Strength for all Seasons

I like reading a devotional a day in the morning and this was a welcome addition to my collection and the first that focused on mothers. This devotional is supposed to be read once a week so you can really marinate in the message and the scripture, but I'm not built that way so I read it every day instead. I really enjoyed the format. There was scripture, examples, questions, and a prayer. It was nice and it's one I will definitely use again in the future. 

The List of Things

A cute romcom with a little bit of spice. Ryn is junior at college and she is the kind of no strings attached, no fucks given, kind of gal that many women aspire to be. She's in college to advance her career, not get tied down by some scrub that's going to break her heart. Bellamy is the star of the football team and a total golden retriever. He's a walking green flag but Ryn wants nothing to do with him outside of math tutoring. One day while tutoring he discovers her secret list of things and he is convinced to do all those things with her. The list contains cheesy romantic things found in movies, but as Ryn believes, not found in real life. Bellamy is very persistent, and before Ryn knows what hits her, she has agreed to fake date Bellamy for two weeks so he can try to tick off all the things on her list from: kissing on a ferris wheel, cooking together and making a mess, getting tattoos and more. She's not trying to catch feelings for Bellamy, she's just passing the time. But what if they are both already in too deep? Cute, but a little over the top. Neither of the characters appeared to have any flaws. Especially, Bellamy. No man is THAT perfect. I'll read the next two in the series. 

Brigands and Breadknives

I loved the first two books in this series so much and I think this is another fabulous addition. My only beef is that this was released as a hardcover instead of a paperback and now my series doesn't match (first world problems, truly). Brigands & Breadknives follows Fern, our adventurous rattkin bookseller that readers met in Bookshops and Bonedust. Years and years later, she decides to sell her bookstore and travel to Thune to open up a new bookstore right next door to her friend Viv's coffeeshop. Moving to Thune seems like a great idea at first, she's been wanting a change for sometime, but after her new bookstore is open Fern is distressed to discover that she is still restless and unhappy. Rather than confess to Viv how unhappy she is, Fern decides to get rip roaring drunk and passes out in someone's cart. When she awakens over a day later, she is far from home and in the company of legendary elven oathmaiden, Astryx. Fern is starstruck, there are books written about her, she is almost a millenia old!  Astryx graciously allows Fern, a stowaway, to travel with her until they reach the next town and can find someone to take her back home. But what if Fern doesn't want to go home? Heartwarming, funny, and charming; this cozy fantasy warmed me up. Loved the characters and I hope to meet them all again! 

The In-Between

This memoir in verse was so good and so impactful. It's geared towards middle grade readers but there are important lessons that I think teens and adults would benefit reading this as well. Set in 2002, this memoir takes place over a six week span in which thirteen year oldKatie, her two younger siblings, and her mom find themselves staying at an extended stay hotel. They've had to move out of yet another apartment and their mom has yet to find a job, They have to share a small cramped hotel room and deal with anxiety, hunger, and helplessness. Their dad takes them every other weekend and he lives in a nice big house, but it doesn't feel right there either. Katie has to learn to stand up for herself and give herself a chance to fly. Inspiring and heartfelt. A wonderful memoir that I was able to relate to. Yay for dysfunctional childhoods! As a bonus there are lots of photos in the back of the book. 

The Recovery Agent

I wanted to like this book so much but it felt like a budget version of Clive Cussler's Fargo series. The adventure was middling and you had to suspend so much belief while reading this. Gabriela Rose is a recovery agent. She finds missing items for wealthy clients all over the world. When her grandmother is told by a ghost that she can find a map that will lead her to the Seal of Solomon she is skeptical. But regardless she breaks into her old house to dig beneath the floorboards and find the map. She gets caught by her ex-husband (it is his house after all) and he convinces her to tag along on the journey when they really do find the map. If they find the Seal of Solomon they can sell it and use the millions of dollars to save their hometown and help their parents (it was ravaged by a hurricane). The map leads them to the jungles of Peru and on an adventure they will never forget. Readers are supposed to believe that this scuba diving ex-husband and Gabriela are extremely competent with every conceivable type of gun and have no qualms about killing cult members and drug lords. They aren't even former military, they just know how to use every type of gun and escape any insanely situation all while being ridiculously confident. They seem to have no flaws. They are very two dimensional characters. I don't think I will be reading the sequel.  

Select

Full disclosure, I am not a big soccer fan. It's exciting, but not something I watch or regularly attend. This middle grade book about soccer has me rethinking everything. It is so good! Alex lives and breathes soccer. She and her younger sister, go to the rec as an escape and for Alex soccer is her lifeline. It helps that she is really, really good at it. After playing an amazing year she is recruited to join a traveling league, her gut tells her no because she loves her coach and her teammates, but she is getting it all paid for and this team has a chance to go to Nationals which will help her secure college scholarships later in life. She joins the team and is immediately disgusted by her coach. He is rude and sexist and not nice to any of the girls. But they are a good team and keep advancing. But is it worth it? What will happen when she starts to dread going to practice. An excellent book about sticking up for yourself and the difference between positive and negative coaching. 

Hoops

This was such a simple and empowering graphic novel. Even though this story is about a high school girls' basketball team it is written for middle grade readers, Hoops is the fictionalized account of the 1976 Indiana girls' basketball team that went all the way to the state championship in the first year that their was a state tournament held for girls. Title IX was brand new legislation and Warsaw cobbled together their first girls' team. They didn't have equal access to the gym, no uniforms, no busses, no meal vouchers, and no recognition. They did however believe in themselves and inspired change in their school and their community. Beautifully told in graphic novel format this is an empowering, feminist read. We've come a long way since 1976 and we still have a long way to go!

Lady's Knight

This was such a fun read. I know it's marketed to teens, but this could have easily been an adult novel as well. Extremely well written and it will appeal to anyone who loves "A Knight's Tale." When Gwen, a blacksmith, concocts a mad scheme to enter the jousting tournament, she has no idea how in over her head she's about to be. for starters, she's female, and to further complicate things she's not nobility. When Lady Isobelle discovers the deceit (by chance) she is all on board and wants Gwen to take it even further. Isobelle and her dowry have been promised to the winner of the tournament and some of the knights are truly garbage human beings. But if Gwen keeps up the charade as Sir Gawain, then maybe she won't have to marry a beastly knight after all! The growing attraction between the two of them doesn't hurt either. Fun, feminist, and all around awesome. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. 

The Crescent Moon Tearoom

This was such a cozy read. I adored it. Stacy Sivinski says she's not a word witch but I beg to disagree. This book was like warming up with a cup of herbal tea on a cold night. The Quigley sisters aren't just triplets, they're witches in downtown Chicago. Since their parent's death they converted their house into a charming teashop and read the tea leaves for all of Chicago's society ladies. It's a cozy and comforting business until one day they receive a letter from the council. Suddenly their small, comfortable world is turned on it's head and they must complete three tasks in order to keep their tea shop open. The problem is, the very thing that's meant to save them might be the thing that is starting to tear them apart. Charming and cozy. I may have to re-read this every few winters!