Saturday, January 14, 2023

9 Recent Reads

All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes*  (Christian fiction, time slip)... I just love Amanda Dykes' magical writing style! I was immediately invested in Daniel's story and wanted to see everything play out. Sebastien and the artisans' stories all fascinated me as well. I think I am an Amanda Dykes fan for life. 

Always, Clementine (secular, middle grade)... I really enjoyed this cute story about a lab mouse who is freed and learns to play chess, plus the humans who help her. I did wish one specific family-trounle storyline had been cleared up a little more but it was at least addressed so I'll take it. Perfect for the 4th-6th grade crowd.

Christmas in Winter Hill (Contemporary Christian fiction)... I started this one on Christmas morning but didn't finish it until New Year's Eve. Cute, the predictable Christmassy plot line I was looking for. This one is about a single mom and her 8-year-old daughter + their move to a Christmas-themed town in modern-day Washington.

God's Smuggler (Christian nonfiction)... This was such a good read! I have seen it recommended by many Christians for years and I'm glad I finally gave it a shot! 

Go-To Dinners (cookbook)... I have found the Medical Medium books + protocols to be incredibly helpful and from there I discovered Kaihla Tonai's YouTube videos. I liked her 7 Day Whole Food Meal Plan so bought her Go-To Dinners cookbook, too. I am having it printed + bound soon. I wish it was available in book format but I don't mind doing it myself. So far I have made 

To Heaven and Back (Christian nonfiction)... I love books about near-death experiences (people who are pronounced dead but are then resuscitated and come back claiming to have gone to Heaven) and this book was such a great one! I was actually really sad to have finished it because I wanted to stay caught up in the deep, inspiring richness of her story forever. I am feeling very set on reading more powerful memoir-like Christian nonfiction in 2023 after the way this one left me feeling!

One Day in the Woods (secular chapter book)... This is basically a nature story, wrapped up by a story about a young girl exploring the woods to keep kids interested. I really loved this one! It's quite short, but at a 5th grade reading level.

The Ringmaster's Wife (Christian, timeslip)... I love timeslips and I love circus stories so it isn't surprising that I loved this story. I also loved The Italian Ballerina so I think Kristy Cambron is going on my list of authors whose work I must read more of!

Sunset (Contemporary Christian Fiction)... This was the final book in the Sunrise series of Karen Kingsbury's Baxter Family books. Loved this wrap-up! I am not looking forward to the Above the Line series as much as the Bailey Flannigan and stand-alones after it because of the new characters I know are coming. Well, I wasn't interested in Dayne or Katy at first, either, so I'm sure it'll turn out to captivate me anyway!

* I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. 

4 comments:

  1. Hello Sarah! Excellent books. "God's Smuggler" interested me and this book is available for download on our websites. I will remember her.

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    1. I thought of you when I was reading it! I would love to know your perspective on it. Russia is portrayed as kind of a scary place in a lot of American books (though he is Dutch) but now as an adult I know this is not so accurate for the people living there!

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    2. Russia is not a terrible place. When there was still the USSR, Orthodoxy and priests were persecuted, it's true. But, thank God, it's long gone. Now Russia is an Orthodox power. This is a developed and strong state. In fact, people have a good standard of living. We do not have any horrors and dictatorships, as they say about us in other countries. But now there is an information war going on, it's sad.

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    3. Thank you for sharing this! I trust your perspective as a citizen. I am so glad to know you!

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Thanks so much for your comments! I always read them, don't always have time to answer quickly. Sorry about that!