Olia Hercules has written a memoir that gives insight into a family’s life experience in Ukraine. I came across the book, Strong Roots, on the shelf of new releases (2025) at the library. I don’t often read memoir but I was drawn to this book. Hercules is a chef. I enjoyed…
Chocolate is my favorite sweet treat. Sometimes I will have a bit while reading a book. But that is dangerous. Chocolate tends to melt on fingers and soon there is a smudge on a page that must be quickly addressed. My worst disaster with a book was not caused by…
My husband, my sister and I spent a week in Upper Michigan, enjoying the brisk breeze bringing the fall season. Each day the color of fluttering leaves became more vibrant. It was a visual treat as we worked—we had chores to do because we were closing the house for the…
Standing on High Places is a biography of Hannah Hurnard written by Isabel Anders. Hannah Hurnard wrote the allegory of a Christian’s life titled Hinds’ Feet on High Places. Anders follows Hannah’s life from her choice to follow Jesus and her decision to pursue mission work. She began evangelical outreach in…
When I go to the library (almost once a week), I check the new releases on the fiction display. My favorite genre is historical fiction and mystery. But lately I have been thinking that I should be picking some non-fiction books to read. Last week I checked the new releases…
We live in a time when it is important to have a positive attitude, despite the divisiveness in our culture. Is it possible to engage in a productive discussion with someone that holds a viewpoint we can’t understand? Perhaps . . . I am reading a book that encourages curiosity, Faith for…
Two books that I have read recently were pleasant stories developed around historical figures. The stories wove historical facts and settings together. I could read a few chapters before bed and think about the characters. Mount Vernon Love Story by Mary Higgins Clark was first published in 1968 and republished in…
The Bible record of Esther, Queen of Persia, is full of drama. The Persian Empire was vast, extending from Egypt and Anatolia (Turkey) to the border of India. Esther ascended to royalty in an unusual way. A familial Bible quote is: And who knows whether you have not come to the…
A number of years ago my husband and I visited Concord Massachusetts. We walked around the village and toured Orchard House where Louisa May Alcott lived for a time. As I began reading the book, Finding Margaret Fuller, I was pleased to meet the group of writers that once lived in…
John Donvan and Caren Zucker wrote a detailed history of autism, In a Different Key: The Story of Autism. It is a long book, 552 pages, with extensive notes and a bibliography. The book begins with story of a young boy who from infancy did not connect socially. He could…