Women of the Way Series

 

I often wonder what genre of books people like to read? Most often, people have a very specific type of book that stirs delight in them. I love a variety of books but fiction holds a special place in my heart as a way to escape into another realm, meet new people and experience things I might not otherwise.

When it comes to fiction, there are many sub-genres to choose from; fantasy, suspense, historical, mystery, thriller, dystopian, western, speculative, contemporary…the list is long so sometimes it can be hard to simply pick a book that everyone will enjoy.  Although I like them all, some more than others, I often feel drawn to biblical history. When reading authors such as Tessa Affshar, Connilyn Cossette or Angela Hunt you often get a feel for how it may have been living in biblical times but there is a new author on the scene who does a spectacular job of transporting you back in time.  Heather Kaufman is a former editor turned writer; she worked eight years in the publishing industry while earning her master’s degree. I looked into her bio and found that “when she fell in love with studying the Bible through a cultural lens, the words of Scripture came springing to life, and Jesus became even more astoundingly beautiful. Now she crafts stories that imaginatively enter the lives of biblical characters and compel readers deeper into the Bible.” There is no better way of describing the obvious love she puts into her books and how she is able to make you feel a part of the story.

When her first book Up from Dust: Martha’s Story arrived, I loved the cover but simply did not have the time to read it however her newest book Before the King: Joanna’s Story arrived I was totally drawn to the beautiful cover and felt captivated by the woman staring back at me when I picked it up. I did not even read the back, simply decided that it would be on my TBR pile. I could not have known in that moment how much this book would affect me. From the beginning, Joanna’s story snagged me in a profound way, bit like a black hole was sucked into her world and joined her story.

The time period 22AD during the reign of King Herod the Second.  Joanna’s father Itamar is a Sadducee's priest on his way to an appointment at Sanhedrin when her sister, Dalia begins to suffer seizures. As they continue to get worse her father begins to hear the words ‘demon’ and ‘possessed’ spoken in the marketplace so it is decided that she must be sent away to live with a distant relative in order to protect the family. This decision causes the sisters lives to become very different, one living in opulence in Sepphoris and one in obscurity hidden away at the seaside.  An accident days before Joanna’s wedding changes everything as she deals with incredible loss and finds herself permanently crippled due to the unfortunate event. The pain and limp she’s left with changes the course of her life …that is until one day she by chance meets Jesus. It gives me chills because isn’t that the case for each of us, Jesus changes everything.

As I read this story of healing, conviction and the power of the gospel I myself was stuck on a couch using crutches due to an injury, it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a blustery day, it made the reality of the story and need to rely solely on the words Christ for strength and comfort that much more compelling. Kaufman is truly fresh voice in biblical fiction, her research and use of scripture brings Jesus alive in a new light. Needless to say, this is going to be one of my top recommendations this year and if you choose to read it, I would love to hear your feedback on her writing 😊

Angels on Your Side: When You are Feeling Scared

Angels on Your Side: When you are Feeling Scared is a FANTASTIC book for children and adults alike! Marty Machowski’s impressive storytelling along with Rommel Ruiz’s awe-inspiring images make Bible stories and well known verses come alive in this story of little Logan and his Grandpa as they wait out a rumbling thunderstorm. 

 Equipped with 3D glasses (that come with the book) readers are swept into an immersive dive of what life is like as a child of God who is promised the protection of God’s mighty angels! As Christians in the West, we don’t usually think about the Supernatural as much as our neighbours to the East. But Machowski reminds us through this picture book, that God’s remarkable angels are indeed real and are ready to do whatever our good God commands of them. 

The bright and colourful imagery adds to the reader’s experience as they journey with Logan through the night, watching his feeble fear transform into strong confidence. Using references to how God’s warrior angels intervened on behalf of the prophet Elisha to how a mighty angel ministered to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, Logan’s Grandpa recounts how God deploys his strong and mighty angels for his people.

 As Christians, this is how we draw comfort from the Word of God- we read about God’s faithfulness towards those who trust Him and live out our own faith which is the “assurance about what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1b), especially when it comes to angels! I especially liked how Machowski walked readers through some of Logan’s real and relatable questions when it came to understanding why God does and doesn’t do certain things. 

 Overall, this book correctly reminds us that we live in a spiritual world and that as Christians we do not have to fear because can always call on a God who remains steadfast. I commend Machowski and Ruiz for instilling in young readers faith and confidence in the powerful Word of God and especially in the very real truth of God’s mighty angels who actively guard God’s children in all their ways!

~written by Samantha

Courageously Soft by Charaia Rush

 

Courageously Soft: Daring to Keep a Tender Heart in a Tough World…. as I picked up Charaia Rush’s beautiful new book, the subtitle caught my attention. I have to admit that sometimes wonder if I have fallen victim to the ‘hard heart’ syndrome so as I read the back, “If you have been feeling exhausted, bitter, or beaten down by disappointment, betrayal or suffering, this grace-filled book will help you find your way back to a posture of love, trust and hope.”, I knew that this was going to be a must-read for me.

The first line of the book is ‘Growing up, I lost count of the number of times my mother sat me down and explained the need to toughen up’, oh how I understood that. I too had been taught to toughen up from an early age. When you hear this often enough your reaction is to cover the softness with a shadow and pretend that world has not had an effect on your heart. Charaia uses biblical wisdom to show that you cannot arrive at regaining that tenderness by avoiding honesty. Her words are inter-woven with humour, hope and hard-won wisdom. As someone who has had enough hardships to render herself occasionally cynical, I was impressed that as she shares her story, she does not sugar coat the disappointment and bitterness of life but points us to the tenderness of Christ. I love how empathetic and powerful her words were as she pointed to the faithfulness and goodness of God without denying the realities of how hard life can be.

This book is a fantastic read for anyone seeking to cultivate hope and a fresh perspective in their life. The author’s willingness to go beyond the surface and expose her own vulnerability highlights the resilience of the human spirit when you allow God’s word to permeate your every day life.

 

Fog Harbor Series by Nicole Deese

Every once in a while, we find an author that speaks to us…Nicole Deese is one of those authors for me. As often happens, I was first attracted to the cover of The Words We Lost. As I picked it up two things stood out on the front, first she is a Christy Award-Winning author and second, she was endorsed by one of my favourite authors.

The back cover reads Three friends. Two broken promises. One missing manuscript. Obviously, the book made it into my purse and arrived on my side table that very night. As a book-buyer I have hundreds of books come across my desk each year and simply cannot read them all (but I would sure like to!)  This book however seemingly had it all and I was completely hooked within the first couple of pages!

We start at Fog Harbor Books, a publishing company located in San Fransico where Ingrid Erikson is a Senior Acquisitions Editor. After the death of her best friend, she has lost her ability to escape into the manuscripts she represents jeopardizing her career. Her only hope is to find best-selling Cecelia Campbell’s lost manuscript. Then arrives the letter, will Ingrid be up to the challenge of having to solve the riddle with the help of her ex-fiancé Joel Campbell as they strive to honour the last wishes of their beloved friend Cecelia?

I could not put this book down...it was a rich, vibrant, emotional work that resonated with me and tugged at my heart strings. Nicole tackles many tough subjects in this novel with the utmost care and understanding and reminds us that many lives are full of circumstance and past traumas others might not see or understand.

Last week I was able to get a copy of The Roads We Follow which is the second book in the series. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was just as compelling as the first…I cannot wait to finish the last few chapters. Nicole is masterful in carving out journeys of grief and complicated relationships. Her prose is almost poetic at times, her pacing impeccable, and her characters are deep and complex. You cannot help but lose yourself in her beautifully crafted stories of loss, love and healing. If you are willing to pick one up, I am positive you will not be disappointed!

He Knows Your Name

     Working in a bookstore means that you have many options for your next book. This can be influenced by cover or title, author however sometimes it only takes a quick scan of the introduction to seal the deal. That is how started reading He Knows Your Name by Paige Allen, the subtitle How 7 Nameless Women of the Bible Reveal Christ's Love For You, caught my attention but the introduction had me hooked.

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

    Regardless of where we are in life, woman (and men) long to be loved and appreciated, yet so often can feel invisible even with the promise of God's presence and salvation. Allen's book invites us to take a look at the life changing moments of 7 unnamed women in the Bible encountered when they came face to face with Jesus. I will admit that growing up I never really gave much thought to the idea that many women of the Bible were not named. These women (and their stories) made it into God's Word so they were obviously important, but why? As I read, Allen's ability to weave personal stories along with Biblical truths allowed me to clearly see how these women were known and loved by Jesus. Although the world around them did not know their names, Christ did, He called them daughter.

When thinking of our identity, we know that God’s word tells us we are precious and worthy but it can be difficult to fully digest and believe at times.  Allen says, “I believe we are in a season where God wants His daughters (and sons) to wake up to the truth that He knows us better than we know ourselves. He sees, He listens, He comes close, and He understands” and she does an amazing job of outlining those truths through her thoughtful and relatable prose. The stories she shares are both funny and touching, now that I have read through it once I think I will go back with my pretty purple highlighter and spend a bit more time with these women as I gain a deeper understanding of what they endured, why the stories were told and the love that they felt by being both seen and loved by Christ. I am so glad that I picked this book up, it was a wonderful read that gave me opportunity to take a deeper look at who I am and how God sees me, even when I feel anonymous.  I look forward to seeing what she writes next. What is on your reading pile this week?

Year of Jubilee by Cindy Morgan

"Grace Mockingbird is an independent 13-year old girl growing up in the tumultuous southern town of Jubilee, Kentucky. This is the time of integration, and most folks around her seem dead set against  change. Not her mixed-heritage father, though. And not her brave new teacher, Miss Adams, who speaks about equality in a way that Grace has never heard before.  This is a coming-of-age story as well as a heart wrenching and harrowing example of how God can grow beauty from sorrow, and how often we misjudge those around us. Forgiveness also plays a big part in this story; Grace struggles with the lack of forgiveness and love she receives from her mother, and even has a hard time forgiving God when her beloved younger brother suddenly falls ill. Her family attempts to maintain normality as their relationships wear thin amidst both the racism and violence outside the house, and the emotional struggles going on within.  This book gripped me right from the prologue, and although at first I wasn't sure what kind of voice the author was going for, in the end I was hooked and grew very attached to the characters and world that Cindy Morgan built. It's important to note that with the story being set in 1960's America, it contains some dark themes, crude words, and heavy conversations. This era of change is an important part of America's history and is portrayed realistically. Overall, 'The Year of Jubilee' is a fast-paced and charming book that leaves the reader with the lingering warmth of a Kentucky summer on their skin and the heartening feeling that change is possible, no matter how heavy the storm."

Reviewed by Erin

Birds of Pray

We have a new reviewer in the house! Twelve-year-old Logan Klassen, grandson of Barb, (she's been here for over 20 years!) who loves to read, has wanted to review some books for us and we're very excited about that!
Some things to know about Logan are: he goes to Abbotsford Christian School and is in grade 7. He LOVES sports and dreams of one day being a sportscaster (I've heard he's very good at it already). He's involved in ball hockey, basketball, volleyball, cross country and track!

"In 2017, when the Eagles (being the underdogs), won the Super Bowl, the team had many Christians on their team and they prayed regularly as a team. The team grew closer because of their faith. This book is good for sports fans who would like to read how faith and prayer can have a positive effect on a team."

-Logan Klassen-

For more information on Birds of Pray by Rob Maaddi, visit us in store or visit our website here.