The Book Devotions

Happy Friday, Reader! It's time for some book reviews. I've got a lot of fiction for you, and a bunch of romance. One of these books is 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 set in my town!!! This is exciting because I live in a very small town on the top of a mountain in Arizona. Betcha didn't know Arizona had mountains. The book is set here. This is way more exciting for me than it should be—on par with getting on the jumbotron at a ball game or somesuch. Now, onward to the reviews. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher....

Do you belong to a book club, Reader? Me neither. No online book clubs. No in-person book clubs. It's a sad state of affairs for a book lover, isn't it? But, hey! You're busy. I'm busy. We're all busy. Who has time for one more thing? And, we're all reading a lot...just not in a club all traditional-like. But BUT If you DO have a book club—or you want to start one... THEN I have something fun for you! I created a book club guide for Jane Austen's Emma. It's not everyone's favorite Austen...

Hi Reader, Today, I'm bringing you three book recommendations that, I hope, you haven't heard of before—or that you haven't thought about in a long time. Forgotten Classic: A worthy book from days of yore. Backlist Gem: A book published a while ago that still deserves attention. Small But Mighty: A book recently published by a small press. Since it's summer, and we're usually not in the mood for anything too heavy, I decided to keep the books on this list short and fun. Let's dive in! 1....

Today, we're going to have a little pure, unadulterated fun, Reader. Regency style. Are you ready to find out which iconic Jane Austen heroine you are most like? Have fun answering these silly questions, and I will reward you with book recommendations at the end. 1. What's your ideal way to spend a lazy afternoon? A) Reading books and taking long walks—to escape from the craziness at home. B) Plotting the next social extravaganza—time to show the world who’s the hostess with the mostest. C)...

Hi Reader, It's that time again. Book reviews! If this batch had a theme, it'd be variety. You're getting everything from true crime to Christian living, Jane Austen to Stephen King. Here's what I managed to read in June. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. Is social media the devil? A Thousand Pounds of Dynamite by Adam Higginbotham. A true story with a big boom. The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller. Short, sweet truth. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. A beautiful tale...

Hello, hello, Reader. Last week, I asked you to vote in my first in-email poll. I asked what you'd like to see more of on The Book Devotions come autumn. You definitely did NOT want a Q&A. You mostly did NOT want an online book club. These results were a relief for me! Creating an online community where great discussions happen...can it be done? There's something magical about in-person book clubs (Michele Morin describes it beautifully) but virtual ones just aren't the same. It's nearly...

"So, what are you doing with your kids this summer?" It was an innocent question. A friend was being politely curious, that's all. But an imaginary spotlight shone down upon me, and an announcer's voice boomed, "Welcome! Yes, this is a test!" "Uh, we're doing this Vacation Bible School, the one we're at right now as we're having this conversation," I told my friend. "We're going to New Mexico next month. We're going to try and get to the pool more often. Meet up with our homeschool group...

Hi, Reader! Today, I want to take you way, way back to 2001 when the first Lord of the Rings movie debuted in theaters. Do you remember it? I loved that first film. It had me on the edge of my seat, squeezing the armrests, holding my breath. The black riders. The elves. The world of Middle-earth felt like it had existed before the beginning of recorded time. What did I do after watching the movie? I bought the book, naturally. I eagerly started reading Tolkien’s foreword…hmm, boring. I...

Hi Reader, I've got another big batch of book reviews for you this month. I'm in the process of making a new master list of book reviews. Every book review gets a dedicated page. One of the things I've been loving about the new format is being able to rate a book's different components separately. For example, Plot = 5 stars, Character = 4 stars, Writing = 5 stars, Moral value = 2 stars. That way, you get a more nuanced picture that'll hopefully help you decide if you want to read the book or...