Recap Book Chat

“Reading is the act of listening and speaking at the same time, with someone you’ve never met, but love…” Join Kate and Sheila as they embark on Daniel Nayeri’s tale of an unbelievable but true journey, in Everything Sad is Untrue. The story describes how Daniel’s mother and her children had to flee Iran after  converting to Christianity. The miraculous and harrowing road to freedom is beautifully told through the eyes of a young Daniel.  “The Legend of my mother is that she does not stop. And if you don't stop, you're unstoppable.” Everything Sad is Untrue is written in a traditional Eastern way of Storytelling where “the stories aren't the thing. The thing is the story of the story. The spending of the time. The falling in love.” It allows us to see each other as our true selves. Daniel tells us about the God who Listens and the God who speaks and the importance of a God that does both. May we implement this in our lives as we practice listening better and speaking kindness often.  “Love is empty without justice. Justice is cruel without love.”  “But what you believe about the future will change how you live in the present.”  What do you believe about the future? Meet Daniel and his unstoppable mom in this short video. Why this author and his mother fled Iran in the 80's

What do journaling, camaraderie, resilience, bravery, faith in God, and a cowboy from Texas have in common? Bram Stoker cleverly brought them all together in his masterpiece, Dracula, published in 1897. He uses journals, letters, news clippings, captain’s log, and telegrams (epistolary format) which invites the reader to join the characters on their journey. We become vampire hunters along with:  Jonathan Harker, the English solicitor,  Mina Murray, Jonathan’s soon to be wife,  Lucy, Mina’s flighty friend,  Dr. John Seward, Lucy’s rejected suitor #1,  Arthur Holmwood, aka Lord Godalming, Lucy’s pick of the litter,   Quincy Morris, rejected suitor #2, a cowboy from Texas and finally,  Dr. Van Helsing, the oldest in the group, gives guidance and determination in this fearless fight against evil.  Without a  main character, everyone has equal importance. This talented Irish author illustrates the value of: Combination: “...we are all more strong together…” Failure: “We learn from failure, not from success.” Faith & Humility: “God alone knows what may be in store for any of us.” Journaling: “Hamlet said, “My tablets! Quick, my tablets!” The habit of entering accurately  must help to soothe me. Good versus evil can encompass many forms. The term energy vampires would not exist without Stoker’s book. The Bible has another blood sucker in Proverbs 30:15,  “The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”. Those who take and take and never give have always been around. Bram Stoker gives readers a safe place to be scared while giving readers the  warning to be alert! Are you up for this frightful chase? Please join us for episode 163! Happy reading dear listeners!

”Memory is a wicked thing that warps and twists. But paper and ink receive the truth without emotion, and they read it back without partiality.” Please join Kate and Sheila as they recap,  The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon.  Martha Ballard, a midwife in Hallowell, Maine in 1789, was thrown into a murder investigation when a body was found in the river. She was called to do an autopsy and later discovers her oldest son, Cyrus Ballard, while trying to  protect his sister’s honor had fought with Joshua Burgess. When Burgess turns up dead, Cyrus is arrested! Martha and her husband, Ephraim aptly quote Shakespeare, “If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.” Meanwhile, the trial of Joshua North (Hallowell's judge) is taking place. He is charged with raping of the young pastor’s wife, Rebecca Foster (who is now with child). Rebecca Foster's fate depends on Martha’s testimony. However, in 1789 a woman was not allowed testify without the presence of her husband. Will Ephraim make it to the courtroom in time? Martha Ballard is the great-aunt of Clara Baron, founder of the Red Cross. She is also the great-great-grandmother of Mary Hobart, one of the first female physicians in the U.S. She kept a diary for 27 years! Most of her entries included the phrase, “I have been at home”. What homemakers do matter more than they know, or as Martha put it, "Small acts done in love matter." She delivered over 1,000 babies and never lost a mother in childbirth! Ironically, Ariel Lawhon found an article stating this amazing fact about Martha while waiting at her obstetrician's office. “One of the greatest skills that I have as a midwife is to sit in silence…To sit and be. To pray and offer comfort… To say nothing when there are no words that can console.”  Let’s meet this woman of incredible grit and wisdom. Blessings to you dear listeners and readers!

“It’s not how much you have, but what you do with it that counts.” “Every challenge is an opportunity for growth.” “We find what we are looking for, if we look hard enough.” “In the face of adversity, never give up.” There are a plethora of inspiring quotes like these from Wilson Rawls’,  Summer of the Monkeys! Join 14 year old Jay Berry in the Ozark Mountains of Oklahoma as he and his faithful hound, Rowdy, set out to capture the monkeys that escaped from the circus train mishap. He wants to get the head monkey and collect the reward for him which is one hundred dollars! Which would be more than enough to get his long dreamed of pony and .22. His sister, Daisy, dons her Red Cross uniform and cares for Jay Berry when he gets into scrapes even, her twisted leg and crutch do not slow her down at all. The family cannot afford the surgery to straighten out her leg, but she remains cheerful and always ready to help. Who is smarter, Jay Berry or the monkeys? Grandpa and Jay Berry come up with plan after plan to outwit the feisty furry fugitives. Are you ready for adventure, laughs, and family bonded beyond belief ? Join us as we dive into this treasure that shows readers why “Love and compassion are the keys to a fulfilled life.” 

This amazing story is told through the eyes of Reuben Land (aka Rube), the middle child in a motherless family living in the cold Midwest. He suffers greatly from asthma, adores his older brother, Davy (16 years old) and his younger sister, Swede (8+ she has a birthday– definitely one of the coolest siblings we’ve ever met from the pages of a book). Jeremiah Land is a father raising three kids on his own, but his full plate gets unbelievably fuller when life takes a disastrous turn. After he defends a girl being accosted by two thugs a  downward spiral begins.  Jeremiah’s non-negotiable morning routine is his daily time in God’s Word which gives him peace and guidance as he faces the trials and troubles life throws his way. Many lines flow like a cool stream but one that stuck with me was, “Fair is whatever God wants it to do.” Please join us as we recap Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, a beautiful book following the Land family through laughter, heartache, and healing. How blessed we were to meet this family! What a treasure!

“The world is yearning for men to show up, men who know who they are and why they are here.” We hear a lot about toxic masculinity, what about a masculine man of God? The ones who Grow Up and Show Up. They do not fall prey to the myth, “I’m not hurting anyone” as they fail to become the man God meant them to be choosing instead to engage in wasteful wiles that hijack their time. Ennui is a French word that means dissatisfaction that comes from not being mission focused. “In Gen. 2:15, man was to keep the garden (NKJV), the Hebrew word, shamar means to guard, to protect and to watch over. Adam totally blew it.”  Brant gives readers 6 Decisions TO SET US APART: Forsake the fake–Relish the real  Protect the Vulnerable Be Ambitious About the Right Things Make Women and Children Feel Safe Choose Today Who You Will Become Tomorrow Take Responsibility for your Own Spiritual Life The point of real love is to want your loved one to thrive and flourish even to the point of self-sacrifice! What great gift these books would be for the males in your life! The Men We Need and The (Young) Men We Need sum up God’s role for men with wit and pithiness that packs a punch! Please join us as we dive into a subject that has baffled us for years,  at times brought us in tears when we were unaware of their gears, Brant has showed us how God wants men to be- beginning with their hearts, Isn’t that where true transformation always starts?

Let’s journey through Kids’ Books from A to Z,  As we bookishly celebrate back to school with glee! As we endeavor to fertilize young minds we must be vigilant in exposing them to a plethora of books, priming the pump as one might say. Please join us as book suggestions are made that might ignite a love for reading in your little tike or emerging teen and all those in between. Resistant readers are those that have not found the right book. May we be as diligent as the proverbial prince searching for the foot that fit the lost glass slipper.  No, dear listeners we will not waver, let’s discover a book for each little shaver : ) This episode gives listeners ideas to enrich or jumpstart the powerful habit of reading widely.  This could even supply gift ideas for Christmas and birthdays and such.  Let’s make reading books a language in itself, adding tried and true books to shelf after shelf! Won’t you listen along as we strive to meet the challenge of finding books of quality all the way from A to Z?

Twenty-two-year-old Emmy Lake, hopeful war correspondent, begins her new job at  Woman’s Friend is working under a bear of a woman, Mrs. Henrietta Bird. Mr. Collins writes stories for the magazine, he helps Emmy get adjusted to her position. Emmy types Mr. Collins's stories and helps with the advice column, Henrietta Helps, however, Mrs. Bird refuses to answer most of the letters because they are too personal. “Spines, Miss Lake, that’s what these women need.” But of course, Emmy’s empathetic heart can’t refuse the women writing in for Mrs. Bird’s help so she starts answering them on her own time. Dear Anxious, You should be very proud of yourself for doing your best when things are at their worst. Emmy’s best friend and roommate, Bunty, helps her through a tough time when Emmy’s fiance  ended their engagement. Her folks are supportive as well, “Is your mother doing the Fatheads speech? Absolute dunderhead…look at the bright side at least we won’t have idiots for grandchildren,” her dad said with a wink. Fortunately, even though fatheads may abound so do those of the handsome, brave, caring sort…enter Charles, Mr. Collins’ ½ brother. Emmy’s nights are spent volunteering at the fire station as a dispatcher. The bombings and fires made London in 1940 anything but safe. The camaraderie of Emmy and her friends during this terrible time in history draws readers into the fray living day by day in the shadow of bombings… surviving by grit and determination. When Bunty and Emmy’s friendship hits a stonewall Emmy embraces the challenge of what a real friend must do even when proverbial doors are slammed in faces… She shows up and she keeps on showing up even while trouble’s brewing at her day job as well. Won’t you show up too? Please get a cup of tea and join Sheila and Kate, as they recap Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce, a novel first rate!

“You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him.” Question: What is the chief End of man? Answer: Man’s chief End is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever! Written in one night on a train trip, Kate and Sheila recap A. W. Tozer’s powerfully written book, The Pursuit of God. This inspirational jewel was published in 1948 but timelessly impactful, challenging readers to look out instead of in. We cannot simply sit in a pew to please God; we must fervently pursue Him if we are to grow closer to Him. “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.”  “Sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self-regarding.” Eli and his sons were sad examples of pursuing self instead of God. The self-sins are many: self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and a host of others that can so entangle our lives causing us to stagnate.   Are you ready to put down the spoon and dig deep to seek God wholeheartedly? “How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers.” As the parable told by Jesus about the 10 virgins illustrates, each one of us must prepare to be ready, we cannot rely on someone else to do the work. Let's make passionately pursuing our heavenly Father a vital part each day He gives us!

 Georgina Bassington-Hope is sent Maisie’s way because she thinks  Inspector Stratton and company did less than stellar work investigating the death of her twin brother. Georginia believes her brother, Nick, did not accidentally fall from the scaffold in the art gallery. She feels like he was murdered. Will Maisie and her trusty assistant, Billy, be able to uncover the truth? The suspects are many, Nick’s three artist friends, his brother, Harry with a gambling problem, the wealthy American that has paid handsomely for Nick’s previous works, and many more! When Maisie and Billy discover their office ransacked and their case map stolen they basically had to start over from square one.  There’s some heartbreaking in this novel as readers see the class difference in London at this time, however class does not determine joy. Kate connected this to a book she’s reading, Created to Be His Help Meet, that explains how Gratitude comes before Joy. God stresses the importance of gratitude over and over in His Word. Join Kate and Sheila as they reconnect with Maisie Dobbs. It’s 1931, she hits  the streets of London and the countryside as well to track down the truth. Some of our favorite quips and quotes: “How might I serve?” (The most important question, learned from her mentor, Maurice) “Things are rarely as they seem.” “Choose your battles, Billy.” “...if I am to keep Georgina Bassington-Hope out of your way, to effectively pick up your laundry, then wash and fold it, I should say you owe me a bit more than 15 minutes in a 3rd rate caff on Oxford Street.” : ) Maisie letting Inspector Stratton have a piece of her mind. Are you ready to sip a cuppa and solve the mystery in Jacqueline Winspear’s  Messenger of Truth? Happy reading dear listeners!