Steph's Favorite Books, Edition 4

Light Reads

1. Heavenly Daze series by Angela Hunt and Lori Copeland

Set in Maine, these 5 books chronicle the lives of those who live in the town of Heavenly Daze. The citizens are watched over by a group of angels who dwell among them.

2. Mitford series by Jan Karon

Enjoy life in Mitford through the eyes of Father Tim.

3. Heavens to Betsy/Earth to Betsy by Beth Pattillo

Betsy, a female pastor, has to prove to her congregation that she's as good as any male pastor.

4. These Boots Weren't Made for Walking by Melody Carlson

Interesting that another book by Melody Carlson is one of the most profound I've ever read (Finding Alice) while this one is light and fun. A young woman must move home after she has been fired, dumped, and scammed.

5. Harmony Series by Phillip Gulley

A pastor and his young family return to his hometown to pastor the congregation of Harmony Friends Meeting. This is quite possibly the craziest group of church goers ever! Pastor Sam gets frustrated but always learns something from them. I laughed out loud but also learned a lot about community.

Steph's Favorite Books, Edition 3

Historical Fiction

1. Refiner's Fire series by Lynn Austin

A Civil War trilogy that I really enjoyed. The first one is set in Richmond!

2. Dakota Moon series by Stephanie Grace Whitson

These books chronicle the lives of missionaries in the Dakota territory and the Indians they encounter there. I found it fascinating, as this was a topic I didn't know much about. I believe these are out of print but they can possibly be found in libraries and from used booksellers.

3. Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin

Three Swedish sister immigrate to Chicago in 1897. A moving look at what life was like for those coming to America.

4. Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers

These powerful books look at the persecution of Christians in Rome in the first century.

6. A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin

Four women work together in a factory during World War 2, each have their own issues to deal with.

Favorite Kids Books

I am participating in Kelly's Korner "Show Us Your Life" this week. Her theme is favorite children's books. I could list at least a hundred, but I'll stick to just a few:

Abby's favorites (5 year old girl)--

Dooby Dooby Moo and others by Doreen Cronin

Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird (there are many)

Lilly's Big Day and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten and others by Joseph Slate

Andrew's favorites (2 year old boy)--

My Car and Planes by Byron Barton

Jesus Loves Me by Debby Anderson

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo and My Truck is Stuck by Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk

Speedy Little Race Cars: A Zippity Zoom Colors Book

Sports Books by David Diehl--Slam Dunk, Touchdown, and Home Run

Our Favorite Valentines Books

1. Valentine's Day by Anne Rockwell
A class makes Valentines for a friend in Japan. There is also a Thanksgiving book that features the same class.

2.One Heart: A Valentine Counting Book by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Really sweet with cute pictures.

3. Let's Show God's Love on Valentine's Day (Holiday Discovery Series)
Reminds us that God's love is for every day!

4. Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane de Groat
A book reminding kids to always be nice to your classmates!

Steph's Favorite Books, Edition 2

Christian fiction books in the suspense category

1. Restoration series by Terri Blackstock

A family's journey during a world-wide power outage. They must rely on their faith and get back to the basics. 4 books...Last Light, Night Light, True Light, and Dawn's Light.

2. The Plaguemaker by Tim Downs

Terrorists hatch a plot to introduce quantities of Asian fleas into New York City. The fleas infect rats with bubonic plague. The requisite FBI agent, a tough-talking loner named Nathan Baldwin, gets wind of the plot, then finds an ally in a Christian Chinese named Li Ming, who leads Nathan toward Syrian culprits and a Japanese mastermind not unlike Dr. No. And, in fact, Downs brings to mind Ian Fleming's humor, if not also his sadism, resulting in a familiar but competent thriller. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

3. Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark

Miranda Miller wasn’t looking for the news the day the letter came. But, trying to survive in troubled circumstances, she welcomes the chance to change her location for a period of time. The letter informs her that her grandparents’ estate is finally about to become hers. She immediately heads down to Louisiana and the old house by the bayou. There Miranda finds secrets that lead to life–changing revelations.

4. Cape Refuge series by Terri Blackstock

A small, peaceful community is rocked by murders. 4 books...Cape Refugee, Southern Storm, River's Edge, and Breakers Reef.

5. Time Lottery by Nancy Moser

A Christy Award novel! Three winners of a special lottery are granted a chance to go back in time and relive one decisive moment. Given this ultimate opportunity to change their personal history and restart their lives from a point in the past, will they choose to do it all over again?

6. Deadlock by James Scott Bell

A Supreme Court justice who is well-known for her atheistic stance on the issues has a near-death experience which change her belief system.

7. Presumed Guilty by James Scott Bell

A popular pastor is accused of the murder of an x-rated actress.

Steph's Favorite Books...Edition 1

I often get asked about my favorite books and authors. Usually when I do I can't remember the exact name or title of the book or I can't remember who wrote it. I thought I would try to get some thoughts out here on the blog so I can just refer folks to it!

I am going to start with Christian fiction since that is my favorite genre to read. Within that realm, I would say my favorite is Biblical fiction. So here are some I love:

1. Magdalene by Angela Hunt

2. Hadassah: One Night with the King by Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olson
Story of Esther

3. Chronicles of the Kings Series by Lynn Austin
Follows lives of King Hezekiah and his son Manasseh, these 5 books make this portion of the Old Testament really come to life. The books are Gods and Kings, Song of Redemption, The Strength of His Hand, Faith of My Fathers, Among the Gods

4. The Shadow Women by Angela Hunt
Story of Moses as told by the women in his life--sister, Egyptian mother, and wife

5. The Road Home by Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olson
This is a modern retelling of the story of Ruth and Naomi, a little different than most Biblical fiction but excellent!

6. The Lineage of Grace Series by Francine Rivers
Each novella tells about the life of a woman from Jesus' lineage. The books are Unveiled (Tamar), Unashamed (Rahab), Unshaken (Ruth), Unspoken (Bathsheba), and Unafraid (Mary, mother of Jesus).

7. The Centurian's Wife by Davis Bunn and Jeannette Oke
Story of post-resurrection Jerusalem, Pilate is trying to find out what happened to Jesus' body, this is the first in the Acts of Faith Series

8. Legacies of the Ancient River Series by Angela Hunt
Begins with Joseph's life once he is sold into slavery in Egypt, his reunion with his brothers, and his sons. The books are Dreamers, Brothers, and Journey.

Favorite Christmas Books for Kids

1. Christmas Is by Gail Gibbons
I love this one because the very first thing the author says is Christmas is...the Christ Child. She goes into some of the other Christmas symbols/traditions, but the focus always goes back to Jesus (as it should!).

2. God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren
Sweet story of a mother bear explaining the meaning of Christmas to her little cub.

3. This is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten
A sweet, simple book about Jesus' book with lots of repetitious phrases.

4. That's Not My Reindeer--and Usborne Touchy Feely Book
A board book that Andrew loves!

5. The Night Before Christmas--what Christmas book list is complete without this one!
We particularly like Jan Brett's version.

Favorite Kids Halloween/Fall Books

So I managed to hold Abby off the Halloween and Fall books until September 30th--she's wanted me to get them out since they first started putting the costumes out in the stores!

Here are our 3 favorites:

1. Two Little Witches: A Halloween Counting Story by Harriet Ziefert
"If one little witch meets one little witch, that makes....two little witches going trick-or-treating."
Really cute illustrations and great math examples make this a great book! Yes, it does include witches, but they are kids dressed up (there's also a clown, princess, bunny, and astronaut to name a few). Even in the end of the book, where they see a monster and run away, the picture is such that Abby could tell it was a person dressed up.

2. P is for Pumpkin, God's Harvest Alphabet by Kathy-jo Wargin
A cute ABC book. A is for Apple, B is for Barn, C is for Corn, etc. Cute pictures and rhyming words make this a book Abby asks for over and over.

3. Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman
This book is held together by tape because I read it so many times when I was teaching. It was a favorite with every class. It does include your typical Halloween characters (witch, vampire, ghost, etc) but the illustrations aren't particularly scary. The witch grows a huge pumpkin and wants to make pumpkin pie, but she can't get it off the vine. Several come and try to help her, but the pumpkin is only removed when they all work together. The text is very predictable, so kids can join in the reading once they have heard the story one time.

Favorite Easter Books for Kids

I've recently come across two kids' Easter books that I really like.
One is called The Light of the World: The Life of Jesus for Children, by Katherine Paterson. It starts with Jesus' birth and goes through his death and resurrection. It has beautiful illustrations by Francois Roca and is written in very simple terms. It's a longer book, but Abby sat and listened to the whole thing.
The second is J is for Jesus: An Easter Alphabet and Activity Book by Debbie Trafton O'Neal. Abby is really into alphabet books, so she loved this one.

I also love Crystal Bowman's series of Christian-themed books for all the holidays. We have the Thanksgiving, Easter, and Valentine ones. They are large board books and they rhyme. Abby enjoys them.

Until We Reach Home and The Road Home Book Reviews

I've fallen behind on reviewing books (does anyone even care what I'm reading?) but I do want to share a little about these two. Even though the titles are similar they are by different authors and the stories are different--but both do involve a journey!

Until We Reach Home, by Lynn Austin, is the story of 3 Swedish sisters who come to America in search of a better life. They are orphans and believe they are going to live with their aunt and uncle in Chicago. They travel by train, ferry, and ship to Ellis Island, where they are detained due to medical conditions. I had never really thought much about what the people went through once they reached America and Ellis Island, so this was educational for me. They are finally able to get to Chicago and learn that their aunt and uncle did not intend to take them in. They must find their own way and, in the process, meet some interesting folks who teach them much about America, life, and the Lord. Lynn Austin is one of my favorite authors and this does not disappoint!

The Road Home was written by Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olson. Their earlier collaboration, Hadassah: One Night with the King, was our book club book for January and it was excellent. This is also somewhat of a Biblical story, but it is set in modern times and chronicles the relationship and journey of Naomi and Ruth. I found it very interesting to hear a contemporary version. I did like the book, but I thin I would have rather read about the "real" story and the "real" setting better.