Bare Tree and Little Wind By Mitali Perkins

 

A lyrical, captivating retelling of the Palm Sunday and Easter story from National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins, author of Rickshaw Girl, that is sure to become a beloved tradition for families of faith.

Little Wind and the trees of Jerusalem can't wait for Real King to visit. But Little Wind is puzzled when the king doesn't look how he expected. His wise friend Bare Tree helps him learn that sometimes strength is found in sacrifice, and new life can spring up even when all hope seems lost.
 

This story stands apart for its imagination, endearing characters, and how it weaves Old Testament imagery into Holy Week and the promise of Jesus's triumphant return. While the youngest readers will connect to the curious Little Wind, older children and parents will appreciate the layers of meaning and Scriptural references in the story, making it a book families can enjoy together year after year. 

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Bare Tree and Little Wind: A Story for Holy Week: Perkins, Mitali, Le, Khoa: 9780593234877: Amazon.com: Books

Mitali Perkins writes novels for young people, including You Bring the Distant Near (nominated for the National Book Award) Rickshaw Girl (NYPL best 100 Book for children in the past 100 years; film in 2021), Bamboo People (ALA Top 10 YA novel), and Tiger Boy (South Asia Book Award winner.) Her newest are Home Is In Between, a picture book published by Macmillan FSG, and a nonfiction book for adults, Steeped in Stories: Timeless Children's Novels to Refresh our Tired Souls, published by Broadleaf. She currently writes and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This is such a fun kids' book. I hope you get the chance to read it to your little ones.

The London House By Katherine Reay

 Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian. But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried for decades: In World War II, Caroline’s British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find answers and save her family’s reputation, Caroline flies to her family’s ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the “Waite sisters.” Popular and witty, they came of age during the interwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with dances, jazz clubs, and romance. The buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glittering fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a coming world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline’s great-aunt actually a traitor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth buried in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful evening in 1941 that changed everything.

In this rich historical novel from award-winning author Katherine Reay, a young woman is tasked with writing the next chapter of her family’s story. But Caroline must choose whether to embrace a love of her own and proceed with caution if her family’s decades-old wounds are to heal without tearing them even further apart. 

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                    Amazon.com: The London House: 9780785290209: Reay, Katherine: Books

Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author of several novels and one work of nonfiction.

For her fiction, Katherine writes love letters to books, and her novels are saturated with what she calls the “world of books.” They are character driven stories that examine the past as a way to find one’s best way forward. In the words of The Bronte Plot’s Lucy Alling, Katherine writes of “that time when you don’t know where you’ll be, but you can’t stay as you are.”

Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, and after several moves across the globe, lives outside Chicago.

Please visit Katherine on social media, on FB at Katherinereaybooks, Instagram @katherinereay, or visit her website at www.katherinereay.com

Food Triggers By Amber Lia

 

You Can Win Your Food Battles--for Good

Do you crave unhealthy foods or overeat when you're stressed, bored, or lonely? These and other food triggers not only have an emotional and physical basis, they can also become a spiritual battle. In this groundbreaking book, certified health coach Amber Lia exposes 31 common food-related struggles that trap people in unhealthy thinking and eating patterns. Learn the practical strategies you need to

· identify the specific food triggers sabotaging your health and happiness
· break free from the cycle of reactionary eating and feelings of defeat
· find the motivation and methods needed to embrace healthy habits

Today can be your turning point. Break the chains of food triggers and replace them with God-honoring habits. More than discovering what it takes to have a healthy body, you will receive spiritual health for your soul!

Pick up your copy here...

Food Triggers: Exchanging Unhealthy Patterns for God-Honoring Habits: Lia, Amber: 9780764238888: Amazon.com: Books

A former high school English teacher, Amber Lia is a work-at-home mom of four little boys under the age of 14. She and her husband, Guy, own Storehouse Media Group, a faith and family-friendly TV and Film production company in Los Angeles, CA. A certified independent health coach, Amber offers insight for all things health and wellness for anyone looking to live life to the full! When she's not building sand castles with her boys on the beach, or searching for Nerf darts all over her house, you can find Amber writing to encourage families on her blog at AmberLia.com.

My Thoughts...

I really needed this book. I love food as much as books. I have always had a love hate relationship with food. This book put so much in perspective for me. My habits are slowly changing after reading this book. I will be rereading it again and again. Its a tool I will use for ever now.

4 stars and one I recommend.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

To Love and Be Loved by Amanda Prowse

 

In this life-affirming tale from bestselling author Amanda Prowse, one woman built a new life to escape her humiliation. Now, can she put the shame behind her and finally find happiness?

Young and desperately in love, Merrin had the whole world ahead of her. But just as her new life was about to start, the ground beneath her feet was cruelly swept away. Devastated by the humiliation, she ran far away from the beloved fishing village she had always called home to lick her wounds and escape her gossiping friends and neighbours.

It hasn’t been easy, but six years later Merrin has forged a new life for herself far from the sea, burying the impulsive girl she once was. But when tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to return to the village she swore she’d never set foot in again.

Reluctantly back in the arms of her community, Merrin begins to realise what she’s been missing out on all these years. As she begins to remember the person she used to be, she is forced to make choices about her future, and to question the past. What does she want from her life? Who is important to her? Who is to blame for everything that went wrong? And can she forgive them, let old wounds heal and finally be her true self again? 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: To Love and Be Loved: 9781542024785: Prowse, Amanda: Books

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty-six novels, non-fiction title and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart topping No.1 titles 'What Have I Done?', 'Perfect Daughter', 'My Husband's Wife', 'The Girl in the Corner' and ‘The Things I Know’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda is a regular panellist on Channel 5's 'The Jeremy Vine Show' and numerous daytime ITV programmes. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national independent Radio stations including LBC and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award while 'Perfect Daughter' was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016.

Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

Praise for Amanda Prowse:

'A powerful and emotional work of fiction' - Piers Morgan

'Deeply moving and emotional, Amanda Prowse handles her explosive subjects with delicate skill' - Daily Mail

'Uplifting and positive, but you will still need a box of tissues' - Hello!

'A gut-wrenching and absolutely brilliant read' - The Irish Sun

'You'll fall in love with this...' - Cosmopolitan

'Deeply moving and eye opening. Powerful and emotional drama that packs a real punch.' - Heat

'Magical' - Now magazine 

My Thoughts...                                                                                                    I love a good romance. You get just that with Prowse books. You have to read this one to find out if happiness is found.  The best characters and the story line that you won't soon forget. A 4 star read, I recommend. The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.   

The Quest for Psyche By Beth Greenberg

 The God of Love is a mess. Heartbroken and unmoored after losing Pan to his Right Love, Cupid knows the only cure is the next all-consuming love the gods will inflict on him. When Aphrodite refuses to hasten Cupid's next torment, he resorts to a very human approach to relieving his misery - therapy.

His online sessions seem to be working until Dr. Mariposa Rey mysteriously cuts him off. Sensing she needs his help, Cupid sets out on a cross-country adventure to Lake Tahoe, where his heart will be inflamed for one last Worthy. What Cupid doesn't know is that this fourth test will be his one and only chance at Right Love.

With the ancient tale of Cupid and Psyche as his guide, Cupid attempts the impossible - a happily eternally after with his reluctant soul mate. 

Pick up your copy here...

The Quest for Psyche (Cupid's Fall): Greenberg, Beth C: 9798985330304: Amazon.com: Books

Beth is a former CPA who took a sharp turn into creative writing during a midlife awakening. First experimenting with fanfiction, Beth discovered two things she loves about writing: twisting a tried-and-true story and interacting with her readers. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, she and her husband live in a quiet suburb outside of Boston, Massachusetts, where they are occasionally visited by their daughter and grand-dog, Slim. The 4-book Cupid's Fall series is a contemporary romcom - meets - ancient Greek mythology.

BOOK GROUPS: For Discussion Guide, author appearances, or to FEATURE YOUR BOOK GROUP on Beth's website, visit www.bethcgreenberg.com/book-groups/

NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE of mythology is needed to enjoy the series, but if you'd like a quick refresher, check out this page on Beth's website for a guide to the gods of Cupid's Fal: https://bethcgreenberg.com/mythology 

My Thoughts...

This is the final book in the Cupid's Fall series. It was an enjoyable read. I loved the characters, and the story was a fun one.

I you have not read this series yet you can still read this as a standalone. It is worth the read.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

The Ones We Keep By Bobbie Jean Huff

 One family. One tragedy. One incredible decision to change their fate.

A quiet lakeside resort in Vermont seems like the perfect summer getaway for Olivia and Harry Somerville and their three young boys. But in a single moment, their idyllic family retreat becomes a mother's worst nightmare. Returning from a solo hike one afternoon, Olivia learns from a passing stranger that one of her sons has drowned―but not which one.

In that moment, Olivia makes a panicked decision that will change her family forever.

If she never knows which son has drowned, can Olivia convince herself that none of them have? By shielding herself from reality, can she continue to live in a world where all three boys are still alive?

An emotional and heartfelt meditation on the nature of loss, the gift of recovery, and the bonds of love, The Ones We Keep tells the story of one family as they learn to face their grief and fight for hope.                                                                                                                                                                                                    Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                    The Ones We Keep: Huff, Bobbie Jean: 9781728239057: Amazon.com: Books

Canadian-American Bobbie Jean Huff studied music in the US and France, but it wasn’t until she moved to Canada that she began writing short stories, poems, and essays. Her debut novel, The Ones We Keep, which took three years to write, was a finalist in the 2019 Dzanc Prize for Fiction and a semi-finalist in the William Faulkner-William Wisdom 2019 Creative Writing Competition. A recipient of grants from the Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council, Huff has written for various publications in Canada and the United States. She lives in Pennington, New Jersey.

Author’s website: www.bobbiejeanhuff.com

Rosaline Palmer takes the Cake By Alexis Hall

 Following the recipe is the key to a successful bake. Rosaline Palmer has always lived by those rules—well, except for when she dropped out of college to raise her daughter, Amelie. Now, with a paycheck as useful as greaseproof paper and a house crumbling faster than biscuits in tea, she’s teetering on the edge of financial disaster. But where there’s a whisk there’s a way . . . and Rosaline has just landed a spot on the nation’s most beloved baking show.

Winning the prize money would give her daughter the life she deserves—and Rosaline is determined to stick to the instructions. However, more than collapsing trifles stand between Rosaline and sweet, sweet victory.  Suave, well-educated, and parent-approved Alain Pope knows all the right moves to sweep her off her feet, but it’s shy electrician Harry Dobson who makes Rosaline question her long-held beliefs—about herself, her family, and her desires.

Rosaline fears falling for Harry is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Yet as the competition—and the ovens—heat up, Rosaline starts to realize the most delicious bakes come from the heart. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake: 9781538703328: Hall, Alexis: Books

Alexis Hall is a pile of threadbare hats and used teacups given a semblance of life by forbidden sorcery. He sometimes writes books.

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