living Savior. The second is Be Transformed (John 13-21): Christ’s Triumph Means Your Transformation. The first twelve chapters of John “focus on our Lord’s public ministry, especially the signs (miracles) that Jesus performed and the messages that grew from them” (Location 150, Kindle version). Chapters 13-21 share more of the private ministry of Jesus with His closest disciples, “preparing them for their future service when the Holy Spirit would come and empower them” (Location 150). Chapter 13 opens with the Passover meal the night before Jesus was betrayed where He washes the disciples’ feet and institutes what we call the Lord’s supper (communion). The rest of John details Jesus private discourse with the disciples that night, His betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection.

John shares his purpose statement in John 20:31: “these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” “The basic theme of John’s gospel is that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the very Son of God, and all who believe in Him receive eternal life (20: 30–31). John’s subject is the deity of Christ. John’s object is to lead people into the life—eternal life, abundant life—that only Christ can give. John is both a theologian and an evangelist” (Location 150).

John attests to Jesus deity not only through His many signs, or miracles, but through other witnesses, through Jesus’ “I am” statements, through His fulfillment of the Old Testament festivals and prophecies about Himself.

John said throughout the first part of his book that Jesus’ “hour” had not yet come. Then in John 12:23, at this transition between public and private ministry and the week leading up to the cross, Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Jesus says a little later, in verse 27, ““Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”

As I mentioned in Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled, Wiersbe points out that Jesus comforted and reassured the disciples that though He was about to leave the earth, they had the Father’s love and care, the peace Jesus gave them, the comfort and ministry of the Holy Spirit within them, access in prayer, and a home in heaven to look forward to.

He then teaches them to abide in Him, as a branch abides in the vine (John 15). “The key word is abide; it is used eleven times in John 15: 1–11 (‘continue’ in John 15: 9 and ‘remain’ in John 15: 11). What does it mean to ‘abide’? It means to keep in fellowship with Christ so that His life can work in and through us to produce fruit. This certainly involves the Word of God and the confession of sin so that nothing hinders our communion with Him (John 15: 3). It also involves obeying Him because we love Him (John 15: 9–10)” (Location 777). “This abiding relationship is natural to the branch and the vine, but it must be cultivated in the Christian life. It is not automatic. Abiding in Christ demands worship, meditation on God’s Word, prayer, sacrifice, and service—but what a joyful experience it is!” (Locaion786).

Jesus tells them more of the work the Holy Spirit will do in their lives (John 16) and then offers up His wonderful “high priestly prayer” to the Father for us (John 17).

Then John tells of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas, His encounter with Pilate, His crucifixion, burial, resurrection, appearances to Mary and the disciples..

A few other quotes from Wiersbe’s commentary:

To “keep” His commandments means to value them, treasure them, guard them, and do them. “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23: 12) (Location 559).

Our English word comfort comes from two Latin words meaning “with strength.” We usually think of “comfort” as soothing someone, consoling him or her, and to some extent this is true. But true comfort strengthens us to face life bravely and keep on going. It does not rob us of responsibility or make it easy for us to give up. Some translations call the Holy Spirit “the Encourager,” and this is a good choice of words. Parakl ∑ tos is translated “Advocate” in 1 John 2: 1. An “advocate” is one who represents you at court and stands at your side to plead your case (Location 587).

Shalom—peace—is a precious word to the Jewish people. It means much more than just the absence of war or distress. Shalom means wholeness, completeness, health, security, even prosperity in the best sense. When you are enjoying God’s peace, there is joy and contentment. But God’s peace is not like the “peace” that the world offers (Location 662).

We do not study the Word of God in order to “argue religion” with people, or to show off our grasp of spiritual things. We study the Word to see Jesus Christ, to know God better, and to glorify Him in our lives (Location 1133).

“Be of good cheer!” is one of our Lord’s repeated statements of encouragement. Literally it means, “Cheer up!” There is the “good cheer” of His pardon (Matt. 9: 1–8), His power (Matt. 9: 18–22), and His presence (Matt. 14: 22–27). Here in John 16: 33, He announces the “good cheer” of His victory over the world. We are overcomers because He has first overcome for us (Location 1318).

Human history began in a garden (Gen. 2: 8ff.), and the first sin of man was committed in that garden. The first Adam disobeyed God and was cast out of the garden, but the Last Adam (1 Cor. 15: 45) was obedient as He went into the garden of Gethsemane. In a garden, the first Adam brought sin and death to mankind, but Jesus, by His obedience, brought righteousness and life to all who will trust Him. He was “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2: 8). History will one day end in another garden, the heavenly city that John describes in Revelation 21 and 22. In that garden, there will be no more death and no more curse. The river of the water of life will flow ceaselessly, and the tree of life will produce bountiful fruit. Eden was the garden of disobedience and sin; Gethsemane was the garden of obedience and submission; and heaven shall be the eternal garden of delight and satisfaction, to the glory of God (Location 1629).

It is a sad thing when well-meaning but ignorant Christians take up the sword to “defend” the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter hurt Malchus [the high priest’s servant whose ear Peter cut off), something no believer should do. Peter hurt the testimony of Christ and gave the false impression that His disciples hate their enemies and try to destroy them. (Note our Lord’s reply to Pilate in John 18:36.) (Location 1713).

The cup He prepares will never contain anything that will harm us. We may suffer pain and heartbreak, but He will eventually transform that suffering into glory (Location 1737).

God does not reveal new truth to us if we fail to act on the truth we already know (Location 2005).

I enjoyed spending time in December thinking of Jesus birth in the context of the rest of His life and ministry and teaching in John. Dr. Wiersbe, as always, was a helpful companion.

Reading Plans for 2023

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Barbara Harper

For most of my life, I’ve just read whatever was next in the stack or something I was in the mood for. Reading challenges have helped broaden my horizons and be more intentional in my reading. Plus it’s fun to share reading lists with the other participants. And some challenge hosts offer drawings for prizes!

I dropped one challenge I participated in last year. All of these are categories I already read anyway. Plus they leave me some room to still delve into something new and unexpected through the year.

I have not heard or seen anything from Karen at Books and Chocolate about whether she is hosting the Back to the Classics Challenge again this year–so that probably means she isn’t. That’s too bad, as this was one of my favorites. But I’m sure she has other priorities in her life right now.

I will still read classics, though. I’ve made it a mission to since I wasn’t exposed to many growing up. I’ve been trying to read through Dickens novels that I haven’t read yet. All I have left are Martin Chuzzlewit, Barnaby Rudge, Dombey and Son, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, so I’ll read at least one of those. I also got the audiobooks for Pilgrim’s Regress by C. S. Lewis and Martyr of the Catacombs. I finished Anthony Trollope’s Barsetshire series last year, so I’d like to explore some of his other works.

Bev at My Reader’s Block hosts the Mount TBR Reading Challenge, which encourages us to get to those books we already own but have not read yet. That’s something I need to do every year, and I have enjoyed participating with Bev the last few years. She has the goals set out as a series of mountains, and we’re supposed to declare which one we’re aiming for. I think I’ll stay with Mt. Vancouver (36 books), even though I’ve reached the next level a couple of years. The sign-up and more information for this challenge are here.

Shelly Rae at Book’d Out hosts the Nonfiction Reader Challenge. This can be done one of two ways. Shelly has twelve books in different categories that we can aim for. Or we can be a “Nonfiction Grazer” and make our own goal. Although I might hit a few of her categories, I’ll go the grazer route. I normally read several nonfiction books (over 30 last year). This year, I’d like to hit these categories:

At least one biography, autobiography, or memoir.
One writing book
One book of humor
One Bible study book
One Christian living book
One book of letters or journals
One book by C. S. Lewis that I have not read yet
One book on organization or productivity
One book pertaining to a holiday (probably Christmas)
One book related to midlife or aging

Finally, The Intrepid Reader. hosts the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. A good many of my fictional reads fit this category. I’m going to aim for the Medieval level at 15 books.

And that does it for this year, I think!

Do you participate in reading challenges? Which ones.

Heaven and Nature Sing

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Barbara Harper

Heaven and Nature Sing: 25 Advent Reflections to Bring Joy to the World by Hannah Anderson was just released last fall. I’m so glad I heard of it in time to use for Advent.

“Heaven and nature sing” is a phrase from “Joy to the World,” written by Isaac Watts. Watts’ hymn looks forward to Jesus’ second coming more than His first, but it’s regularly used as a Christmas carol. Hannah took inspiration from this phrase and wrote 25 Advent devotions based on various aspects of nature connected with the birth of Christ. The Bible tells us creation groans from the effects of sin, waiting for redemption. We also groan or yearn for things to be set right. Hannah writes, “I want to offer you hope—not by ignoring the brokenness but by looking it squarely in the face, knowing your Redeemer has and will come” (p. 1).

One thing that struck me about these meditations was how much sheer thought must have been behind them, to weave so many threads together.

For instance, in the chapter “Family Tree,” Hannah writes of her husband’s discovering some old family genealogies which were written not in flow charts like we’re used to, but in concentric circles. Then she tells of a family visit to see the redwood trees in CA. One cross-section of a stump showed rings developed over the millennia the tree had been alive, and Hannah contemplates all the history the tree lived through. Then she brings up the records of Jesus’ human genealogy. His people were often faithless and disobedient, resulting in judgment by enemy armies taking over Israel and exiling its people. Isaiah compares this to God lopping boughs off a tree (Isaiah 10:33). But He promises “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. . . In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:1-2, 10).

“The story of Christmas is this: the tree is not dead” (p. 20). And eventually, others were grafted into the family (Romans 11:17-24), “strangers and foreigners and all those who thought they’d never know family again, those who never dared to hope that life would run through them” (p. 20).

You and I are links in the chain of generations, called to steward the fragile hope we’ve received. The seventy or eighty years given to us on this earth pale in light of those who have come before us and those who follow after. . .

So whether his work happens over the course of a thousand years or one day, whether it is given to us to play a prominent role in it or simply to stand as a faithful witness to the promise, we will wait on him. And we will wait in hope.

The tree is not dead. The quiet, steady work that came before us will continue on after us. The quiet, steady work we do today—even if it’s as simple as celebrating the Promised Son during this season—will echo through the years (pp. 20-21).

And thus Hannah writes about winter, stars, serpents, holly, evergreens, swaddling bands, shepherds, stars, and more.

One of my favorite quotes is in the chapter “Among the Beasts.”

Yes, the manger signals something about this baby, but it is not simply his poverty. By being placed in the manger, he is revealed as both the rightful son of Adam charged with caring for his creation and also the eternal Son of God who created them and who provides for them. So instead of filling the manger with hay or corn, he fills it with himself (p. 80).

I spent many mornings after my reading in this book in tears or joy, touched and awed by the contemplation of the “old, familiar” Christmas story.

Each devotion is about five pages long and written in an easily readable style. The illustrations on the cover and between chapters were drawn by Hannah’s husband, Nathan.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I’m sure I’ll use it again in future Advent seasons. But since these truths are timeless, you could read it any time of year.

I have some of Hannah’s other books in my Kindle app, and I am eager to read them. The only trouble is deciding which one to start with!

Books Read in 2022

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Barbara Harper

It’s been another great reading year, with a variety of new and old, fiction and nonfiction, mostly good, a handful not so much. By my count, I’ve read 79 books this year—a smidgen fewer than the last couple of years.

I’ll post my favorites tomorrow. The titles link back to my reviews. (MTBR) at the end of some titles refers to the Mount TBR Reading Challenge, where we read books we already owned before the year began. I noted them here instead of making a separate list.

Nonfiction:

100 Best Bible Verses to Overcome Worry and Anxiety, a devotional book by various authors (MTBR)
Aging With Grace: Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture by Sharon Betters and Susan Hunt
Always, Only Good: A Journey of Faith Through Mental Illness by Shelly Garlock Hamilton
Another Gospel: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity by Alisa Childers
Be Alive (John 1-12): Get to Know the Living Savior by Warren Wiersbe (MTBR)
Be Compassionate (Luke 1-13): Let the World Know Jesus Cares by Warren Wiersbe (MTBR)
Be Courageous (Luke 14-24): Let the World Know Jesus Cares by Warren Wiersbe (MTBR
Be Determined (Nehemiah): Standing Firm in the Face of Opposition by Warren W. Wiersbe (MTBR)
Be Distinct (2 Kings and 2 Chronicles): Standing Firmly Against the World’s Tides by Warren Wiesrbe (MTBR)
Be Encouraged (2 Corinthians): God Can Turn Your Trials Into Triumphs by Warren W. Wiersbe (MTBR)
Be Free (Galatians): Exchange Legalism for True Spirituality by Warren Wiersbe (MTBR)
Be Responsible (1 Kings): Being Good Stewards of God’s Gifts by Warren Wiersbe (MTBR)
Be Restored (2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles): Trusting God to See Us Through by Warren W. Wiersbe (MTBR)
Be Successful (1 Samuel): Attaining Wealth That Money Can’t Buy by Warren W. Wiersbe (MTBR)
Be Wise (1 Corinthians): Discern the Difference Between Man’s Knowledge and God’s Wisdom by Warren W. Wiersbe (MTBR)
Daily Light on the Daily Path compiled by Samuel Bagster
“Don’t Call Me Spry”: Creative Possibilities for Later Life by Win Couchman
The Enchanted Places: A Childhood Memoir by Christopher Milne
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown (MTBR)
The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis (MTBR)
Heaven and Nature Sing: 25 Advent Reflections to Bring Joy to the World by Hannah Anderson
IBS for Dummies by Carolyn Dean and L. Christine Wheeler (MTBR)
I Must Decrease: Biblical Inspiration and Encouragement for Dieters by Janice Thompson (MTBR)
Jesus Led Me All the Way by Margaret Stringer (MTBR)
Joy: A Godly Woman’s Adornment by Lydia Brownback (MTBR)
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by Lady Carnarvon.(MTBR, audiobook)
The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra)Ordinary Life Looks Really Good on You by Lisa-Jo Baker (MTBR)
O Love That Will not Let Me Go: Facing Death with Courageous Confidence, complied by Nancy Guthrie
The Path Through the Trees by Christopher Milne )Audiobook)
Ten Time Management Choices that Can Change Your Life by Sandra Felton and Marsha Sims (MTBR)
Treasures of Encouragement: Women Helping Women by Sharon W. Betters
Where I End: A Story of Tragedy, Truth, and Rebellious Hope by Katherine Elizabeth Clark (MTBR)
Women and Stress: A Practical Approach to Managing Tension by Jean Lush and Pam Vredevelt (MTBR)
The Writer’s Desk by Jill Krementz (MTBR)

Classics:

Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin (Audiobook)
The Confessions of St. Augustine (Audiobook)
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope (MTBR, Audiobook)
Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott (Audiobook)
The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne (Audiobook)
The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope (Audiobook)
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell (Audiobook)
Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne
The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope (Audiobook)
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting (Audiobook)
To Sir, With Love by E. R. Braithwaite (Audiobook)
Victorian Short Stories of Successful Marriages by Elizabeth Gaskell, Thomas Hardy, and others.
When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne
Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Christian Fiction:

Bringing Maggie Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Audiobook)
A Daily Rate by Grace Livingston Hill (Audiobook)
Enchanted Isle by Melanie Dobson
The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck (Audiobook)
Half Finished by Lauraine Snelling (MTBR)
The Hatmaker’s Heart by Carla Stewart (MTBR)
The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron (Audiobook)
Just 18 Summers by Michelle Cox and Rene Gutteridge (MTBR)
A Lady Unrivaled by Roseanna M. White (Audiobook)
Midnight, Christmas Eve by Andy Clapp (MTBR)
The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White (MTBR)
The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron (MTBR, Audiobook)
The Reluctant Duchess by Roseanna M. White (Audiobook)
The Road Home by Malissa Chapin
The Search by Grace Livingston Hill (Audiobook)
Shadowed by Grace: A Story of Monuments Men by Cara Putman (MTBR)
Shadows in the Mind’s Eye by Janyre Tromp
Snowed In for Christmas by Cami Checketts (Audiobook)
Something Good by Vanessa Miller
The Stranger by Melanie Dobson (MTBR)
Three Fifty-Seven: Timing Is Everything by Hank Stewart and Kendra Norman-Bellamy (Audiobook)
To Treasure an Heiress by Roseanna White (Audiobook)
Worthy of Legend by Roseanna M. White

Other Fiction:

Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth (MTBR, Audiobook)
The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (MTBR, Audiobook)
The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper (MTBR)
The London House by Katherine Reay (audiobook)
Mourning Dove by Claire Fullerton (MTBR)
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan (Audiobook)
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow (MTBR, Audiobook)

And that just about wraps it up for 2022! I’m close to finishing a couple more, but I’ll save them to review at the beginning of next year so they don’t get lost in the shuffle.

Reading is one of my highlights, so I was very thankful to be able to make time for it.

How was your reading year? The number of books is not as important as whether the books are enjoyable and edifying. In that sense, I’ve had a great year indeed.

Reading Challenge Wrap-Ups

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Barbara Harper

I enjoy participating in reading challenges and sharing books I have enjoyed. Most of these challenges involve the type of books I would be reading anyway. The only difficulty comes in the time it takes for record-keeping. I haven’t decided yet which challenges I will participate in next year. But I can recommend any of these.

Most of the challenge hosts require a wrap-up post at the end of the year. I shared my Back to the Classics Challenge Wrap-Up, hosted by Karen at Books and Chocolate here. But I decided to include all the rest in one post so as not to be tedious for readers.

Bev at My Reader’s Block hosts the Mount TBR Reading Challenge. The idea is to read books you already owned before the start of this year. Bev has made levels in increments of twelve, each named after a mountain, and we’re to choose a level to shoot for. Even though I’ve reached Mt. Ararat (48 books) the last couple of years, I decided to play it safe and stick with Mt. Vancouver (36 books).

That turned out to be a wise decision as I just made it with 38 books. Instead of making a separate list, I marked the books in this category with (MTBR) on my list of all the books I read this year.

Shelly Rae at Book’d Out hosts the Nonfiction Reader Challenge. She provided 12 categories of nonfiction, and participants chose which level they want to aim for. Thankfully, this year she has included a Nonfiction Grazer category where we set our own goals for how many and what kind of nonfiction to read. That worked best for me this year.

I read a total of 33 non-fiction books this year, which can be seen on my Books Read in 2022 post.

As to my personal goals for this challenge:

At least one biography, autobiography, or memoir. I read a few: Always, Only Good: A Journey of Faith Through Mental Illness by Shelly Garlock Hamilton; The Enchanted Places: A Childhood Memoir by Christopher Milne; Jesus Led Me All the Way by Margaret Stringer; Where I End: A Story of Tragedy, Truth, and Rebellious Hope by Katherine Elizabeth Clark.
One writing book: I’ve started Writing for the Soul: Instruction and Advice from an Extraordinary Writing Life by Jerry B. Jenkins, but haven’t finished it yet.
One book of humor: Didn’t get to this one.
One Bible study book: 10 of Warren Wiersbe’s “Be” commentaries.
One Christian living book: 100 Best Bible Verses to Overcome Worry and Anxiety, a devotional book by various authors; Joy: A Godly Woman’s Adornment by Lydia Brownback; Treasures of Encouragement: Women Helping Women by Sharon W. Betters; Women and Stress: A Practical Approach to Managing Tension by Jean Lush and Pam Vredevelt.
One book of letters or journals: Did not get to this one either.
One book by C. S. Lewis that I have not read yet: The Four Loves.
One book on organization or productivity: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown; Ten Time Management Choices that Can Change Your Life by Sandra Felton and Marsha Sims.
One book pertaining to a holiday: Heaven and Nature Sing: 25 Advent Reflections to Bring Joy to the World by Hannah Anderson
One book related to midlife or aging: “Don’t Call Me Spry”: Creative Possibilities for Later Life by Win Couchman; Aging With Grace: Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture by Sharon Betters and Susan Hunt; The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra)Ordinary Life Looks Really Good on You by Lisa-Jo Baker

Even though I didn’t hit every category I wanted to, I did more in others, and I feel I had a rich and varied nonfiction reading experience this year.

The Audiobook Challenge is hosted by Caffeinated Reader. I aimed for the Binge Listener level at 20-30. I finished 30, so I was right on target. I also marked these on my list of books read this year. I posted what I had listened to through June at the check-in here. Here are the ones I listened to through the end of the year:

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by Lady Carnarvon
Bringing Maggie Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth
The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
A Daily Rate by Grace Livingston Hill
Enchanted Isle by Melanie Dobson
The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck
The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron
A Lady Unrivaled by Roseanna M. White
The London House by Katherine Reay
The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White
The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
The Reluctant Duchess by Roseanna M. White
The Search by Grace Livingston Hill
Snowed In for Christmas by Cami Checketts
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Three Fifty-Seven: Timing Is Everything by Hank Stewart and Kendra Norman-Bellamy
To Treasure an Heiress by Roseanna White

The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge is hosted by The Intrepid Reader. I aimed for the Medieval level of 15 books. I completed 22.

Bringing Maggie Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth
The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
A Daily Rate by Grace Livingston Hill
Enchanted Isle by Melanie Dobson
The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper
The Hatmaker’s Heart by Carla Stewart
The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron
A Lady Unrivaled by Roseanna M. White
The London House by Katherine Reay
The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White
Mourning Dove by Claire Fullerton
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow
The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
The Reluctant Duchess by Roseanna M. White
The Search by Grace Livingston Hill
Shadowed by Grace: A Story of Monuments Men by Cara Putman
Shadows in the Mind’s Eye by Janyre Tromp
The Stranger by Melanie Dobson
To Treasure an Heiress by Roseanna White
Worthy of Legend by Roseanna M. White

As you can tell, Roseanna M. White and Kristy Cambron are favorites in the category.

I’ve included split-time novels here, which have both a modern and a historic timeline. I’ve never been sure whether classics count—books written before our time but were modern in the time in which they were written. If so, I’d have eleven more.

And finally:

The Literary Christmas challenge hosted by Tarissa at In the Bookcase. For this I read:

The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Heaven and Nature Sing: 25 Advent Reflections to Bring Joy to the World by Hannah Anderson
Midnight, Christmas Eve by Andy Clapp
Snowed In for Christmas by Cami Checketts

I also started Hope for Christmas by Malissa Chapin, but haven’t finished it yet. Maybe I will by the end of the year.

I didn’t get quite as many in this category as I had hoped to, but we had a very busy December.

Whew. It’s been a good year of reading.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society

Posted on December 24, 2022 by Barbara Harper

(I’m sorry not to have a “Laudable Linkage” post today. I just haven’t had time this week to do much online reading. But I did finish an audiobook I wanted to share.)

In Rachel Hauck’s novel, The Fifth Avenue Story Society, five New Yorkers receive a mysterious invitation to join said society at the library on Fifth Avenue.

Lexa is an executive assistant to the owner and originator of a growing fast food chain. She came up with her boss from the early days of the company to bring it into the limelight it enjoys now. Since she practically fulfills the CEO role, she pushes for that position. But her boss holds her off.

Jett is a college professor grieving over the loss of a marriage in which he’s not quite sure what went wrong. He’s writing his dissertation on his favorite author, determined to quell suspicions that the author is a fraud. But he secretly harbors his own doubts.

Chuck is an Uber driver. His angry response when he discovered his wife was cheating led her to acquire a temporary restraining order. Now he just wants to see his kids and be part of their lives.

Coral is the heiress and president of the multi-million dollar cosmetics company her grandmother founded. Coral became known publicly as the “panicked princess” when she fled her marriage to a prince at the last minute. And her first new product seems to be tanking, despite all the early promising test results.

Ed is an aging retired newspaper man. Now an apartment building superintendent, all he wants to do with his remaining time is write his memoir about his wonderful wife and the love they had together before she died.

When the five meet for the first time, no one knows who sent the invitation or why. After their initial wariness, curiosity and the need for friendship encourages them to continue.

Each is a wounded soul. Each has a dark, guarded secret they are not willing to share with the others. But as they get to know one another and their lives entwine, can they trust each other enough to share their deepest selves?

I had read only one Rachel Hauck novel before about nine years ago, and on purpose had not read her again. In that case, the story was mostly okay, but some of the writing grated. I did not see those problems with writing in this book. I enjoyed the characters’ stories quite a lot.

The one thing I didn’t like in this book was references to some of the characters’ intimate lives. There are no explicit sex scenes, but there are more references than I am comfortable with.

I’m also wary when both the author and one of her characters claim that God spoke audibly to them.

Also, each book had one mysterious character. The one in the previous book struck me as something of a fairy godfather. The one here merges as something akin to an angel in disguise, but is more likeable and believable than the character in the previous book I read. I don’t know if such characters are a hallmark of all this author’s books.

I had thought at first that this was a Christian fiction book, then thought that it wasn’t. But late in the story, one character does share her faith journey.

I’m left with mixed emotions. The overall story and the emerging of each character’s situation were very good. I was caught up in their lives and hoping for the best resolution for each of them. But some of these other elements put me off.

Be Alive: Get to Know the Living Savior

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Barbara Harper

I veered from my Bible reading plan because I wanted to be in one of the gospels over December, and because the plan had not taken me through John in the last few years.

Warren Wiersbe divided his commentary on John into two books, the first being Be Alive (John 1-12): Get to Know the Living Savior.

Each of the four gospels presents Jesus from a different aspect. John’s gospel portrays Jesus as the Son of God.

John shares different titles for Jesus: the eternal, incarnate Word of God (“Much as our words reveal to others our hearts and minds, so Jesus Christ is God’s ‘Word’ to reveal His heart and mind to us”–p. 20); the light of the world; the eternal Son of God; the lamb of God; the Messiah, long promised and prophesied in the Old Testament; the king of Israel; the Son of Man; the good shepherd, the water and bread of life, the door.

When John shares some of the miracles Jesus did, he “seeks to share the inner meaning—the inner significance—of our Lord’s works, so that each miracle is a ‘sermon in action” (p. 38). “Our Lord’s miracles were testimonies (John 5: 36), giving evidence of His divine sonship; but they were also tests, exposing the hearts of the people (John 12: 37ff.). The same events that opened some eyes only made other eyes that much more blind (John 9: 39–41)” (p. 44).

One theme through John’s gospel is Jesus’ “hour.” Throughout, Jesus says His hour was not yet come. Then it was at hand, then it finally culminated in His death for us.

Another theme is that Jesus loves and came to die for the world, not just the Jews.

One of John’s major themes is that Jesus is the Savior of the world, not simply the Redeemer of Israel. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1: 29). “For God so loved the world” (John 3: 16). The Samaritans rightly identified Him as “the Savior of the world” (John 4: 42). He gave His life for the world, and He gives life to the world (John 6: 33). He is the Light of the World (John 8: 12). The universal emphasis of John’s gospel is too obvious to miss. Jesus will bring the “other sheep” who are outside the Jewish fold (John 10: 16; and see 11: 51–52) (p. 190).

The crowds at first flocked to Jesus for His teaching and His provision. They hoped He would throw off Roman oppression and set up His kingdom. Some believed and became loving followers of Christ. Many began to fall away when He spoke of the cost of discipleship and when it became clear that He was not the type of Messiah they had envisioned.

The Pharisees were supposed to be experts in the law of God, but they missed the Savior portrayed in the law.

When a person starts to resist the light, something begins to change within him, and he comes to the place where he cannot believe. There is “judicial blindness” that God permits to come over the eyes of people who do not take the truth seriously. (The quotation of Isa. 6: 9–10 is found in a number of places in the New Testament. See Matt. 13: 14–15; Mark 4: 12; Luke 8: 10; Acts 28: 25–27; Rom. 11: 8.) It is a serious thing to treat God’s truth lightly, for a person could well miss his opportunity to be saved. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isa. 55: 6)” (p. 194).

John’s gospel is a full and rich portrayal of Christ. There is so much in it, I am not surprised Wiersbe took two books to cover it. I look forward to the next one.

Back to the Classics 2022 Wrap-Up

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Barbara Harper

“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say” (Italo Calvino, The Uses of Literature).

That’s why I enjoy reading classics: they still speak to us after decades, even hundreds and thousands of years.

I’m thankful that the Back to the Classics Challenge hosted by Karen at Books and Chocolate has expanded my horizons. Without it, I might have never have branched out beyond Dickens, Austen, and Alcott to discover Wilkie Collins, Anthony Trollope, and so many others.

Karen chooses different categories for the challenge each year. The categories this year are (titles are linked to my review of the books):

A 19th century classic. Framley Parsonage by Anthony Trollope
A 20th century classic. The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
A classic by a woman author. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
A classic in translation. Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin.
A classic by BIPOC author. To Sir, With Love by E. R. Braithwaite
Mystery/Detective/Crime Classic. Dracula by Bram Stoker. Though this is a Gothic novel, the nature and identity of the Count are also a mystery.
A Classic Short Story Collection. Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott
Pre-1800 Classic. The Confessions of St. Augustine.
A Nonfiction Classic. The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis
Classic That’s Been on Your TBR List the Longest. Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne. I’m including all four Pooh books as one entry since they are so short.
Classic Set in a Place You’d Like to Visit. The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope
Wild Card Classic. The Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope