This memoir by Beverly J. Armento spans the country—New York, Florida, and eventually on to Georgia. It’s colorful and heart-wrenching. Her life growing up with a mentally unstable and legally blind mother is quite sad. As a child, after her father abandons them, Beverly moves into a caretaker role for her siblings and “seeing eye […]
Archive | Books 4 Fun
If God Were a Great Big Bear
This is a story about the various forms in which God may appear. As author Paul Harbridge and Illustrator Marta Dorado share in this lovely book, God—He/She/They—is the Creator of, and thread within, all natural beings. This book has a fun, little cadence. It tells how God created millions of species, each with a purpose, […]
A Whole New Game
If you like romance books staring an athletic protagonist, then this book by Britt McKenna is for you. Superstar baseball player, Corey Johnson is not thrilled to be traded back to his home state of Texas. Things look grim. Rumors are swirling that he’s not a team player, his reputation and career are on the […]
Each Day is a Gift
This delightful story by Lisl H. Detlefsen and illustrated by Natalia Vasilica reminds the reader to find the magical gifts in each day. Of course, the measure of each day depends on the recipient. Some days are highly anticipated and wonderfully exciting. Some days take getting used to. Some bring unexpected surprises. And some don’t […]
Privileged Information
When you find a book that you look forward to reading each evening, it’s a treasure. This gem by Stephen White is the first in the Dr. Alan Gregory series, of which I’d read one long ago and for some reason got away from. Thankfully, Privileged Information was gifted to me and brought me back […]
Ping’s Perfect Pot
When Ping visits the market with her grandfather, she’s overwhelmed with all the decorations, food, and New Year celebratory energy around them. They settle on buying a tangerine tree, which symbolizes good luck. But when they take it home, Ping feels something is missing—the perfect pot. Through a concerted effort, tries and misses, Ping, with […]
One Great Love: An Advent and Christmas Treasury of Readings, Poems, and Prayers
The editors at Paraclete Press put together a heartwarming collection of holiday-related classics in this beautifully presented book. The images, photographs, and artwork are breathtaking (you know I’m a visual gal), but where they found such a plethora of Christmas content is a magical mystery. There are stories you know, songs you’ve sung, poems you’ve […]
Nisha’s Just-Right Christmas Tree
Little Nisha insists on a big tree, but her parents remind her that they live in a small apartment. That doesn’t deter Nisha from believing in the impossible—”a tree as big as a camel and as wide as an elephant.” Still, her Baba stresses they need a reasonably sized tree to drag home and carry […]
It Starts with a Kiss: A Very Merry Fairbanks Christmas
Margaret Fairbanks is due home for the holidays. On her way through the village, a winter storm whips up, and she’s forced to waylay her journey and spend the night at her family’s cottage. When she arrives, she discovers it inhabited by Grayson Rochester, a “gentleman farmer” seeking shelter from the storm. The two discover […]
The Stand-In
Gracie Reed decides to organize her life with an app that will keep her focused and on the path of becoming a total boss. It isn’t working. She’s got a sexual predator for a boss, is struggling to find a new job, and fretting about how she’s going to afford the care facility where her […]