Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
 Less romantic than some Sparks novels, this one explores the value of family and history. 

For those who have no family history or wide-spread tribe of relatives, connection can be difficult. Throw in adulthood in the military for a sense of disconnection and homelessness. I enjoyed this and hoped for the surprise outcome that landed on the last pages.

Recommended for a commute, the beach, or a seat by the fireplace.

Jane Austen: Daddy’s Girl by Zöe Wheddon

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
No one has had the same influence on me as my father. I'm a daddy's girl. So of course I was interested in this one! (My mom's amazing, too.)

I found it a bit thick and convoluted, as a British-ish novel based on history often is. The premise of influence and backdrop is strong and interesting. Recommended for Austin fans.

Letters to My Son in Prison by Ken Guidroz

★★★★★  The publisher provided a copy for review. 
It's a gut-wrenching experience for a parent when our kids suffer. It doesn't matter if they've been a victim of someone's bad decision or accidental harm. It doesn't matter if they've done something stupid and are reaping the consequences. It hurts, any way you look at it.

This book grabs you and thrashes you about with the honesty and transparency of a father's heartbreak and restoration. It shares the account of life we never imagine and never sign up for when we hold our babies in our arms and promise to raise them well. It explores the feelings of betrayal and grief and anger that accompany our journeys with kids who screw up.

And it offers hope. Guidroz and his wife talk about the pressures and relief of God taking us through the valleys of shadows where we never expected to walk. If your kids are healthy, if they're a mess, if they're with or against you, you'll want to read this book - 

And if you have friends who are making bad choices, you'll be better informed and better equipped to love and care for them in the middle of the consequences that are coming.

Grand Moments: devotions inspired by grandkids by Lydia Harris

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

Harris writes about her deep love for her grandchildren and for a life of faith. These devotions offers foundational meditations for grandparents who want to deepen their own spiritual life as they interact with the generations. 

Using personal stories, family photos, and biblical insights, Harris invites us to contemplate the privileges, challenges, and opportunities of being spiritual as well as physical ancestors of the current generations. Her questions and summaries will provide a thought for the day or as you fall asleep in the evening.

 

It's Better This Way by Debbie Macomber

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

Macomber is a good writer. Her stories are interesting and familiar because she opens the door to our families, our emotions, and our dreams - by writing about things we know, in uncommon ways.

Claire, Michael, Hilary, and Julia - and their friends - go through challenges that may end in tragedy and mistakes. But ... with the encouragement of her dad's words, ringing in her ears, Julia comes to realize, "It's better this way." 

A fun read, a good story. One to tuck in your bag for the commute or read during the wait for an appointments. 

Living the Seasons: Simple Ways to Celebrate the Beauty of Your Faith throughout the Year by Erica Tighe Campbell

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. We sometimes make faith complicated. In our busy schedules, if we think about the milestones of the Christian calendar at all, celebrating the days may feel like too much of an effort. Designed for busy moms, the simple crafts, explanations of the holidays, and adaptations to family rhythms make this a worthwhile purchase. Add it to your shelf ... or let your kids browse the illustrations for ideas during their carpool.

 

Happiness by Danielle Steel

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

This famous author still knows how to tell a good story. This one was a little random, full of repeated observations and descriptions. But I enjoyed getting to know the family of main characters and how they solve their relationships and resolve their challenges. 

You'll be cheering for the heartfelt hopes and happy with the positive ending. This is one to pick up when you need a little softness to blunt the edges of a day or are passing time on your commute. Enjoy!

A Christmas Vanishing by Anne Perry

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

Ok, this one captured my attention. I wasn't sure where it was going and where it would end until I had finished reading it. 

I enjoy Perry's writing. In her series of Christmas-themed books, this was one of my favorites. It contains mystery, suspense, romance, and holiday hopes. Well worth picking up as the days grow shorter, your evenings are spent indoors, and Christmas comes nearer.

The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly by Margareta Magnusson

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

Delightful stories told by someone who lives life to the full. From the table of contents, a summary of the book's contents, I was hooked into the possibilities of filling my soul with warm relationships, setting priorities, and enjoyment of what is present.

If you don't have a grandma to tell you what life was like a long time ago, you want to read this. Especially, if you don't have an auntie who shares stories of growing up before you could buy everything, travel everywhere, and started to fill your house with clutter, you need to read this.

It will give you balance. It will bring a smile. And you might even get some new ideas about the kind of life you might want to live - and things that are possible when your focus swings from what you can get to who you can be and who you can serve. 

Well worth the time it will take to read. It will leave you feeling satisfied.

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber

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

Two eras collide in a story a Grandmother shares with her grandchildren. At the center of the story is a week-long swap before Christmas - between a pastor and a bartender. 

Can you influence people in a new way when you change your environment? Can having someone take your place help you see life in a new way?

This is a delightful story of transformation and love and kindness. It's interesting to think about how your life touches others. Highly recommend this tale by a master storyteller.

A Truth to Lie For by Anne Perry

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

 Who are you? And who are they? Possibilities of past and present come alive in this pre-WWII novel in the Elena Standish mystery series. You'll wonder what the history books don't say and listen to your grandpa and grandma's stories in a different way.

You can hardly put it down, with all its plot surprises. You'll sometimes cheer, sometimes wonder who is a "good guy", and turn the last page with a sigh. Why? because you'll be waiting for the next in the series.

Mad Honey A Novel by Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan

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

Picoult is always a thought-provoking author. This tale of beekeeping weaves personal choices and consequences into the modern tale of gender and acceptance. It's current, morally fluid, and will resonate with those redefining themselves in post-modern ways.

I always enjoy the storytelling. This time around, the values are so far from my own that I found myself shaking my head as I was thinking about the distance between what is accepted and promoted, and what is healthy for society and families.

The High Notes by Danielle Steel

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

Steel is a storyteller who understands the price of fame. She can share that in a good tale. She exposes how you look like a success when you have no life of your own, when your contracts belong to those who don't care about you, and when your private world seems against you. 

Then, when all is lost, here;s a story about being found. Some scenes are unrealistic and not relatable for those outside of the entertainment industry, but you can dream along and empathize with the musicians and their crews. 

This is a book about the highs and lows of fame, about the importance of people over money or acclaim. It's about making those you love happy because you know what really matters.

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

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

A contest between grownups who survived troubled childhoods. A fantasy island where children's dreams come true. On Clock Island, perspectives are regained and relationships are mended. Children who are broken or thrown away, brought to life. And a Mastermind, the aging author who loves children and keeps his promises. It's all here.

You'll like this one if you like adventure and suspense without gore. It's a wild ride and a sweet ending. For your childish heart, buy a copy and enjoy it from beginning to end.

Look for quotable takeaways like, "Hate is like a knife without a handle. You can't cut something with it without cutting yourself." 

"He said yes. He said yes ten thousand times in a row." 

And, "You're going to have a very magical life (if you want it; feel free to say no as magic always comes with a price)."

The Fourth Enemy by Anne Perry

[Can it be over a year since I posted a review? Yikes. Here's a book worth reading if you like mysteries or who-dunnits.]

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

Anne Perry is a best-selling author for a reason. Her plot is rarely predictable, her storyline is creative, and her characters are compelling. 

This book is no exception. Daniel Pitt, start of this sixth novel in the series, is recently married. His father-in-law and wife are concerned with a case that could bring him down, harm their business, or cause death and destruction. Pitt depends on trusted advisers from his family and professional circles. But can he defeat a canny adversary?

With tension to the last page and a satisfying outcome, what's not to like? Pick up a copy and be prepared to stay up late to read what comes next.

The Grumble Free Year by Tricia Goyer

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Imagine challenging yourself and your family to a year of no grumbling! That's what Goyer did - and then she wrote about their experiment. She offers suggestions and steps on how the family faced the challenge and took the opportunity for transformation. An interesting practical look at how life thrives with appreciation, honesty, and no grumbling.

Well worth reading, whether you are single, married, or have a family. This book will give you opportunities to change your trajectory from grumbling to gratefulness.

The Mindful Writing Workshop: Teaching in the Age of Stress and Trauma by Richard Koch

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Stuff happens. Life does not always unfold as it should, with loving parents, caring siblings, and trustworthy friends. Nor does the environment always stay peaceful and supportive of children as they grow up.

This book is intended as a working manual for guiding children through their traumas and stresses toward health and an integrated, productive life. Koch presents an opportunity for a classroom in which children can choose their part in the activities from options that draw them out and draw them forward. The key values are compassion, kindness, respect, and attention from teachers, which are fostered among the students themselves.

Though the underlying philosophy is Buddhism, the principles of caring for each other are valuable and important. Christian teachers (and those of other religions) can translate the values of respectful compassion into their own ways of thinking and pedagogy. This worthy volume will deepen conversation, enhance interactive learning, and encourage respectfulness among colleagues and our students.

Recommended.

The Characters of Christmas by Daniel Darling

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
You can read this book with your kids, your friends, or on your own. "Christmas is just around the corner," as they say.

Whether you're a volunteer or staff member trying to present a holistic picture of the Christmas story, or a parent trying to make sense of what Joseph and Mary went through, you'll enjoy this creative exploration of who the characters may have been - around the time of Jesus' birth.

For a fresh look at the old old story, pick up a copy to read by yourself or with friends.

Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures: Volume 2 by Louis L'Amour, Beau L'Amour

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. I have a complete leather-bound collection of Westerns on our cabin shelf. They're barely read because we bought paperbacks of the same books so we could dog-ear the corners, flip them upside-down, and take them to the lake without worrying about their condition.

They're Louis L'Amour novels. A friend introduced us to L'Amour as a favorite author - so I started reading. And kept reading. I get lost in the stories, though they can be formulaic.

And here comes another set, introduced by Louis' son Beau - along with a biography of his father's writing career and connections. I learned a lot, enjoyed the stories (and broader genres), and observations of his writing process.

I'll say it - if you're a fan (old or new), get this volume. You'll feel the familiar cadence in L'Amour's writings. He's a great storyteller and entertainer. But you'll also be surprised by the breadth of his observation of life around the world - beyond Westerns. Recommended.

Nine Thoughts That Can Change Your Marriage by Sheila Wray Gregoire

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Marriage is no easy relationship. It is not something that can be treated lightly after the white dress is hung up, the flowers have wilted, and the new furniture is moved into a house.

This, written in an easy-to-read style, could be called "The nine secrets of a happy marriage." Gregoire examines damaging assumptions with which women enter and maintain their marriage.

She encourages wives to continue to pursue health and strengthen their marriages by changing their thinking ... and thus their actions. There are chapters on treating our husbands as friend and neighbor, accepting them as they are, not competing, and being a person of peace.

If you have been struggling in marriage or if you need a book that offers hope for a wife who wants to bring health to her marriage relationship, pick this us.