To Read While You Shelter

The warm sun washed over me as I lounged on the porch.  My growing-too-fast boy played and laughed in the yard with a friend.  My supervisory job this afternoon was easy.  I settled in to finish a book.  It was a heavy read so far, but the reviews had been so good, I was sure it would have a wonderful ending.  Moments later I sat, sobbing, my heart in my throat and the images of the heartbreaking ending seared into my mind.  This was the moment I declared, “No more reading books that are too much like real life!”

This declaration holds especially true these days.  My heart is a roller coaster.  One minute I’m laughing over memes, the next my eyes are filled with tears because I miss socialness.  So, my commitment to reading happy endings holds true. 

Here is my round-up of my winter reads.  You should pick one up to pass the time while we’re under Shelter at Home orders!

*None of the links below are affiliate.  I just provide them for your ease of access. *    

Middle Grade and Young Adult

Greetings from Witness Protection, by Jake Burt

Burt weaves a tale that leave you gasping in one minute and smiling the next.  The fast-paced story for middle-grade readers tells the story of Nicki, a pickpocket who hasn’t heard from her dad in years.  She falls into working with Witness Protection.  The story is heart-warming, adventurous and fun.  I enjoyed every minute of it, especially the end. (link)

Once Upon A Dream – A Twisted Tale, by Liz Braswell

The cover asks, “What if the sleeping beauty never woke up?”  This is my second read in Disney’s twisted tale series.  I absolutely love reading and imagining fairy tales from a different perspective.  The story of Aurora and Maleficient was slightly harder to follow than “As Old as Time” (reviewed here *insert link*) but I found myself cheering for the heroine and booing the villainess.  You will love the twists in this one! (link)

The School for Unusual Girls, Kathleen Baldwin

I read this book for two reasons.  First, because my middle school book club girls chose it.  And second, because a reader-friend highly recommended it.  I did NOT choose this book for the cover.  It looks like an old romance novel (which is so not my genre).  But!  This book is a fantastic story!  Set in the 1800s, Georgie is anything but conventional, marriage material.  Her parents are fed up with her antics and send her to a school for girl run by Headmistress Stranje.  The description of the school forced me to question even more closely my friend’s choice in books.  Had she recommended a horror book!? (She hadn’t!) Georgie is brilliant and spontaneous.  Together, with the other girls in the school, they fight for good.  This book has a sequel, told from another girl’s perspective, and it is on my TBR.  (link)

Mayday, by Karen Harrington

If you’re looking for a glimpse into middle school with a twist, this is your book.  Seventh-grader, Wayne, suffers a severe trauma and can’t speak.  He and his family struggle to find their footing after the trauma.  Middle-school is hard and awkward, Harrington’s story will delight and inspire you to kindness. (link)

The Raft, by S.A. Bodeen

Robie’s family lives on a tiny island in the Pacific Islands, through several choices that make perfect sense in her teenage brain, she ends up alone and scared in Honolulu, then terrified on a raft in the middle of the ocean.  There is a shocker at the end of the story that I didn’t see coming!  If you enjoy survival stories, you’ll love this one.  (link)

The Naturals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This is the first in a series and I’m hoping the next ones are just as good, because I could hardly put this one down!  Cassie has an unnatural ability to know people’s thoughts, including the favorite egg style of a mysterious guy who walks into her diner.  When he leaves a note with her payment to contact someone in the FBI, she walks away from average teenage life into a life of using her keen abilities to solve cold cases.  There are twists, turns, and teenage romance.  I can’t wait to read Barnes’ next book, Killer Instinct.  (link)

Spiritual Formation

Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose, by Rebekah Lyons

“As a society we are in a collective panic attack,” Lyons says in the preface of her book.  The simple statement feels true more than ever right now.  Each chapter in Lyon’s book feels like a note of encouragement for a friend.  She inspires us to pursue small changes within four rhythms: Rest, Renew, Connect and Create.  Sprinkled with Scripture, full of personal stories and heart, this book will make a lasting impression.  (link)

Prayer: in Practice, by JLGerhardt

A simple and practical guide to prayer, Gerhardt’s foundational truth is simply this, “Just practice.” I walked through this book with my Bible study group.  This book is not a theological commentary on the importance of prayer, instead it offers suggestions to incorporate a prayer discipline into your every day.  She tells the story of imagining God as waiting for us to notice Him and invite Him into our lives.  This image continues to echo through my mind.  (link)

Happy Reading, Hugs and Blessings – Bethany