Analog Bag

I do not have Tiktok, Instagram, or other social media platforms so forgive my ignorance here but I just learned about the concept of the analog bag.

I love the idea. Yes, less screen time! You all know I've been an advocate for this for years! I also love that I have basically already had this since I was a small child- mine is just a stack on my nightstand rather than a tote bag.

I love, love, love to work through "my stack" at bedtime, and sometimes at naptime if my toddler is still asleep when I'm done grading that day's schoolwork.

Currently in my stack:
- Journal
- Planner
- Letter to respond to, plus colored pencils because I enjoy decorating the envelopes
- Notebooks in which I'm writing stories for my children
- current reads (too many right now... Bible // Mom Heart Moments // Hidden Mysteries and the Bible // Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World // Raising Gen Alpha // The Wings of Poppy Pendleton // whatever kid book I'm checking at the moment 
- dress to mend + dress to alter 

- New phone I'm prepping as a mock dumb phone using this tutorial 

In the past:
- loom-knitting projects
- sewing projects
- photo projects
- home decor crafts
- magazines
- handmade holiday gifts
- homeschool lesson prep work
- coloring devotionals
- scrapbook

I also love to paint... but definitely not in my bed.

Things I've discovered are not for me:
- puzzles
- Rubiks cube
- precise sticker projects
- jewelry making 

Kalispell, Montana

We recently enjoyed a very fun adventure in Kalispell, Montana.  

We went to three bookstores on this trip: Good Girls, The Bookshelf, and Barnes & Noble.  

Good Girls Bookshop, a romance-specific bookstore, had a fun indie bookstore vibe but wasn't really the store for me (no Christian section, no children's section, and romance isn't my thing anyway) or most of my rreaders. There was also a lot of usage of the word slut all throughout the store, primarily as Book Slut, which was a bummer since I had my girls in tow. 

The Bookshelf was a truly delightful indie used bookstore with a great Christian section, a great children's section, and a very kind, friendly, helpful woman manning the counter. (I didn't ask if she was the owner or not). 

Barnes & Noble is probably boring for most of you but we don't have one in our general area, plus this is a newer one with a completely different esthetic so we found it fun. We are just a bookstore kind of people and love checking them out. I had mixed feelings about the new B&N style. The clean white lines are very appealing in some ways but I also feel it was missing the warmth and charm of the old style. I didnt feel nearly as much desire to stay all day and browse, browse, browse. 

Non-bookstore things we enjoyed: 

- The views! 😍

- Downtown 

- Kalispell Thrift 

- Smith's (a Kroger grocery store) 

- Hobby Lobby 

- Natural Grocers + Target because, again, we live rural and don't have these in our county or even the next county over and bigger town travels almost always include errands for us. 

This was a fun, family-friendly trip and we definitely plan to return! 

I was in the middle of a Christiansen family book on this trip so didn't actually read any Montana stories but Montana books we've previously enjoyed: All That Fills Us (adult, Christian fiction, trigger warnings) // The Alliance (adult, Christian fiction, trigger warnings) // Bear Dogs (secular, picture book, nonfiction) // Goodnight Montana (secular, board book) // I Survived: Night of the Grizzlies ( secular, chapter book, fiction) 

Bookish links: May 2026

Spotted the above Eric Carle puzzle at a Walmart 

May new releases I'm excited about- All That Glows // Brewed Awakening // A Chance for Kallie Mae // The Deep End of Love // The Inklings Detective Agency // Miss Beth Bettencourt // These Empty Places 

My personal recommendations for Asian American & Pacific Islander Month- part 1, part 2

Look at this Anne of Green Gables birthday party! 

Bookish loose leaf tea infusers- 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Rediscovering the classics through faith 

I am tempted by all these beautiful book fabrics to sew 97,534 things! 

I have been alternating between audio books and YouTube videos during my afternoon grading sessions. A few bookish YouTube videos I enjoyed last month: Faith's book tour // Oceana's 5-star Christian romance reads // Books Katie loves // 7 Christian books that will strengthen your faith 

Love this Kindle cover 

What a fun Narnia movie night! 

16 novels with heroines who uncovered secrets

How sweet is this little Grandma reading knickknack? (Amy, you'll need this! :D)  

Club31's Mother's Day reading guide

I have no good reason to purchase this bookish washi tape. 50% of me is frugal and sees no reason but 50% of me is coming up with all kinds of projects. 

Tyndale's creation books 

2026 Christian Book Award winners 

This isn't Christian book-specific but Lynn recently shared an all-mystery bookstore, Murder by the Book 

I recently saw a few Beatrix Potter designs from a modest fashion influencer and had fun delighting in the Fabled website- Peter Rabbit reading earrings //  Cottontail necklace  // this pin I'd wear every mother's day // Peter Rabbit necklace 

7 charming summer romances 

What are your thoughts on remote page turners for e-readers? I feel like, "Wow, how convenient.  But have we really fallen so far, that gently swiping is too much for us and we're convinced we simply MUST purchase just one more piece of electronic plastic to help us move less? But also, wow, how convenient!" 

Tyndale Kids summer preview

Non-book favorites this month: long walks // this song // my current writing project // being home as much as possible after being out/traveling so much in March and April // watercolor painting // The board game Spy Alley with my loves // finally fully catching up our family Christmas scrapbook!! // Writing and coloring creative letters to my cousin (Amanda, whose stories are in Blessed by Birth) who is recovering in the hospital and could use your prayer! 

Christian fiction about writers

✒️The All American (historical fiction)... The protagonistsin this delightful coming-of-age story are Bertha and Flossie, and the writer is their father. We see his writing life through their eyes which I thought was great!

✒️Catching the Wind (historical fiction, time slip)... This WWII novel features a journalist attempting to reunite a brother and sister who Were separated during the Holocaust.

✒️The Christmas Book Flood (historical fiction, Christmas)... This was a great WWII Christmas story about the start of the Icelandic book Flood tradition and a new author protagonist.

✒️Dear Mr Knightley (general fiction, epistolary)... This is a retelling of the classic Daddy Long Legs, about a journalism major writing letters to her anonymous benefactor. 

✒️Even Now (romance)... This is a lost Loves romance story in which one of our protagonists is a journalist/war correspondent.

✒️Ladies of the Lake (historical fiction, time slip)... I adore this wonderful book! Our main character is a writer who is mentored by LM Montgomery... delightful!

✒️Meet Me in the Margins (romance)... I'm not much of a romance fan but this was a lot of fun. Our MC is writing a secret fiction novel and quickly hides at her serious, literary publishing house workplace only to find it covered in anonymous editing notes. Then, she starts falling for her anonymous editor and things get a bit complicated. 

✒️The Perfect Rom-Com (romance)... Bryony is a ghost writer wanting to write her own stories and dealing with complicatedfeelings for her literary agent, Jack, along the way.

✒️Plot Twist (romance)... Olivia is a greeting card writer attempting to become a screenwriter in this one but it's the unique structure I enjoyed. We just revisit the same one day of each year for about ten years. I really surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this rom-com.

✒️The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck (romance)... I always think of Shoshanna Gabriel when I think about this one. Sarah Hollenbeck is famous for her steamy, spicy, open-door romance novels... and then she becomes a Christian. And falls for her new pastor.

✒️Shadows of Swanford Abbey (historical fiction)... This is such a delightful historical fiction murder mystery. Our main character is not actually the writer herself but I really enjoyed the story and felt it deserved a spot here.

✒️Shaped by the Waves (general fiction)... Christina Suzann Nelson is a favorite of mine and I thought this one was fantastic but debated adding it to the list. Our main character is not the writer and is actually  receiving portions of an anonymous manuscript throughout the book.

✒️The Summer of Yes (romance)... Kelsey sets off on a road trip in hopes of writing the exclusive biography of a dying celebrity... but of course hijinks ensue.

✒️Truth Stained Lies (suspense)... Our writer in this suspense thriller is actually a true crime blogger! This one is not a cute cozy mystery but a true suspense- beware.

✒️When Twilight Breaks (historical fiction)... How could we not have a WWII war correspondent on the list?! Here it is, a delightful tale by Sarah Sundin with a delightful cover, too. Our female protagonist is the journalist. The male protagonist is not a writer but he's a linguistics academic so this is good for that Light academia feel.

✒️The Words We Lost (romance)... I loved this book so much, about a eoman who has struggled with reading (her job!) since the death of her writer best friend. There's so much depth and richness in this one I'd like to re-read. I also loved the sequel, The Roads We Follow, and plan to read the third. 

Great Christian books for 4th graders

📚Adventures of Lily Lapp (fiction)... My little Amish fiction fan and I have read the first two books in this series so far and she's definitely looking forward to the next one. This one will probably appeal most to girls. 
📘Concord Cunningham: The Scripture Sleuth (fiction)... I was surprised by how much one of my kids loved this one, I guess because I expected it to be too dated. 
📔Decisions, Decisions (nonfiction)... This is kind if like choose your own adventure meets devotional, but with very obvious consequences for the wrong choice. Some of my kids found this one to be very fun. 
📗The Drummer Boy (fiction, Christmas)... We loved this short dystopian Christmas story, in a place where the name of Jesus is never spoken. 
📘Everyone a Child Should Know (nonfiction)... We loved this book of short, mini biographies of people important to Christian history. We read this in our homeschool morning time years ago, just one short biography at a time, and all loved it! 
📕Fiasco in Florida (fiction)... This time travel adventure story was the first in a series but I haven't gotten to the next one yet. 
📚Glimmer Girls series (fiction)... This one is definitely girly, but it's a favorite for my girls. I Really appreciate the depth involved (especially in book 4) and the sisters working through struggles with each other. 
📚Imagine series (fiction)... This is a Biblical fiction time travel adventure situation my kids really liked. 
📚In Grandma's Attic series (fiction)... I wondered if this one would be too preachy but my daughter's really loved it and one has read this series multiple times. This is another that will likely appeal most to girls.
📘Indescribable (nonfiction)... We loved this devotional full of science and nature facts tied into scripture and thoughts on the Christian life. This was an excellent way to start homeschool mornings for a while and we loved the sequel and atlas book, too. 
📔Love Does for Kids (nonfiction)... Bob Goff is a fantastic storyteller and this was a fantastic book of short little stories inspiring us to love people well. 
📕One Wintry Night (fiction, Christmas)... We did this as a Christmas read- aloud a few years back and then I moved it into our fourth grade shelves. This is another good one. 
📚Prince Warriors series (fiction)... My kids loved this fantasy series by Priscilla Shirer and all of them have read the series multiple times. 
📗The Serpent Slayer (fiction)... I loved this one, another kind of time travel Bible fiction adventure story. 
📘Stand-Up Guys (nonfiction)... Mini biographies of inspiring Christian figures- specifically focused on males.