My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fern is a magical girl with a secret parentage, and when she meets her true father, The Bone, and leaves her extremely dull adoptive parents, she is swept into adventure and danger. The Bone’s archnemesis, The Miser, is lurking in the shadows and plotting evil, and it’s up to Fern to discover the secrets of her parents’ murky past in order to puzzle through the future and find her true identity. Continue reading
I received this lovely tiny painting from a missionary family in Guatemala! I love it! It’s beautiful, and so delicate!
I’ve had a crazy day, so coming home to a little surprise in the mailbox was just the thing to lift my spirits. What a blessing!
It’s rewarding to know that the books that I send out are making an impact and are appreciated so much by the MKs who receive them.
God is good!
Abigail Swierenga shares her experience as an MK and her joy of serving on a short-term missions trip with IMB Missions.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was enthralled by this first graphic novel in the duet! It’s incredible how, despite the violent and serious nature of the story, there is still humor and friendship and family. All the good things of life are entwined with the horrifying circumstances of the Boxer Rebellion.
Little Bao is an ordinary youngest son being picked on by his older brothers, but when his father is beaten by “foreign devils” and his village is cheated by the Christian Chinese, little Bao learns to fight and begins a journey seeking for justice and revenge.
With the help of the magical Chinese gods and heroes of the past, Little Bao and his brothers raise an army to protect the country villages, but circumstances push them to Continue reading
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Smoke and Shadow, Part 1 by Gene Luen Yang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m loving the continuing story of Team Avatar in these graphic novels! In this one, there is political unrest in the Fire Nation as a band of traitorous rebels try to put the evil Ozai back on the throne. Zuko must fight to protect his newly-found family, but there are spies and enemies around every corner, and Zuko will have to call on Avatar Aang to help.
I love the artwork, and you can really feel the action moving the story forward. It’s easy to imagine it playing in your head like a movie, because the dialogue and facial expressions and fight scenes all flow so well. Continue reading
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
That is perhaps the most terrible thing I have ever read. I mean, I knew it would be disparaging of women and archaic in it’s ideas, but seriously! I never imagined that this play would be so entirely anti-feminist; buying and selling women in marriage without one single man ever once asking what the woman wants. All they talked about was price and goods and ownership, as if a marriage was a financial transaction. Continue reading
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The story continues with Althea desperate to prove herself as an able-bodied seaman so that she can hopefully regain control of the Liveship Vivacia. But unbeknownst to her, Vivacia has been captured by pirates, and Wintrow is forced to bargain with the evil Kennit to save his own life and his father’s.
Malta is caught up in a flurry of courtship that could mean the forgiveness of the Vestrit family’s crushing debts, or it could spell ruin for her reputation. Brashen is striving to simply make a living on board a ship anywhere, but the mad ship Paragon might change his plans. And the mysterious Amber begins to have more influence on events as she has a finger in every pie in Bingtown. Continue reading
It’s hurricane season, so I’m talking about my favorite books featuring storms. What are your favorite stormy books? Leave a comment and let me know!
Changes That Heal: The Four Shifts That Make Everything Better…And That Anyone Can Do by Henry Cloud
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book inspired me, gave me spiritual healing, and had incredible insight into why people are broken and how God can heal that brokenness.
I love that each concept starts with an example of brokenness, leads into the spiritual lesson with Biblical text, explains the real reasons behind our behavior, and then gives practical solutions to heal and change for the better.
And it’s not just about being “better”; it’s about being the person God truly created you to be.
The writing has a lot of spiritual depth, but also a common sense approach to applying the spiritual concepts. It’s clear enough that anyone can understand it and relate to it, but also deeply insightful so that you need to stop and think carefully and prayerfully about the ideas presented.
The Great Cheese Conspiracy by Jean Van Leeuwen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an adorable little book about some mice living in a movie theater, who watch a lot of films about bank robbers. When they decide their gang is going to rob a cheese store, they come up with one hilarious plan after another and have several daring escapes, but no cheese. It’s up to their fearless leader to pull off the biggest cheese heist in mouse history!
I love stories about mice because they are the ultimate underdog characters! These little guys come up with some ingenious and hilarious projects, and I love the humor and silliness in the writing.
This would be the perfect book to read aloud to children, or for a child just starting to read chapter books. So cute!
Luminous Libro 