I've enjoyed a lot of other works of C.S. Lewis including the screwtape letters and the Narnia series, but I struggled to get through this one.

The first part of the book was intriguing and made me think about why I believe in God. But as it went on I wished I had a better sense of what I was supposed to be taking away from it. The most impactful chapter was the one on time and how our understanding of time limits our understanding of God's timelessness.

Maybe I'm just not the best theologian but some of the topics felt difficult to understand without reading some paragraphs over and over... So eventually I just had to skim some parts.

My husband recommended Reason for God as an alternative apologetic book that might be more reader friendly. I plan to try that one in the future!

I always enjoy Brene Brown's books. My masters thesis was on perfectionism and anxiety, so this book resonated with me a lot!

Some of the topics she covered that I appreciated: using self-compassion to manage stress, learning how shame is connected to perfectionism, and increasing courage by being vulnerable with others.

Master of Iron is book 2 in Tricia Levenseller's duology. Ziva is a bladesmith with the ability to magic her creations, but after her powers have been taken advantage of by a warlord seeking to rule, she is overwhelmed by fear.

The book picks up where Blade of Secrets left off, right in the middle of intense action as Ziva and her friends are trying to reach safety. The journeys, battles, and emotional conflicts in this book were just as powerful and engrossing as book one!!

The most special thing about this duology is that Ziva is dealing with social anxiety.

How often do you see this real life issue represented as a main plotline and character trait in a YA fantasy romance?

What I love more than anything is that while Ziva has to battle this anxiety that she believes makes her weak, she is SUCH a strong character. We get to witness her learning how to challenge her negative thoughts, communicate with the boy she loves, and believe in herself.

I'm so sad this series is over because it had everything I love in a YA fantasy.
- Very unique and interesting magic
- Adventure and escape
- Sisters and found family
- A kind and healthy love interest

Most of all it was character driven and every character was extremely likable- I rooted for Ziva and Kellyn all the way

I enjoyed that while this was contemporary fiction with a focus on family, relationships, and following dreams, there were some fun twists and mysteries!

Rayna's character experienced a lot of growth as she overcame her fears and decided to write her book. Since I am a writer I always love when characters pursue that dream.

I loved the relationships, especially Beaker- he was such a sweet character and I rooted for him and Rayna. I also loved the dog and the horses

Incredible read!!

From the opening line, I was hooked on this book! It was impossible to put down and I flew through it - the writing was effortless.

Erika was so well developed, you could immediately connect to her brokenness and loneliness. And while I judged (and laughed at) her poor decisions, I also didn't dislike her for them because I could see her suffering that caused them.

This book was so much more than I expected it to be - I thought it would be mostly about the dynamics of the mom group, which was definitely a piece of it.

But the story really dove into the challenges of being a mom with grown children, struggling in marriage, trying to find a sense of self and purpose, and dealing with extremely difficult relationship issues.

Along the way, there were hilarious situations, heartbreaking moments, and scenes where you shake your head at Erika's ridiculous thinking!!

"I love all million pieces of you, with all million pieces of me."

Have you ever had a book that you just didn't want to end??

That was Twenty-Seven for me! My heart is still singing, tingly, and warm from this story. Jaxon Samantha Cassidy had a place in my heart.

This book tells the story of the 27th year of her life, starting from Jax waking up from a car accident that leaves her with a life-changing injury. While she's used to running from her problems as a traveling music photographer, she is forced to stay still and heal. As old flames from her past return to her present, she begins to contemplate what forever could look like.

Some things I absolutely loved:

This was such a cute and sweet read!!! So quick too, literally read it on a break at work! I love both characters and can't wait to see what happens next in their relationship. Super heartwarming!

My new favorite dragon book!!

Want to read about dragons? Shape-shifters? Battles for power? Slow burn romance? Elemental magic? Strong female lead? Fighting oppression?

Okay, the list could go on forever.

The hook from Goodreads is all you need to get intrigued: "She lived her whole life enslaved to the dragons. But now she’s one of them."

I'm usually pretty hit or miss with which fantasy books I actually enjoy, so it says a lot that I could not put this one down!!

Both Kaida and Prince Tarrin were extremely likable leads. The slowly-developing, complicated feelings between them was so realistic and I rooted for them every step of the way.

I loved watching Kaida grow into her abilities and wrestle with learning that she has the powers she has always despised. And Tarrin.. seeing him begin to question his lifelong beliefs and biases against humans was also beautiful.

The ending left me sooo excited for the next book. Luckily there are two more, and the final book in the trilogy came out on 11/29/22!!!

It's available on KU - y'all, if you read this book you won't regret it

My husband and I watched The Game Awards the other night, and I felt so sad that Sam and Sadie weren't real... They should have been there! Why can't I actually play Ichigo??

Summary: Sam and Sadie, two friends who met in a hospital during childhood, have always bonded over video games. As they grow older, they find talent and joy in creating games together, but as their relationship changes, so do their creations.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book just won the Goodreads Award for best fiction book of 2022, and it is very clear why!

Sadie and Sam's story took me on emotional, heart-wrenching twists and turns. I was surprised and impressed by the art of writing in this book. It took me longer to read than most books this year, but it's partly because I wanted to soak in every moment.

Books that span the decades are always a favorite of mine. I love watching characters grow and change over the years. This book especially handles the evolving relationships so well along with themes of grief, friendship, love, loss, success, and failure.

I'm so sad it's over but these characters will be with me for a long time.