A Melodious Sonnet

Five Minute Friday: Follow

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You may remember that back in January, I participated in Five Minute Friday’s writing prompt of the week. I’ve been wanting to do it again since then, but due to other priorities, it kept being bumped down the to-do list over and over. When it came up on my list today, I happened to have time, so here we are! (I realize this prompt is actually from a few weeks ago, but regardless, I found it inspiring.)

I’m hoping this won’t be the last mention of Jennie Hussey on this blog . . . I’ve got some ideas, but I don’t want to make promises I can’t follow through on. So . . . watch this space if you are interested, and if not, no big deal!

Five Minute Friday: Follow

Follow.

There are many images that pop into my head with the word follow.

I remember, as a youngster, running all over our living room and around the trampoline at church, playing Follow the Leader, each child copying what the first person did. Jump over this spot, balance for a moment there, and take giant leaps there. I always wanted to be the leader, and struggled to give the place to others. I’m afraid I was one of those annoying, pushy friends back then.

I’ve spent nearly all of this past week working on collecting, formatting, and preparing hymns to put into a small new hymnbook for our church. We have one main hymnbook already, but some hymns aren’t included that people have wanted to sing over the years. I’ve had the privilege of working with a few others in our church group to get a collection together, doing a full revamp and upgrade on a collection that we have been using for years now. It’s been a blessing—not just to have work like this to do (which, it turns out, I love doing), but also to have the words of Christian saints from many ages flowing over me as I work on preparing their songs to be used in our small group.

One of those songs, King of My Life, has especially stuck out to me this week. The absolute devotion and love Jennie Hussey had for her Lord and expressed in the song is beautiful. She truly followed the Lord, right up until the end, when she died in 1958 at age 84, unmarried, in a care home where she had lived for years because of her crippling arthritis. 

I’ve spent some time researching her story these past few days, and it’s been truly inspiring.

Follow. Sacrifice, love, determination, obedience. It’s hard at times, but oh, the beauty the Lord can bring out of our commitment to follow Him!

Book Review: The Sound of Light

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I’m excited to bring a new release to the blog this week! I’ve heard Sarah Sundin’s name for years, but never took the time to read any of her books until I saw this one come along. I don’t know exactly what triggered my interest in The Sound of Light. I’m pretty sure I heard some author friends I admire mentioning her work close to the time this book was being publicized, but I can’t be certain. Either way, I remember being excited to finally get to try her work, and I was not disappointed—this was an excellent read, and I’m super grateful I had the time to read it while our family was on holiday recently!

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links, which help support this blog at no added expense to you. Thanks! Also, special thanks are due to Revell, who gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts expressed here are entirely my own.

About the book:

When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.

American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research–her life’s dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement’s legendary Havmand–the merman–and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide.

When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence. Bestselling author of more than a dozen WWII novels, Sarah Sundin offers pens another story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith, fortitude, and hope for a brighter future.

Buy yourself a copy | Add The Sound of Light on Goodreads

My thoughts:

If you’ve been following my reviews much at all, you’ve probably picked up the fact that I’m a decided history fan. I was pleasantly surprised when I got into this story—not only was it set in Denmark, and I haven’t read many stories set there, but it was also about the war effort in Denmark during World War II! One of my favorite books as a child was Number the Stars, and though that is also set in Denmark, it only covers a tiny portion of the timeframe this book covers. The history side of this story was amazing, and I’m hoping to find more books about Denmark’s resistance efforts in the future if I can.

One part of The Sound of Light that really surprised me was the physics lab! I don’t know how much of the physics in this book was based on true history—most of it certainly felt plausible, anyway—but that’s something I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered in a book before, which made it fun to read about. I’ve read about many different occupations, but pairing physics work with resistance efforts made for quite a unique setting.

I was pleasantly surprised by the romance. In the end, nothing was as descriptive as it could have been (there were a few paragraphs dedicated to some hugging and/or kissing scenes), but it didn’t end up being that much. I was thankful for where Sundin drew the line with her description.

The one thing I struggled with in this book were the destructive things some Christians planned as part of the resistance. I don’t think they ended up killing anyone (not that I can remember, anyway), but they were ready to, if necessary, and I don’t believe that’s something a Christian should be doing. There was also a lot of lying that went on to cover up the resistance work, even between family members. This is understandable, but I still don’t agree with their decision to do that.

I don’t think I read the back cover copy before requesting this book for review. I know I saw the author’s name, and the cover drew me in, and the recommendation laying fresh in my mind was enough to make me want to try it. In retrospect, it probably would have been good to read the synopsis first . . . but thankfully, in the end, that didn’t matter. This was a good read. I’m wishing there could be a sequel to this story, but I know that isn’t always possible. Sigh. I’m looking forward to whatever Sarah Sundin comes out with next!

Conclusion:

This was an inspiring look at people who were willing to risk their lives to help others. It wasn’t always pleasant, but overall, this is a well-written, gripping story.

Verdict: I’m giving it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Have you read any books about the Danish resistance during World War II?

Five Minute Friday: Fake

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I’m fairly certain I’ve done a Five Minute Friday writing prompt before, but I don’t remember for sure. One of my goals for the year is to do the prompt at least twelve times. Each week, the folks over at the FMF community set a one-word prompt, and encourage whoever wants to to free-write for five minutes about something inspired by that word. This week’s word is fake.

Setting the timer for five minutes . . . and GO!

One of my recent interests has developed around fountain pens. I’ve been curious about them for years now, ever since I heard a couple of authors I respect talking about them (and saw them writing with the pens in videos at times). I bought a fountain pen years ago, to try it out, and decided pretty quickly that the cheap plastic and broad lines weren’t my thing. It dried out quickly, I didn’t have ink to refill it (and didn’t even know how to refill it), and in the end, it went in the rubbish bin.

Jinhao and Parker fountain pens

Then, two years ago, an older friend was moving house and gave me a few old Parker pens. They sat on my desk for a while, until I decided I needed an expert’s advice before I could start using them, and they went into storage.

Recently, the expert came in the form of my grandma, who grew up using fountain pens! She showed me how they were filled, I bought ink, and I was pleasantly surprised that one of them quickly became my new favorite pen.

Since then, I’ve bought some from China to try out. I want the finest line possible, and I was hoping that if they’re a Chinese/Japanese brand, they would have a finer line (you need fine lines to write characters, don’t you?). I’m the kind of person who goes after the .7 mm tip on ballpoint pens, and I was hoping that the advertised .38 mm nibs (tips) on the Jinhao pens would create a nice fine line. The one I’ve tried so far does . . . but as I’ve discovered over the years, sometimes the cheaper ones just don’t quite cut it compared to the real deal. Parker vs. Jinhao? Parker wins, hands-down. I wouldn’t call my Jinhao pen a fake, because it is a nice pen, and writes super smoothly, but my blue Parker pen is definitely my favorite.

STOP.

Do you enjoy writing longhand? Do you have a favorite kind of pen you keep going back to?

My Top 10 Books in 2022

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Hello, all! I feel like I might be a little bit late to the game this year, but I don’t think that matters too much. I think this must be one of my most favorite posts of the year—there’s something about talking about books that is just fun. It’s also fun to go back and see what I read over the course of last year, and remember all the fun stories.

Top 10 Books in 2022

Note: Some links in this post (especially book covers) will be affiliate links. They help support this blog at no added cost to you. Also, some of the books mentioned here were ones I got for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

First, some stats:

Total books read: 51
Total nonfiction: 12 (24% of total)
Total audiobooks: 20 (40% of total)
New-to-me authors: 19
Most read author (most books by one author): A tie between Valerie Tripp (the Josefina series I read to my younger sister), and A.M. Heath, reading 4 books from each author

2022’s reading goals:
Read 50 books — YES!
At least 7 physical books — 7 read — YES!
At least 5 nonfiction books — 12 read — YES!

I thought I had done a lot worse on my reading goals before I reviewed these, so it’s actually encouraging that I hit these goals!

I decided last year to have a sliding goal for the last two (physical books and nonfiction), so I would have a lower number to aim for, and then if I met that, I could aim for a “higher level” later. For the physical books, my ultimate goal was 20 books (which I obviously did not meet), but the baseline goal was 7, which is what I did manage to read. For my nonfiction books, my ultimate goal was 10 books, with a baseline goal of 5 books.

The other thing of interest from this list is how many audiobooks I listened to this year. Without them, I wouldn’t have made my goal, and I know I wouldn’t have gotten through some of those books without being able to access them in audio.

Now, on to my favorite part—my top 10 reads!

. . . and for once, somehow, it wasn’t hard to pick my top ten for the year. There are others that are excellent, too, but when I look back, these are the ones that stand out the most.

When the Day Comes cover
Kidnapped in Haiti cover

#1: Favorite Fiction Read: When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer

I couldn’t stop thinking about this book after I read it, and I’m pretty sure whenever I was discussing reading in general with a friend for a few weeks months after finishing the story, this would invariably come up in the conversation somewhere. Mystery, sacrifice, history, and romance all combine to make this a great read (so long as you can stand some time travel, that is). I cannot wait until book #2 comes out, and plan on starting a read-a-thon as soon as it comes available.

#2: Favorite Nonfiction Read: Kidnapped in Haiti by Katrina Hoover Lee

This is only in second place because I couldn’t have two first-place winners. My brother and I took turns reading it aloud on a recent family trip and wow . . . it’s an incredible story. If you enjoy true stories of hope, determination, courage, and faith, this is well worth a read. An unforgettable story.

Drawn by the Current cover
Turtle Heart cover

#3: Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green

It’s hard to choose my third-place pick because I feel like several of these fiction titles deserve the same spot. This was the second book I read in 2022, and I was completely blown away by the story. It’s a mixture of mystery, history, and romance, and I don’t know that I’ll ever forget the name Eastland again. I was shocked by the tragedy, and completely invested in the mystery, and the characters were spot-on and relatable. This is a book I want to read again one day.

#4: Turtle Heart by Lucinda J. Kinsinger

This goes down as one of the most memorable memoirs this year. Granted, I didn’t read very many memoirs, but I think this would have been in my top five, regardless. A beautiful story of love, faith, and growth, as the author learned to know a spunky old lady with a colorful background. This is one of those stories that sticks with you long after you read it.

The Heart Mender cover
The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip cover

#5: The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews

Once I started this book, I had a hard time putting it down. This is one of those stories that you wish you knew for sure how much of it is real and how much was made up. There are so many elements of this book that feel real—all while being encased in an engaging, novel-like writing style. History, a mystery, second chances, forgiveness, and hope intertwine to make this one of my favorite historical fiction reads of the year.

#6: The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold

I was dubious of the description I heard of this book at first, but since it came highly recommended by several people whose opinions I value, and I wanted something to listen to, I started it . . . and could barely make myself stop when I needed to. This is something of a modern-day mystery, but it’s so much richer and deeper. I came away with a higher appreciation for and delight in life, and an inexplicable love for an old lady who never existed but I’d like to think has influenced my life in a very good way.

The Persecutor cover
Think No Evil cover

#7: The Persecutor by Sergei Kourdakov

There’s something about the stories of people who are willing to give up everything for Christ that grips me. Sergei’s story is one that once you read it, you don’t really forget it. It’s brutal, downright awful at times (it never ceases to amaze me how one person can hurt others so terribly), but when Christ touched Sergei’s life, he experienced an incredible transformation that was a blessing to be able to read about.

#8: Think No Evil by Jonas Beiler

I read a book about this schoolhouse shooting years ago but didn’t really remember the story. When I read this book, though, I was blessed by the power of forgiveness displayed in these pages and the amount of hope this story contains, even though the event was a tragedy. It’s not an easy read, but it is an excellent one.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear cover
A Voice in the Wind cover

#9: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by A.M. Heath

There’s something about a redemption story that gets me every time. The decision the main character made was wrong, and there are no excuses made for it, but what she did after that mistake was what I enjoyed reading about. I read this short story in one afternoon—once I got started, I couldn’t stop. Gripping, hope-filled, romantic, and with a delightfully Christmasy atmosphere, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

#10: A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers

I both loved this book and was slightly annoyed at it. But I loved it enough that it made it to my top ten list. The part that I really appreciated was that the main character was willing to count the cost for Christ, no matter what. The story was also well-written and gripping, both things I value in books. I didn’t appreciate the amount of sin alluded to in the story, which is why it’s not at the top of this list; even though it was fairly tactfully done, it was still there. Rivers is an excellent author, and it’s easy to see why her books remain popular.

So there you have it! My top ten books this year.

My goals for 2023 are similar to last year:

  • Read 50 books
  • Complete at least 1 book reading challenge (I’ve started Chantel Klassen’s challenge, and I’m loving it—join me?)
  • Read 15 paperback books
  • Read 7 nonfiction books
  • Read 4 books from my classics list (which I’d love to make a post about one day . . . we’ll see!)

What were your favorite books from last year? I’d love suggestions, especially if I can get them in audio, since that seems to be a great way for me to read right now! Also, what are your reading goals for 2023?

Book Review: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (New Release!)

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I’ve had the privilege of working with author A.M. Heath for several years now, and each time I hear that she has a new book coming out, I excitedly and semi-patiently wait to have a turn to read it. Last month, when she sent me the file for her next release, I couldn’t wait to get to it—but I had some other tasks to do before the weekend, so I had to wait until the following week to crack it open.

Friends, when I did finally open the story and start reading, I . . . um, well, let’s say that I dropped into a bit of a reading coma. I’ll explain about that in a moment, but first, I’ll share the back cover blurb of the story.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear tour banner

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links, which help support this blog at no added expense to you. Thanks! Also, the author gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, and all thoughts expressed here are entirely my own.

About the book:

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by A.M. Heath cover

Can a cozy inn at Christmas transform the troubled hearts seeking refuge there?

Pregnant and alone, Alissa Hill moved to Garland, Tennessee to help at her aunt’s inn. When a guest brings her hidden past to the inn’s door, she must decide whether to face it or continue to run.

A career-ending injury ruined Stephen Powell’s life plans. Now a former NFL kicker, he’s searching for a new purpose while recovering at the Cheery Inn. But those at the inn may offer him much more than he expects.

Sparks fly the moment Alissa and Stephen meet, but secrets and regrets may keep them apart unless they can learn to forgive and move beyond their brokenness.

Read this heartwarming Christmas romance today!

Buy yourself a copy | Add It Came Upon a Midnight Clear on Goodreads

My thoughts:

I’m not a fast reader—well, not fast compared to my mom, anyway. But when I started reading this book, expecting to get a few chapters into it and then stopping to move on to something else, I greatly underestimated the power of this story and this author’s prowess. I’ve enjoyed A.M. Heath’s work for years, and it’s especially fascinating to see how she’s grown in skill as time has gone on. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, though, was a real winner for me.

There were so many relatable situations with these characters. Although I haven’t found myself in the same place as either of the main characters (thankfully!), their struggle toward forgiveness, healing, and figuring out what God wanted from their lives did feel very familiar to me. Sometimes, when life doesn’t turn out the way that we expected, it can be hard to know what to do next—and it can be especially hard to receive the grace He has offered us when we don’t feel like we deserve it. It’s also really difficult to learn to trust again when your feet have been knocked out from under you. There was so much truth included in these pages, and I really appreciated that!

The characters, too, were great. David, the young boy in the story, was an absolute hoot, and paired with the older sisters that were featured at times, I had to stop reading several times as I laughed. Despite some of the heavier portions of the book, there was humor throughout the story, and I really loved that. I also fell in love with Stephen and the way he was so gentle and loving, and passed along grace-heavy tidbits even when he was dealing with his own pain and questions. For example, here’s my favorite quote from him:

“Lord, help her to see that she’s more to You than her sin.”

—Stephen

In all, I absolutely loved It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. And when I said I fell into a “reading coma”? Yeah. It happened. Even though I only intended to read a few chapters, I “came to” about an hour and a half after I started, and realized I hadn’t even thought about stopping. If it weren’t for the fact that I had other commitments over the time I was reading, I’m fairly certain I would have finished this book in one sitting. I did finish it the same afternoon, and after I reached the end, I had a moment of grief—“Wait, I have to say goodbye to these characters already?” This is a very sweet, Christmassy read with a wonderful message, so if you’re looking for something short with a bit of meat alongside a satisfying romance, this could be just the book for you.

Giveaway!

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear tour giveaway image

Enter to win a Christian Reader’s Cozy Packet!

Prize pack includes a signed copy of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, a stack of other Christian Christmas reads, and … a little something extra to round out your cozy day of reading.
(* Open to continental U.S. Residents only.)

Of Special Note — on Sale This Week:

Project Scrooge ebook sale image

Grab book 1 of the Christmas in Garland series for $.99 this week! (Read my review of Project Scrooge here, if you’re interested. This is a standalone series.)

About the author, A.M. Heath:

Besides being an Indie Author, I’m a wife, mother of four, ladies’ Sunday School teacher, sweet tea drinker, history fanatic, romantic, bubbly, lover of broccoli, and a retired cake decorator who has a soft spot for Christmas trees, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

What I’m not is a laundress (or at least not one who keeps up very well), a duster, tall, or patient in a doctor’s office.

Whether you’re on social media or not, you can ensure that you never miss one of my sales, giveaways, or new releases by signing up for my newsletter. I’ll send you a direct link to your email anytime something big happens.

Other links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | BookBub | Instagram

Tour Stops!

Nov. 7:
Marilyn @ Lighthouse-Academy
Raechel @ God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae
A.M. Heath @ A.M. Heath Blog

Nov. 8:
Becky @ Blossoms and Blessings
Esther @ A Melodious Sonnet

Nov. 9:
Deana: Texas Book-aholic

Nov. 10:
Nyla @ Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess

Nov. 11:
Connie @ Older and Smarter
Debbie: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

What story based at Christmas time has impacted you lately? What was the most memorable Christmas story you’ve ever read (besides the story of Jesus’ birth 🙂 )?