It’s February already? Good Gravy! Well, See what we’ve come up with below…
Please note that this post contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase through one of the links, I may make a small commission. I only recommend books and resources that I’ve enjoyed personally, or believe that you would like. You can read my full disclosure here. You will also find information on Scripture translations there.
Puzzle of the Month
February’s Wordsearch puzzle is a list of some of my favorite romantic Christian fiction authors. Check it out here, and either print, or solve online.
Books of the Month
Reading Challenge:
Option 1
Write another review or 5…
And begin organizing your digital library. I tend to aquire ebooks and not organize them well. But Kindle has a feature called “Collections” which is very helpful. Your books can be in multiple collections at the same time, too. So you can do genre collections, and you can have a New/TBR and Read collection. Then it’s easier to find your next book, by mood or by longest on TBR.
I would start with creating a TBR and a Read collection, and then add the books to genre collections. (here’s a useful Kindle Collections tutorial to get you started, If you use Nook, here’s a tutorial on setting up custom Shelves)
Option 2:
Take your list of online courses from last month, and pick one. Make yourself a schedule, add calendar events or notes on your planner/paper calendar, and start! Dive in, and learn something.
Whether you can allot an hour a week on Tuesdays, or you have 2 hours every other Friday, or next Saturday is completely free (lol), it’s time to get started on something that you were excited enough to buy!
Recommended Reading:
New Releases This Month:
- Picture Perfect Princess: Castles and Courtships #2 (Contemporary Royal Romance) By Carol Moncado
- Forged in Love: Wyoming Sunrise #1 by Mary Connealy (Cowboy comedies)
- A Match in the Making by Jen Turano (Historical Romance)
- The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin (WWII Denmark/Sweden)
For the romantic, check out:
- Christian Romance (Pros, Cons, and Picks)
- Book Date Ideas inspired by some of my favorite books
For Financial February, I suggest Simple Money Rich Life by Bob Lotich, or one of these other great Stewardship books!
And Lent starts on February 22, so please check these out!
Scheduled Reviews:
Twice Sold Tales by Chautona Havig (Review Scheduled for February 1)
The Secret Society by Terry Overton (Review Scheduled for February 22)
Bonus Reviews
His Perfect Match by Aminata Coote (Releases February 24)
I couldn’t put this one down. Reading snatches everywhere I could (at the park, waiting for the Dr, sitting next to the boys as they fell asleep…), including over breakfast and lunch. Got a few strange looks as I laughed out loud more than once.
I couldn’t get through it fast enough. I felt for Bri, and I know most of you will too. If you’ve ever felt overlooked, unseen, unheard, or least important part of your family, you’ll relate to her struggle. And the best part is, even if you never get your own family to fight for you, you can let Bri’s family offer some healing.
If you’ve ever struggled with church drama and controlling boards/committees, or trying to fill the shoes of a recently departed ‘living-legend’ then you’ll feel for Daniel. He’s caught between a rock and a hard place, and his mom’s not as helpful as any of us would have hoped.
There are multiple trust issues to be worked out, but I loved the way the characters grew, and there was enough humor woven in to keep it from being heavy.
I received an advance copy of the book from the author and chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.
Hidden Manna on a Country Road by Sarah Geringer
I wasn’t really sure what to expect, I just knew that I needed to read this. There are 40 chapters or devotions. Each one starts with a verse, and is about a different encounter on the author’s country walks. There’s a prayer and 3 reflection questions to help you process. Takes about 3 minutes to read one. They are grouped by season, winter, spring, summer and autumn.
She takes so many things as prayer prompts and reminders of God’s promises and provision. Everything from birds and butterflies to specific trees, weeds, to even garbage on the side of the road.
It’s like walking with an experienced pray-er and getting tips on how to form habits and triggers that pull you closer to God. She admits her natural frustration with various things like that garbage on the roadside. And the way her inner critic transformed by making a habit of praying for the people associated with the garbage instead of whining about their careless ways and irresponsible habits.
Or the way God causes the milkweed to bloom at just the right time to feed the butterflies on migration. The elaborate care taken for something as small as a butterfly is a great prompt for praising God for the many ways he provides for our needs before we even realize we have them.
There are a few mentions of current events (2020/2021)but not enough to be overwhelming. Just a clear chance to process, if you haven’t already.
You could read this straight through, or start in your current season and set a weekly reminder to read a chapter a week. There’s only 40 chapters so there’s margin for missing one occasionally.
I received a copy of this book from #netgalley and I chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.
We’re in Heaven…And I’ve Got Questions by Vanessa Echols
I had a lot of fun with this book. Even shared parts of it with my 9yo, who thought the questions were good.
I think my favorite question was when she asks John the Baptist if locusts are keto! Which is hilarious, because the honey he ate sure wasn’t…
Really wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but this is laid out in 40 one-sided conversations with Biblical figures of note (alphabetical, not chronological). From the point of view of a new arrival in heaven, going around and meeting people, and being curious.
I liked how the style wasn’t all churchy and holy. It was relaxed and casual as the synopsis of each character is discussed. Funny to the point of being mildly irreverent.
But you know, I bet at least half of them would have really appreciated that!
Each Character sketch /round of questions takes just a moment of two to read, and the scripture reference is right there for further research, along with room for your own notes and questions.
I would say this book is a good gift idea for open non-Christians, because 8t shows the reality of the less-than-perfect beginnings and the great grace of God in a fun way.
Also good for long-term believers who might need encouragement, or something different and lighthearted while keeping them grounded in the Word.
I received a copy of the book from the author and chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.
