Faithful Futures: sacred tools for engaging younger generations by Josh Packard

★★★★★ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
Here's a timely text for anyone working with Western young people in GenX or GenZ. In the classroom we've noticed a great shift in our students over the past decade. They seek personal time and attention from adults ... but on their own terms.

Their focus is more temporal, self-absorbed, and disconnected than that of past generations. It's not that GenX and Z don't want to make a difference, but we notice that their engagements must offer personal benefits and fit their shifting convictions.

It's not easy to be young now. (Has it ever been?) Social media, materialism, and environmental concerns are just a few of the pressures these young people feel.

Packard tackles their realities by listening carefully and respectfully to their needs and wants. His recommendations are supported by rigorous research. He aims to help youth workers "move from theory into faithful practice" as they engage the current generation.

Highly recommended for teachers, lecturers, administrators, and anyone else who works with GenX and GenZ.

Freeing the Wild by Paisley Hope

 ★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

A novel of hope and friendship, of community and new chances. Take this one to the beach - or curl up in front of the fireplace for a cozy romance. If you like country music, that's a bonus.

Holistic Retirement Planning by Ron Missun

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
If you haven't looked ahead, retirement is still coming for you. Unless you're dead, you're going to need more information than "my pension is coming this month." 

Keeping your goals and personality in mind, you'll want to engage your whole person - body, soul, and spirit - in the coming season. Missun provides a blueprint for various aspects of retiring well. Recommended.

Wish You Were Her by J.E. Rowney

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
A thriller and mystery in a beautiful setting. This one's for the person who likes to read on the edge of her seat. I didn't guess the outcome early on, nor did I expect to be pulled in. Surprise. 

Take it to the beach in full sunlight or read it in a room with the lights turned up.

Women in the Mission of the Church by Leanne M. Dzubinski; Anneke H. Stasson

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Sometimes you need stories to remind you of God's work in the world. Though there have been many books and opinions about women in ministry and their place in God's kingdom, this one provides illustrations of women who fulfilled the call of God in the Church, among pressures and cultural constraints. 

Recommended when you feel discouraged, disadvantaged, or unseen. Do what's in front of you. Trust that God will accomplish his purposes for you, as he did for these disciples of Jesus.

Ten-Step Drawing: Everyday Things: Learn to draw 60 ordinary items in ten easy steps! by Justine Lecouffe

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
If you aspire to sketch things around you, pick up this book of beginnings. You'll learn to evaluate shapes, distance, and drawing. It's basic and helpful! with many illustrations and step-by-step lessons.

War Woman: A Daughter's Promise by Sheri Peppers

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
When cultures collide and help comes from unexpected sources, how do you carry out your mission of justice? This novel of historical romance will warm the hearts of those who enjoy fiction set in early American history.