A Memory Between Us, book #4

 

I never did say what my "method of picking books" was going to be this year, but I really want to work through actual books I have sitting around and get some of them cleared out.  This one came up first because it looked the most interesting of the ones I have on my bedside table.  It was a good choice ~ so amazing!

Major Jack Novak has never failed to meet a challenge--until he meets army nurse Lieutenant Ruth Doherty. When Jack lands in the army hospital after a plane crash, he makes winning Ruth's heart a top priority mission. But he has his work cut out for him. Not only is Ruth focused on her work in order to support her orphaned siblings back home, she carries a shameful secret that keeps her from giving her heart to any man. Can Jack break down her defenses? Or are they destined to go their separate ways?  (picture and description at Amazon)

Next up is our book for regular book club.  It is a fairly new one and to buy it for my Paperwhite was going to cost $13.  Well, I don't like paying that much for books on my Paperwhite, so I got lucky and found a copy at the local library.  It's gonna be good!

Keep Reading!

MeLissa

First Lie Wins, book #3

 

For our first non-Christmas fiction book of the year we have First Lie Wins.  It is the FHS faculty book club pick for February, but I got a head start on it since Leah was given this book for Christmas.  That way I didn't have to buy it ~ I could just borrow it! :)  

I'm always a little cautious about books that are probably not going to be Christian Fiction, but this one was okay.  No "spicy" as my girls would say, but some language.  Its always odd to me that it bothers me more in a book than seeing it on TV, but most it was situational -- and this book had a LOT of situations!!

I would highly recommend!!

Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, a tight group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.  The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.  Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job isn't like the others. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.  Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there's still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn't be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge. . . . (picture and description from Amazon)

It looks like there is a movie "in development" so it should be interesting to see what they would keep and what they would have to cut.  

Happy Reading!

Melissa

Unanswered : Lasting Truths for Trending Questions, book #2

So I ended going ahead with my first non-fiction.  To be honest, I did not read this whole book  Most of it, but some of the questions it tackled were not on interest to me currently.  However, I am going to keep this book because those issues may come up later in my life!

We live in a radically skeptical age. Tough questions are being asked about Christianity. And most believers are ill-equipped to provide the answers our culture and communities desperately need. Many in today’s church do not know the Bible as well as they should and they struggle with their own “big questions” about the faith.  After receiving more than four thousand questions at his Christian Thinkers Society events over the span of six years, Dr. Jeremiah Johnston began to recognize six categories of recurring, trending questions that dominated the rest. In Unanswered, he tackles these tough issues that plague the minds of believers but are rarely addressed in church, such as…

* Why is it that God often seems to remain silent?

* How can we trust in the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and what does it mean for us today?

* What do Christians need to understand about suicide and mental illness?

* How should Christians respond to spiritual darkness and the obsession with paranormal activity?

* Why is biblical illiteracy so dangerous for Christians and the church?

* Why do we experience suffering and pain?

 Unanswered will leave you enriched, characterized by a thinking faith, capable to communicate confidently, and committed to escape the tendency to offer trite answers to a skeptical world. (Picture and description at Amazon)

Next up is our FHS staff book club pick!  It looks intriguing, I'm ready to see what happens in this mystery!

Keep Reading!

Melissa

Starlight Haven: A He Always Loved Her Holiday Romance (Christmas House Romances Book 7), book #1

 

Well, here I am, always finishing up my last Christmas book in January! 😊Seems like that always happens, but I'm not sad about it.  

What I am sad about is that this is the end of this series of books I have thoroughly enjoyed these last two months!  I would highly recommend them if you get the chance to read them.

Their first Christmas kiss—on a high school stage—was their last. He intends to change that.  It’s Christmastime, and Olivia Olsen has returned to her hometown of Mendon with the goal of giving back. Years ago, she sped away in a cloud of humiliation—at the insistence of her overprotective family. The last person she wants to see in Mendon is the person who not only remembers her embarrassment but who caused it: Cody Haught.  What's Cody Haught doing in her hospital? And why is he even better-looking now?  Dr. Cody Haught, bachelor surgeon at Mendon Regional Hospital, can't believe his eyes. Is the new hospital administrator actually Olivia Olsen, the best kiss of his life? The kiss that ruined all subsequent kisses for him?  Is this holiday season the perfect chance for Cody to see whether he imagined the intensity and perfection of the kiss he stole from Olivia on the high school stage, or will he mess up and send her running before Christmas once again?  Starlight Haven is a sweet dose of flutter-filled, snowy holiday romance, healing, and family Christmas traditions, all set in a small-town hospital.  (picture and description at Amazon)

So what now?  I'm still debating whether it will be a non-fiction book yet, but I'll decide soon!

Happy Reading!

Melissa

CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible, books #50-113

 

Ok, so this generic picture from Amazon doesn't do this much justice, but  MY Bible like this is well worn, marked up, prayed over, cried over, highlighted in several colors, etc.  This book -- and my Jesus -- has lived some life with me this past year.  Since this was "encouraged" by our church, the pastors would preach a sermon over the passages we just read the week before.  I learned SO MUCH than I ever have in reading the Bible, between the words of God themselves, the additional notes from George Guthrie, the organization of it, and the sermons.  

The CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible features a narrative approach to the Bible, arranging the full text into a clear chronological reading plan with daily readings guided by Dr. George Guthrie.  In this unique plan, the books, chapters, and verses of the Bible are organized for readers in three main acts to track the story of Scripture from beginning to end. This format is designed to draw readers into the biblical narrative, helping them apply it in their own lives. Unlike most other chronological Bibles, this arrangement is not date-specific (e.g. “January 1”), so you can jump into the plan at any point in the calendar year.

FEATURES

52 weeks of readings (six readings per week) in chronological order

Scripture presented in three main acts (God’s Plan for All People; God’s Covenant People; God’s New Covenant People) and seventeen total scenes

An introduction for each act and scene to provide context for the story

Durable Smyth-sewn lay-flat binding 

Single-column text format with wide margins for notes

The CSB Day-by-Day Chronological Bible features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible® (CSB). The CSB captures the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others. (picture and description at Amazon)

While I started one last Christmas book in December, since I will not finish it until January I'll count it there.  

So, my totals?

113 books (including the 66 in the Bible)

16,981 pages

My goal for 2025?  I have lots of goals and dreams and plans for 2025 that are easy to make when you are home over break laying the sofa, but I am hoping I can make progress with some of them. 😉 

For a reading goal, I see it two-fold:

1. Read at least one non-fiction for every two fiction books, if not every fiction book.  (lofty, I know!)

2. Read all the actual books I have sitting around that I haven't read yet.

I'm going to try and put myself on a Kindle buying ban, but if Tamara Alexander comes out with a new book she keeps talking about, it is for sure going on my Paperwhite.

Happy New Year and New Books!

Melissa