Category Archives: Book Reviews

2024 Books

01 Wednesday Jan 2025

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  1. The Women Kristin Hannah (Best book I read this year)
  2. West End Girls Jenny Colgan
  3. Not Another Christmas Rom Com A.J. Pine
  4. The Best Worst Christmas Kate Forster
  5. The Christmas Book Hunt Jenny Colgan
  6. Iris is More Than Ok Natalie Cooper
  7. Studies at the School by the Sea Jenny Colgan
  8. I invited Her In Adele Parks
  9. The Lioness of Boston Emily Franklin (Second favorite book of the year)
  10. Slow Dance Rainbow Rowell
  11. Yellowface R.F. Kuang (Least favorite book of the year)
  12. Crave Tracy Wolff
  13. The Nauty, The Nice & The Nanny Willa Nash (Trash)
  14. Delicious Ruth Reichl (always a favorite)
  15. The Paris Novel Ruth Reichl
  16. The Bookshop on the Corner Jenny Colgan
  17. The Heiress Rachel Hawkins
  18. Close Knit Jenny Colgan
  19. Lady Jayne Disappears Joanna Davidson Politano
  20. Silver Girl Elin Hilderbrand
  21. The Bee Sting Paul Murray (DNF it was so bad)
  22. The Night I Died Anne Frasier
  23. Happy Place Emily Henry
  24. This Summer Will Be Different Carley Fortune
  25. Beach Read Emily Henry
  26. The Wanderer Robyn Carr (horrible)
  27. Ruthless Vows Rebecca Ross
  28. Mrs. Nash’s Ashes Sarah Adler
  29. Resistance Women Jennifer Chiaverini
  30. The Answer is No Fredrik Backman
  31. When the Moon Hatched Sarah A Parker
  32. What You Are Looking For is in the Library Michiko Aoyama (This was so good)
  33. Listen for the Lie Amy Tintera
  34. Court Tracy Wolff
  35. The Last Bookshop in London Madeline Martin
  36. North and South Elizabeth Gaskell
  37. A Girl of the Limberlost Porter Gene Stratton (I loved this: we watched the movie as kids but I had never read the book before)
  38. Faking Christmas Cindy Steel
  39. The God of the Woods Liz Moore
  40. Preparing for Easter C.S. Lewis
  41. Heartless Hunter Kristen Ciccarelli
  42. House of Flame & Shadow Sarah J Maas
  43. The Exception to the Rule Christina Lauren
  44. A Grief Observed C.S. Lewis
  45. The Italian Girls Debbie Rix
  46. Covet Tracy Wolff
  47. Funny Story Emily Henry
  48. Crush Tracy Wolff
  49. Hunting Magic Eels Richard Beck
  50. Tower of Dawn Sarah Maas
  51. One Dark Window Rachel Gillig
  52. The Things we Leave Unfinished Rebecca Yarros
  53. Yours Truly Abby Jimenez
  54. The Briar Club Kate Quinn (she’s always amazing)
  55. Iron Flame Rebecca Yarros
  56. Fourth Wing Rebecca Yarros
  57. All the Colors of the Dark Chris Whitaker
  58. Remarkably Bright Creatures Shelby Van Pelt (Loved)
  59. Just for the Summer Abby Jimenez
  60. The Frozen River Ariel Lawhon
  61. Two Twisted Crowns Rachel Gillig
  62. Celebrate Every Day Shauna Niequist
  63. House of Sky & Breath Sarah Maas
  64. House of Earth & Blood Sarah Maas
  65. Tired of Being Tired Jess Connolly
  66. Empire of Storms Sarah Maas
  67. Kingdom of Ash Sarah Maas
  68. Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
  69. Harry Potter 1-7
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
    • 6
    • 7

75. Narnia 1-7

82. Sense & Sensibility Jane Austen
83. Pride & Prejudice Jane Austen
84. Mansfield Park Jane Austen
85. Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis
86. Small Things Like These Claire Keegan
87. A Casterglass Christmas Kate Hewill
88. The Girls in the Stilt House Kelly Mustian
89. Anne of Green Gables L.M. Montgomery
90. The Fellowship of the Ring J.R.R. Tolkein
91. The Creative Act Rick Rubin
92.The People We Meet on Vacation Emily Henry
93. Heading Home to Lavender Cottage Allison Sherlock

93 total for 2024. Not as many as last year, but… I’m ok with it! I think I’m missing a few, but I do a poor job keeping track! Tell me some of your favorite reads of the year so I can add them to my list!!

2018 Book List

06 Thursday Sep 2018

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Every year I make a goal to read as many books as my age. I know its not that many yet, but someday when I’m 80…yeah it will be a lot of reading! I probably won’t be able to do much else at that point. Anyway, here’s my 2018 book list. Happy birthday to me! Getting started on my 37 books for 2019…I’d love to hear your suggestions!

  1. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows
  2. Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber
  3. Side Hustle by Chris Guillebeau
  4. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
  5. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
  6. *Harry Potter All 6 Books by J. K Rowling
  7. *The Chronicles of Narnia All 7 books by C. S. Lewis
  8. Spirits In Bondage by C. S. Lewis
  9. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
  10. The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
  11. The Baker’s Secret by Stephen Kiernan
  12. The Night Circus By Erin Morgenstern
  13. The Plantagenets by Dan Jones
  14. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
  15. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
  16. The Little Book of Lykke by Meik Wiking
  17. Wonder by RJ Palacio
  18. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
  19. The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
  20. Everybody Always by Bob Goff
  21. Scary Close by Donald Miller
  22. Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs
  23. The Shadow of Death by James Runcie
  24. Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
  25. My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
  26. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
  27. Rare Objects by Kathleen Tessaro
  28. Casual Vacancy by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
  29. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
  30. The Eternal Current by Aaron Niequist
  31. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
  32. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
  33. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
  34. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  35. The Road Back to You by Suzanne Stabile & Ian Morgan Cron
  36. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
  37. The Broken Way by Anne Voskamp

*  I don’t count the Narnia and Harry Potter books because I read them every year so it’s not like they are new material

The Greatest Gift

20 Monday Nov 2017

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I know Thanksgiving was this week, but now that everyone is in the Christmas mood, I wanted to put this out there so you could get it in time. I have read this book the past two Christmas seasons and I think its the perfect way to put your heart and mind in the right space for remembering what Christmas is really all about. Ann has a poetic voice, and the short devotionals for each day leading up to Christmas are beautiful and bring peace and focus to this crazy holiday season. There’s one short chapter for each day of December, be sure to get your copy soon so that you have it in time! I’d love to know what you think!

Sisi: Empress on Her Own by Allison Pataki

07 Monday Mar 2016

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“I wander lonely in this world,
Delight and life long time averted,
No confidant to share my inner self,
A matching soul never revealed.”
Empress Elisabeth 

When I started reading this book, I knew nothing about Sisi, Empress of Austria-Hungary, but as I set it down to write this review, I feel as if I know her, deeply, intimately. Her hurt, frustration, sadness, and passion, followed by slanderous gossip, destined to live a life unfulfilled and alone. This novel begins in the late 1800’s, and takes you through important historical events, leading all the way up to the start of WWI and the collapse of the Hapsburg empire.

I love historical fiction because I feel like I am learning something while being immersed in a captivating story. This book took me through a whole realm of emotions. Sadness in the realization that she was in a loveless marriage, excitement in her joy of traveling and finding adventure, heartwarming in the way she loved her children, but couldn’t figure out how to be a mother to them, all the internal struggles and hardships of the young Empress.

Allison’s elegant writing style flows naturally making Sisi an immersive novel that is entertaining, and an easy read. However, in reading this the reader will come to view Sisi as a selfish, ignorant, immature, and irresponsible leader who disrespected her husband, the Emperor, and was clueless about how to be a mother. I found her character conflicting. At one point she returns to the court to rescue her son, the Prince, who was being mistreated, and she was firm and stood up to her husband and other advisors and did what she thought was best for her child, but then the next chapter she is off riding horses and neglecting her responsibilities. The ending felt rather anti-climactic, despite the traumatic events that were occurring.  I enjoyed the book for entertainment purposes. It was quite lengthy, but I had no trouble reading the 420 pages in 2 days.

In response to the many reviews saying that Allisons’s research wasn’t done well and had many historical inaccuracies… I guess I would just say keep in mind it is fiction and enjoy the story.

You can order the book from Amazon here. Enjoy!

 

we are already perfect

25 Monday Jan 2016

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Breaking Busy

by Alli Worthington

breaking busy.jpg

Release Date January 26, 2016

 

 

“You don’t have to be all things to all people.
Just be the best you to the people who matter the most.”

 I always love when I get asked to do book reviews. I love reading, so it just makes sense. But it seems like every time I get asked, I have literally no time to read the book. I am soooooo busy. Coincidental that this book was about how to not be so busy. Three days before the book release I finally sat down to read the book. We have been snowed in since Friday, so I have been reading a ton. I mean, I have read three books in two days. But not the book for the book review. Nope that one was still sitting on my desk just waiting. Staring at me. Taunting me. Finally I picked it up.

“…you might be missing out on the life you are meant to live,
missing out because you are operating in a world of crazy busy
where the noise and distractions are keeping you
from what you were meant to do[.]”

I think the last chapter of the book hit me the hardest. It really dug down to the root of my “busy”. I stay busy because of shame. I am constantly trying to prove to the world around me that I have value. I always feel like I have to DO something in order to make people like me and appreciate me. Therefore, I have a hard time saying no to anyone. This has been a cycle in my life for as long as I can remember. Instilled in me as a child that I would never be good enough and I always had to keep trying my hardest to please those around me. What an unhealthy way to live.

“Staying busy with shallow acquaintances only leaves us feeling empty.”

I have this illusion that if I just work hard enough or do something perfect enough I will be accepted and valued. If I can’t do something as perfect as I feel it should be done, I don’t even want to try. But Alli says God offers us life. A life “free from striving for our own sense of perfection, a life resisting in the assurance that we are already perfect because of the work he has done on the cross.”  John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

“When you know what your goals and priorities are (in both the short and long run), you can decide if a certain activity will get you closer or farther away from that goal. Make sure you spend time doing things that get you closer to your goals.”

God wants us to have abundant life, but what does that mean? I think it can only be achieved when we realize that we have true worth and the place that worth comes from is Jesus Christ. “Our worth does not come through our great accomplishments, nor does it come from other people’s acceptance (or rejection) of us. Jesus teaches us that our worth is in him.” We need to rest in this. Our worth is in Jesus. I know this is so much easier said than done, and satan will do whatever he can to get us to disbelieve this. Every day he tries to distract us, make us feel unworthy and unloved. But everything that comes from the enemy is a lie. Only when we turn to Jesus and find our worth in Him, will we be able to break the busy cycles in our lives and start doing what He truly has called us to do.

“He’s [God] waiting for you to stop striving and set everything aside that is keeping you busy and distracted, then turn your attention to him. In a living, daily relationship, he can then show you places you should go, people you should listen to, talents you should nourish, opportunities you should pursue, and passions and gifts he wants you to develop.”

I think the action steps at the end of the chapter are a great wrap up for the whole book and some great things for us to think about today. Go ahead and answer them if you want. Post your answers in the comments of this blog if you want to share. And be sure to grab a copy of this book for yourself! Here’s to Breaking Busy !

Action Steps (from chapter 10)

  1. Remember a time in your life when you felt a deep sense of shame. What lie were you believing?
  2. Identify an area of your life where your busyness is an attempt to prove your worth. What would change if you approached life from a deep sense of God’s grace and love for you, rather than a sense of shame or pride?
  3. Pray and ask God what truths he wants you to know about his love for you, and ask that he make love for him the central desire of your heart.

*all quotes taken from Breaking Busy by Alli Worthington