In my early married life, I read Sandra Felton’s The Messies Manual and received her newsletter for several years. Those helped me immensely. I don’t know if my husband realizes how much he’s indebted to Sandra. 🙂
But I realized that organization isn’t a destination. It’s a continual journey. You can’t just set up routines and places for things: you have to maintain them. And you continually get new things, get rid of old things, or get ideas of ways your organization could work better.
So I still read occasional books about organization. I don’t read books on decluttering because, though decluttering is a part of organization, it’s just one part. I don’t read books on minimalism because they go too far for my tastes.
Some of the more recent books I’ve read on time management and productivity focus on the larger principles. Those are needful and foundational. I need those reminders sometimes. But I’m more in need of practical everyday life hacks, those “Why didn’t I ever think of that?” ideas and solutions.
Dana started sharing tips on an originally anonymous blog titled A Slob Comes Clean. It resonated with so many people that it grew into books, podcasts, and speaking engagements.
Dana was one of those people (like me) who wasn’t naturally organized. She discovered her tips one at a time while trying to “deslobify” her own house.
One of her principles I liked is that clutter is personal. Maybe that’s why I don’t like decluttering and minimalist books—I didn’t always agree with what they said I needed to get rid of. Dana defines clutter as “anything that gets out of control in your home” (p. 6, Kindle). “You can keep anything. You just can’t keep everything” (p. 58).
One of my favorite tips from this book was not to take everything out of a closet or cabinet when trying to organize it. Most of us do that, then we get tired or need to go tend to something else, and we have a massive mess on our hands. Instead, Dana urges taking one thing out at a time and deciding immediately what to do with it. Have a trash bag and donation box handy to put items that you want to get rid of. If you decide the item is something you want to keep, immediately put it where it goes. That may seem to take longer in the short run. But dealing with the item immediately saves having a pile of items to put away when you’re done and fatigued. Plus handling it just once cuts down on rethinking it. And if you’re interrupted or tired, you don’t have a mess to clean up (or shove back into the closet) before you can move on.
This was a fun and very helpful book. Highly recommended.
In Becca Kinzer’s debut rom-com novel,. Dear Henry, Love Edith, Edith Sherman is ready to make a new start. Her marriage was difficult and about to end when her husband became ill and passed away. She stayed with him til the end, and they reconciled. But the problems there and in her relationship with her parents has soured her on marrying again. She had given up her hopes and dreams of traveling the world, and now is the time to pick them up again. She plans to go to South Africa to help in a mission there as soon as her passport arrives.
In the meantime, she heard from a friend that a crisis nursery in the small town of Westshire, IL could use her nursing skills for the summer. She had planned to stay in the house of a friend of a friend, Kat, who would be away during that time. But Kat sent her a note that a pipe had burst in her house. However, her uncle Henry had an upstairs he wasn’t using and would be glad to have her stay there until the damage was repaired.
Henry actually wasn’t glad. But since he was recovering from a knee injury and couldn’t use the upstairs, he reluctantly agreed that what he assumed was an older widowed missionary lady could stay there.
Edith, on her part, assumed that the uncle of someone her age would be an older bachelor. She didn’t realize that Kat and her uncle were just a few years apart.
For several weeks, living in different parts of the house and working different times, Edith and Henry didn’t meet and left notes for each other. Each assuming the other was older, their notes became more friendly and confidential.
Meanwhile, Henry can’t help but notice a beautiful brown-eyed blond in town. They run into each other several times without getting each other’s names. Then Henry realizes this is the Edith living upstairs in his house.
Edith notices Henry, too, and it’s only a matter of time before they find each other out and admit their attraction. But Edith remains firm about not marrying. And besides, she’s leaving the country soon.
I don’t usually read romantic comedies, but I saw good reviews for this one. When it was on sale for the Kindle and then free for Audible, I decided to try it. There were a lot of funny and cute moments, and the overall story was sweet. I enjoyed a lot of the banter. The “comedy of errors”—misunderstandings or things going wrong that escalate— is not my favorite type of humor. Nothing wrong with it, I just find it tiresome and not funny. I preferred the more serious parts. Even though this was meant to be a funny story, there was a lot of depth to it.
Though this was a Christian novel, at first I didn’t see much Christian about it besides an occasional mention of church or prayer. But later on, as the two main characters wrestle with their various issues, they pray and seek God more earnestly.
Unfortunately, there was one reference I was dismayed to see in a Christian novel. It wasn’t obvious, though, so I think some might overlook it.
If you like romantic comedies, you might like this book.
Grace Tonquin is an American Quaker woman living in Vichy France during WWII. She had left behind the lifestyle of her actress mother, Ruby. Now she works with a network of others to help Jewish children escape France over the Pyrénées mountains into Spain. Grace has been told by Roland, her friend and leader, this must be her last group. Previously she had gotten the children to those who would take them over the mountains; now she must go with them. It was no longer safe for her to remain in France.
One boy, Louis, ends up having to remain behind in hiding with Helene, a woman who worked with Grace. Grace takes the remaining eleven children through various dangers until they finally arrive in Spain.
Most of the children are sent to live with relatives. Grace takes two of the children, siblings Elias and Marguerite, home with her to Oregon. She and Roland marry, and they raise the children as their own.
In 2003, Addie Hoult comes to Tonquin Lake in OR to look for any remnants of the Tonquin family. Her mentor and father-figure, Charlie Tonquin, is desperately ill and needs a transplant preferably from someone related. Charlie has always steadfastly refused to share anything about his family or his past. But Addie is determined to try to find his relatives, hopefully even his long lost sister.
I had seen films about people who helped Jewish children escape over the mountains. However, those movies ended with the children getting safely over, where it was assumed they lived happy and stable lives afterward. This book deals with the aftermath some of them faced. Even getting to safety, many of them couldn’t help but be traumatized by having to leave their homes and families, travel in difficult conditions, and witness things children should not have to see.
Some of the quotes I liked best:
She didn’t understand, nor would she ever, why God didn’t rescue everyone in this life, but it was her job, her grandfather had often reminded her, to be faithful in caring for those God gave to her (p. 37, Kindle version).
No one wants to hold you against your will. We want you to master your will so you can be in control of yourself (p. 189).
Living, I think, defies the loss. Loving well defies it, too (p. 301).
I enjoyed Melanie’s notes at the end where she told some of the history the novel was based on as well as what was fictional. She included some of that information on her website here.
When I’ve shared Melanie’s books before, some have wondered if she was related to or connected with the Dobsons of Focus on the Family. The “About the Author” page at the back of the book says, in part, “Melanie is the previous corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family, owner of the publicity firm Dobson Media Group, and a former adjunct professor at George Fox University.” Since her husband’s last name is Dobson and she worked at Focus, I assume he is related somehow–unless the same last name is just a coincidence.
Overall, I thought this was a good book. I got a little lost in some places, unusual for Melanie’s books. But I appreciated getting to know “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey wold have said, behind some of the displaced children of WWII and the people who helped them. However, they aren’t the only ones in the story dealing with past wounds and needing to heal from their experiences. That seems to be the common theme among many of the characters.
The Cost of Betrayal is a trio of romantic suspense novellas by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, and Lynette Eason.
In Betrayed by Dee Henderson, Paul and Ann Falcon (from Full Disclosure) are at an auction just for fun. Ann buys a box of perfumes and scarves as inspiration for painting. But when Ann looks through the box at home, she discovers an engraved jewelry box with a ring stuck in it and an engraved pink pocketknife. A retired Midwest Homicide Investigator, Ann puts her skills to work to search for the owners to try to return those items. She discovers the knife belongs to a Janelle Roberts, imprisoned for killing her boyfriend after a bad breakup.
But the more Ann looks into the case, the more she thinks Janelle is innocent. Ann’s husband, Paul, is the head of the Chicago FBI office, and they pool their resources to look into Janelle’s case. They find enough to free Janelle, but not enough to convict the person they think is guilty.
They graciously provide for Janelle to hide out on an island with a friend and psychiatrist who can help her process what has happened to her and help her decide what to do with her future. Meanwhile, they watch the suspected guilty party, waiting for her reaction to Janelle’s release.
In Deadly Isle by Dani Pettrey, Tennyson (“Teni”) Kent’s fiance has just broken up with her. Joining her cousin, Julia, for their regular swim, Teni falls behind due to her emotions. When she gets to their usual stopping place, she doesn’t see her cousin. But she does see her boyfriend from years ago, Callum. He picks her up in his boat and joins the search for Julia. Sadly, they find her body.
Teni is an underwater investigator and Maryland NRP officer, so she sets about documenting the accident, not realizing at first that Julia’s death resulted from foul play.
Then, back at home, Teni’s house explodes due to a cut gas line. Teni happened to be out investigating a noise, so her life is mercifully spared. But she and Callum wonder—is someone out for her family? Or was Teni the target in Julia’s murder?
As a storm rolls in, landlines are down and Teni and Callum are on their own trying to figure out what happened and avoid getting killed.
In Code of Ethics by Lynette Eason, trauma surgeon Ruthie St. John works on Detective Isaac Martinez when he comes into the ER with a gunshot wound. Hours later, when she goes to check on him before leaving for vacation, she finds an unknown orderly attempting to put something in Martinez’ IV. After a scuffle, Ruthie learns that Isaac has been investigating some bad cops. He had reported one for stealing money and drugs from the evidence room. But the security footage was altered, and Isaac has no proof. Now many of the cops on the force have turned against him. He needs to look for evidence, but he’s in no shape to.
Ruthie is the only medical person in a family of cops. She sneaks Isaac out of the hospital and takes him to the cabin she had rented for her vacation. She calls her two brothers for help and reports to her mother, the chief of police. Ruthie helps Isaac track down his main lead, only to discover she isn’t who he though she was.
Of these three authors, I’ve only read Dee before (except for another trio of novellas by these ladies which I had forgotten about). I’ve read and loved most of Dee’s novels. If you love suspense, she’s your girl. It was fun to “visit” with characters Paul and Ann again. (As an aside, I have heard that some of Dee’s theology is somewhat wonky in her nonfiction and a couple of her novels. I’ve not read those, and I don’t remember seeing anything amiss in the novels of hers that I’ve read. But, with any author, exercise discernment.)
The main connection with each of the novellas is the fact of betrayal. Dani’s was the scariest to me, making me jump at creaks in the house and such. Lynette’s story appears to feature characters from other books as well.
I was a little frustrated that the case in one of the stories remained unsolved. But that would happen in real life. I’m not sure if the author plans any more stories on those particular characters.
I’ve had the book on hand for a while, but when I saw the audiobook for free through Audible’s Pus Catalog, I decided to get it. It was nicely read by Susan Bennett.
If you like suspense, I am sure you’d like this compilation. Collections of novellas are a nice way to try out new authors.
In By Way of the Moonlight by Elizabeth Musser, Allie Massey’s grandmother, known as Nana Dale, has just died. Nana Dale was an accomplished horsewoman, placing first in several shows and even riding in the Olympics. Their plan had always been that Allie would inherit the grounds, house, and enough money to open an equine therapy business on her grandmother’s property.
But the family learns at the reading of the will that Nana Dale sold the property to a development firm, evidently taken advantage of in her beginning dementia by an unscrupulous contractor.
Now Allie has a limited time to clear the house and have an estate sale before the house is imploded.
Allie is beyond upset. She can’t cope. She even breaks up with her fiance. Nana Dale had left a letter with cryptic instructions to find a cherrywood chest which will have more information. But no one in the family has seen such a chest.
In intermittent flashbacks, we learn of Dale’s life. She had loved horses from her earliest memories. But her father’s business crashed along with the economy during the Depression, and the horses had to be sold. Dale prayed long years that she might find Essie, her beloved filly.
Before the Depression, when her family boarded horses, Dale met a boy named Tommy with a horse named Infinity. The two became friends, even competing as a couple in some events.
The rest of Dale’s story takes us through Tommy’s bout with polio, mounted patrols along the coast during WWII called Sand Pounders, and a daring rescue of a sailor whose ship was torpedoed, which resulted in a major surprise.
In one interview, Elizabeth said part of the story was inspired by her mother’s property in Atlanta. In a series of short videos, Elizabeth takes readers through various areas of the house and grounds that were inspiration for the novel, which was fun to see. She said that there is pressure now, just like in the book, for owners of such properties to sell to developers who want to raze the buildings and put up new cluster houses.
The WWII and Sand Pounders sections of the book are not Elizabeth’s mother’s history. But when she happened upon information about the coastal mounted patrol, she wanted to include them in her book.
Elizabeth says later in her interview that in this book she wanted to “examine the thin line between fighting for what you believe in and developing an unhealthy obsession. Both women learn important lessons about pursuing dreams at all costs, which may cause them to sacrifice something or someone they love.”
I listened to the audiobook read by Susan Bennett. I thought Susan did a great job with the character voices, but the narration seemed too slow. Maybe she thought that was fitting for a Southern accent (the next audiobook I started is also read by Susan, but at a much more normal pace). Also, she had an annoying habit of turning one-syllable words into two syllables, especially at the end of sentences (not to be nitpicky, but after 14+ hours of listening, some things grate). The audiobook didn’t provide any back matter, so I am thankful Elizabeth included information and links to interviews here.
The story itself also seemed a little slow, especially the modern-day part. There’s almost no movement in plot in Allie’s story until near the end.
Nevertheless, overall, this was a good book. One of my favorite quotes, and themes, in the book is “When life gets hard to stand, kneel.”
Another: “Bitterness will rot out your soul. . . You may never get the answer on this side of life to the why. So it’s much better to ask the question, ‘Now that I’m in this place, Lord, what do you want me to do?'”
And “Life ain’t fair. It’s brutal sometimes. . . faith don’t stop the horrible things. But faith helps you walk through those things, whipped and angry and screaming on the inside. Lord don’t mind our screaming and raging. He done shown us how to do it in those psalms of his that King David wrote.”
Elizabeth is one of my favorite authors. Even though I like some of her other books better than this one, I did enjoy this one and can highly recommend it as well.
Even if you don’t listen to contemporary Christian music, you’ve probably heard the song “I Can Only Imagine,” a crossover hit by Bart Millard and Mercy Me.
The inspiration for the song came from a comment Bart’s grandmother made after Bart’s father’s funeral: “Bart, I can only imagine what Bub must be seeing now.”
Bart’s relationship with his father had been rocky, to say the least. He described his dad as a monster who either beat him severely, or checked out completely, saying he didn’t care what Bart did.
But, miraculously, Bart’s father became a Christian. Bart had a front row seat to the dramatic changes in his father’s life as he cared for him during final decline with pancreatic cancer.
I had seen the film of Bart’s life by the same title as the song and was deeply touched. He said the original taping was six hours of material, so four of those had to be cut for the final product. He decided to write a memoir, also titled I Can Only Imagine, to tell the more complete story.
The first part of the book tells about Bart’s family, his sports career coming to an end with an injury, his interest in music, and the last years of his father’s life. The rest of the book tells about forming a band and the events leading to and following the release of the song “I Can Only Imagine.” Through some amazing twists and turns, that song launched the band’s career.
Bart said he was tempted to leave the story there with the fairy tale ending. But he went on to talk about his experiences with depression, his young son’s diabetes, his unhealthy lifestyle, his mistaken spiritual beliefs that he had to somehow earn God’s blessings by doing all the right things. As a Christian, he knew he was saved only by God’s grace. But like so many of us, we forget living for Christ is is just as much by His grace.
A few quotes from the book:
Thank the Lord for the prayers and provision of grandmas! I’m not sure what would have happened to Stephen and me without those two sweet saints being the constants in our lives (p. 10, Kindle version).
I once heard a pastor say that when it comes to the sins of our fathers, we either repeat or repent (p. 55).
Isn’t it interesting how some life-changing devastations are actually like the crossover switches on train tracks that take you in a totally new direction, often forcing you onto the path you were supposed to be on all along? God had certainly brought a divine interruption into my life, taking me out of sports and putting me into choir (pp. 61-62).
The moment I realized all of my creativity and talent was simply an overflow of a healthy relationship with Christ, everything changed (p. 172).
While I am here on earth, I am both a work in progress and already made whole because of the cross. I am a child of the risen King who will wrestle with the flesh. I’ll win some and lose some, but it can never change how Christ sees me because the cross was enough! (p. 172).
I’m thankful Bart wrote this book and that I read it. It was just as touching and inspiring as the movie.
In Beneath a Golden Veil by Melanie Dobson, Alden Payne is a Harvard law student whose father owns a tobacco plantation in 1853 Virginia. Alden’s father expects him to help with and take over the plantation after he finishes school. Alden approaches Christmas break planning to tell his father that he cannot acquiesce to his father’s plans. He braces himself to face his father’s wrath.
At Harvard, “Both students and professors liked to rant about freedom for all men—and pontificate about the evil Southern planters—but in Alden’s opinion, none of them were willing to sacrifice a thing—especially not their cigars—to help free the slaves” (pp. 13-14, Kindle version). Alden doesn’t know what else he can do against such a strong institution, but at least he doesn’t have to be a part of it.
Arriving at home, he finds his father is livid over a runaway slave, a young man with whom Alden played when they were boys. Witnessing his father’s cruelty toward the young man only reinforces Alden’s decision. But now he feels compelled to do more: to help the young man escape. His best bet is to get the young man to Sacramento, where he can then find a way for him to go to Vancouver.
In Sacramento City, Isabelle Labrie owns one of the nicer hotels. She and her aunt had bought part ownership with Ross Kirtland. But Isabelle’s aunt died, and Ross sold his share to go to the gold fields. They plan to marry and run the hotel together when Ross returns. Meanwhile, Isabelle keeps her past a guarded secret, even from Ross. If anyone found out now, she would be ruined, perhaps even in danger.
When a scared young slave runs into her establishment one day, Isabelle and her porter, a freedman, hide him and get him to safety. This starts Isabelle on a mission to look for other slaves she can help. California is a free state, but allows for travelers to bring their slaves to help in the gold fields. The laws concerning slaves are a little murky on finer points.
When Alden’s and Isabelle’s paths cross in Sacramento, they don’t trust each other at first. It’s dangerous even in free California to come out as an abolitionist. Alden has had the young man act as his slave during their travels so they wouldn’t be questioned. But Isabelle thinks he’s an actual slaveholder.
Soon they get on the same page. however. But accomplishing their goals is going to be more dangerous than they thought.
Thankfully, the Kindle version and audiobook came on sale at the same time for a couple of dollars each, so I could go back and forth between them. The narrator did an okay job except for using the same irritating annoyed tone for any bad person, male or female. I’d recommend the print or Kindle version of this one.
Though I’ve read historical fiction about slavery, I haven’t often come across stories from the gold rush era. Melanie’s notes at the end reveal Isabelle’s character is based on a real-life one.
Inhumanity is always hard to read about. But it’s inspiring to read about brave souls who help others at risk to themselves.
There were many layers to this story, especially in Isabelle’s situation. Overall, it was a very good read.
I like reading challenges that broaden my horizons. But I also like the freedom to pick up a book on a whim or because it’s just out or intrigues me. I’ve participated in a number of different reading challenges over the years, and these work best with my interests and time. They work well with what I already read, but provide some challenges. They combine intentionality and flexibility.
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 shoot for Mount Blanc (24 books), even though I’ve reached the next level a couple of years. The sign-up and more information for this challenge are here.
The TBR 24 in ’24 Challenge hosted by Rose City Reader dovetails nicely with the Mount TBR challenge. It’s the same idea—to read books you own but haven’t read it (though rereads count, too). The difference is, we aim for 24 and list them some time during the challenge. I don’t have my whole list figured out yet, but I know I want to read Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making by Andrew Peterson, Lenten Lands by Douglas Gresham, Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes, and The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi.
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.
This year, I’d like to hit these categories:
At least one biography, autobiography, or memoir.
One writing book
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)
I used to participate in the Back to the Classics Challenge hosted by Karen at Books and Chocolate, but she hasn’t done it the last couple of years. I miss it and hope it comes back some day. Meanwhile, I do like to read a few classics a year. I’ve made it a mission to since I wasn’t exposed to many growing up. I love the quote that a classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.
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 try to read at least one of those. I’d love to read more D. E. Stevenson and Anthony Trollope. And I may revisit some old favorites like Jane Eyre.
I think that’s it for this year. Do you participate in reading challenges?
Some of the reading challenges I participate in require an end-of-year wrap up.
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. She has the goals set out as a series of mountains, and we’re supposed to declare which one we’re aiming for.
I planned for Mt. Vancouver (36 books). I’ve easily surpassed that in previous years. But this year I only got 30 read. Still, that’s 30 books! I gave myself permission to read more hot-off-the press books or books that caught my eye this year. So though I have a little regret at not meeting a goal I could have if I had been paying attention, I don’t have any regrets about my reading last year.
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 goals.
I chose the “Grazer” route because I knew I wouldn’t read from all of Shelly’s categories. My goals and the books I read for them are (titles link to my reviews):
One book of humor: Though many of the books contained humor, none of them had humor as a main point. The one on my shelf I made this category for last year was a dud. So I’ll probably eliminate this category next year.
One Bible study book: seven of Warren Wiersbe’s “Be” commentaries on different books of the Bible.
One book pertaining to a holiday (probably Christmas); Heaven and Nature Sing by Hannah Anderson
One book related to midlife or aging: Somehow I overlooked this one as well.
So, I have mixed results there. I don’t want my challenges to be stressful or controlling, but I do like them to broaden my horizons. I enjoyed the 23 nonfiction books I did read, even though I didn’t hit all my categories.
One of my most enjoyable posts to write is naming my favorite books read each year. It’s like revisiting old friends, almost like enjoying the books all over again.
Most of these weren’t published in 2023, but were read this year.
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachan is a classic, but not one I had ever read. I did see the movie version with Glenn Close years ago and loved it. A widowed farmer with two children on the prairie places an ad for a new wife. He receives a reply from Sarah in Maine, who wants to come out and visit the family. There are some bumps along the way, but the blending of a new family is told with gentleness and tenderness.
All That’s Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernmentby Hannah Anderson. I read Hannah’s Advent devotional, Heaven and Nature Sing, in 2022 and loved it. So I read three more of Hannah’s earlier books this year (as well as reading Heaven and Nature Sing again). I could honestly list each of them among my favorites this year. But I figured I’d just list one, and chose the first one I read. I love that Hannah approaches discernment not from the standpoint of avoiding the bad, though we need to do that. But she proposes discerning bad from good in order to pursue the good. That shift has many ramifications to our thinking.
Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fearby Jinger Duggar Vuolo. Jinger was a member of the Duggar family featured on 19 Kids and Counting. As Jinger grew up and talked with other Christian young people, including her fiance and her sister’s husband, she began to realize some of the things she had been taught were wrong. Though writing about difficult subject matter, Jinger displays a gracious spirit. I especially appreciated that she didn’t “deconstruct” her faith and throw everything out. She studied and read and sought counsel to “disentangle” the good from the bad.
Blogging for God’s Glory in a Clickbait World by Benjamin Vrbicek and John Beeson helps not only with the mechanics of blogging but also with keeping our motives in the right place.
Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was and Who God Has Always Been by Jackie Hill Perry is her testimony first of all of becoming a Christian, then how Christ changed her heart and her sexuality. She’s received a lot of flack, because the world cheers people who go from straight to gay, but not gay to straight. Jackie dispels a lot of glib Christian notions about what it means to become straight. This book opened my eyes to many things. Plus I appreciated Jackie’s poetic way of expressing herself.
I read so many good novels this year, they’re harder to narrow down to a few favorites.
All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese is the first of Nicole’s books that I read, and so far it’s my favorite. It’s a novel of a perky social media influencer with half a million followers who needs to show a compassionate, involved side to potentially get a gig as a show host. Her brother recommends a a mentor program for kids transitioning out of the foster care program. The director, Silas, is not impressed and thinks Molly is shallow. But once they start working together, they are both changed. I loved that this book isn’t silly or frothy but goes deep.
Chasing Shadowsby Lynn Austin is a novel that follows three women in the Netherlands through WWII. One is a farmer’s wife trying to keep things together at home with food shortages, a husband absent first as a soldier, then as a member of the Resistance, and helping others in desperate need. Another is a Jewish young woman trying to find a safe place for herself and her father. The third is a young woman in her first employment outside her home. She’s dating a policeman when the Nazis take over and commandeer the police force. She’s astonished by the changes she sees in her town and starts helping the Resistance.
When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer has a most unusual premise for a novel: Libby Conant is a time crosser, living on alternating days in 1774 Williamsburg and 1914 New York. On her twenty-first birthday, she’ll have to decide which time she wants to stay in the rest of her life. I loved everything about this book: the characters, the history, both timelines, and the ending.
In The Space Between Words by Michele Phoenix, a trip with friends to Paris is shattered when bombers attack a nightclub the friends were visiting. Jessica is shot, traumatized, and wants to go home as soon as possible. One friend does go home, but the other urges her to stay and go on to their flea market excursions. Jessica finds an antique sewing box with a secret compartment containing several sheets of handwritten paper and a few pages from an antique French Bible. Jessica feels compelled to learn more about the writer, who was from a family of seventeenth-century Huguenots. This story was captivating and touching and makes me want to find more of Michelle’s books.
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus reads like a classic children’s book, but was just published in 2022. I agree with C. S. Lewis that children’s books can and should be enjoyed by adults, too. Three children in 1940s England were orphaned and taken in by their aloof grandmother. When the grandmother dies, the solicitor suggests the children join the evacuees being sent to the countryside: perhaps they might find a foster family that will take them in permanently. The children are billeted in a couple of problem homes and seek refuge often in the library. The kind librarian is something of an outcast herself, having a German husband who is away. I loved the well-told story, the beautifully drawn characters, the descriptions of both warm and cozy and difficult scenes, references to beloved classic children’s books, and Polly Lee’s British accent narrating the audiobook. I didn’t want the book to end.
Though part of me wants to keep listing good books. I think I’ll stop at an even ten.
Have you read any of these? What were your favorite books read last year?
Stray Thoughts 