From my Bookshelf

Today I thought I'd share with you my thoughts on the two most recent books I've read. They were passed on to me by my mother-in-law who had them passed on to her.

The first is:

This book is based on a true story about a woman named Emma who moved to the Washington Territory with her husband, Christian, as part of a religious group move from Bethel, MO. It is a story of her independence and lack of relying on God, and how God used different circumstances in her life to bring her back to Him. Overall it was an okay read, but unless you like really slow moving books that take 2/3 of the 400 pages to get into, I don't recommend it. Once I was finally in to the book, it was over in no time. My mother-in-law had the same opinion. Have any of you read any of Jane Kirkpatrick's other books? Are they any better?


The other book I'm currently reading is this:

I'm only about half way through this book, but I've only been reading it for about 3 hours and it's had my attention since the beginning. It's about a young woman in her early 20s who's struggling to find a career that not only provides for her, but that she enjoys, all while trying to please her family members. She also is living with her parents who are about to move into a 55+ community, so she needs to find her own place. So far I'm to the point where she finds a job working as counter help in a French bakery and she loves it, but she doesn't know how it's going to provide for her financially. One thing I like about it is that it includes recipes throughout the book. I wouldn't say it's a deep and insightful read, but it does have some good reflections on Scripture and is an enjoyable and quick read. Anybody read any more of Sandra Byrd's books? If so, which ones would you recommend?

Finally, this book I haven't read recently, but it's the first book in my most favorite series EVER. That series is "The Mark of the Lion" by Francine Rivers. She focuses on a lot of historical religious fiction, and I would have to say she is my favorite author hands down. I highly recommend any of her books. It's funny because this book I got for free at a Christian bookstore when the series first came out and I remember thinking to myself, "It must not be any good if they're giving it away for free." Boy, was I wrong!