Seven Men and Seven Women and the Secret of Their Greatness–people of faith
Seven Men and Seven Women and the Secret of Their Greatness
by Eric Metaxas
What is “greatness” and what qualifies a person to the claim of greatness?To his credit, Metaxas is able to answer those questions well in his Introduction without sounding pedantic or boring the reader. In fact, after reading his introduction, I couldn’t wait to dive into the first chapter.
Of course, not everyone would choose for inclusion the same individuals as Metaxas, but by the time I got to the end of each chapter, I could certainly understand his choice and agree that the person was worthy of the attribution. I was familiar with some of the subjects of this book, but not all of them. As in the case of Eric Liddell, I knew him for his athletic ability and his refusal to compete on the Sabbath, but there is a second part to his story that is just as important to know about.
This book is actually a combination of two books originally published separately, one on men and one on women. Each one of those is a compilation of short biographies. The seven men are George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Charles W. Colson. The seven women are Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa. As you can see, there is a variety in those chosen in regard to their profession, their religious background, and the area of life they impacted. A large part of their greatness, however, is that they were people of faith, and they lived out their faith without wavering.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Biography, Nonfiction
Notes: 1. I read this with my book club this summer at a pace of two biographies per week. This book was perfect for summer, as compared to longer books, because members were out of town at a variety of times. Everyone was able to drop in and participate as their schedules allowed.
2. Includes footnotes at the end of each book.
Publication: 2018—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
More than two hundred years after Washington’s death, his willingness to relinquish power—twice—is the most remarkable thing that we remember about him. These refusals to seize power for himself were the greatest acts of one of history’s greatest men.
God had a far greater plan for Eric Liddell’s life than a gold medal that would eventually be forgotten, along with the athlete who won it. And he has great plans for each of us. Those plans may include the need to give up something we value highly. But those who give up what we may most desire—if God has demanded it—the Lord will truly honor.
Just as Dietrich Bonhoeffer prophetically challenged the Lutheran Church of Germany in his time, so Mother Maria challenged the Orthodox Church of hers. Both understood that to serve Jesus Christ with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and body—that is to be the church of Jesus Christ, to be the Bride for which he will one day return. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Tomorrow Starts Today–family problems
Tomorrow Starts Today
by Jessica Redland
Join Yvonne, Paulette, Veronica, Milly, and Laughlin along with others who gather for the Cake & Craft Club held every Wednesday at the Willowdale Village Hall at 2-4 p.m. It’s open to all regardless of hobby interest or skill level. Yvonne is a widow with no family or friends—just a African Grey Parrot, Trevor, and a secret she has never shared with anyone. She is at a dead end when she sees a notification in the local paper for this group and decides to take a risk. The members of the Cake & Craft Club welcome her with open arms and extend to her the same kindness they need as well.
Despite the problems each one of the characters has with dysfunctional families and other stumbling blocks, Tomorrow Starts Today is a story filled with hope and kindness. Part of the positivity comes from the generous nature of the characters and part comes from 19 year old Saffy, Paulette’s granddaughter. She is living temporarily with Paulette after dropping out of college after the first term. Her parents are upset with her, but the creative and artistic young lady has tried to explain that she needs some time to figure out what she wants to do. Saffy has a hobby of journaling and she shares her ideas and philosophies with the group, stimulating many of them to examine their own lives and effect changes they have been hesitant to make.
The story is full of active and former romances as most of the characters are retired or approaching that age. Some are wondering if there is only one destined soulmate per person or if they are too old to be involved in romance. Some have had traumatic events that keep them from reaching out to others and some have used those traumatic events to spur them into being good listeners and sounding boards for others in pain.
“Tomorrow Starts Today” is a good title for this book. Yvonne and her friends discover through journaling and goal setting how to find their futures and act on a plan. With Saffy’s artistic flair, the projects become a cross between journaling and scrapbooking complete with washi tape, stickers, and ribbons.
I enjoyed the camaraderie, the journey to trusting others, and the gradual disclosure of Yvonne’s family mysteries. I highly recommend it.
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: Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. Clean
2. # 5 in the Escape to the Lakes series. I have read the other books in this series, and I reread my reviews and the publisher summaries to refresh my memory on the characters and events in previous books in the series. That search was actually not necessary. Although there are some minor crossover references to other books, this book is an enjoyable standalone—plot and characters are complete in Tomorrow Starts Today.
Publication: January 8, 2026—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
Me! I was stopping me. It was that little voice in my head that told me that when you started spending time with people, you had to talk to them about more than the weather and everyday life. You needed to exchange stories about the past and that was where things became tricky.
“Families should be there to heal each other—not to be the ones causing the wounds.” Absolutely that, but life was rarely that straightforward.
That was the appropriate point for hugs and, as I squeezed Veronica tightly, I marveled at how long I’d gone without physical human contact and how powerful and restorative it could be.
Class Clown–77 years of humor
Class Clown
by Dave Barry
Subtitled—The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years without Growing Up
Over the years, I have enjoyed reading Dave Barry’s humor columns occasionally and some of his books. Class Clown takes the reader through Barry’s childhood and professional life. He has had a lot of detours—rock band, “precision parade maneuvers with lawnmowers and brooms,” and communication instructor for business people. He was even a traditional journalist for a while, but his trademark was doing anything outside the norm, the quirkier the better!
I enjoyed most of Class Clown. Some of it was “laugh out loud” funny. When I got to Barry’s section on politics, however, I was disappointed. He claimed that people in his parents’ generation were able to argue politics and leave as friends. Unfortunately, this is not a skill that Barry picked up from them. In one chapter of this book, which reflects his views on politics, he did not roast both sides equally. The reader is left with no doubt as to which “side” is right and which “side” is wrong. There is no humor in that.
So…funny, yes, in part. Divisive, yes, in part. Barry has retired from his work as a humor columnist. He has given a lot of people chuckles over the years, and I hope he enjoys his retirement.
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: Memoir, Humor
Publication: May 13, 2025—Simon & Schuster
Memorable Lines:
It wasn’t that our parents didn’t care about us: I think it was mainly that they didn’t view the world as a fundamentally dangerous place. They grew up in the Depression and had recently been through a world war. To them, the 1950s weren’t so scary.
At the end of the night everybody hugged everybody, because they were friends, and they understood that they could disagree about politics without believing the other side was evil. Mistaken, maybe. Evil, no.
One time he was upset about two things: (1) He couldn’t find his pipe, and (2) his car wasn’t running right. After listening to Bob complain about these things for several days, his wife, Beth—a saintly woman—had an idea, and was able to locate Bob’s missing pipe. It was under the accelerator pedal.
False Gold–hidden treasure?
False Gold
by Veronica Heley
Bea Abbot runs a domestic agency in London, matching up employees with the right employer. Formerly widowed, she is currently married to Piers, a very successful portrait painter. I have read several books in the series and have always found that I could drop right in and find myself drawn into an engaging murder investigation.
Bea is invited to visit her friends Julian and Polly at Marston Hall for a weekend of relaxation. Although they are Sir Julian and Lady Polly, they have no “airs” and are new to their elevated positions. They are trying to make a go at keeping the Hall and associated village afloat. The family is living in temporary quarters while the stable is being remodeled into living quarters, and the grand hall itself is open to the public several days a week to bring in income. Julian, a former accountant, takes it upon himself to manage the village in such a way that there are jobs and housing for the locals. As newcomers, they are having to prove themselves, which they are doing quite well in spite of opposition from those in the town (as opposed to the village) and their own general estate manager.
When an intruder to the property is found in the mud with his face bludgeoned, Bea and the family turn their best efforts on the investigation. Julian is sure the victim is not one of his security men despite the very clean ID lanyard around his neck, but the authorities and his general manager insist that he is indeed Pete. But if the dead man is not Pete, then where is Pete and where is Pete’s faithful collie, Beauty? Meanwhile, in the middle of this chaos, Pete’s wife Tyra gives birth to their long-hoped-for baby.
The story proceeds with lots of twists and turns as the reader meets a lot of local villagers and learns about the semi-local political and monied residents of the area. Bea makes herself useful in practical ways using her contacts and organizational skills as well as her kindness in dealing with Polly who is expecting her second child and with Pip their adorable first child who wins the hearts of the villagers as he accompanies his father on his village visits. Also important to the story is Julian’s well-trained Alsatian who is important for security, tracking, and as the family retainer.
I truly enjoyed this mystery and look forward to more from Veronica Heley who has written 80 books including an earlier successful mystery series (Ellie Quicke Mysteries), historical novels, romances, and children’s books. She is currently 93 years old.
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, Fiction
Notes: 1. #18 in the Bea Abbot Agency Mystery Series but can be read as a stand alone.
2. Clean
Publication: May 6, 2025—Severn House
Memorable Lines:
There was a sighing sound and a police car drove in behind her and parked. It was an electric car. Disconcerting when it sneaked up on you like that.
Bea thought, The Lord be with you. And the Lord go before you. And be with that poor man lying there in the mud, under the wrong name. She sank into a chair and tried to make sense of what was happening.
Marcus’s mouth tightened into a shark’s smile. “ I have sprung this on you too quickly. Naturally you must consider all the options and take advice from those who understand your problems. All I ask is that you don’t dismiss my offer out of hand.”
Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes–calming teas in a crisis
Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes
by Karen Rose Smith
If you like tea shops and cozy mysteries, Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes is perfect for you. It is a clean mystery with great characters and is an introduction to a series that continues throughout to entertain and to pose puzzles captivating you with thoughts of “whodunit.” I am qualified to say that because, now having read book #1, I am only missing two books to finish off the ten book series.
Daisy Swanson, a widow with two teenage daughters, and her Aunt Ida opened a tearoom in Willow Creek, Pennsylvania. Ida has been getting serious with Harvey Fitz, owner of an expensive men’s clothing store nearby. When a murder occurs in the gardens of the tea shop, Detective Rappaport investigates with all the sensitivity of a water moccasin, accusing Ida of the murder and continuing to focus on her as the criminal in this case saying she vandalized her own house and created stories that someone was following her.
On the positive side, the reader learns how a tea shop works. Daisy and her best friend Tessa put in long hours trying to create special treats for the customers and please them with exceptional and exclusive events and service. Daisy has two gentlemen interested in her. Cade, her realtor, was her high school date to the prom. Jonas, a retired detective, has a furniture store near her shop. He stocks beautiful furniture made by Amish craftsmen and by himself.
Other threads include Vi (Violet), Daisy’s college age daughter, and Jazzi (Jasmine), a high school student. Jazzi was adopted as a baby in a closed adoption, but she is now interested in finding her biological mother.
Although I read 7 books in the series without the benefit of the background in Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes, I very much enjoyed this book. It was nice to see “old friends” and fill in some details. It is a tribute to the author, however, that she was able to keep the plot developing as she shared background information in each book.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #1 in the Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery Series
2. There are three recipes at the end of the novel.
Publication: January 2018—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
She didn’t know if he’d ever called her by her name before. It was one of those things—until you knew a person well, you didn’t really use their name. Names had power. Names conveyed meaning.
“Something good from something bad. My brother and sister and I are closer since Mom died. That’s one good thing that came from something bad. You have to look really hard sometimes, but if you do, you can find it.” Daisy liked Foster.
Adult women needed best friends just as much as third-graders.
education pathways 