Tag Book Review

John Newton – An Amazing Life

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Book #11 of 2023

For a reader, it is hard to judge books sometimes. The writing style may be great, but the content not so much. Sometimes, the book contains a great plot, but the writing fell short. Then there are books or characters who we can’t stomach because they are so cringey, and sometimes grammatical error causes us to wonder “who was their editor?”. Although all of these things may be true, mercifully, once in a while, a book comes along and changes our lives. The book touches our soul and inspires us to be better humans. It’s the kind of book that ends too quickly and then leaves us sad when we finish it. This is what John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace written by Jonathan Aitken was for me. It is a a biography of the man who famously wrote the classical hymn “Amazing Grace”. He was the man who counseled William WIlberforce to stay in politics and not become a preacher so he could to lead the way in the abolition of the British Slave Trade. Ahead of his time, he was a free thinker seeing how Christians not only need to pervade in church, but also in politics, culture and the secular realm.

I do believe in having Christian schools, Christian music, Christian literature, Christian art is important, but what John Newton’s philosophy was that Christians should teach well, make music well, write well and basically create well; and to do such a good job at what we do that the world notices our music, our art, our books. Culture shapes us, and I believe that the Church is not leading when it comes to contributing to it. We – to our chagrin – have let the culture permeate ours. Whatever you do, do it as if you would the Lord, unfortunately I think we have not done that.

If you are a jeweler, make great jewelry. If you are an author, write amazing stories. If you are an educator, teach your students and ignite their passions. Sometimes, I feel that we just want to create and because it has a “Christian” label, we say it is good. Or we wish to seperate ourselves so much from the world that we become obsolete. May this not be. We were made not only to share the Gospel and sanctify ourselves, but also we are to be like our Creator and create good things . Here is what Martin Luther says about this subject:

“The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”

This book has gone on my shelves – and I am very picky about what goes into my shelf because these are the books I hope to pass on to my children or grandchildren. The book is now full of highlighted quotes and scribbles of thoughts and wondering.

Reading about the life of Mr. Newton before he came to salvation was shocking at time

He was a wretch of the worst kind, but Jesus saved him. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found. Was blind, but now I see.” Mr. Newton along with his friend William Cowper wrote beautiful hymns about their love for God. Mr. William Cowper is another biography that I can’t wait to read. He struggled with depression and mental health problems and unfortunately took his own life. John Newton, several times intervened from Mr. Cowper’s suicidal attempts. Also, William Wilberforce, in a time when it was not popular, advocated for not only against the slave trade, but also the rights of animals and their proper treatement. Hannah Moore, another friend of Mr. Newton, was a proponent of teaching all children to read and write – another unpopular idea. Their faith is what moved them to then eventually move the culture. What minds surrounded such a man! I want to be like him! I want all kinds of minds and opinions around me – not just an echo chamber! I want to let the Word of God move me in such a way that it moves the culture around me. I want all that I touch to be the best and to honor God.

Christian, if you have a talent, use it for God’s glory! Be the best at it and let that talent shine on into the darkness that this world produces ad nauseum.

I highly recommend this book if you like biographies or if you want to be inspired by such a tumultous and simultaneously beautiul life as was the life of John Newton. The book is 328 pages long. This book is 5 stars out of 5!


The Housemaid

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Book #9 of 2023

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden is a domestic thriller about a young woman named Millie who is just out of prison trying to make it in life. She has been living in her car and has applied to a housekeeping ad. She is finally called for an interview. The woman who will be her boss lives the life Millie could only dream of. Nina dresses meticulously in white, has tons of money, but there is something Nina isn’t telling Millie. Millie is soon hired and part of her job is to live in the house with Nina’s family. Millie’s rooms are not what she thought they would be, and it looks like the door can be locked from the outside. Then there’s Nina’s handsome husband who has to also deal with Nina’s outbursts. Little by little Millie begins to figure out something is not quiet right, but what Nina’s family doesn’t know is that Millie also has a secret of her own. What later transcends is a rollercoaster ride of suspense and a twist at the end that will leave you speechless.

The Housemaid was one of the books the Shire Bookstore picked to read for our latest book talk. Something I have come to enjoy about these book talks is that we tend to pick books that I wouldn’t go out of my way to read, and lately it has been very refreshing. I had heard of Freida McFadden on BookTok, and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I was pleasantly surprised. The Housemaid is a fun read. There weren’t any quotes that I had to highlight or moments in the book full of wisdom. The book wasn’t thought-provoking or life changing, but it was entertaining, and that is sometimes what is needed in life. Nothing deep or profound, but something enjoyable enough to keep me in suspense throughout the reading. This is what The Housemaid was to me. The characters were not very deep, but the story line was good and the twist in the end did actually procure a small gasp from me. I am learning to try to read a book without trying to figure out the end of it, so I allowed myself to be carried away in this one, and I am glad I did

There is a sequel to this book called The Housemaid’s Secret. I have heard that it is good, but not as good as the first book. Freida McFadden has another book called The Inmate that I have heard is even better than The Housemaid.

I recommend The Housemaid to anyone who likes domestic thrillers or suspense. I was a bit fearful of graphic sex scenes, but there weren’t any – that just isn’t my vibe. There is some gore though and a lot of psychological suspense. Most of the ladies at the book talk enjoyed the book. If you are interested in joining one of our book talks, we get together about once a month towards the end of the month. Our next book talk will be on the book When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill. For more information check us out on Facebook or Instagram.

The book is 338 pages.
This book has a Goodreads rating of 4.36

What Jesus Demands

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Book #8 of 2023
Book Review

The word “demand” brings about a lot of connotations. When someone demands instead of asking for something, my rebellious nature usually tends to not give in to said demand. My heels tend to dig in when things are demanded of me. Just ask nicely, and things will go smoother.

Like many of John Piper’s books, he has a way of explaining what he means in very honest ways. My defenses would not be up nor my heels dug in to disobey if a fire fighter, after rescuing me from the flames of a burning building, thrusts a cool cup of water at me and demands I drink it. “Here, drink this!” he would exclaim, and a heaving, soot-covered me would gladly oblige. This is the tone of the book. There are many things that Jesus demands from His followers, but like the newly rescued, my attitude shifts because all Jesus is demanding of me, He is providing and ultimately is for my good. As a rescue, I am grateful and wanting to do what He demands because it feels good to do it. Like the cool water to my parched throat his demands will help me and heal me. There are some healing that is slow and painful, but in the end, I become better and He is glorfied.

In an interview about this book, Mr. Piper states that he took a 4 month study time to focus solely on the second part of the Great Commission which states “and you shall teach them all that I have commanded you”. What has Jesus commanded us to do? Piper mentions that he was able to group all the commands Jesus gives into 50 categories, each one is then listed as a chapter in the book.

This book was intense, but isn’t Christianity? We are miraculously saved from not just Hell, but our own destruction here on earth. What Jesus asks of us goes against the grain of our nature. To forgive the unforgiveable, to love the unlovely, to pray for our enemies and give to those who would steal from us. Why does Jesus ask such things from us? Because, it was/is what He did/does for us. He forgives the unforgiveable. He loves the unlovely. He intercedes for us, and all that we have exploited and taken and used in His creation, He gladly gives us more. We do all these things for others, because we know it was done to us first. Then, to top it all off, we are better for it. When we gladly obey His commands, we are not tied to the petty things and feelings of this world, but we are elevated to a place the world cannot understand.

After reading these kinds of books, I often wonder what my life would look like if I radically obeyed all Jesus commands. What would my life be like? I have failed to obey most of the things He demands of me, but as always He is longsuffering and compassionate in allowing me to continue in my sanctification. In His eyes, I am forgiven. Blameless. Loved and doing a great job! Even when I don’t feel that way. Truth is immovable to my fluctuating feelings, and I am so grateful for that.

Piper does warn that it is easy to fall into leagalism with these demands, and anything done without love is in vain and even sinful. This also isn’t a to-do list. Remember the imagery given at the beginning. You are not drinking that cool cup of water begrudgingly. In order to have the right attitude, we must have a right understading of what it cost to save us and be grafted into the family of God. And when we understand who we are and that inspite of that, God loved us and sent His Son to save us, then obeying what He demands becomes easy and even pleasant.

To say I enjoyed this book would be the wrong phrase. I grew when I read this. As Christians, we cannot look the same as the world. There is no other religion in the world where the god does all the work, provides all the faith and asks us to rest in his love. We are truly blessed to do as He demands.

This book is 400 pages. It has a Goodreads rating of 4.26.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – Book Review

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Book # 7


Usually after reading a book with a WWII setting, I have to take a break from the genre. The depravity of human behavior always shocks me, as does the will to live or to hope during such a dark time. The seriousness of these kinds of books is heavy, and reading one right after the other is hard for me. With The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, I knew to expect a heaviness since I had an idea that it was set during the Holocaust. But the fact that it was written from the perspective of a 9 year-old boy really threw a curve ball into my reading.


I have an infinity to this time period. I read about it, watch documentaries and movies about it, and listen to interviews of survivors. I say this because I have an idea of the atrocities that happened at Auschwitz, but little Bruno (the narrator of the book) had no clue of what was happening on the other side of the wired fence. He’s nine. He’s German and his dad is the Commandant in charge of this concentration camp. Bruno has just moved to Auschwitz in Poland and misses his friends and the previous life that he had in Berlin. In his innocence he can’t even pronounce Auschwitz correctly and pronounces it Out-with. He even calls the Fuhrer, “fury”.  One day, Bruno takes a longer walk than usual, and meets a little boy on the other side of the fence. His name is Shmuel. Shmuel is small and super thin, but Bruno at least has a friend now, since there aren’t many little boys to play with in a concentration camp.

The author, Mr. Boyne, does an incredible job to keep the book tightly locked in the perspective of a little boy. But as an adult who knows exactly what is going on in Auschwitz, who knows how obscene humans can be, the clashing contrast of these two worlds – that of a little boy in 1943 and a 41 year-old woman in 2023 – made me frantic. Bruno cannot fathom why his friend is so thin. Bruno cannot understand why the people who march, then fall and then some never get up. Bruno cannot comprehend why Shmuel shivers at the sight of the soldiers. He is clueless! As he should be! The whole time I am reading this book I am literally shaking the book to somehow shake Bruno to not eat part of the food that he brings Shmuel. To advocate for Shmuel. To stand up to the cruelty and inhumanity that his dad bestows on the prisoners of Auschwitz. But he’s only nine! He can’t even pronounce the name of the camp correctly. And even if he could comprehend that people were methodically starved and worked to death. Bruno has no power. He has no say. He has no authority. This is why I think this is an amazing book, because most of us know what happened in Auschwitz, but Mr. Boyne is able to make it read as a children’s book.

The book is astonishingly not gory or horrific. All the emotions I felt were only because of the knowledge I have of the Holocaust. The end was the hardest part to read, but written so well that my heart was pounding.

If you are a reader of WWII historical fiction, you should also read this book!
Although, the book is written from the perspective of a nine year old, it is not a children’s book. As a mother of 6 children, I would allow my older middle schoolers to read this, but no younger.  

This book receives 4.5 stars out of 5 for me.  
The book is 240 pages long
It has a 4.15 rating on Goodreads

If you like WWII period books, here are some I recommend:
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Violinist of Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood
The Huntress by Kate Quinn
Night by Elie Wiesel
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Listen To Me – Book Review

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Book #6

This is the 13th installment of the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerritsen. If you like this series you will not be disappointed in her latest book. This time, we get to know more of Jane’s mother, Angela.

The book starts off with a car accident and then moves into a brutal murder of a nurse. Somehow it is all connected to another murder. This twisty story is wrapped beautifully in the end and left me very satisfied. The scenes where Angela is involved are funny and she becomes a very likeable character. Although, some of her antics are a little over the top and exaggerated, I found that those parts made Angela a more charismatic character. All of these moving parts made the book a lot more entertaining.


I have read all of the Rizzoli & Isles books and have grown to love the differences in the characters. Most of Mrs. Gerritsen books in this series have vicious killers, and so does this one, but out of all her other books, Listen To Me was a little lighter. This was not a bad thing, but the book had more moments where I smiled a lot more. It was refreshing. Don’t get me wrong, there was still the all the drama that comes with medical and detective thrillers, but the book wasnt as “heavy” as other Rizzoli and Isles books.

If you love this series, you will love this book. I don’t recommend this book if you have not followed the series because I think the book may be found to be a bit silly to someone who isn’t familiar with the character Angela. Mrs. Gerritsen writes admirably, but this book would not be a good representation of her character development she’s nurtured in the people she writes about in her books.

I have given the book 4 out of 5 stars, and look forward to the next book by Mrs. Gerritsen!

This book is 307 pages
Was released on July 2022
It has a 4.18 stars on Goodreads

The Butcher and the Wren – Book Review

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If you are into true crime, you may have heard of Morbid. It is a podcast on true crime, creepy history and all things spooky. It is co-hosted by Alaina Urquhart who is the author of The Butcher and the Wren. Ms. Urquhart is not just a co-host of the podcast, but she is also an autopsy technician, which to me brought a whole new element into reading her book!

With such a huge following of the Morbid podcast, the moment this book was released, it easily became a bestseller! This book is set in the Louisiana bayou and introduces us to forensic pathologist Wren Muller who works for the medical examiner’s office. There is a brutal killer on the lose who is leaving a string of victims. Can the dead reveal who this monster is? Can Wren give the detectives evidence to help them track down who the serial killer is? With several twists and turns, the book is a fast paced, cat and mouse thriller.

I think the fact that the author has the experience of being an autopsy technician added validity to the scenes in the book where Wren is in the autopsy room. The author was very knowledgeable in this area, but then, the book fell short. Ms. Urquhart didn’t really develop her characters very well. I really didn’t get a good sense of who Wren was in the book. She lacked depth and personality. It wasn’t that I didn’t like her – I don’t mind hating a character in a book – it was that I didn’t know her well enough to form any opinion of her. The same thing went for the serial killer. He was brutal, but that was all. What made him the monster he was? Tell me the history of his home, tell me of his depraved thoughts and mind, or of his past. Tell me more so I can get this creep into my mind and then into my nightmares! There were gory parts, but that seemed all it was. The book felt bland where we are just given some substance, but not context. There was great potential for the book, but in the end, it fell flat for me. The constant use of short sentences with minimal adjectives, didn’t allow the reader to fall into the book or get lost in it. Even as I write, I struggle to remember the main characters in the book. The twist towards the end did redeem it slightly for me, but then the end left me a bit confused and then disappointed. It really didn’t make any sense.

I really wanted to like this book. The cover is amazing, and I liked the word play of the title, but in the end, it gets a 2.5 out of 5 star rating for me. I didn’t completely hate it, but I didn’t like it either. It will not go on my permanent bookshelf. Although, I do believe this book would be a good book for someone who is maybe just getting into reading. I would also recommend it to younger adults who are into slashers or thrillers and doesn’t care too much about character building or context.

You can buy this book at The Shire Bookstore or click here.

Genre: Thriller/ Suspense/ Mystery/ Horror
Pages: 242
Published: September 13, 2022
Goodreads Rating: 3.75

A Man Called Ove – Book Review

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Book #4 of the year!

A Man Called Ove (pronounced OOvah) is a book about a curdmugeon who has just lost his wife. He battles with suicidal thoughts. He also is perpetually annoyed by his neighbors and all those around him. He is cranky and mean, but slowly he is awakened to a new version of himself and slowly begins to enjoy his life, sort of. The same people who annoy him, end up being the same people who smooth out his rough edges. Also, the cat who is just as cranky as him, is super hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout this book and most of the time, the cat was in the scene.

COVERT SPOILERS AHEAD!

I am the opposite of Mr. Ove. I see rules more like guidelines, and for Ove rules were obeyed always. I try different things all the time where Ove hated change. I struggle with routines, Ove thrived in them. I am fluid with what I wear or eat, Ove didn’t have much of a wardrobe. Silence with others is a treasured thing for me, but with strangers, the hardest thing for me to do is be quiet – you get the picture. I usually am not cranky and I definitely never send back my food at a restaurant, return items to a retail store or write emails or letters regarding my warranty. But as life would have it, I am drawn to people who are hyper routine oriented. People who see black and white, right and wrong, and who lean more towards stoicism. I can see the necessity for people who see the world like Ove – granted, I do believe Ove needed someone to slap him once in a while to snap out of it. There is a point where you are taking yourself or life a bit too seriously. Ove did have someone like that in his wife. She saw potential in his seriousness, but as luck would have it for Ove, she passed away. His wife, Sonja, died and Ove didn’t know what to do with himself. Us extroverts need the introverts to draw us into ourselves and contemplate about things. To not speak and listen. To see that this way is right or this way is wrong. The same goes with introverts, we draw them out into sponteneity, a little bit of chaos, and once in a while, side-splitting laughter!

This and more is what A Man Called Ove is about – our differences. How in the mundane and in the monotony is where deep relationships can flourish. Our lives intersect and touch each other unceasingly, and what we do in those moments either chips away at our humanity, or interlinks it. I loved A Man Called Ove because I have a lot of cranky people in my life that just need a hug, and even though I may run the risk of being rejected, I am confident in myself enough to keep loving them.

Something else I really didn’t expect from this book was the insight I would receive about people who are suicidal. I am continuously grateful that I have never struggled with suicidal thoughts. I know that there are many out there who suffer from these kinds of thoughts. I know many who have to fight depression and sadness every day. I am thankful that this is not my lot in life. Reading Ove’s thoughts really surprised me. In my mind, I thought that he would quit after his first failed attempt at hanging himself. What a shock I received when Ove attempted yet again to kill himself. He failed to kill himself several times, and still tried to do it. In my sunshine-rainbows-and-kittens-type-of-mind, he should be grateful he didn’t die, see the light, realize he has so much to live for and move on from his loneliness. I am so dense! All who I have spoken with who struggle with melancholia and depression, these thoughts seem to never leave. Yes, they have happy moments. Yes, they see that they are needed. Yes, life does go on, but in the background hangs this low dark cloud of sadness, loneliness or even suicide.

Learning things like this is why all of us should read fiction. C.S. Lewis writes that fiction “enlarges our perspective”. It allows us “to escape from ourselves into one another”. What a better way to get to know those around us who are not like us. Yes, could I read statistics on suicide among teens? Could I read about chemical imbalances or hormonal fluctuations in the brain? Of course. But something else happens to my soul when I read about a man’s bellowed sob that springs from his soul at the loss of his wife. At the frustrated wail of a mother when the doctor can do nothing more for her child. Of the silent cry of a woman holding the lifeless body of sister, who survived a Nazi camp only to die later of pneumonia. Fiction reaches us where statistics can’t.

I will eventually forget the stats I read, but I probably will never forget Ove.

This is officially my first 5 star rating of the year!! I recommend this book to anyone who likes heartwarming books! You can buy this book and other books by Mr. Fredrik Backman at the Shire Bookstore. If you liked As Good As It Gets the movie, you’ll definitely like this book. Obviously there are several attempts at suicide throughout the book, so if you struggle with those thoughts, please be careful as you read. Also, there is a movie based on this book starring Tom Hanks called “A Man Called Otto”. I recently read that it will eventually stream on Netflix.

Grow Your Roots

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Second book for the year is read!

At The Shire Bookstore, all kinds of books come in as donations and I am always so grateful for them! I saw this book and thought it would be a fun read, and it was! The book is titled “Kentucky Ghosts” and is written by William Lynwood Montell. It is composed of 6 short stories and each one mentions the county of where the ghost story originated.

I am not a Kentucky native, but I have grown to love this beautiful state. In my home state of Texas, there is hot and hotter when it comes to weather, but here in Western Kentucky I get to enjoy the four seasons. I love the massive trees, the array of birds, the wildlife, and just how close to nature I can get to. The temperatures are not extreme and the people are friendly. It is my prayer that God will keep us here until I draw my last breath. My family has cultivated and grown roots here, and that is what I want to briefly talk about in this blog.

One way that we can grow roots and love for an area is to read about its local history. I know that after I read “Drowned Town” by Jayne Moore Waldrop, I did grow a reverence for the lakes that are minutes from my house. I met the people affected by the flooding of the rivers. I visited sites with my children and walked along the shores of the lakes looking into their vastness trying to imagine a town under there. Reading Kentucky Ghosts helped my roots here get just a little stronger. Two of the six stories spoke of counties I recognized (Trigg and Muhlenberg). The stories in the book weren’t scary per se and they spoke of haints and ghosts in a positive light. I may not believe in ghosts, but the stories told me more about the living than about the dead. It spoke of the connection to family and how love surpases all. One of the stories was a bit silly as it was meant to be. I believe the author of the book wanted this book to feel as if grandma or grandpa was telling you their story around a campfire or the house hearth. That is what the book felt like.

If you like local folk tales or history written in a very simple form, then I believe you would like this book. This book can be read in one sitting. It is only 64 pages long. I only have one copy of this book at The Shire and it is $5. You can also buy this book if you click here.

Live Your Truth and Other Lies

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Book Review

I first heard of Alisa Childers when she spoke as part of the documentary American Gospel. I loved her eloquence and the story she gave about her faith, so I wrote her name down on my notes. When I looked her up, I was elated to find out that she has a podcast and a YouTube channel. Her book then was “Another Gospel” and spoke on progressive Christianity. In that book, she speaks about how she struggled in her faith, and how doubt reigned most days. She also spoke on the dangers of what has now been coined as “deconstruction”. Deconstruction is when church leaders and other outside sources deconstruct a person’s faith, to then build up a more progressive Christianity/idealogy. Desiring God puts it as ” Deconstruction is a critical dismantling of a person’s understanding of what it means to be an evangelical Christian. To read more about this, you can visit this link.

Now onto Alisa’s second book – Live Your Truth and Other Lies. Alisa does great in explaining how a lot of humanistic cultural concepts have crept into the church. She affirms that truth is not subjective (my truth, your truth), but objective (the truth). She does so well in telling us the disservice we do to society and to other Christians when we let them “follow their heart” or go with “what feels right”. So many times, I “amened” what she had to say. She put to words so many things I have thought and worried about when it comes to nominal American Christianity. Sometimes the truth hurts, and the only way to make it not hurt is to lie, and that benefits no one.

Here are some quotes from the book:

There’s a big difference between live your truth, and live the truth.

So many of the lies we cover in this book begin with the foundation of self. To be authentic, I must belong to myself. To be happy, I must put myself first. To be fulfilled I must be enough for myself. To be successful, I must control my own destiny. All these ideas build upon the starting point of “self”. But as we look at each lie, we’ll see the self is a faulty foundation. It’s a structure with cracks in it; it’s broken.

Our culture is brimming with slogans that promise peace, fulfillment, freedom, empowerment, and hope. The problem? They are lies.

I do recommend this book to all Christians! I really enjoyed it and learned so much from it. I will forever be a fan of Mrs. Childers.

I gave this book 4.5 stars out of 5. The only reason I did not 5 star this book was because Alisa likes to give examples to help explain her position, and sometimes those examples were unrelatable to me and maybe a bit juvenile. Thankfully, this may have happened only twice, but enough for me not to 5-star it.

You can buy this book at my bookstore The Shire or order it on Amazon.

60 Books This Year!

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This year I was able to read 60 books. Here is my list with short comments on some of them!

The rating is to the right of the book title and author.

* = did not like. Had trouble finishing.
** = it was okay. Sometimes felt like a waste of time.
*** = not bad. Some parts were annoying.
**** = good book, recommend if you like that genre
***** = excellent book. totally recommend for all. May have changed my life!

  1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak *****
    This book brought back a lot of memories. The illustrations are still impacting, and I so enjoyed reading it again!
  2. John Wycliffe: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History ***
  3. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch ****
    This book was very interesting if you like books about parallel universes. It took a couple of chapters to figure out what is going on, but my oh my what a wild ride!
  4. Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier *****
    Book on the affects of transgender ideology on our young girls. This book is fair to both sides and raises excellent questions.
  5. Tilly by Frank Peretti ***
    A book about a woman dealing with an abortion.
  6. Post Mortem by Patricia Cornwell ****
  7. A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent *****
  8. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner *****
    Total fan-girl of Skippyjon Jones now!
  9. Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Edward T. Welch *****
    Great book if you are a Christian who struggles with any kind of addiction.
  10. Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston **
  11. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides **
    This was nothing like the Silent Patient. Ugh!
  12. Where the Crawdads Sing *****
  13. Eating Disorders by Edward Welch *****
  14. Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier **
    Too much teenage drama for me to care.
  15. Fractured by Karin Slaughter ****
  16. Help! I’m a Slave to Food by Shannon McCoy ****
  17. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James ****
  18. The Premature Burial by Edgar A. Poe ****
    This one was actually good, and cracked me up. Who knew Poe could be funny!?
  19. The Long Walk by Stephen King ***
    Mr. King and his horrible endings! Great story though!
  20. Piercing Heaven by Robert Elmer *****
    Excellent book on prayer! WOW!!
  21. Oliver Twist: A Graphic Novel by Charles Dickens & Dan Johnson ****
  22. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins ***
    It was okay. Not as good as the Hunger Games. Knowing that Snow isn’t going to die, somewhat removes the suspense for me. Interesting history though.
  23. Endless Love by Scott Spencer **
  24. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary ****
  25. Naughty Mabel by Nathan Lane ****
    Laughed. Cute book!
  26. Extraordinary Insects by Anne Sverdup-Thygeson ****
  27. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry ****
  28. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen ****
  29. The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman ****
  30. Verity by Colleen Hoover ***
    Not my type of book. Not into relationship drama!
  31. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein *****
    Very emotional book.
  32. Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin **
  33. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee *****
    Excellent book! I couldn’t pick up another book for days because I was still processing this one!
  34. House of Shadows by Darcy Coates ****
    First time I have read this author. Very gothic. I will be reading her again.
  35. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R.R. Tolkien ***
    Mr. Frodo would agree, it is a long journey of a book.
  36. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson *****
    Suprised at how much I liked this book. Definitely recommend! There are some very uncomfortable scenes of pain and torture though.
  37. Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson ***
  38. The Crucible by Arthur Miller ***
  39. Drowned Town by Jayne Moore Waldrop ***
    Great resource if you want to know more about our local history of Western Kentucky. Historical Fiction though.
  40. Ruckkus on the Ranch bya Texas Tenors **
  41. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart *
    I can’t stand teenage drama! I wanted them all to die!
  42. Lord of the Flies by William Golding ****
  43. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid ***
    She is a good writer, but lots of gay relationships, and frankly that just not my cup of tea.
  44. Gild by Raven Kennedy **
  45. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell *
    Too woke!
  46. The Bald Bandit by Ron Roy ***
  47. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah Maas ****
    Ms. Maas is an excellent writer, but just not a fantasy fan.
  48. Hearth-Shaped Box by Joe Hill **
    Not into old man, young woman relationships!
  49. Exalting Jesus in Ecclesiastes by Daniel Akin *****
    Excellent Bible study!
  50. Queens Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle **
    Queen Kathering Parr was not woke!
  51. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson ****
    Wonderful classic!
  52. Knowing Sin by Mark Jones ****
  53. Thinner Leaner Stronger by Michael Matthews ***
  54. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom *****
    Everyone needs to read this book! WWII non fiction.
  55. A Cat’s Life by Gemma Correl ***
  56. Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica ***
    Great book until the ending! Hated the ending!!
  57. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey ****
  58. Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Durham ***
    Great characters except the main characters.
  59. Zoo by James Patterson **
    Sorry, I’m not a James Patterson fan. I don’t like his writing style. Its too typical!
  60. The Unsaved Christian by Dean Inserra ****
    I just finished this book today. Great read! Recommend to all who live in the USA. There are a lot of unsaved Christians.