Christian Shelves

After juggling a very full month of family commitments, added work commitments, and other good things filling my time such as relationships, church, and volunteering, I am taking a brief break from posting reviews. Not to fear; I do have some coming soon! However, I need a little bit of a breather as it's been simultaneously discouraging to see some of the changes on Instagram  that are making it rather challenging for those creating content and also tiring to keep up with getting reviews out in a timely manner. I still think that three a week has been fairly manageable this past year, but with some personal transitions taking place, I need to catch up first 😅 Additionally, I've received a number of new ARCs in the past few weeks, bringing me back to double-digit numbers of titles to review. I want to make time for these and enjoy the stories without rushing through them. I'm extremely excited about a number of titles that will be releasing soon! If you're looking for ...

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read Muffalettas and Murder  from the Small Town Girl Mysteries series by Jann Franklin . Not only was it fun to try to solve a mystery, but I sure got hungrier and hungrier as the book progressed! I am grateful to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis Evangeline Delafose is finding Graisseville, Louisiana just as she remembered—boring and uneventful. Until her brother Nate asks her to help solve a murder. Follow Ev as she navigates clues, dead bodies, and quirky small-town residents to solve a mystery. And of course, show her little brother that she's still got it. If you like cozy mysteries with twists and turns, deep South settings, and a hint of romance, you’ll love this series! Let’s not forget quirky yet charming characters who remind you of family—sometimes you want to hug them, and sometimes you want to disown them. Enjoy small town Graisseville with Ev as she so...

I've read a few books by Mark Hitchcock before that have related to prophecy or current events; however, when I saw this title, I was intrigued about this topic from an ecclesiastical perspective. The Coming Apostasy: Exposing the Sabotage of Christianity from Within by Mark Hitchcock and Jeff Kinley is an unapologetic look at the teachings within the church and what believers need to be vigilant about in our culture today. Book Synopsis Are we on the verge of a great apostasy in the church? “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.” ―2 Timothy 4:3-4 Jesus Christ is coming back. It is certainly a Christian’s greatest hope during these difficult times. The Bible warns us that the last days will be tumultuous―wars and rumors of wars will spread (Matthew 24:6). In our...

Running to the Hero by Hannah Jo Abbott is just the type of runaway bride story that brings a smile to your face after learning about all of the pressures that Felicity has faced leading up to her wedding day. Her escape to Freedom, Colorado lands her among friends in the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series. Book Synopsis Spending Christmas with a reclusive grinch isn’t exactly what this runaway bride had in mind for her honeymoon. Felicity Keaton didn't even bother to shed her wedding dress when she left her hometown in the rearview mirror. As if it weren't already the worst day of her life, an accident lands her in the ER in an unknown town - where the handsome doctor is as mysterious as she is. Jude Palmer tries to keep to himself, which is easier said than done in the small town where everyone knows your business. Living in a tourist hotspot at Christmas is difficult when you would rather be in seclusion. When Felicity dives into the community in full holiday spirit, she drags...

The more I share my book thoughts and reviews, the more amazed I am at how many readers there are out there and just how many people enjoy talking about the books they're reading. Quite frankly, I'm blown away by the notion that there are people actively wanting to adopt the persona of being a reader, whereas I remember growing up, it was stigmatized as either boring or 'nerdy'. I used to cringe when I was in a position where I was asked to share about my hobbies as reading seemed to generate a sort of response where others would murmur about how they didn't know that people did that for fun. To be fair, this might have been some of the social circles or settings I've been a part of over the years, but I think reading has generally become more mainstream now. Thankfully, I can let people know that I spend almost all of my free time reading (amongst other things), and others don't seem to bat an eye anymore. While I have seen some content that discourages peo...

All Too Reel is a book that I have been looking forward to since reading the Sweet Hollywood Romance series by Nicole Lam . This book is being marketed as clean fiction written by a Christian author, so I will review the book accordingly. 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 : mild cursing, alcohol use, brief reference to drug use, brief reference to fortune telling, Catholic faith practices, Greek Orthodox faith practices Book Synopsis One minute, I'm an aspiring actress, moonlighting as an overworked barista. The next minute, I'm spilling an iced Americano on one of the world's most eligible—not to mention royal—bachelors. I'm convinced he's going to make a scene and get me fired, but instead, Prince Kostas Alexopoulos Vasileiou of Dorapolis drops to one knee and asks me to be his wife. That is, his fake wife for a year, so he can inherit land and money from his grand...

I really wasn't expecting to do this fast concurrently with The 40-Day Sugar Fast , but I'm very grateful that I was challenged to do The 40-Day Social Media Fast during this past Lent as well as I found both to be helpful in focusing my time and attention on God. Book Synopsis Are you addicted to your phone? Do you find yourself engaging online but unengaged at home with the people right in front of you? Do you spend hours scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, newsfeeds, and YouTube videos? Have your devices become divisive--dividing you from family and friends and, most importantly, God? What would happen if you took some time to fast from social media in order to get social with God and others once more? In the pattern of her popular 40-Day Sugar Fast, Wendy Speake offers you The 40-Day Social Media Fast . This "screen sabbatical" is designed to help you become fully conscious of your dependence on social media so you can purposefully unplug from screens and plug...

Another Mandi Blake book, how exciting! I was so happy to get to read Hope for the Hero as I've been patiently waiting to see what would happen between Tessa and Adam 😁 What a fun series the Heroes of Freedom Ridge has been in meeting so many great characters. Book Synopsis She’s his opposite, and opposites don’t attract. So why is she impossible to resist? Tessa Mitchell is finally getting a chance to work at her brother’s private security firm, and after one hundred other jobs that didn’t work out, this one needs to stick. Headquarters could use a makeover anyway. Oh, and she’s working for up-tight Adam. Ruffling his meticulous feathers should be fun. Adam Roberts doesn’t need an assistant, especially not flighty Tessa. If she’d let him get a word in between her constant questions, he’d save her the trouble. She’s not meant to work in the security field. Except, Tessa is intelligent underneath all that flirty chatter, and Adam can’t focus when she’s around. The smart thing to ...

I've had the pleasure of reading some lovely wedding scenes lately and it had me thinking about books that choose to include them. In noticing that a lot of the romances I read tend to end with either the couple finally confirming their relationship or possibly an engagement if there is an epilogue, I'm usually left wanting to know what the wedding will look like. If there happens to be any wedding scene, it may be from the perspective of a character in the next book in the series, such as a bridesmaid or family member as a segue into their own story. However, I've found that when I get to read fuller descriptions of a wedding from either the bride or the groom's point of view that it seems to make the book feel more complete. That's not to say that a wedding should always be included, especially if the timing doesn't make sense, but they are wonderful to read about. In terms of Christian weddings, I've always been curious as to how authors convey this. Some...

Inspired by the Hero by Elle E. Kay is one suspenseful read! It's such a thrill to see how all of the different writing styles have come together in the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series to create the perfect medley. It's also fascinating to see how each author builds upon their earlier books in the series, as is the case with Gage now getting his own story. To be honest, first impressions of him were not too favourable, so it's certainly worth it to get his side of things! Book Synopsis Can a blizzard be a blessing? Casey Crawford knows how the town of Freedom, Colorado feels about her and her family. She’s heard the whispers and knows they have no more use for her than they have for AC in December. So, when she gets trapped in a chalet in the woods with the object of her secret crush and he shows interest in her, she knows it can’t lead to happily-ever-after. He’ll eventually see that the Crawfords are nothing but trouble, and if she doesn’t get him killed first, she’ll ru...

This is a title that I've been excited about ever since I saw others sharing about it, so I'm thrilled that I was able to read it before it was released yesterday. Many thanks to  Nelson Books  and  NetGalley  for providing a complimentary copy of  Now and Not Yet  by  Ruth Chou Simons  for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis Bestselling author Ruth Chou Simons guides readers who are restless in their current circumstances on a journey of growth, purpose, and pressing in. Too often, we feel disappointed with our "right now"--our life circumstances, our relationships, our progress, our daily grind. We want to do so many things--good, godly things--but our situations don't allow us to step into them. Are we missing out on our own lives? Why does right now seem so far from where we really long to be? Bestselling author Ruth Chou Simons reminds us that it's okay to not like the right now we've been given, but we don't have to ...

The One Who Rocked Away by Joanna Alonzo explores the stories of believers who grew up in the church, fell away, and have come back again. After reading King of the Crown Imperials and being blown away by it, I was definitely keen to read another book by such a talented author. Book Synopsis SERENE If she loses herself loving him, is it love at all? Growing up with Nolan, Serene Sinclair stands witness to the rise and fall of his faith. When his talent shoots them both to fame, Serene’s love for him makes her stay. However, as he drifts further from the faith and pulls her along with him, Serene has to ask herself if he is worth losing it all. NOLAN He gains it all to lose it all, so he can find his way back to love. Nolan Stone was born for the stage. Judged and rejected by the church, the only reason he has to keep the faith is Serene. When she abandons him, his faith goes with her. When circumstances intertwine their lives back together, he wrestles with the urge to be someone he’...

I'm starting to spend more time on Threads now, largely because I'm running into issues and glitches on Instagram, and because there are some good thought-provoking questions around reading that people are asking. One of these questions was posed by a user whom I don't follow (credit to taterturnspages for this intriguing query), but which has made me think a bit since I've seen it. Her question is basically whether some Bookstagrammers are more favoured to succeed over others, and whether there might be privileges attached to it. I understand that the topic of privileges can be contentious as to an extent, defining it can be subjective. At the same time, it's a reality that some people do have life circumstances that make things easier for them than for others. As a Christian, I am especially careful in not wanting to dichotomize people into groupings like "haves" and "have-nots" as this reduces complexity and can contribute toward antagonism wh...

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple releases on Tuesday, April 9! Many thanks to  Revell Books  and  LibraryThing  for providing a complimentary copy of this book by  Joanna Davidson Politano  for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Thoughts content is also posted on LibraryThing. Book Synopsis Peter Driscoll, an underground investigator to the wealthy, has never met anyone like Lily Temple. The beautiful silent-film actress spins fairy tales and plays frivolous roles in front of the cine-camera, but beneath the costumes and stage makeup is a woman with a quick wit--and a murky past. Peter has been tasked with locating the legendary Briarwood Teardrop, an exquisite sapphire, which Lily wears beneath her gown. In order to stay close to her and hopefully unravel the mystery of her story--and the sapphire--Peter employs Lily's help on a case, which leads to a useful partnership. But as they are investigating together, Peter is also investiga...

Buddy reads are a little bit newer to me, so I'm delighted for the opportunity to go through R.C. Sproul's Crucial Questions series with another reader. Covering 38 different topics in short books,  What is Biblical Wisdom? jumped out at me and seemed like a great way to launch into asking the crucial questions of life. Book Synopsis Wisdom isn’t something only needed by the foolish and immature. All of us are called to grow in wisdom, for true wisdom has to do with pleasing the God who made us. In this booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul introduces the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament. He shows that wisdom goes hand in hand with being godly, and he demonstrates the Bible’s practical guidelines for a well-lived life that honors the Lord. Source:  Amazon Book Thoughts Having heard of the Crucial Questions series by R.C. Sproul, I am grateful that I got to read his text on biblical wisdom where he takes readers through the wisdom literature of the Bible. Starting with an overarchin...

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read Red Fairy & Fox by debut author Courtney Denelsbeck. I am grateful to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis A portal fantasy for lovers of Alice in Wonderland and the Chronicles of Narnia. Even when they surrounded her, she was separate from them as she was separate from everyone…” Red wishes she wasn’t the queen. During another lavish, boring ball, she follows a fox into a puddle. The world she enters is nothing like her own: brown, barren, and full of strange creatures. In this world, she is a lowly farmhand. With every passing day, there’s no sign of the unhelpful, snide fox who brought her to the mysterious land. When she is forced to accept her destiny, she can no longer ignore the threats on her kingdom nor the straining of the magic. Two kingdoms’ fates rest in Red’s hands, but she must first decide to become the hero her people need. Source:  Amazon Book...