I don’t think I’ll ever forget this book, because it opened my eyes to what life is like for some of the most oppressed people in the world. The thing that shocked me the most was that if this was a fiction book, I would have been laughing and saying that the plot was just too far-fetched and unbelievable. But this isn’t fiction. It’s someone’s life. And that’s terrifying. I genuinely want to cry for...
Category - Books
I’ve just finished reading this book and I’m seriously in shock. It’s not okay to finish a book like that! I’m only glad that I’m so late to the party that the next 3 books are already released and I don’t have to wait, because the waiting would be unbearable. This book was pretty much the polar opposite of Noughts and Crosses, which was basically the story of Callum and Sephy’s love. In contrast...
I received this book as an advance reading copy from NetGalley, and I’m so glad I requested it. I only wish that this book had been around for me a few years ago. Although aimed primarily at teenagers who have experienced loss, I think this book is valuable for any age range, I certainly found it so helpful to think about the ways I’ve been experiencing and ‘dealing with’ my grief over the last few years, and I think...
Requested as an advance reading copy from NetGalley, this book is sub-titled 7 Days of Praying With Jesus. I didn’t really know what to expect, and my initial judgements on the cover didn’t really match with what I got inside, if I’m honest I found the cover a little boring, and what was inside was anything but. Each of the 7 days of the book covers a different section of the Lord’s prayer, breaking it down and...
Following the cliffhanger at the end of Eve of Man, I’ve been waiting with baited breath for this to be released as I really needed to know what happened to Eve and Bram. I was not disappointed, devouring this book in 2 sittings, unable to put it down as I was pulled into the dramatically unfolding story of Eve’s escape. So Eve is free, but what is she going to do with her freedom? And what about all the people still looking...
Another fantastic study book from the lovely people at She Reads Truth. As usual, the book was beautifully laid out with imagery that really complimented what was being read. The study book takes you through the books of 1 John, 2 John and 3 John, which are all fairly short but pack a punch. Like the last study, these are books that I’ve not really read much before, and I really appreciated how the readings for each day were tied back...
It’s not often a book leaves you heartbroken – most books I read tend to have a fluffy ending where everyone lives happily ever after, but hopefully it’s not too much of a spoiler to say that I wanted to throw this book across the room and cry when I finished reading. I’ve obviously heard of this book a lot in the past, but never really looked into what it’s about, I think I found this copy in a charity shop...
We are in some weird times right now and life doesn’t feel easy, so when I spotted this book title on NetGalley, I immediately requested it – the little cereal smile on the cover definitely drew me in too! As the author says: “…how can we laugh when times are hard and people disappoint? How can we lighten up when storms threaten and anxiety reigns? May these stories remind us that we are loved unreasonably, that we...
This book was requested as an advanced-review copy from NetGalley. I’ve not read anything by this author before, so I had no idea what to expect, but the cover and the title instantly drew me in. The book is written as a series of devotions based around the sermon on the mount, and although I read this book in a few sittings, I think it would probably have benefited from being read more slowly to give me more time to absorb and ponder...
In a complete coincidence, I managed to finish reading this book 7 years to the day that I finished reading The Rosie Project (or so Facebook memories tells me). I still remember being given an advanced reading copy of that first book and loving it so so much. And here we are, the third and final book in the series, and I have to say, it did not disappoint! We join Don more than 10 years after the conclusion of The Rosie Effect, and his...
Another fab study from the ladies at She Reads Truth. Not gonna lie – this one was slightly daunting – the study book was almost 300 pages long, and Jeremiah is definitely the longest book of the Bible I’ve ever studied in full. And I’m not gonna lie, by the end, I was ready for it to be over – the book is heavy. BUT – I’m so glad that I got to spend Lent of this year reading through Jeremiah...
We read this book as a Church life group for our lent study, and I thought it was great. The discussion questions were perfectly crafted for getting conversation started and then diving deeper into the text, and referencing other relevant Bible passages too. We had some fantastic discussions in our group using this material, until Coronavirus meant we had to stop meeting, and I actually did the last couple of sessions alone. To me, this...
I requested this book on a whim from NetGalley, I’m not sure what drew me to it, I think it was the cover, but I genuinely didn’t know what to expect. What I got was a heart-rending story of true bravery. A woman who left her devoutly Muslim family after Jesus appeared to her in a dream to tell her he was ‘the way, the truth, and the life’. At this point in the author’s life, she was just about to go off to...
“The stories of people in Scripture are case histories of God’s relationship with human-kind” Throughout this book, we are introduced to 25 case histories of women in the Bible. Some well known like Mary Magdalene, others lesser known like the five daughters of Zelophehad, but all notable for being included in the history of what is undoubtedly a patriarchal society – and clearly showing what value God places on women...
I’ve read many books with a quote on the cover which says “This book is a must-read”, but I think this is one of the first where I can whole-heartedly agree that it’s true. I’m not going to lie, this isn’t an easy book to read, but then it isn’t an easy life that Vicky has lived, and her bravery in writing this book is astounding. I cried multiple times while reading this, thinking of all that...
To be honest, I’m a bit conflicted about this book. Even calling it a book feels weird, because it’s not a novel, it’s a collection of short stories. And that’s the main reason I’m conflicted. I loved Geralt, the main character (aka The Witcher), his sense of humour and his unique perspective on the world are definitely going to make this series an interesting read. But it was really hard to get to know him when...
I’ve been seeing Susan Calman more and more on tv since her appearance on Strictly Coming Dancing – she was my favourite that year! And I really feel like she’s a ray of sunshine – she makes me smile when I see her. So it was surprising to me that she struggles with depression. It shouldn’t be a surprise as I have learnt over the last couple of years how easy it is to put a happy face on when you feel the...
Lara Cliffe has had a rocky road to get to this week – her hen do on a cruise to Amsterdam and back. Her love life has not been plain sailing (no pun intended), but she’s finally happy and more than ready to settle down. But when, on the first night of the cruise, she comes face to face with the guy who broke her heart into pieces, and it seems like he might be truly sorry, what will Lara do? Was it fate that brought them back...
I’ve wanted to read this book since it first came out, but since I’m not a lover of hardback books, I had a long wait for it to come out in paperback! I also reserved it in audio format on my library app when I found out it was being narrated by Carrie Hope Fletcher, and as luck would have it, the day after I bought the paperback, I finally got to the top of the list for the audio loan! I was torn between getting lost in the...
Philippians – the Epistle of Joy – and this shines through in this book, even from the very front cover – what joy! Philippians is a book of the Bible that I thought I knew quite well – it’s very quotable and has lots of verses which can be a huge encouragement. But I don’t think I’ve ever read the book as a whole – as it was intended – a letter. So I really appreciated having a couple...
I was sent this book before Christmas as an advanced copy to review, but unfortunately I’ve not been feeling great and haven’t been in the mood for reading very much. So the length of time it took me to read is definitely not a reflection of the book, which I thought was fabulous. As a disclaimer, I’m neither in ministry or a mum, so I’m almost certainly not the target audience, but I found it so eye opening for a...