Christian Shelves

Prepositions make such a difference, don't they? As someone who learnt English as an additional language (or English as a second language as it was called in my day), I sometimes get tripped up by knowing which proposition to use in a sentence. I'd like to think I've come a long way, but if I had to point to something I can keep working on, it would be this. It probably explains why in my head, I kept calling this book Stranded by the Hero, which of course would not be a romantic read at all. Regardless, I'm grateful that when I write, I have the chance to edit 😄 Hannah Jo Abbott's Stranded with the Hero is much more swoony because Carson doesn't strand Nicole! (That would be a bummer for the fourth book in the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series!) Book Synopsis Her solo adventure leaves her alone for the holidays, until her handsome rescuer steps in. Nicole Simmons planned a romantic weekend getaway in the mountains. She just didn’t expect to be going alone. Lea...

I imagine that Why Do the Nations Rage? is not an easy book to see, especially if you're an American. Since I'm Canadian, I do feel one step removed from what could be loaded imagery and a provocative title (which is derived from Psalm 2:1 ). That being said, the material in this book is just as helpful for Christians of any other nationality because it is not limited to American content (which ties in nicely to what I wrote about the relationship between Canada and the U.S. earlier this week). Many thanks to SpeakeasyonTap for sending a digital copy of Why Do the Nations Rage? by David A. Ritchie for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Thoughts content is also posted on LibraryThing. Book Synopsis What if we understood nationalism as a religion instead of an ideology? What if nationalism is more spiritual than it is political?  Several Christian thinkers have rightly recognized nationalism as a form of idolatry. However, in Why Do the Nations Rage? ...

In light of mentioning Canada, it made sense for me to review a local author's book! I was so pleasantly surprised to discover that this author was from the same province as me, a rarity unless you're Janette Oke 😉 I had seen this book recommended to me on Kindle Unlimited after reading books from other independent authors, and I'm so glad that Nicole Lam popped up. I've since read as many of her books as I can! The For Love and Money series has characters whose stories are interconnected, but each book is compelling in its own way. They also have catchy titles, such as the first one in the series: The CEO and the Christian Girl . Book Synopsis Alexander Steele is cold-hearted. Hard-headed. Absolutely jaded. And he doesn't believe in love—or expect that any of the above will change with the marriage contract he signs. Katerina Devereaux is gentle. Selfless. Just as stubborn as her future husband. She doesn't know if she can change him—but she has faith that G...

I love that when I search for pictures of Canada, the first ones that appear are from my home province 😄 Being Canadian, I'm cognizant of some differences that appear when reading books written by American authors. Thankfully, the differences are quite nominal, but they do subtly pop up from time to time. One thing that stands out is whether characters remove their shoes upon entering a house. Also being Asian, this is doubly paramount to me! In fact, in one of the recent books I read, I almost cheered out loud when the characters did take their outdoor shoes off (thank you, Kristi Ann Hunter !). I know this only applies in contemporary fiction, but it makes a difference; I'm not left wondering about hygienic conditions or whether the characters end up making a meal or going to sleep while still wearing their shoes. Since most stories don't get into their characters' cleaning habits, wearing outdoor shoes in the house is too much a stretch of the imagination for me. An...

One of the trends going around right now on Instagram is a breakdown of relationship tropes in a book. This has now extended to authors and readers, and just for fun, I thought I'd participate. I have wondered whether this phenomenon around tropes feels relatively recent, or if it's always been the case and I haven't paid enough attention. I've noted before that the advantage of tropes is that commonly recognizable or understandable categories makes it easier to find stories and plots that interest the reader, but I do believe that a disadvantage may be that I don't read a particular book because I'm not as interested in particular tropes, which could mean missing out on some great reads. Either way, it looks like they're here to stay so I might as well embrace them 😅 I love that when God writes our love story that no two stories are alike. I suppose that's the joy in reading romance as there are countless stories to be told that reflect the love that...

This week is going to look a little different with my Friday Reads. 📘 Christian fiction: Forever Friday by Timothy Lewis 📗 Christian non-fiction: The Clutter Fix by Shannon Acheson (a 🇨🇦 author!) The thought crossed my mind that the Christian fiction title above is not meant to be reflective of it being a Friday Reads selection, but it is a little funny. I picked this book up a few years ago on vacation and it comes highly recommended. It'll be nice to read a Friday-named book on a Friday! Regarding this list, I've decided that tracking four genres of books is a bit much for my capacity right now. While I like the format of separating them out so that I have some variety in my reading material each week, it can sometimes feel like a lot of pressure to pick the one title that I will share. To be honest, I usually have a number of non-Christian books on the go, ranging in topic from personal finances to health to social issues, so I usually just plug away at them a chapter ...

Many thanks to Revell for sending a print copy of A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Thoughts content is also posted on LibraryThing. Book Synopsis Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales. She's been working hard to put herself through law school and now that the end is in sight, she's determined to stay focused on her goals. Then she receives a letter notifying her that she has been found through a DNA registry to be a direct descendant of King Maximillian V, the ruler of a small Eastern European principality called Montovia. She's understandably skeptical. This is the stuff of cheesy made-for-TV movies, not real life. Although the pieces of this surprising family puzzle seem too good to be true, curiosity gets the best of her. At the king's invitation, Adelaide embarks on a Christmas break trip that is chock-full of surprises, including a charming village, an opulent palace, family mysteries, royal jealous...

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of author Liwen Y. Ho , and I'm delighted that she recently released a non-fiction title! A Month of Musings: On Motherhood, Marriage, & the Mundane (but Meaningful) Moments of Life was such a lovely and gentle devotional book that I wanted to share it immediately. Book Synopsis Once upon a time, before Liwen Y. Ho was a romance author, she had a blog. This book is a compilation of her favorite posts on marriage, motherhood, and everything in between. With humor and thoughtfulness, Liwen shares thirty personal stories and the lessons she learned to help you find strength in life’s difficult moments and joy in life’s mundane ones. Source: Amazon Book Thoughts I appreciated the conversational tone employed in this devotional book, which came across as more of a conversation that you would have with a friend. In these conversations, deep truths emerge about our identity as women and how we live out our faith. I was touched by the thought...

It must be a good sign if I can dive into the next book in a series without hesitation, as I did with Healing the Hero by Elle E. Kay , the third book in the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series. Book Synopsis A dream job. A dreamier boss. Ashley Castle jumps at a chance to show off her skills as head chef when she lands the job at Liberty Grille in the Freedom Ridge Resort. Before long, she develops a full-blown crush on her boss but ignores her growing feelings. Nothing can happen as long as his nightmare ex-girlfriend remains in the picture, so she keeps her focus on work. Restaurant Manager, Daniel Winchester hires Ashley and can’t help but be drawn to the new hire. If it weren’t for her faith in a God he stopped trusting while serving in Iraq, he could fall for her. He can’t let that happen, though. When Ashley overhears a sinister plot, she’s torn between revealing it, which will mean risking her job if Daniel doesn’t believe her, and keeping it to herself. Daniel has a chance to ove...

A number of years ago, I took a time management course from Dave Crenshaw on LinkedIn Learning . He mentioned that one of the real impediments to getting things done is that we simply have too many gathering points . Being bombarded with email inboxes, voicemail, messaging applications, and more is overwhelming and doesn't allow us to process the information we have captured. David Allen also mentions this in Getting Things Done as corralling your "stuff." If you're looking for a good breakdown of this point, Thanh Pham at Asian Efficiency summarizes how this looks in life. In relating this concept to books, I have been thinking about all the online accounts I have and how best to manage them. For instance, my oldest library inventory lives on LibraryThing where in a few years, I'll get a twenty-year badge (yikes!). This is my most comprehensive list in that it tracks every single book I own, along with all of my book ratings and reviews. It's also my favo...

While sharing my weekly reads has helped me to read a bit more than usual, I have to admit that it also incites a little panic in me when I realize that all the books I had hoped to complete are still in various stages of progress. At the same time, it also indicates to me that I do have more time to read if I don't get distracted by other activities, like scrolling on my phone 😀 This week, I'll be working on the following books: 📘 Christian fiction: Between Stairs and Stardust by Pepper Basham 📗 Christian non-fiction: Pilgrimage by Lynn Austin 📙 Non-Christian fiction: Elizabeth: Obstinate Headstrong Girl from The Quill Collective 📕 Non-Christian non-fiction: Simple and Delicious Vegan by Michaela Vais I'm looking forward to all sorts of reads this weekend!

I'd like to thank Kristi Ann Hunter and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of Pixels and Paint by Kristi Ann Hunter for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis For Emma Trinket, life is a delicate balancing act between loving her family and pursuing interests they don’t understand. When the opportunity arises to finally impress them with her job as a computer programmer, she jumps at it even if it means immersing herself in a world she’s despised since childhood. Unfortunately the one man who could crush her prospects is also the best person to help her navigate the lessons she needs to be a success. Artistic expression is both Carter Anderson’s safe space and his livelihood, but his fading inspiration has him worried about his place in life. His encounters with Emma spark a passion to create that he hasn’t felt in years and he isn’t ready to let go of his new muse even if she’s threatening the sanctity of his art world with her digital technologies. A...

I'd like to thank Taylor Bloomquist and LibraryThing for providing a digital copy of Our Hope for Isabelle: Grieving with Joy and Hope for Eternity through Infant Loss by Elizabeth Bloomquist and Taylor Bloomquist for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Thoughts content is also posted on LibraryThing. Book Synopsis "...The world cannot define your child's worth..."   "Our Hope for Isabelle" is a touching and inspirational book co-authored by a husband and wife who share their personal journey of deciding to start a family, how a shocking diagnosis of a life-limiting genetic abnormality impacts their pregnancy, and how they navigate carrying to term together. With a strong emphasis on their Christian faith, the book provides a heartfelt account of the struggles, questions, and emotions that often accompany a life-limiting diagnosis and the loss of an infant. Through their individual perspectives, the authors offer unique insights and practi...

After finishing the first book in the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series, I immediately started Liwen Y. Ho 's book, Love Pact with the Hero , and have enjoyed it as much as all of her other amazing books. Book Synopsis Two best friends. One little girl’s prayers. And a love pact that may be the answer to all of their Christmas wishes. Haven Alexander used to believe in happy ever afters—before she lost her husband and became a single mom. These days, she keeps herself busy as the event planner at Freedom Ridge Lodge, helping to make other couples’ dreams come true. Her other job? Humoring Miah, her spunky three-year-old daughter, who has a dream of her own: finding herself a daddy. This task proves challenging, though, when Miah sets her sights on Haven’s childhood friend who comes home for a visit. Jeremiah Gilbert left Freedom a dozen years ago with a bad reputation and an even worse regret: not confessing his love for his best friend, Haven. He has returned, however, older and wi...

I was so excited to find out that today was Love Your Bookshop Day (which I was remiss in mentioning on Book Lovers Day), only to discover that it's an Australian holiday. Oh well, there's no reason I can't celebrate Canadian bookstores today! Side note : In my mind and my Instagram reel, I accidentally call this holiday Love Your Bookstore Day; however, as it's Australian, I imagine that the term "bookshop" may be more prevalent. Not all common English terms translate across the Commonwealth, I suppose! Regarding bookstores, I'm grateful to the amazing Christian bookstores in western Canada that have helped fill my bookshelves, including Kennedy's Parable , Christian Book and Record , Better Books and Bibles , House of James Books and Coffee , and Christian Book and Music . I might be missing others, so please let me know! These pictures depict a used bookstore that I recently discovered, with sections for Christian non-fiction and fiction. The mos...

In reading a fair amount of fiction, I've noticed certain commonalities (and quandaries) over the years. Although I'm writing more about fiction than non-fiction so far on this blog, it seems to be easier to find similarities in stories than in teachings, though I'm sure I could put some thought into repeated non-fiction concepts. A few things that I have observed in reading fiction that either puzzle me or amuse me are the following (please be assured that none of this is meant to be scathing but rather something to poke fun at): The concept of grey (or even purple) eye colour. I can't recall meeting someone who hasn't had brown, blue, green, or maybe hazel eyes. Hazel to me is a mix of the above colours, and as I'm not terribly well-versed in further distinctions, I wonder if I'm missing a whole subsection of the population with these aforementioned eye colours. Recessive genes being dominantly featured. Surely there are more brunettes and brown-eyed peopl...

The Jane Austen Series by Debra White Smith is a fun, Christian contemporary version of Jane Austen's beloved six novels. These gorgeous covers were released by Bethany House in 2018 and beautifully complement the bookshelves! As a member (and former librarian) of a local chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA), I made sure to add this collection to our library 😀 I read these books when they first came out back in Bible college, and it amazed me that two of my favourite things at the time could be combined: Christian fiction + Jane Austen ❤️ Many years later, I remain a fan! Side note : The Jane Austen duck is from The Jane Austen Centre of Bath, U.K. 🐤

So what's new on the docket for this week? 📘 Christian fiction : A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson 📗 Christian non-fiction : Why Do the Nations Rage? by David A. Ritchie 📙 Non-Christian fiction : Still on hold for a few books! 📕 Non-Christian non-fiction :  Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office by Lois P. Frankel Can you tell that a lot of career books all came in at once for me through the library? It's been interesting listening to them over the past few weeks, interspersed with Christian books! I'm looking forward to diving into these two ARCs; what a nice weekend that will be 😀

It seems fitting that this book popped up during my summer of Christmas reading. Ironically, I started this series and did not clue in that it was all Christmas-themed until after I began reading and wondered why so many titles had to do with Christmas 😄 I was a little slow on the uptake, but now I get to prolong the season even further! This series is called the Heroes of Freedom Ridge , which I first heard about from one of my favourite authors, Liwen Y. Ho , I'm only a few titles in but have seen how far I can get with all 18 books (!). I finished the first book, Rescued by the Hero by Mandi Blake , and it was a wonderful introduction to this world and cast of characters based in Freedom, Colorado. One of the benefits of reading a long series is that I will get to revisit this setting time and again. If the remaining books are anything like the series opener, I will be in for a great ride this year. Overall, I would recommend the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series base...

This book review was long overdue, and though it took longer than it should have, I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to read this book recently. I'd like to thank Aneko Press and LibraryThing for providing a digital copy of Surprised by Faith by Dr. Don Bierle for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Thoughts content is also posted on LibraryThing. Book Synopsis The world is changing so rapidly that many are shaken with uncertainties. This is compounded by an erosion of confidence in absolute truth and traditional values. The result is a floundering search for a reliable source of purpose and meaning in life. Fear, not anticipation, fills some hearts as people think about the future. Some contend that turning to faith is anti-intellectual. “God is about religion,” they say, “a crutch for the weak.” These are mere caricatures resulting from ignorance.  This book confronts false stereotypes and examines the astonishing body of scientific and historical evi...

My first review on here! And it's for a recent ARC which fits into the summer Christmas theme. I'd like to thank Bethany House and LibraryThing for providing a digital copy of All's Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Thoughts content is also posted on LibraryThing. Book Synopsis Two workplace rivals. One festive competition. And a romance that upends it all. Every December two things are guaranteed for graphic designer Mackenzie Graham--Christmas celebrations and the annual promotion at her workplace. Those two things are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the better an employee is at harnessing the Christmas spirit, the more likely they'll win the new job. With her social anxiety, Mackenzie never thought she'd be a contender in her company's holiday competition, so how exactly has she found herself dueling her workplace crush with wrapping paper tubes and using tinsel as her weapon of cho...

Today is Heritage Day where I am, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to highlight some Canadian books and authors that I have on my bookshelves 🇨🇦 For fiction, there's Susan Anne Mason (with her Canadian Crossings series in this picture) and Rachel McMillan 😊 For non-fiction, these are a lot more specific to the state of the Canadian church and were used in my graduate thesis, so they're from quite a number of years ago. The Nation series highlights what Christianity looks like in a more secularized society, and how that factors into evangelism, church planting, and Christian life. As an aside, one of the most well-known Christian fiction authors from my province is Janette Oke , whose first book was published by Bethany House in 1979. Happy Heritage Day! 🍁

I've been giving some thought as to how I want to approach reviews, knowing that so many readers are already doing a wonderful job in critiquing books. In perusing various websites for books, it amazes me how thorough some reviewers are and the amount of time they dedicate to ensuring that other readers know what they are getting into. While I would love to aspire to that level in a sense, I'm also aware that I won't have time to engage with books in such depth. Thus, my reviews will likely be much shorter as a result. This means that I probably won't get into the following: Any counting or tracking of potentially offensive material à la Plugged In reviews . I do care about profanity but I won't list the words out and rack up how many instances it is used throughout the book. Since I'm mostly reviewing Christian books, I might express surprise at God's name being used in vain or point to how curse words were used to convey a particular emotion, but I won...

If I get to visit a bookstore on the weekends, I'll try to go to a mix of new and used bookstores. This past weekend, I went to a local Indigo store (I remember when they were called Chapters!) and took a look at some of the new fiction releases. Since Christian books are no longer separated into their own category, as was previously done under the Faith and Spirituality section, it's more of a hunt to find them. I was able to spot a few, including Patti Callahan Henry and Kristy Cambron under the Fiction & Literature section, and Bethany Turner under the Romance section. I've only read The Paris Dressmaker and Plot Twist so far, but I recommend them both! I have several of Patti Callahan Henry's books, so this is a good reminder to add them to the TBR 😊 On that note, since Christian books are sometimes difficult to find in unmarked sections of bookstores (more so Christian fiction although this Indigo did place the Christian non-fiction under the New Age bann...