I have been awaiting Gaacó's story ever since we first got to meet him in The Call of Living Water , the first book in the Refuge series by Alexis M. Melvin . In Rise of the Falcon , we also get to know Mar, the doctor who has played a pivotal role in helping her people. This unique series is worth binging, especially if you're looking to be transported to a different continent and setting. Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis A jungle chief. A village doctor. A threat to the tribes they both love. Finding a connection built on past friendship, Gaacó and Mar work together to protect their people. Gaacó's new faith demands he trust the God of Living Water above his own strength. But trusting God in the midst of heartache and danger proves more difficult than he ever imagined. Meanwhile, Mar finds herself being drawn back to the jungle and tribal life - but her return threat...
I recently saw a carousel post from someone whom I don't follow that stopped me in my tracks. Essentially, it was about some of the issues found on Instagram; however, the slide that stood out most to me was the one stating, "I am not convinced Bookstagrammers actually read." While I certainly don't need to take the time to defend my actions or activity, I'm saddened at this thought. I've written before about The Privileges of Reading and Aspirational Reading , but things seem to have taken a turn for the worse with the proliferation of generative AI (not agentic AI—see Stop the Slop for the distinction) since I first wrote these posts. I'm careful not to make blanket accusations or pronouncements as many of the people I follow are both genuine and impressive in what they share, but it seems to be a sentiment that is growing in popularity. Whether people believe that I fall into the same category or not is something I cannot control. I can shout until ...