"5 Things to Pray for Your Church" by Rachel Jones

5 Things to Pray for Your Church by Rachel Jones is a handy little book The Church at West Creek gave to its congregation for Christmas.  I pretty much read it all through in one sitting, but it is more of a reference book to be used daily.  There are 21 general themes with five specific things to pray about for each that are based on passages of scripture.  What a great little booklet with which to start off the New Year.  I look forward to using this with my husband when we pray together and also seeing how our church becomes even better as a result of the whole congregation using this book to help increase the prayers for our church.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Mastering the Mental Game of Pickleball" by Joe Baker

Mastering the Mental Game of Pickleball by Joe Baker is a book I devoured.  This is full of tips for choosing the right shot, shot placement, strategies, league play, recreational play, focusing and more.  I took notes as I read and ended up with a list of 25 tips for improving my game.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their pickleball game and win percentage.  I found it to be very interesting and practical.  I look forward to implementing the tips and suggestions in this book.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Stay" by Bobbie Pyron Inspires Children to Help Others

Stay by Bobbie Pyron is about a family that has to live in a homeless shelter and a woman who lives on the street with only her small dog to keep her company.  It also shows how people can rally around for a good cause and help others who are going through hard times.  I especially loved the parts where the dog tells the story. (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Stay by Bobbie Pyron is a heartwarming, children's story about a girl, Piper, who is homeless but whose heart is set on helping someone worse off than her--an old homeless lady with a little dog, Baby.  I really enjoyed this book about the homeless, friendship, adventure, and helping others.  The dog had a big part in it and it has a good lesson about not judging others on the basis of their appearance.  I think it's a great children's story and highly recommend it.  I had trouble putting this one down!  (Karen's review 6/12/23, 5 stars)

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"Doorway to the Bible" Book 1 in THE BOOK OF LIFE SET

I had this Book of Life set a very long time and never read any of them so this year I decided I would read through the set.  I just finished reading Book 1--Doorway to the Bible which gives a very brief introduction to the Bible with some short Bible stories geared to children and some nice prayers for kids.  There are also a few application stories included for children as well as color pictures.  I look forward to continuing with this series to see what the rest of the books offer.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Praying the Bible" by Donald S. Whitney - The Best Book on Prayer I Ever Read!

Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney gives a great solution for keeping your prayers fresh and your prayer time from becoming stale and boring by praying the same old thing for the same old things.  I really identified with what the author said about getting into a rut and losing the eagerness about praying every day.  This book gives practical instruction on exactly how to pray the Bible in order to keep a vibrant prayer life and actually converse with our loving Father in heaven.  It is very short, so a quick read and not at all dry or boring.  This book is life changing!  I highly recommend it to any Christian who finds their prayer time boring.   (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Alone Yet Not Alone" by Tracy Leininger Craven

Alone Yet Not Alone by Tracy Leininger Craven is the story about the faith of two sisters who were captured by Indians during the French and Indian War.  Barbara and Regina are just young girls when they get captured after the Indians killed their father and a brother.  Although they stick together, they are separated and find themselves in two different tribes, being raised to become Indian squaws.  They keep their faith and hope to be reunited with each other and what's left of their family one day.

I liked the book because there is a lot of action in it and adventure.  It moves along quickly and is a fast read.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)  

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"The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional"

The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional contains 365 inspiring ideas to reveal, give, and find God's love written by three women:  Julie Fisk, Kendra Roehl and Kristin Demery.  I enjoyed this book very much for several reasons.  Each devotional is just one page so it didn't take much time to read so was easy to keep up doing.  I also liked the different examples each author shared from their personal lives showing a specific kind act.  Each devotional had a verse to go with it as well as an action step to take.  This was a very practical devotional book focusing on being kind to others.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"The Lady's Mine" by Francine Rivers is a Great Read!

The Lady's Mine by Francine Rivers is an excellent read about a Boston woman being sent to a little mining town out west to claim her uncle's inheritance.  She causes quite the stir when she restarts publishing the newspaper her uncle wrote in spite of being old she was a woman and shouldn't do it.  Just like she pursued starting up a mining operation at the mine she inherited.  Although she is determined never to marry, several men would like to change her mind about that!  

I enjoyed this book very much!  It is well written and moves along with a good mix of action, interesting characters, humor, mystery and romance.  Some lines made me laugh out loud!  It addresses the issue of women's rights and shows how people can bring about change to a community.  I had a hard time putting it down and always looked forward to getting back to it.  This has clean language and no raunchy love scenes.  It even has questions at the end for book club discussions.  I highly recommend this one! (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"From the Ashes" by Jesse Thistle - A memoir of a life surviving the streets

From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle is a true story, and what a story it is!  Jesse tells how he grew up and it was far from the ideal childhood.  In his teen years and beyond, he made some wrong choices and suffered the consequences.  It is inspirational because he turned his life around.  This was a very honest book and I enjoyed it.  He told his story very well and I think anyone would like this book!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah is One We Both Liked a Lot!

You can count on Kristin Hannah books being good and The Four Winds is one of them!  In this one, she highlights the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era.  Elsa is kicked out by her family after she got knocked up by a farmer boy.  They got married and lived with his parents on their farm.  Elsa learned farming and loved her husband, but when the drought came with the dust storms, he couldn't handle it and left her and their two young children to try to find work in California.  

This book is really good!  I loved the character interaction all the way through.  Elsa was a great character who carried the book.  She had low self-esteem but turned out to be very brave for her children.  I would have liked a different ending, but still loved the book.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review 7/7/21:

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah is historical fiction about the struggle of farmers in America during the Great Depression and the big dust storms in the plains.  Many farmers left their land to try to find jobs in California where they thought they could find work.  Elsa, Rafe and her two kids Loreida and Anthony work on a farm in Texas with Rafe's parents.  When a long drought comes causing the crops and animals to die, Rafe leaves on his own for California.  When circumstances get even worse, Elsa has no choice but to leave with her kids as well.  Will Elsa find work?  Will she and her kids make it to California?  Will she find Rafe one day?  Will Rafe's parents be able to save the farm?  

This is a good book that made me appreciate all I have and how easy my life is compared to what people had to deal with during the Great depression.  I felt the characters were real people and cared about them.  This is a sad story about what love is and its importance.  I couldn't help but wonder how this book would end and was satisfied with the ending.  This book certainly opened my eyes and heart to the poor people who live in poverty.  I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction dealing with survival. 

This book reminded me of The Children's Blizzard because both dealt with children trying to survive the elements, but I liked this one better because of the writing and because there is more action in it.  (5 stars)

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"Montana Lawman Rescuer" by Linda Ford

Montana Lawman Rescuer by Linda Ford is an inspirational historical romance that I enjoyed.  Emily is traveling with a 2-yr.-old boy when her stagecoach gets robbed and her belongings stolen.  She was thrown from the stagecoach and hit her head, causing her to forget who she is, where she is heading and why, and where she came from.  Jesse, the lawman, found her and invited her and the little boy to stay in his home with his grandmother until she decides where she wants to go.  

This is a good romance, but also inspirational about hot to let go of your past and not let it ruin your present and future.   I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a clean romance or feels shameful about his/her past.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Box of Butterflies" by Roma Downey is Uplifting!

I got this as an audio book by Roma Downey who played Monica on Touched by an Angel.  She tells real-life stories and shares her walk of faith.  It is very inspirational and uplifting! 

If you are down in the dumps needing something positive, this is for you.  I really enjoyed it since I can't do much for at least 6 weeks while my broken collarbone heals. (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" by Charlie Mackesy

The Boy, the mole, the fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is a very short book with illustrations on every page.   It is about a young boy who becomes friends with a mole, a fox and a horse.  It is thought provoking because the boy asks some interesting questions.  It has some life lessons that apply to both young and old people with some humor too.  It is about kindness, friendship and love.  It's a happy quick read that is very unique because it is handwritten!  We enjoyed it, always like books with talking animals! 
(Karen & Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

Teaser (pages are not numbered):  "Often the hardest person to forgive is yourself."  What is the bravest thing you ever said?" asked the boy.

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"Along Wooded Paths" by Tricia Goyer

Image from Goodreads

Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer is an enjoyable read about an Amish girl who has two men romantically interested in her.  One, is Aaron, the Amish man she grew up with in Indiana, and the other not Amish, Ben, who serves an Amish community in Montana.  During her time in Montana, she discovers God in a new way and realizes that even people who are not Amish can be close to God!  She begins to question some of her traditions she grew up with and does a lot of thinking.  This is book 2 of The Big Sky series.

I enjoyed this book very much.  The characters were well developed and were very believable.  It was also interesting learning some things about the Amish I hadn't known before.  I liked that the reader got to know Ben's and Aaron's thoughts and not just Marianna's.  I felt for the characters as I read.   
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 15, Loc. 249-50:  But the closer he got, the more he questioned if that would be the case.  Had the distance ruined any chance of the love he'd once counted on?

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"21 Dangerous Prayers" by Gary Rohrmayer

21 Dangerous Prayers by Gary Rohrmayer is a very short booklet with 21 prayers taken from the Bible along with some commentary for each.  Then it has a couple pages of the same questions for reflection after each chapter.  It's good it only cost a dollar!  I wasn't very impressed with it but bought it since it was a church-wide thing we were doing together.  It could be used as a devotional.  I was expecting it to be more like The Risk Factor:  Crossing the Chicken Lineinto Your Supernatural Destiny by Kevin and Chad Dedmon.
(Karen's review, 2 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 565:  Honesty and contentment are the pathways that lead to a life of integrity and generosity.

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"A Dog Called Hope" by Jason Morgan & Damien Lewis

A Dog Called Hope by Jason Morgan is the true story about a wounded warrior and the service dog who saved him.  It is fantastic!  Jason was hurt during an anti-narcotics raid in Central America.  Months later, he was told he would never walk again.  When he is finally doing a little better, his wife leaves him.  He has three young boys and really needs something to go right!

Napal is in training to be a CCI dog.  Napal is a special dog just waiting to be given a chance to be someone's special helper. 

I really enjoyed Jason and all the stuff he had to battle through!  Of course, I loved Napal, the great dog!  This book went fast and I was engaged from page 1!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 282 (large print edition): 

As I left, Napal threw me a look that could melt anyone's heart.  It spoke to me so powerfully.  There's so much love, devotion, and companionship in here if you'll only have me.  Stand by me, and I'll be your battle buddy until the day I die.

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Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica

Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica is about the friendship of Nate and Abby, two 13-yr.-olds. They are best friends. Nate loves playing football and Abby loves art and watching Nate play football. Abby gets Nate to sign up for a football throwing contest that offers a prize of 1 million dollars. Nate is the quarterback on his team and idolizes Tom Brady, the Patriots QB. Nate has a great arm, but when he becomes distracted with family financial pressures, getting nervous about trying to win the million dollars, and finding out that Abby is losing her eye sight, he starts playing badly and loses his confidence. Can he get it back in time for the throwing contest? If he wins, what will he do with the million dollars?

This is a pretty good story about friendship, courage and football. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to kids or young teens. (Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 19: “You’re the one who’s always telling me that the very best part of sports is how it can make a new memory for you practically every day. And right now you’ve got a memory going that will last both of us our whole lives, whether you make the throw or not.”

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"The Unwinding of the Miracle" by Julie Yip-Williams

The Unwinding of the Miracle by Julie Yip-Williams is the true story of how Julie overcame so much. She was born blind in Vietnam.  Her grandmother wanted her killed just two days after she was born. With 300 other people in a boat, she made it to Hong Kong and then America where she attended Harvard and became a very good lawyer. She married and had two daughters.  But unfortunately, she could not overcome colon Cancer.  She wrote this book for her daughters to remember her.

Julie tells her story and pulls no punches.  There is some humor also.  Rest in peace, Julie.  Job well done!  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars) 

Teaser from page 8:  But also as your mother, I want you to feel the pain, to live it, embrace it, and then learn from it.  Be stronger people because of it, for you will know that you carry my strength within you.

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"Walking with Henry" by Rachel Anne Ridge

Walking With Henry--Big Lessons from a Little Donkey on Faith, Friendship, and Finding Your Path by Rachel Anne Ridge is a true story about Rachel and her donkey, Henry.  One day, Rachel decides her donkey, Flash, needs company in the pasture.  So, she rescues a small donkey and names it Henry.  Rachel has plans, but Henry will teach her lessons that she never expected!  I enjoyed this short book very much which is just about 200 pages.  Rachel tells the story very well and I loved Flash and Henry!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)  

Teaser from page 5:  Then, when I least expect it, a small beam of light breaks through the darkness and offers a glimpse of goodness.  A reminder, perhaps, that I am never really alone.
Grace is present.
And if grace is present, then God is too.

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"Hearts of Fire" by the voice of the martyrs--8 co-authors

Hearts of Fire is a compilation of the stories of the faith and persecution of eight women in the Underground Church. This is non-fiction and eye-opening, thought provoking and inspirational. I didn’t realize before I read this book the persecution of Christians is so prevalent around the world. The stories were heartbreaking but al showed how costly it is to be a Christian in some places and how we take so much for granted here in the USA. I would recommend this to any Christian.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 21: Once more Adel realized she was the only hostage in sight. She didn’t dare imagine how many of the others had been killed. At that moment she didn’t know which was worse—to be dead or to be held captive by these vicious madmen.


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