Friday Reads

A new month and a long weekend, to boot! Here's what I'll be diving into:

📘 Christian fiction: Facade by Pepper Basham
📗 Christian non-fiction: Leading in Tough Times by John C. Maxwell

I didn't purposely match these titles together based on the themes; however, that might be an idea worth exploring. While my Christian fiction titles are the books most on display in my home library, I have many Christian non-fiction titles all throughout the house (much to the chagrin of my husband in that the books are everywhere, not that they're Christian books 😄). That might be a fun adventure....

I actually read Facade on Kindle Unlimited a while back, but I recall it being so good that I wanted to get a paper copy and read it again to refresh my memory. Pepper's writing is just that amazing!

Comments

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...

Review: The Queen's Cook - Queen Esther's Court #1

Today is release day for The Queen's Cook by Tessa Afshar ! What a perfect way to spend a snowy day, escaping to a warmer climate and to a kitchen filled with Persian foods and spices 😊 Many thanks to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis In the heart of ancient Persia, the empire's Jewish citizens face an ominous edict that threatens their very existence. Roxannah, the daughter of an impoverished Persian lord, is devastated by the news but feels helpless to come to the aid of her Jewish friends. Desperate to support her family, Roxannah approaches the royal physician, Adin--the man whose kind eyes haunt her--and seeks his help to find employment in Queen Esther's kitchens. In the opulent palace of Susa, Roxannah tries to survive the spiteful ploys of the other cooks as she ascends through the ranks. Her loyalty earns her the trust and friendship of Queen Esther, who is navigatin...

Review: Reading Between the Lines

Though this book was first published 34 years ago, the content remains relevant and timely to us as readers today. Reading Between the Lines by Gene Edward Veith Jr. is an engaging book about how Christians can "get more out of their reading." Book Synopsis A guidebook for those who want to cultivate literary taste― knowing how to recognize and benefit from books that are spiritually and aesthetically good. Literary expert Gene Veith helps book lovers better understand what they read as he explains how each major literary genre communicates. Showing how comedy, tragedy, realism, and fantasy can portray the Christian worldview, Veith delves into related topics such as the value of fairy tales, the tragic and the comic sense of life, the contrast between the classical and the Hebraic traditions, and the role of postmodernity (a subject of vital importance to Christians). Introducing readers to writers past and present, Veith helps Christians to influence culture from an educat...