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Yearly Archives: 2024
Fight Back with Joy–seeking “a life radiant with joy”
and Fight Back with Joy Bible Study
by Margaret Feinberg
Margaret Feinberg was already an author and speaker when she had the rug pulled out from under her with a cancer diagnosis. With painfully candid honesty, Feinberg shares her journey through the medical and emotional roller coaster that her life became. She and her husband Leif struggled together to find joy in a very difficult situation. They always found God to be faithful as they pursued good health for Margaret and a closer relationship to Him.
Fight Back with Joy chronicles their struggles and recounts how they found joy in the little things. At no point does she exaggerate or minimize her spiritual, physical, or emotional battles. She includes practical advice and examples of their pursuit of joy which was often difficult. Feinberg shows how the things she learned can be applied to the many struggles that her readers undergo, not just physical illness.
The workbook is intended to be used by groups or individuals in corporation with a video series of Margaret’s teachings on joy. I did not have the videos, but that did not hinder my use of either book. The study helps the reader to dive deeper into what the Bible has to say about the struggles of life and our response to them. The book would be valuable even without the workbook, but I certainly would not advise trying to use the workbook without the teachings in the book.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Religion, Christian Life, Personal Growth
Publication: 2015—Worthy Publishing
Memorable Lines:
When we fight back with joy, we no longer size the character of God according to our circumstances, but we size our circumstances according to the character of God and his great affection for us.
When everything goes awry, we are tempted to rush past, stuff, deny, or file the situation under “unmentionables.” We will do anything to make the chaos subside. Something inside us lunges to grieve, but we stiff-arm the impulse, forcing ourselves to keep it together.
…one of the fastest ways to receive joy is to give it away. One of the best ways to be lifted up is to lift up others.
No matter what adversity we face, we can turn our eyes from what’s before us and refocus on the God who fills us with joy. Instead of only seeing adversity, we become alert to Christ, who has overcome all things and for whom nothing is impossible.
Pax, Journey Home–repercussions of war
Pax, Journey Home
by Sara Pennypacker
illustrated by Jon Klassen
When you read Pax by Sara Pennypacker, you will probably want to have closure on several fronts. What happens to Peter? What happens to Pax? Will they ever unite? Will Peter ever return to live with Vola or will he return to his old home?
In Pax, Journey Home the focus is no longer the war, but the aftermath of the war—deserted towns, water poisoned with heavy metals, and animals who have died or fled. Peter joins the Water Warriors in a junior capacity and is able to help some of the adults with his survival skills. Peter’s story turns more tender here as he finally deals with grief and guilt.
Like the first book, Pax, this book provides many opportunities for discussion about war and its impact on families. It adds to that framework environmental topics related to war.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Children’s Fiction
Notes: 1. Ages 9-11
Grades 3-7
2. I liked this book better than the first. Although this book shows Peter confronting issues from his past, in Pax, Journey Home, he overcomes them. He learns how to be strong and brave in his decisions. There is more positivity and gentleness in this book. I do advise reading Pax first.
Publication: January 31, 2023—Balzer + Bray
Memorable Lines:
Memories were so treacherous. Always lurking under the surface, ready to bushwhack you with a blade to the heart when you weren’t careful.
“Well, that is not what I believe.” Vola said it in a completely neutral voice. No challenge, no judgement on someone who believed something else. Peter had come to appreciate Vola’s technique. It defused things, let the other person hold a different side without asking for a fight.
When they’d pulled into the outpost, she’d advised him again. “Fill your cup whenever you can,” and this time he’d understood that she wasn’t talking about water and his eyes had stung.
Pax–a boy and his fox
Pax
by Sara Pennypacker
illustrated by Jon Klassen
Pax is supposed to be a middle grade book, but its themes require more maturity than most young people of that age can muster. The costs of war are central to the book as the characters have to deal with its emotional effects on individuals and families. Trust and treachery, anger and emotional abuse, and love, promises, guilt and truthfulness are all issues that come into play in this book.
With a purposely vague setting in terms of location and time, the author uses two points of view to tell this story—that of Peter, a twelve year old boy whose mother has recently passed away and of Pax, the fox Peter rescued when Pax was just an orphaned kit. Peter’s father goes away to war leaving him with his grandfather, but making him desert his pet. That is so much grief for a boy!
Wracked with guilt and worry, Peter sets out to find Pax while Pax waits and then searches for Peter. The reader follows both characters through adventures and misadventures. Another interesting character is Vola, a wounded veteran who has difficulty recovering from the physical and emotional traumas of war, but tries to help Peter. Several characters in the book suffer from what we would call PTSD or shell shock. There are also generational issues as Peter’s father has difficulty with anger and Peter doesn’t want to follow in his footsteps.
The writing is excellent, and Pax is ripe with topics for discussion. Our book group debated various issues related to the book and reread passages to clarify our understanding of some underlying meanings. When it was time to close down our meeting, we still had concerns we could have pursued.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Children’s Fiction
Notes: 1. Ages 9-11
Grades 3-7
In looking at reviews in Amazon after I finished writing my review, I found that readers were mixed on the appropriate reading level for the subject matter. Whereas my book club of adults found it to be emotionally challenging, many readers in online statements thought it was appropriate. This is not the kind of book you want to hand to a child to read on their own. Instead, it needs to be read with an adult at home or in a classroom and include lots of discussion.
2. I was unhappy that some of the storylines seemed incomplete, but the author published a sequel: Pax, Journey Home in 2023 which I have checked out from my library to read.
Publication: 2016—HarperCollins (Balzer + Bray)
Memorable Lines:
“I have more than everything I need.” Vola sat. “I have peace here.” “Because it’s so quiet?” “No. Because I am exactly where I should be, doing exactly what I should be doing. That is peace.”
“So which is it? You going back for your home or for your pet?” “They’re the same thing,” Peter said, the answer sudden and sure, although a surprise to him. “And you’re going to do this no matter who tries to stop you? Because it’s the right thing for you, at your core?” Vola made a fist and thumped her chest. “Your core. Is that true?”
Peter remembered Vola asking him which side his father was fighting on. Peter had answered her, stunned that she would even have to ask. “The right side,” he’d added, indignantly. “Boy,” Vola had said, and then “Boy!” again, to make sure she had his attention. “Do you think anyone in the history of this world ever set out to fight for the wrong side?”
An Amish Cinderella–sweet focus on family
An Amish Cinderella
by Shelley Shepard Gray
Levi Beachy is humble, but he has achieved fame as a blacksmith and a welder, His sculptures are valuable and sought after. He takes on Clayton as his apprentice, a young man who spent most of his years as an orphan in a children’s home. Levi has not thought through the details of the apprentice’s stay—food, lodging, etc. His sweet adult daughter Heart refuses to have Clayton stay in a small unheated attic room over the workshop with spiders, mice, dust and no bathroom facilities. Levi and Heart have been on their own for four years since Heart’s mom Katie passed away. Heart reminds Levi that his wife would never have allowed his treating the young man that way.
Although Levi is physically large and strong and his demeanor is gruff, he actually has a soft spot for children and animals. Levi is patient with his apprentice who works hard and appreciates all Heart does for him. Another important character is Mary who lives close by. She is a widow who helps take care of people in their final days, as she did for Katie Beachy, and those recovering from injuries and sickness. She involves the Beachy family in taking care of a white pet “fancy” rat and also her dog Virginia with five new pups.
An Amish Cinderella displays the trust the characters have in God even during hard times. It shows that God is not a magic genie to deliver wishes, but He does have a plan for our lives and we can count on Him. There are two gentle romances within this tale that is both pleasing and a page turner. This book showcases Amish and English being able to interact to pull together and help others.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Christian
Notes: #3 in The Amish of Apple Creek series, but perfect as a standalone because, judging by the publisher’s summaries, the characters do not overlap—just the setting. In fact I thought it was a standalone until I was finished and did a little research.
Publication: September 26, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
That was the thing about Levi Beachy. He was a mess of contradictions. He was the biggest man she knew and twice as gruff, but never harsh. Actually, she’d never heard him raise his voice to anyone. Likely, it was because he had no need to. Between his size and his continual scowl, most people in the area were anxious to do what he wanted and get out of his way.
Though most people’s childhoods were the same, it was different in a home. There were two realities that permeated every waking hour. One was that his parents hadn’t wanted him, and the other was that no one else seemed to want him, either.
Why hadn’t he ever let go of his control enough to feel such joy?…Laughter felt good. It felt cleansing. Hopeful, even. The Lord sure worked in amazing ways.
Wildflower Falls–saving a ranch
Wildflower Falls
by Denise Hunter
Romances frequently follow a pattern. Boy meets girl under circumstances that vary from shaky to middle of a crisis. Both characters have background issues that interfere with their having a smooth relationship. There are ups and downs in their paths, and usually there is a happily ever after. Wildflower Falls conforms to this typical sequence. How good a romance is depends on the skills and talents of the author in executing the plot and developing the characters.
Author Denise Hunter falls in the category of excellent with the reader wanting more. As I read Wildflower Falls, I was involved in the characters and wanted that elusive “happily ever after” for stable owner Charlotte Honeycutt and roaming horse trainer Gunner Dawson. Charlotte is trying to fulfill a promise to her deceased mother to save the ranch that has belonged to her family for three generations. There is a mystery as to the identity of her biological father, and Charlotte is caught between betraying a confidence and hurting a whole family of very nice people. Just as important to some readers will be the horses and their relationship with Charlotte and Gunner. Daisy is due to have her foal, and Midnight is a “free” horse that trusts no one. Gunner is purported to be a horse whisperer. Will he be able to win Midnight over before he is scheduled to further his career by working with a Derby horse in Kentucky? His time in Riverbend Gap was never supposed to be more than temporary, but will he be able to pack up his motorcycle and move on at the end of his stipulated six months?
The story is a good one, and the characters are generally likable, especially the members of the Robinson family who are central to the continuing series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance, Christian
Notes: #4 in the Riverbend series. Although it could be read as a standalone, I advise starting this series at the beginning because all of the characters in the Robinson family were introduced in the first three books. There are a lot of family dynamics that play into Wildflower Falls.
Publication: September 12, 2023—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
Horse smart, cute as a button, and a sense of humor too. If that wasn’t the perfect trifecta in a woman, he didn’t know what was.
He was better at reading horses than humans. People attempted to hide their feelings. Horses didn’t do that. When they were afraid, they twitched, tremored, or reared. When they were happy they nickered and swung their tails. When they were angry, they pinned their ears back and pawed the ground. Pretty straightforward.
“Real feelings are always a risk, aren’t they? Nobody likes to get hurt.”
Día de los Muertos–Day of the Dead
Ajijic, Jalisco, México–2014
Booktrovert?
Are you an extrovert? An introvert? Maybe a booktrovert?
I fell in love with this t-shirt on author Melinda Curtis’ website. I rarely buy clothes for myself, but this shirt is me!
When I started looking around, I found lots of other t-shirts on the Internet with the word “booktrovert.” What??? This is a thing??? Where had I been in the last few years? (OK, that one is easy–I had my nose in a book!) I looked up the word “booktrovert.” According to the Urban Dictionary and other sources, a booktrovert is “a person who prefers the company of fictional characters to real people.” Now, I just find that weird. That is NOT who I am. Since this word is “made up” or can be considered part of our evolving English language, I am going to offer up MY definition: a booktrovert is someone who may or may not enjoy the company of real people, but enjoys spending time reading a good book. A booktrovert also enjoys all things bookish–memes, libraries, bookstores, mugs, bookmarks, book clubs, t-shirts, etc.
So, to all of you who love books, I salute you and the books you are reading. I also wish you a wonderful season of reading, whether you are sunning on the beach or snuggled up by a cozy fire!
Death in the Romance Aisle–cozy mystery in a bookstore setting
Death in the Romance Aisle
by Lynn Cahoon
As a cancer survivor, Lynn Cahoon, made an unusual decision with her Survivors’ Book Club Mystery Series. Her protagonist Rarity is also a cancer survivor who leaves her corporate, big city life behind to open a small town book store which she names The Next Chapter. Within that context she starts a book club for cancer survivors. The goal is not to read books about cancer, but to bond with others who have experienced similar journeys. They mainly read mysteries and have a subgroup formed to informally investigate local murders that affect them in some way. In Death in the Romance Aisle, the murder victim is a new part-time employee at the bookstore.
Cahoon’s excellent writing skills are on display throughout Death in the Romance Aisle. There is tension related to the murder investigation especially when Rarity becomes a target. The characters are interesting with many of them becoming for Rarity the family she never had as they form bonds, support each other, and exhibit the dependability necessary to keep Rarity safe and the bookstore operating. Cahoon also includes romance threads. Rarity is dating Archer who owns a hiking tour service in Sedona, Arizona, and their relationship matures as they adapt to each other’s work needs. Rarity’s best friend is Sam who is dating the local police detective Drew. When Sam’s brother Marcus becomes a suspect, there is discord in Sam and Drew’s relationship. There are many other suspects, however, and thus the murder investigation and this book’s plot is involved. Cahoon also demonstrates her talents by including humor and friction among friends. Lastly, one of the characters is Killer, a little Yorkie that Rarity adopted when its owner died. He goes with her to work and is much loved by everyone. I just love his name.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #3 in the Survivors’ Book Club Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone.
2. It includes a recipe for Marbled Pumpkin and Chocolate Brownies that sounds delicious.
3. I enjoyed watching Rarity’s thinking as she develops ideas for improving her bookstore. She is very open to the ideas and suggestions of others, but she evaluates them carefully. Also, she always has notebooks at hand—one for the murder investigations and another for to-do lists and reminders.
Publication: September 9, 2023—Kensington (Lyrical Press)
Memorable Lines:
“We don’t want to have a killer running around free. It’s not a good draw for the town festivals.” Malia laughed spitting out her coffee. She wiped it up with the arm of her hoodie.
The one thing she’d learned after having cancer was that tomorrow wasn’t promised to anyone. And if you had a dream, you needed to fight for it. She was living her dream. Good or bad, she’d jumped. And her life was better for taking the chance. A lot better. Not just in her career, but in her life. She had a community here. And no one was going to rip that apart.
“That woman is a ball of energy. She sucks all the energy from the room, then shoots it back out at people, covered in pink and red donut sprinkles. She light up the entire store when she’s here.”
The Watchmaker’s Daughter: the true story of World War II heroine Corrie Ten Boom
The Watchmaker’s Daughter
by Larry Loftis
The Hiding Place, the original popular story of Corrie ten Boom, written with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, was released in 1971 and made into a movie in 1975. Corrie, skilled in watch repairs, and the rest of the ten Boom family saved many Dutch—both Jews and non-Jews—from being sent to prison, concentration camps, and labor camps by German Nazis in World War II.
Although The Hiding Place was a landmark book in telling the story of this remarkable Christian lady, Larry Loftis has gone even further in writing The Watchmaker’s Daughter. His research into the background of the World War II setting of the book sets the reader up to better understand the times culturally and politically and the invasion of Holland. His research includes examining photos and original small books by Corrie ten Boom along with memorabilia that are archived in the Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton College. Corrie ten Boom did not keep a diary, but Loftis sought out many other primary sources including journals and letters from survivors who had been hidden in the ten Boom home.
Corrie and her older sister Betsie were interned in Ravensbrück Concentration Camp for their crimes of hiding Jews. There these Christian sisters had a ministry within the barracks, holding secret Bible studies and encouraging the other women to hold strong despite the horrible conditions and continuous threat of execution. Upon release, Corrie began a ministry of traveling internationally with a message of forgiveness and established 3 different centers, one in a transformed concentration camp, to meet the physical and emotional needs of survivors. Betsie had a vision of the centers while they were still in the camp at a time when the fulfillment of her vision seemed impossible. Corrie’s story is an amazing one showcasing the love of God and the power of forgiveness.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Biography, Nonfiction, Christian, History
Notes: Even if you think you know the story of Corrie ten Boom, I encourage you to read this book. Corrie’s story is unforgettable, and her courageous life of dependence on God extended way past the events in Ravensbrück. Loftis’ research and writing along with Corrie’s life and faith make this book remarkable.
Publication: 2023—HarperCollins
Memorable Lines:
This was the hardest part—the hatred. Over ensuing days Corrie tried to be nice to the woman, but to no avail. “She seemed to be entirely devoid of human feeling,” Corrie recalled, “and altogether hard, hostile, and wicked…Why should they always snap and snarl at us? I always greeted them with a pleasant ‘Good morning,’ but everything seemed to glance off their impenetrable armor of hate.”
“My sister died here,” she told Tiny. “She suffered so much. I, too, have suffered. But Jesus is always with us. He did a miracle in taking away all my hatred and bitterness for my enemies.”
For more than fifty years the Beje had been her own hiding place, her refuge. But Ravensbrück had taught her that this magnificent home—with all of its memories—was but a shadow; her true hiding place was Christ.
education pathways 