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April Book Reviews

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And just like that, April is gone. I only read three whole books last month, which is baffling even to me because I had a lot more time on my hands and the weather was 80% wretched with tons of rain and temperatures lingering in the 40s and 50s. You'd think I would have escaped it all by devouring books, but alas... my book stack for May is significantly thicker now - we'll see if I can catch up this month! Before we get there, though, I'll tell you about my April books.  One fiction, which I listened to on audiobook; two nonfiction, one on my Kindle and one in hard copy. The Dinner List, Rebecca Serle This was my book club choice, and what I liked most about it was the premise: If you could invite any five people in the world (dead or alive) to a dinner party, who would it be? (In case you're wondering, I decided mine would be a "Christian creatives" party, made up of Charles Dickens, Rich Mullins, Zachary Levi, Amy Carmichael, and Joni Eareckson Tada. Maybe ...

March Book Reviews

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OK, I only completed three books this month, which feels like I am a little behind schedule, but maybe not. After all, one of the books I read was a 355,000-word tome by Charles Dickens, which is considered one of the longest novels written in the English language! Considering a typical modern-day novel is around 100,000 words, I think this one should count as three, maybe even four books... but I won't cheat! All three of the books are fictional novels - two are historical fiction and one is fantasy fiction. I listened to two of them on audiobook and read one on my Kindle at bedtime.   Bleak House, Charles Dickens What can I say? Charles Dickens is a true genius. I spent a year (maybe ten-ish years ago?) reading ten of his major works. I can't pick a favorite between Great Expectations , A Tale of Two Cities , Nicholas Nickleby,  and Our Mutual Friend , but ever since that reading challenge, I reread A Christmas Carol during the four days before Christmas every year....

February Book Reviews

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Even though February is the shortest month of the year, it still felt like it would never end! But it has, and we survived, and I'm still on track with my reading goal! This month, I read four books: one on Kindle and three audiobooks (because I was busy crafting). One nonfiction, two contemporary fiction, and one historical fiction. Fresh Snow on Bedford Falls, G.L. Gooding This historical mystery really intrigued me because it is the continuing story of It's a Wonderful Life . At the end of the beloved Christmas movie, it feels like everything is "happily ever after," but if you really think about it, it's not: Henry Potter is still a miserable old scoundrel of a villain who got away with grand theft, and there is still a bundle of money missing from a loan company, which is not good for business. But this book begins when a new angel comes to town with a new mission of redemption. We learn Potter's backstory - why he is in a wheelchair, why he doesn't h...