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Review: The Juliet Code - A Freddie and Grace Mystery #3

What a joy to continue with another Freddie and Grace Mystery, especially as the title, the cover, and the synopsis were all so compelling! The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham lives up to all of the mystery promised, along with plenty of swooniness along the way. Many thanks to Barbour Books  and  NetGalley  for providing a copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of : mentions of ghosts Book Synopsis Frederick and Grace Percy finally make it to Italy to enjoy a delayed honeymoon and explore the beauties of the historic city of Venice. To their surprise, their friend, Detective Jack Miracle, is also in the city, investigating a series of art heists starting at the house of eccentric millionaire, Laraby Covington. Drawn into a world of boat races, mysterious houses, and parties of the rich and unusual in Venice, Frederick and Grace learn of the existence of the Juliet paintings, Renaissance paintings featuring Shakespeare’...
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Review: Breathing Statues

Growing up, some of my favourite poets were Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and John Donne. Though it's been years since I've revisited their words, I am most appreciative of the opportunity to be able to immerse myself in poetry once more through both words and artwork in Breathing Statues by Lyndi Brey. I am grateful to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis In her book Breathing Statues , Lyndi Brey extrapolates the relationship between mental illness and faith. The collection of poems exhibited in Breathing Statues captures a unique and creative representation of mental health and faith- gathered from firsthand experience. Her poems- which speak of (dis)order and chaos- are skillfully actualized in illustrations and color. By the end of her book, you will understand not just what it looks like, but what it feels like to have an anxiety disorder. Lyndi says, "The title Breathing Statues ...

Review: The Class She Skips - A Healing Kind of Love #2

Ella Marie is a newer-to-me author whose Christian faith in her recent books is clear, well written, and thoughtfully expressed. The Class She Skips is the second book in her A Healing Kind of Love series, which explores how the healing we receive from Jesus can be carried into the relationships we have with others. I am grateful to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of : stretches that may be construed as originating from yoga, though the author has confirmed that yoga is not meant to be promoted and has carefully constructed the scene to omit references to it Book Synopsis Enzo’s life is carefully constructed—any time not spent working is devoted to his daughter, teaching her what it means to live as a true Christian. So when he accepts a temporary teaching position at his old college, he doesn’t expect to run into the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen—again. Charlie, the coffee shop culprit who taught h...

Not Much Left

I recently heard a sermon at church that left me pondering what my time on earth could look like, especially after I am no longer here. One of the phrases that was used that made the strongest impression on me was "not much left" and it was in the context of a family member who had passed away and didn't have many material goods to disperse to their descendants. What impacted me most was that this family member was so invested in the lives of other people for eternity's sake that what remained was just the bare essentials and some good books that could be passed on. Ever since I heard these three little words, I've been thinking about what I want to leave behind. The idea of there not much being left seems like such a gift rather than having lots of material possessions that others have to organize and make decisions on. I touched on this thought a little earlier on when I wrote about how finding books is like going on a treasure hunt , but since that time, I...

Review: How Can It Be?

This is not an easy topic to write about, so I give a lot of credit to Kelli Galyean for tackling abortion in the church in How Can It Be?  Not only is it addressed in a loving and truthful way in this book, I also give credit to how the church is portrayed in coming alongside women facing this trauma in their lives. I am grateful to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of : abortion, social drinking in multiple settings Book Synopsis As a college student, Mia Browning shared a carefree weekend with drummer Ryan Blackstone. Soon after, Mia learned she was pregnant, a fact her politically-ambitious parents would not allow to stay true. A forced abortion left her broken and alone. Ten years later, Mia has found healing and embraced a new life in Christ. Mia arrives at church one Sunday, to find that the new worship minister is none other than the blue-eyed drummer of her past. Seeing Ryan again after all the...

Review: Holy Sexuality and the Gospel

I am so thankful that I first spotted this book at the local bookstore as Holy Sexuality and the Gospel by Dr. Christopher Yuan is one of the most insightful books I've read on this particular topic. I love that the author references himself as a "Bearer of Christ" as this is a very apt conclusion after finishing this book. Many thanks to  Multnomah  and  NetGalley  for providing a copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis From the author of Out of a Far Country, which details his dramatic conversion from an agnostic gay man who put his identity in his sexuality to a Bible professor who now puts his identity in Christ alone, comes a gospel-centered discussion of sex, desire, and relationships. Dr. Christopher Yuan explores the concept of holy sexuality—chastity in singleness or faithfulness in marriage—in a practical and relevant manner, equipping readers with an accessible yet robust theology of sexuality. Whether you ...

Review: An Overdue Match - Checking Out Love #1

What a treat to read about libraries as a former library worker! From the catchy title to a celebration of all things literary, An Overdue Match by Sarah Monzon in her new Checking Out Love series is a gentle exploration into the topic of alopecia for women. Many thanks to  Bethany House Publishers  and  LibraryThing  for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Thoughts content is also posted on LibraryThing. Book Synopsis Can a librarian's matchmaking mischief lead to a love that rewrites their stories? If the covers of every romance book ever published didn't convince librarian Evangeline Kelly that she isn't heroine material, her fiancĂ© calling off their wedding when she lost her hair to alopecia did. But what's a girl head over heels for love to do when her feelings are unrequited? Matchmake, that's what. Armed with library patrons' check-out histories, she's determined to make at least one lo...