Echoes of a Silent Song by Amanda Wen

 A split-time romance from an award-winning author

When a choral composer and conductor falls victim to creative block, he resorts to his fallback plan of teaching high school choir. Callum Knight's goal at Peterson High is simple: rediscover his muse, extract himself from teaching, and get back to Boston as quickly as possible.

As the long-suffering accompanist at the high school, Peterson-native Blair Emerson has watched the revolving door of choir directors and their negative impact on her choirs over the last few years. She is less than impressed when a disheveled Callum stumbles in on his first day.

But then they discover an unsigned, unfinished, and handwritten choral composition by a clear musical genius. Blair recalls rumors of Iris, a Peterson student from the 1970s who composed music but was found dead during her senior year. Blair and Callum work to determine if the piece is hers, and the truth they uncover shakes both of them to the core.

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Echoes of a Silent Song - Kindle edition by Wen, Amanda. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Amanda Wen’s novels have released to both reader and critical acclaim, including a 2023 Selah Award for The Songs That Could Have Been and a Foreword Indies Gold Award and a Christy Award nomination for Roots of Wood and Stone. In addition to her writing, Amanda is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist who frequently performs with orchestras, chamber groups, and her church’s worship team, as well as serving as a choral accompanist. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Amanda currently lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.

Journey with a Giant By Lori G. Melton

 Take the next step in your spiritual formation and embark on a year-long journey alongside a “giant” of faith, inspired by the author’s year of studying the life of Mister Fred Rogers, America’s favorite neighbor.

So many of us want to go deeper in our faith. We long for a clearer sense of God’s calling in our lives, but knowing where to start can be more than half the battle. What if we could learn from a trusted guide who’s already walked the path? If you’re in leadership, what would you give to shadow someone like Queen Elizabeth II? Or if you’re an artist, what would you give to spend a year with Madeleine L’Engle or Michelangelo? What if you’re longing for courage and you could take notes from George Washington or Harriet Tubman? How might God shape you through the example of faithful believers and strengthen you to become who He created you to be?

Journey with a Giant introduces the transformative practice of walking with a spiritual giant. Based on the “cloud of witnesses” described in Hebrews 12 and illustrated through the author’s experience walking with Mister Fred Rogers—America’s favorite neighbor—spiritual director Lori Melton guides readers on a one-year adventure that offers a unique approach to spiritual formation.

This structured yet flexible guide includes:
• weekly reflections
• testimonials from fellow pilgrims
• monthly instructions and tasks
• prompts for recording your focus, goals, resources, and insights
• guided prayer to end each month
• reflection questions
• journaling space

Whether you choose to learn from Mister Rogers or select your own spiritual mentor, this journey will help you cultivate a closer relationship with God, uncover new insights about yourself, and take meaningful steps toward pursuing God’s unique calling for you.

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Journey with a Giant: Choose Your Guide, Pursue Your Purpose, and Grow in Your Walk with God - Kindle edition by Melton, Lori G.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

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Society Women by Adriane Leigh

 Some invitations are meant to be declined. . . .

Ellie works as an accountant at her father’s successful investment company in New York City. She enjoys all the comforts her privileged lifestyle affords—a two-bedroom apartment overlooking Central Park, a generous trust fund, and a devastatingly attractive if often absent husband who works long hours for her father as well. Yet the introverted young woman who wants for nothing feels aimless and untethered. Ellie lost her mother at a young age and still has nightmares about her death. She sometimes sleepwalks at night and finds herself stumbling through the days.

But Ellie’s life takes a turn when she receives an anonymous invitation in the mail, asking her to join an elite women’s club known only as “The Society.” Intrigued, she begins to attend their lavish gatherings where she meets her new close companion, Aubrey, and enjoys the benefits of belonging to the group—friendship, sisterhood, and support from other successful and glamorous women. Then Ellie makes a horrifying discovery about the society and its “philanthropic work.” The women of The Society harbor dark, dangerous secrets—secrets that may implicate Ellie’s own family.

Wickedly twisty, Society Women is a gripping story of prestige, power, and dirty secrets that will hook you with every surprising turn and leave you questioning every truth until the final, shocking end.

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Society Women: A Novel: Leigh, Adriane: 9780063473928: Amazon.com: Books

Adriane Leigh is a USA Today bestselling author of multiple novels and novellas. With appearances in publications such as Vogue Magazine and The Montreal Gazette, the award-winning author, in addition to writing, founded RARE: Romance Author & Reader Events, a community of internationally-renowned book conventions that draw thousands of readers and #1 bestselling authors to events around the world each year. 

She hosts a podcast, The Rebel Artist, and her books are translated into French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

She lives on Lake Michigan with her family.

For more information and for a schedule of events, please visit adrianeleigh . com.

By The Fire We Carry by Rebecca Nagle

 Before 2020, American Indian reservations made up roughly 55 million acres of land in the United States. Nearly 200 million acres are reserved for National Forests—in the emergence of this great nation, our government set aside more land for trees than for Indigenous peoples.

In the 1830s Muscogee people were rounded up by the US military at gunpoint and forced into exile halfway across the continent. At the time, they were promised this new land would be theirs for as long as the grass grew and the waters ran. But that promise was not kept. When Oklahoma was created on top of Muscogee land, the new state claimed their reservation no longer existed. Over a century later, a Muscogee citizen was sentenced to death for murdering another Muscogee citizen on tribal land. His defense attorneys argued the murder occurred on the reservation of his tribe, and therefore Oklahoma didn’t have the jurisdiction to execute him. Oklahoma asserted that the reservation no longer existed. In the summer of 2020, the Supreme Court settled the dispute. Its ruling that would ultimately underpin multiple reservations covering almost half the land in Oklahoma, including Nagle’s own Cherokee Nation. 

Here Rebecca Nagle recounts the generations-long fight for tribal land and sovereignty in eastern Oklahoma. By chronicling both the contemporary legal battle and historic acts of Indigenous resistance, By the Fire We Carry stands as a landmark work of American history. The story it tells exposes both the wrongs that our nation has committed and the Native-led battle for justice that has shaped our country. 

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By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land: Nagle, Rebecca: 9780063112056: Amazon.com: Books

Moments in Time by Dr. Theresa Brightman

 Moments in Time is a deeply personal and profoundly inspiring journey that delves into the defining experiences of

Dr. Theresa C. Brightman’s life. Through a heartfelt narrative, Theresa weaves together stories of Family, Love, Loss, Faith, Forgiveness, Healing, and the invaluable Lessons Learned along the way. Her reflections reveal how life’s pivotal moments—both the joyous and the painful—play a crucial role in shaping personal growth.

At its core, this book tells a story of resilience. Theresa recounts hardships such as teenage motherhood, family struggles, and the heartache of personal loss, demonstrating how strength is often forged in life’s most challenging moments. These trials serve as a testament to her belief that adversity can lead to profound inner growth.

Family and legacy form another central theme. With deep reverence, Theresa pays tribute to her roots, especially the unwavering love and sacrifices of her mother and grandparents. These figures stood as the foundation of her family, providing a sense of stability and strength that carried her through life’s storms.

Faith emerges as a guiding light throughout her story. In times of uncertainty and despair, Theresa’s unshakable belief in God offered her solace and direction. Her journey underscores the importance of spiritual strength, showing how faith can be a source of hope and clarity.

Equally powerful is her exploration of forgiveness and healing. Theresa opens her heart to confront past pain, broken relationships, and personal mistakes. Through this courageous act, she reveals the transformative power of forgiveness—not just for others, but also for oneself. Her journey of reconciliation inspires readers to seek their own path toward healing and renewal.

Above all, Moments in Time is a celebration of empowerment and personal growth. Theresa encourages readers to embrace their unique journey, find their voice, and take control of their destiny, no matter the societal or personal obstacles they face. She writes with an unflinching honesty that not only shares her truth but also invites readers to reflect on their own defining moments in life.

Through relatable anecdotes and vulnerable storytelling, Theresa inspires individuals to find strength in their struggles, cherish the relationships that shape them, and seek healing and forgiveness to move forward. Her words leave readers with a renewed sense of hope and the understanding that life’s trials, no matter how difficult, can ultimately lead to transformation. Moments in Time is more than a memoir—it’s a guide for anyone searching for meaning, growth, and redemption in their own lives.  

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Amazon.com: Moments In Time: 9780578250878: Brightman, Theresa C.: Books

Princess Bride by William Goldman

 A gorgeously designed limited edition of William Goldman’s beloved classic, featuring sprayed and stenciled edges, and a gold foil cover.—a tale of true love and high adventure, pirates, princesses, giants, miracles, fencing, and a frightening assortment of wild beasts that is a modern storytelling classic.

A perfect gift book for those who have already fallen in love with and those still yet to discover the magic of Westley, Princess Buttercup, and their cherished crew.

As Florin and Guilder teeter on the verge of war, Princess Buttercup is devastated when her one true love dies at sea. But instead of being able to grieve in peace, she finds herself kidnapped by a mercenary and his henchmen, then rescued by a pirate, then forced to marry Prince Humperdinck, and finally rescued once again by the very crew who absconded with her in the first place.

In the course of this dazzling adventure, she'll meet Vizzini—the criminal philosopher who’ll do anything for a bag of gold; Fezzik—the gentle giant; Inigo—the Spaniard whose steel thirsts for revenge; and Count Rugen—the evil mastermind behind it all. Foiling all their plans is Westley, Buttercup's true love who survived after all, and became a very good friend to a very dangerous pirate. 

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Amazon.com: The Princess Bride Deluxe Limited Edition: 9780063458154: Goldman, William: Books

William Goldman (b. 1931) is an Academy Award–winning author of screenplays, plays, memoirs, and novels. His first novel, The Temple of Gold (1957), was followed by the script for the Broadway army comedy Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole (1961). He went on to write the screenplays for many acclaimed films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and All the President’s Men (1976), for which he won two Academy Awards. He adapted his own novels for the hit movies Marathon Man (1976) and The Princess Bride (1987).

Hearts in Circulation by Sarah Monzon

 

Can a rundown bookmobile be the vehicle that brings two unlikely hearts together?

Little Creek's bookmobile is more of a death trap on wheels than a vehicle of literary delights, and circulation librarian Hayley Holt is afraid it's going to careen down a mountainside with her in it. Yet she sees it as a way to serve her community and be worthy of the liver transplant that saved her life as a child. However, her fears come true when the bookmobile breaks down and a rockslide traps her in the small hollow of Turkey Grove.

Reclusive mechanic Levi Redding lives in tiny Turkey Grove to get away from people. He can handle getting the bookmobile running again, but the endless chatter and unsettling touches from the vibrant librarian leave him overstimulated. When forced proximity leads to a misunderstanding, a note of apology begins an epistolary friendship, proving that sometimes the happiest of endings aren't contained within the bindings of a book.

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Hearts in Circulation: A Christian Contemporary Fall Rom-Com Book-about-Books with Forced-Proximity, Grumpy-Sunshine, and Pen-Pal Romance (Checking Out Love): Sarah Monzon: 9780764243752: Amazon.com: Books

Books about books and a cute couple need I say more. The friendship was so fun and who would love a bookmobile owner and a mechanic, I recommend Haley and Levi's story. Monzon has a hit with this series. these books can read as standalone but why would you want to, they are such fun reads.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.