About Me

woman reading a book on a swing against city skyline

I normally shy away from sharing too much about myself as I stopped being active on social media almost a decade ago. When I mentioned that I casually browsed Bookstagram, I had been doing it with an account that contained zero content and zero followers at the time. This is now (slowly!) changing as I become more active on this blog. Because I would like to maintain my anonymity as much as possible, my biographical information will be scant, although I am sure that aspects of my life will emerge the more I share.

Just so there is some context, here are some details about me:

I am Canadian. I feel the need to mention this first as most of the Christian reading community seems to be American, and there is not always the same access to information, book promotions, and even vendors for those of us up north (there are many publishers that do not ship books or send advanced reader copies to Canadians, but I hope this will change).
I am an avid reader. I have averaged over 100 or more books a year for the past decade, with a few years where I have exceeded 200 or 300 books. With the emergence of audio book availability, this number has increased substantially for me over time. I do not always read Christian materials and tend to read quite widely, but a significant portion is Christian—hence the blog 😀
I have worked in a number of libraries (and one bookstore) throughout my life. Seeing the other side of books makes me even more thrilled that books remain popular and widely available.
I am a published author (non-fiction). This is another side of books that has helped me appreciate reading even more. Though this is relatively recent for me, if God opens the door for me to write more, I would happily pursue those opportunities. I have also been a casual book reviewer, starting about 15 years ago. As I begin to catch up to a lot of ARCs, I am striving to get better at completing these in a timelier manner.
I am both a Bible college and seminary graduate. This has shaped how I approach reading Christian books, which may explain my thought process when I go into them a bit more. At the very least, I hope it lends me a slight bit of credibility!

I look forward to sharing more thoughts as time goes on, and if this blog does end up growing, to be able to meet other like-minded readers.

Comments

Review: The Final Word - Bite of Betrayal #2

This is a book where the name Miles Morgan will have you wishing he was a real person after getting to meet his character. The Final Word is the next book in the Bite of Betrayal series by Laura Thomas , set in the English village of Bramble Downs. Combining the opera, a bakery, a book based on a Cinderella retelling, and sisters who have each others' backs through thick and thin, there is much to explore in Miles and Sophie's story! Many thanks to Mountain Brook Ink for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of : scenes of violence and death, domestic abuse, stalking Book Synopsis When aspiring author Sophie Brooks chooses to trade a vibrant Paris life for the tranquility of a quaint English village, she imagines her final days in the City of Lights will be magical. Sophie doesn’t anticipate a chilling encounter with an old flame—nor does she plan to find a new love on her very last nig...

Review: The Shortcut - Cedar River #1

I'm grateful that I was able to start this series off with The Return Home novella as it set the stage for The Shortcut by Honey Stone . Anyone who is a fan of small town romances will appreciate this series set in Australia, especially with such bright and colourful book covers that reflect the same hopeful content within the books! Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis Rosemary doesn't belong anywhere. Could God be about to change that? Only God knows Rosemary Forrester's secret, unspoken longing – to find a place to belong. Fired and harassed by her former employer, the nomadic medical writer flees Sydney to find her next adventure, but ends up stranded in the small country town of Cedar River. As Rosemary connects with Elsie, a retired maths teacher with a love for soap operas, and Daniel, a software engineer with an awkward charm, for the first time in her life she d...

Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available or you don't qualify for one 😊 Christian Publishers B&H Publishing Group Previously offered the B&H/Lifeway Blogger program which has since closed Availability: Professors and instructors Link: B&H Academic Book Requests Baker Publishing Group Availability: U.S. and Canadian residents Genre: Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction Imprints: Bet...