Biblical Hypocrite? Me?

 I have bible verses throughout my home. You can find them on plaques, pictures,  and blocks of wood as decorative items. I even have my favorite bible passage as a tattoo on my foot. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge him and he will keep your paths straight." Lately I have wondered, am I a hypocrite? 

Do I really trust in the Lord with all my heart? Or do I trust in God only when it benefits me and I try to forge my own path and do things my way the rest of the time? 

Lately, I realized that I have been trying with all my will to create my own paths. I have actively worked at making things in my life happen on my timeline and according to my will. Guess what...It's not working. Things are not falling into place. Praying for my wants has not helped. My human nature has taken over my mind and I have not been focusing on the simple truth that is literally etched into my skin.  "Trust in the Lord!"

All this truth hit me this morning as I was getting ready to stay with a family member who was recently injured in an accident.  Needless to say it has been a rough patch. Just prior to the accident I was feeling melancholy because I was not getting my wants. Like I "deserved"  them because I wanted them so much.  Today I realized what a bunch of baloney I had been pursuing.  

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart!" "Lean not on your own understanding!"  There is a reason that God placed his word so deeply into my heart that I then put them on my body.  It's truly not about my wants.  God always covers my needs.  That is enough. 

I am going to do my best to remember this more and lean not on my own understanding but search for His will.  I am going to be honest with you reader, I am rather strong headed and will probably have to remind myself, but I am going to try harder to lean into God and have him direct my paths rather than running ahead forging my own.  I am confident that He will bless me in ways that I can bless others, whatever that looks like, I just have to have faith and believe.  

Good thing it's summer, and I can go barefoot! Maybe I need to read my tattoo more often. 😎

If you have ever felt this way, share your experiences.  I would be interested to know your tools to focus and trust God above all things.  I am planning to delve more into his word and  pursuing unselfish prayers.  I am thankful for God's wakeup call this morning.  I definitely needed the reminder. ✟

Sweet Pea

 Family is what you make for yourself, and sometimes there are hardships in the making. I believe this wholeheartedly. Many members of my "family" are not blood, but they are as close to me as those who are. I love them dearly.

Perhaps this is why Sweet Pea, by Kit de Waal resonated with me so strongly.  

Paulette grew up in St. Kitts. She was raised by her grandmother who nicknamed her Sweet Pea. Paulette learned to cook island food and how to be the woman she is now. Paulette came to England as a young girl, but she took all the lessons of learning to love and forgive others that her grandmother taught her with her to her new country. She works as an auxillary nurse and cares for patients in a hospital. Tragedy strikes Paulette when the man she is involved with is killed in an auto accident. Her hopes and dreams of a home and family die along with him.

After his death she finds he has lied to her all along, and he has a family already in his life. 

Paulette never ends up with the family she envisions, but she does have a child with the a  friend  of her lover who was killed, and in the course of raising her son she finds herself only a few houses away from the man who drove the car that killed her man. 

Paulette's boyfriend was not the only casualty in the wreck. The Driver, Frank, also tragically injures his pregnant daughter, leaving him with his grandson to raise alone, while dealing with the guilt of his actions.  Fate brings Paulette and Frank together through the lives of her son, "bird", and his grandson, Cornelius.  The hard times don't end with the hard feelings. Yet, Kit de Waal weaves her story together with honesty and raw open emotions of loss, love and healing. 

I was pleasantly impressed with the depth  of feeling de Waal created with her characters. The pain of loss and healing power of forgiveness come forth as strong themes throughout the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, characters and author's voice. I favorably recommend Sweet Pea, by Kit de Waal, being published November 3rd by St. Martin's Press.

Thank you St. Martin's  and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Sweet Pea, in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley. #SweetPea

Her Kind

 I am convinced that women need close female friends to be whole.  Both through family and community.  We can exist alone, but there are always pieces of our world missing until we find special karmic souls to connect with through our life's journey.  If I had to choose mine, I would say mine are Denise, Lisa, Beth, MaryLou and Amber.  Perfection would be to have them all together with me in my home, coexisting together.  

I am certain I connected so strongly with Sophia Lefens's debut novel, Her KInd, simply because I have been blessed with strong relationships with dear women who make my life more abundant through their presence. 

The main character, Ada, has lived a troubled life.  Abandoned by her mother throughout her childhood, Ada sees her Aunt Leigh as the one stable adult she can rely on. When her husband also walks away from their marriage and infant son, she turns to the only refuge she has, her aunt Leigh. Ada, and her now three year old son Lenny build a life at her aged aunt's lake home, where time together in nature and the lure of the water become balm to their souls. In such a calm serene setting, Ada is jolted by fear when she begins to have reoccurring premonitions or dreams that she will soon die, leaving her son Lenny alone in the world as she has often been left.  Her only balm for her troubled mind is to gather her friends to her there, and decide whom she would leave Lenny  with if she dies. Sage, Agnes, and Joanna are each going going through their own life's difficulties, and each also find a home with Leigh at the lake house.   Death does indeed come to Ada and her friends, but they learn and grow from their time together. 

Lefens 's novel is well written, with strong, real characters. She imparts a soul into each of her characters which makes them relatable. I think anyone who has experienced the gift of true and honest friendship can identify with Lefens's book.

I feel that I connected strongly with Lefens's book for several reasons.  I have shared special relationships with friends and family so dear that they are the ones I run to when I am frightened or in grief.  I also have lost loved ones that left gaping voids in my life. Finally, the poignant serendipity of her aunt Leigh's memory fading touched my heart.  My husband and I are experiencing that now with a shared family member and seeing her decline slowly is a sad but real event.  

Her Kind is set to publish on October 13, 2026 and would be a fine read for a book club. It would be interesting to see which character(s) each person relates with most strongly and who each one would choose in their own lives to be with if faced with challenges like  Lefens's character Ada is.

Thank you to the publisher Harper Collins and NetGalley for the Advance Reader's Proof in exchange for an honest review.

#HerKind #NetGalley

Contrapposto

My google internet search of the word Contrapposto told me, "Contrapposto was developed by the ancient Greeks and is an Italian word meaning counterpoise. Contrapposto is used in the visual arts to describe a human figure standing with the majority of their weight on one foot. The other leg is relaxed and bent which causes the hips to tilt and the spine to curve. Famous examples of this pose are Michelangelo's "David" or the Venus D'Milo."  Now that you too have been educated on a facet of visual art information, you can learn more about the world of art in Dave Eggers newest novel, Contrapposto, to be published June 9, 2026 by Penguin Random House. 

Trained as a painter, Eggers brings his knowledge of the industry and unique climate of the art world through his characters. Contrapposto follows the lives of two individuals, Cricket (Robert Dib) and Olympia Argyros from the time they met as children through their 70's.  Fraught with life's complexities, Cricket and Olympia pursue art as a driving force in their lives.  Cricket learns young that he has a penchant for drawing, and he pursues this talent throughout his entire lifespan. as he trains as a painter. Olympia is a complex and often times troubled soul who uses her vast knowledge of art, artists, and business to propel herself through the tumultuous and often chaotic art scene, worldwide.  

While Olympia tends to thrive on the drama and rollercoaster ride of her career, often ending in personal addiction manifesting in various forms; Cricket gravitates toward the  quiet, creating his art through his love of line drawing and painting. Cricket is satisfied to work on the fringe of the art scene in order to create his paintings for himself. 

Olympia and Crickets' lives are ever interconnected. They share a love as friends and more but never a sustained life together.  

Eggers did a masterful job of intertwining the lives and personalities of his two characters so that the reader is continually drawn into their joys and struggles.  Eggers also educates the reader on the art world, the artists realm as well as the business side.  I learned so much about a topic I have never delved into, which is a mark of a great writer, to educate while entertaining.

I enjoyed Egger's newest book, Contrapposto. Eggers has another literary success!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Contrapposto in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley. #Contrapposto

 

Vibrant Alertness

     So much has happened since I last blogged on anything other than book reviews.  I decided it was time to sit down and think about the last few months.  The trigger to my thoughts was my dog last night, Sydney.  I don't know what she heard, but beginning at 3am, she was alert and on patrol. Barking and running to the doors. Scott and I weren't the only ones put on notice.  The cat joined in too, meowing loudly to voice her opinion.  

    We never found out the why for her watchfulness but it certainly woke me up and started me thinking about my life since Christmas.  

Two great men died. 

My father-in-law, Tom Miller, after living an impressive and productive life of work and loving his family went to heaven. I met him in 1982, when I first started dating Scott.  Dad was engaging, witty, wise, and on top of that a prominent businessman in his career life.  After we married in 1985, he treated me as if I was just another daughter, not the in-law addition.  Dad taught us so many things, and we have been forever blessed by his presence in our life.  He was 91.

My daughter-in-law's father entered heaven about two weeks after dad. Mark. He was 63. Fewer years on this earth, but no less an impact for those who knew and loved him. Our children met young, at the beginning of high school. There was a lot of life happening those first few years of their time together, and Mark and his wife Lorry became part of our extended family long before our children married.  Mark was successful as a business owner, but his family would probably say his most impactful role was that of a dad, grandpa, and friend to all.  He is missed immensely...

We moved my mother-in-law to Hutchinson Kansas in an assisted living facility, only five minutes from our home. After dad died, some circumstances changed for Scott's mom and the family decided moving mom would be the best for all of us. We are thrilled to be able to have mom close by after living two and a half hours away the past 32 years.  Now she can be an integral part of our lives, allowing us to see her several times a week.  Some days are easier than others, but the joy of having her near makes up for the additional nurturing we are blessed with being able to provide.  

    So, those are the major events. When my dog, Sydney, so thoughtfully alerted me to imminent peril  of unknown origin in the wee hours of the day, I realized in my wakeful state how vibrant life has become these last few months. It is as if I awoke with the spring and all things seem fresh and new again. People are more precious. Tasks of entertaining others are more meaningful. Colors are shockingly vivid. Even annoying events of pets are more tolerable and kind of cute. 

    Maybe we all need an injection of vibrant alertness occasionally to wake up our worlds. But, perhaps not at 3am in the morning...

Photo Dump!

Sanctuary

 If you are needing a good binge watching experience, Ive got a suggestion... James Cleary's debut thriller, Sanctuary! I can't remember when I last read a book that literally read like a video series on a streaming service.  

Now it might sound crazy to compare a book to a show, but the effect for me when I read the first page was the same as when I have sat down to an addictive season of a show. I was hooked from the first page and sat glued to the book, turning pages in a binge worthy fashion, simply unable to walk away until the last page was finished.  Cleary's writing was so vivid and action packed that the scenes played out right in front of me as I tore through the story. 

In a post apocalyptic United States, climate disasters have completely changed the viability of the environment.  The seasides are flooding and the great plains have become desserts with farmland in such extreme drought that the soil has become the enemy. Dust storms burying the lands and causing physical danger to all who are exposed to it. No water, no vegetation, no game to hunt. Survival now depends on foraging and ingenuity, unless...

Unless you are a mega-billionaire who can build a fortress. John Brandt, a man with money and power prepared. He used millions building a veritable fortress in an abandoned nuclear missile silo. Under the Nebraska soil,  Brandt takes his family along with a command security force and workers necessary for survival. These include a cook, her daughter, a botanist specializing in aquaponics and a medical doctor, just enough personnel to stay alive. The fortress is a luxury bunker that includes every amenity arranged to simulate life before and enough food and water for 50 people to last three years. Brandt's family and workers could very probably have enough for 10 years. The only problem is, others have found them.

The world outside the bunker is a war zone. rioting and killing to survive.  Some workers employed by Brandt's firm to build his underground fortress have returned in hope of aid. He has everything and they are dying. They have been surviving as raiders. Now they will do anything to stay alive. In this world, no one wins, not even those who think they hold all the cards.

I was completely immersed in Cleary's world. It made me uncomfortable to look around my home and town and see the waste and abundance we all take for granted.  I felt convicted when I read about Brandt's family and their waste, knowing I am guilty of excess myself. The story made me think.  The possible realism was frightening yet overwhelmingly compelling. His characters were so well developed that I felt what they felt, saw what they saw, and loved and abhorred them all at the same time. That is the finesse of an awe inspiring author. 

I am hungry for more books from Cleary in the future. He definitely has infinite talent.  

Sanctuary will be published April 28, 2026 from Penguin Random House.  I hope you grab a copy and read it too.  Sanctuary is well worth your time.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Sanctuary by James Cleary in exchange for an honest review. 

#Sanctuary #NetGalley

When The Wolves Are Silent

     As an avid reader and reviewer, finding a previously unknown author that has multiple books published in a series is like opening a treasure chest! Not just one story to enjoy, but once you get to know and fall in love with the characters, you can continue to enjoy them through their other adventures.  This was my experience this week when asked to participate in the blog tour for C.S. Harris's new historical fiction, When the Wolves Are Silent, published April 14, 2026 by Penguin Random House. 

    Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin is set to investigate another mystery when his nephew, Bayard is involved in the burning death of his friend. Bayard is associated with a group of men notorious for bullying and tormenting others. One night after overindulging in drink at a seedy tavern, Bayard and his friend Marcus Toole decide to hike up a nearby hill to spy on possible Druid rituals as a "lark".  Once on the crest of the hill, Bayard wanders off to relieve himself and subsequently passes out, only to wake to the sight of his friend burning on a pit of fire as a human sacrifice.  Traumatized, Bayard goes to his uncle for help. In the course of a couple weeks, two more of Bayard's friends are killed in what looks to be methods of Celtic sacrificial means. Now with three dead friends Bayard fears he will be the next if Sebastian, Viscount Devlin, isn't able to solve the mystery first. In the process of the investigation, Viscount Devlin, learns that Bayard's group of friends have accumulated many possible suspects through their poor treatments of others. Viscount Devlin also finds himself  wondering if Bayard could be involved in the murders of his friends. Along with the help of his wife, Hero, he solves the mystery and even deals with a radical political movement  that threatens the government. 

Harris introduces a multitude of characters to support and enhance her storyline, creating both intrigue and suspense as Viscount Devlin works to solve the crimes. I am so excited to have been asked to participate in this blog tour for Harris's exciting new mystery.  To also discover such a talented historical fiction author in the process is a gift that will continue to bring me exciting adventures for a long while.

I sincerely encourage my readers to delve into When The Wolves Are Silent, by C.S. Harris. and continue to enjoy her previous novels that are prequels to this one.  I am thoroughly enjoying the entire series and can't wait to read some more! 

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of C.S. Harris's novel, When The Wolves Are Silent from NetGalley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #WhentheWolvesAreSilent

Winter Song

     Sometimes a book is just a good story. That is my opinion of Rebeca Lee Morales's book, Winter Song,  to be published December 1, 2026 from Harper Collins Publishers.  Morales, a fresh literary voice, writes a compelling story about a small town in Minnesota and the close knit ties of community, the good and the bad. 

   Byron Lugo has just been released from prison for a hit and run murder he was convicted of, but Byron swears that he did not commit.  His one focus, ultimate goal, is to get the life that he feels was stolen from him back. He is bound and determined that the town will see that he is innocent of the hit and run death of a teenage boy.  

    Life has moved on since his incarceration.  His fiancee has married a man that Byron considers a brute. His friends still have his back, but not everyone in town feels the same way. Gordon Trent, the town's chief of police advises Byron to move on with his life, stop looking back. He has paid his debt to society, get busy living again. Yet forgetting his wrongful conviction is not part of his plan, redeeming himself is his goal.

    The story poses the questions, can you ever relive the past? Once the general opinion of a community is formed, whether a person is guilty or innocent, can that consensus be corrected? Even when a court rules the person innocent of a crime...or guilty.  

    Morales's writing is well thought out and plainly powerful. Her characters speak for themselves with voices that feel as though the reader is sitting next to them as part of their conversations.  I was simply part of the story as I experienced the book. Which is exactly what I am looking for in this form of literary fiction.  Winter Song was not a thriller, nor a complex murder mystery. Winter Song was a good story.  I encourage you to read it for yourself December 2026. 

I received an advanced reader's copy of Winter Song from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

#NetGalley #WinterSong

Lords of Serendipity

   Having just finished the book, Lords of Serendipity by Randy Boyagoda, I have more questions than I have answers.  I feel confused.  The story is centered in academia, dealing with both sides of classroom dynamics.  It begins with a SrI Lankan girl, Devi, who dreams of attending a prestigious college in the United States or the United Kingdom.  She wants to make her family and country proud of her. We meet her family, and the poverty and struggle they face to help her reach her goals. She continues to face struggles and road blocks to her dreams.

Next we meet professors and deans of  global colleges. Some struggling themselves to make their mark on the world of higher education.  The reader is introduced to corruption in the academic system. The foreign students are sold grades by an enterprising graduate teaching assistant.  Devi, the Sri Lankan is scammed by an online tutor whom she is paying to get help with her college applications.  Professors are asked to overlook cheating. The Moral compass is broken.  The book is a roller coaster ride of collegiate drama.

The most endearing characters are two college students, one a migrant orphan from Sri Lanka, another a United States citizen whose father is a statistics professor.  The girls find friendship amongst the mayhem. 

So, my problem with this book is there was little continuity. I found the plot disjointed and the scenes did not flow from one to the other.  The characters were memorable, but without a tight well moving plot, I had a hard time feeling truly invested in their stories. At the end of the book I still felt lost. Not left hanging, like a cliffhanger, but rather unsatisfied. I felt like the author had many plot lines that needed to be tied together, and he did this as he ended the story, but it didn't feel like it fit, more like it just needed to end.

I really struggle when I read a book I don't enjoy.  I truly look for positives in each one. In my opinion the positive in this book is the glimpse of Sri Lankan culture. Seeing struggles of an international student culture was enlightening. 

The negatives were the plot and overall depressing look at corruption in the academic settings.  I chose to read Lords of Serendipity because of the preview comments that said it was lively and hilarious.  The story just made me disheartened.  

I rated it with two stars. Lords of Serendipity will be published on September 8, 2026 by Mariner Books. 

Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's copy of Lords of Serendipity by Randy Boyagoda in exchange for this honest review. 

#LordsofSerendipity #NetGalley

The Girl Who Rode the White Lion

     A literary fiction based on a true story deepens the involvement a reader has with the characters and overall outcome of the book.  I found this to be especially true when reading the novel, The Girl Who Rode the White Lion, by Yishay Ishi Ron.  

    Yishay Ishi Ron is the son of a Holocaust survivor and an Israeli writer. His story is based on the true story  of the Althoff family who ran a circus and used their unique opportunity to safeguard Jews during the Holocaust.  Yishay Ishi Ron took the reality of the horror of war and  created a story of love, survival and well served justice.  True heroes chose to protect the persecuted through "Moral Charity" (as stated in the acknowledgements portion of his book). 

    Set in Germany, 1938, Sarah Frank a young Jewish girl and her family are routed from their home through the obsession of an SS. officer, Hauptsturmfűhrer Hubert Zimmer of the Third Reich they had thought was a friend.  Separated from her husband, Ruth Frank is on the run with her young daughter to hide from the evil.  Needing refuge and respite for a few hours Ruth finds that Adolf Frei's Magical Circus is in town and a perfect location to hide from the Nazi's while giving her young daughter a bit of joy.  Ruth finds her persecutor in the crowd and sends Sarah to the circus manager, Adolf Frei for refuge.  Thus sets the stage for a life of hiding as a part of the circus.  Next we meet Dr. Mark Spencer,  a veterinarian for the New York Central Park Zoo in 1957. Dr. Spencer is called in to perform an autopsy on an aged white lion, named Christmas. While teaching a younger veterinarian, Dr. Spencer discovers an odd item within the white lion's intestines.  A Nazi SS officer's silver skull ring.  From this time forth, the reader is taken on a journey of survival for Sarah Frank and a mystery to solve for Dr. Mark Spencer.  

    Yishay Ishi Ron does a masterful job of weaving the two timelines together to create both intrigue in the mystery as well as fear for the life of young Sarah.  War is ugly and the reader feels this truth within the book, The Girl Who Rode the White Lion. I began reading the story assuming it was a purely fiction based tale.  It wasn't until the end of the book that I found in the acknowledgement section that the story was based on truth. This made it so much more powerful. 

    I sincerely hope that  Yishay Ishi Ron's book soars in popularity so many may revisit the tragedy of evil and how it effects many.  We must remember and not repeat.  I have included a web source below to further educate the source of the story. 

The Girl Who Rode the White Lion by  Yishay Ishi Ron  and translated from the Hebrew by Yardenne Greenspan will publish June 16, 2026 through Soncata Press. Please take the time to read this wonderful novel.  I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Girl Who Rode the White Lion through NetGalley in exchange for an honest reivew.  Thank you again NetGalley for the opportunity to discover diverse voices in literature. 

 https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous/stories/althoff.html

#NetGalley #TheGirlWhoRoadtheWhiteLion