Total Books: 4 Total Pages: 1296 Longest: 407 Shortest: 240
Genres: 4 (Biography/Religion – 1, Fiction – 1, Thriller – 2)
I Give Up: The Secret Joy of a Surrendered Life by Laura Story
Laura Story is a Grammy and Dove Award-winning singer-songwriter, most notably for “Blessings” and “Indescribable”.
In the chorus of “Blessings”, Laura penned:
‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?
In I Give Up, Laura relates how her world came crashing down when faced with multiple family crises, realizing that she was not in control, and surrendering her dreams and hopes to God. The book has 4 sections addressing the questions:
- Surrender…. Who Me?
- Who Do I Surrender To?
- How Do I Surrender?
- What Happens When I Surrender?
When your happiness comes from your circumstances instead of from God, you are setting yourself up for disappointments. When you find your joy in a relationship with God, you can find yourself at peace regardless of your circumstances. I hope everyone reading my blog has found the peace that a relationship with God can provide.
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
I’ve read several of Center’s “rom-com” books and they are always fun. The tag line on this one – “Love isn’t blind. It’s just a little blurry.” – gives you a hint of where this one is going.
The protagonist Sadie, a struggling artist, develops a rare condition where people’s faces look jumbled (it’s a real condition called prosopagnosia). The timing couldn’t be worse as she is a finalist in a portrait painting contest. On top of that, she’s falling for her dog’s new vet (already dreaming about the wedding), but her neighbor is suddenly also vying for her attention.
This plot was interesting to consider how we compensate when we lose an “ability” – in this case the ability to recognize faces. But also, the consequences that arise when we don’t acknowledge our “disability” to others who are otherwise unaware of it.
I’ve got a couple of more of Center’s books on my Kindle which I’m sure I will get on my reading list soon!
The Widow by John Grisham
It’s that time of year for a new release from one of my favorite authors for the past 35 years!
The Widow is a murder mystery involving a lawyer needing to clear his name when a recent client dies.
The change from most Grisham novels is that the story doesn’t end when the verdict is given. If you are a Grisham fan, you won’t be disappointed.
The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
Amber (the “next”) and Daphne (the “last”) are back and the twists and turns in this one had me holding my breath a couple of times. While I literally couldn’t put the first book down until I finished – I had to take breaks in this one to catch my breath! If you are going to read this one, please read The Last Mrs. Parrish and then its prequel, The First Shot, beforehand.
Until next time, read what pleases you!
Notes By Nancy 
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