Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson

Genre: Biography/Memoir 
Publisher: B&H Books 
Released: October 1, 2019
199 pages
About the Book:
Making something beautiful in a broken world can be harrowing work, and it can’t be done alone.
 
Over the last twenty years, Andrew Peterson has performed thousands of concerts, published four novels, released ten albums, taught college and seminary classes on writing, founded a nonprofit ministry for Christians in the arts, and executive-produced a film—all in a belief that God calls us to proclaim the gospel and the coming kingdom using whatever gifts are at our disposal. He’s stumbled along the way, made mistake after mistake, and yet has continually encountered the grace of God through an encouraging family, a Christ-centered community of artists in the church, and the power of truth, beauty, and goodness in Scripture and the arts.
 
While there are many books about writing, none deal first-hand with the intersection of songwriting, storytelling, and vocation, along with nuts-and-bolts exploration of the great mystery of creativity. In Adorning the Dark, Andrew describes six principles for the writing life: serving the work, serving the audience, selectivity, discernment, discipline, and community
 
Through stories from his own journey, Andrew shows how these principles are not merely helpful for writers and artists, but for anyone interested in imitating way the Creator interacts with his creation.
 
This book is both a memoir of Andrew’s journey and a handbook for artists, written in the hope that his story will provide encouragement to others stumbling along in pursuit of a calling to adorn the dark with the light of Christ.
 

My Rating & Thoughts:    


This was not a book for me. I am not a musician or a writer and didn't expect this book to be so memoir focused. Andrew Peterson drops so many names I didn't recognize, and he is definitely a huge fan of Rich Mullins (could he talk about him more?). The beginning was an easy read, and I was thinking I'd enjoy this read, but I ended up getting bored about a third of the way and found my mind wandering as I was reading it. If I hadn't been reading it as part of a group, I would have dnf'd it. If you have any interest in the music industry or songwriting, you will probably enjoy this book.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

The Street Lawyer by John Grisham

Genre: Legal Fiction 
Released: 1998
449 pages
About the Book:

Michael was in a hurry. He was scrambling up the ladder at Drake & Sweeney, a giant D.C. law firm with eight hundred lawyers. The money was good and getting better; a partnership was three years away. He was a rising star with no time to waste, no time to stop, no time to toss a few coins into the cups of panhandlers. No time for a conscience.

But a violent encounter with a homeless man stopped him cold. Michael survived; his assailant did not. Who was this man? Michael did some digging, and learned that he was a mentally ill veteran who'd been in and out of shelters for many years. Then Michael dug a little deeper, and found a dirty secret, and the secret involved Drake & Sweeney. The fast track derailed; the ladder collapsed. Michael bolted from the firm and took a top-secret file with him. He landed in the streets, an advocate for the homeless, a street lawyer. And a thief.




My Rating & Thoughts:    

Starts out with a hostage situation where Michael is held hostage with 8 other lawyers at the large firm. This experience changes his perspective on his life and job. As he seeks out answers to what led to this situation he ends up connecting with a lawyer for the homeless. His life begins to drastically change as this experience has made him rethink a lot of things. There is one heartbreaking situation that happens, that really makes a profound impact on Michael. A battle between the big money guys and those working with homeless ensues. I found some parts of the story that dragged a bit and could become repetitive. I did like the way it case ended, but the last scene frustrated me as there was no need for that to be included. There is a little bit of language, but overall it was a pretty clean read.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

 

Monday, December 9, 2024

We Three Kings Novella Collection - Crystal Caudill, Cara Putman, Angela Ruth Strong

Novella Collection 
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Released: September 19, 2023
317 pages
About the Book:

In this Christmas collection, Weise men still seek Jesus--and love

Best-selling romance authors Caudill, Putman, and Strong follow three generations of the Weise family in this third collection of Christmas novellas from Kregel that will prove just as popular as the previous award-winning volumes.

"Star of Wonder" by Crystal Caudill
The Christmas-themed maiden voyage of his family's grand steamer ship was supposed to be Aldrich Weise's chance both to instill investor confidence and to romance Celestia Isaacs. Instead, he must foil a criminal and leave his lady love behind forever.

"Beauty Bright" by Cara Putman
Lieutenant Charles Weise served as a Monuments Man after World War II and now works to restore stolen art to rightful owners. Captain Lillian Thorsen pairs up with him not only to return treasures but also to fix the war-torn lives around them.

"Perfect Light" by Angela Ruth Strong
Essential oils mogul Brendon Wise is drawn to Lacey Foster, the event planner for his huge Christmas lights festival. But when he inadvertently makes a spectacle of her on television, Lacey wants nothing to do with him. Will a chance to give gifts to those in need at Christmas be the key to discovering common ground--and maybe love?

 

My Rating & Thoughts:    

Star of Wonder by Crystal Caudill - Set in late 1884 travelling on ship from New York to Germany. I really liked how the couple prayed together and went to God seeking guidance for the decision they are trying to make. I did struggle with the insert of the German words at times, even though they were explained right after.

Beauty Bright by Cara Putman - This was my least favourite of the collection. Charles and Lillian are in Germany working with the Monuments Men to recover art after WWII. Set in 1945. I struggled to connect with the characters and the story.

Perfect Light by Angela Ruth Story - My favourite of the collection. Set in the present day with Lacey being an event planner for Brendon's company. This was an enjoyable story with characters I wanted to root for. The situation is much different from what you normally see in Christian fiction, but I found it was handled well and felt very realistic. I especially liked Hallie, Brendon's assistant and how she tried to keep him in check.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Sunday, December 8, 2024

He Should Have Told The Bees by Amanda Cox

Genre: General Fiction 
Publisher: Revell 
Released: August 29, 2023
307 pages
About the Book:

Beekeeper Beckett Walsh is living her dream, working alongside her father in their apiary, until his untimely death sends her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family business--one who is looking to sell the property. Beck cannot fathom why her father would put her into the position to lose everything they built together.

When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she's never heard of, she's not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie's financial situation rather . . . precarious. She's sure she has no right to someone else's farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she's always craved.

As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets--and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.

 

My Rating & Thoughts:    

Beckett has recently lost of her father and finds out that he has left part of their home to another person. Beckett does not know who this person is and why her father did this. The other person also has no idea why they were named or what their connection is. The two end up having to work together to figure it out and what they are going to do. One wants to sell and one wants to keep, one is most likely going to be hurt by whichever decision is reached. I quickly connected with Beckett, her dilemma and her feelings of why her father did this without any explanation. It took me longer to connect with the other character involved in this situation, but I did like the compassion they showed to Beckett and was torn between the choices. As the story progressed I found myself wishing certain good things to happen for them. There is a little girl (approx. 10) that ends up helping out around the farm with Beckett and she was entertaining at times. I had to laugh at some of the lines she said. There is also two separate romantic interests for our mains and I was rooting for romance to develop. I was pleased with the way the story ended and how they got there. 

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)
 

Other books from this author that I have reviewed:   

   

Saturday, December 7, 2024

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Bethany House 
Released: October 10, 2023
360 pages
About the Book:

Barlowe Theater stole the life of Greta Mercy's brother during its construction. Now in 1915, the completed theater appears every bit as deadly. When Greta's younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta engages the assistance of a local police officer to help her uncover the already ghostly secrets of the theater. But when help comes from an unlikely source, Greta decides that to save her family she must put the threat of the phantoms to rest.

Decades later, Kit Boyd's best friend vanishes during a ghost walk at the Barlowe Theater, and old stories of mysterious disappearances and ghoulish happenings are revived. When television ghost-hunting host and skeptic Evan Fisher engages Kit in the quest to identify the truth behind the theater's history, Kit reluctantly agrees to work with him in hopes of also finding out what happened to her friend. As the theater's curse begins to unravel Kit's own life, she sets out not only to save the historical building and her friend, but to end the pattern of evil that has marked their hometown for a century.

In this atmospheric dual-time tale, two women--separated by a century yet bound by the ghosts of the past--pursue light in the face of darkness.

My Rating & Thoughts:    

This is a dual-timeline with characters in 1915 and present day. As the title suggests is centers around some boys going missing at a theater and the lore of that story. I had to reread the first couple of chapters to understand what was going on, but once someone disappeared I was hooked and needed to know what happened and what the explanation would be because it is not ghosts. I was more invested in Greta's story in the 1915 timeline than I was in Kit's in the present day. Greta's situation pulled at my heart strings more and felt more relatable. I found Kit harder to root for some actions of characters in the present day really bothered me. The ending situation with a specific character really bothered me, how could they act that way and expect it to be accepted as fine? Overall I was invested in getting answers but I found the ending rushed compared to the rest of the book and the present day ending ruined the book for me.

(I borrowed this book from the library; opinions expressed 
in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Other books from this author that I have reviewed: