2025 - Second Quarterly Review

To assist my blog readers, I summarize my reading four times a year, providing a brief description, genre, the page count, and a grading scale (💖5 page-turner - highly recommend, 4 page-turner - enjoyed, 3 page-turner - good, 2 page-turner - meh, and 1 page-turner - regret, wishing I could get back the time invested). I read the following books during the second quarter of 2025 (links to full reviews can be found in the side-bar, or after 2025, found through the search bar at the right):

💖Saving the Saved: How Jesus Saves Us from Try-Harder Christianity into Performance-Free Love by Bryan Loritts - Loritts argues against spiritual meritocracy (using our performance to gain God's approval) and teaches readers how to rest in God's performance-free love. Christian Living. 208 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 5-1/2 hours), 📃📃📃📃📃

The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Olive Oil in the South of France by Carol Drinkwater - An actress finds love and a new life in France on a ten-acre olive farm. Memoir. 336 pages (I listened in audio form, 10 CDs, 11-3/4 hours), 📃📃📃

Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn - First in a 2-part biography, this volume focuses on the early years of Elliot's life. It explores her upbringing, her courtship, her brief marriage, and her missionary work. It was so good, I sought a physical copy of the book to take notes. Christian Biography. 320 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 12-3/4 hours), 📃📃📃📃-1/2

💖The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry - Clara Harrington attempts to piece together fragments to solve the mystery behind her mother's disappearance twenty-five years before, when Clara was eight. Based on a real author who disappeared without a trace, this tale stirs longing for family and communication. Historical Fiction. 331 pages, 📃📃📃📃📃

Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle With Stuff by Dana K. White - Overcome the paralysis and begin to purge your life from all that is taking up physical and emotional space in your home. Self-Help. 218 pages, 📃📃📃

The Sacredness of Secular Work: 4 Ways Your Job Matters for Eternity (Even When You're Not Sharing the Gospel) by Jordan Raynor - I'm becoming less and less of Raynor's target audience, yet I still enjoy hearing what he has to say. Could do without so many pop culture illustrations, but this is amply supported with scripture. Christian Living. 224 pages (I listened on Libby, 5-1/2 hours), 📃📃📃-1/2

The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride by Joe Siple - When 100-year-old Murray McBride realizes his motivation for living has dried up, he embarks on a quest to help a young heart patient fulfill his dying wishes. A heart-warming, life-affirming tale well worth the read. Literary Fiction. 235 pages, 📃📃📃📃

The Paper Bracelet by Rachael English - Katie has always tried to put behind her the time she spent working as a nurse in a home for unwed mothers in the early 1970s. After her husband's death, she pulls out her long-kept box full of paper infant identity bracelets hoping to reunite as many of the mothers and children as she can. Historical Fiction. 384 pages, 📃📃📃📃

Minister Rogers' Neighborhood: How Fred Rogers Glorified God in His Work--and How You Can Do the Same by Jordan Raynor and Kaleigh Cox - Very brief biography of Fred Rogers. This takes a larger-than-life personality and whittles it down to a soundbite for the message that "all work is God's work." Christian Biography. 68 Kindle pages, 📃📃📃-1/2

How to Pray by R. A. Torrey - Classic discussion on the importance, the nature, and the practice of prayer. Christian Living. 107 pages, 📃📃📃-1/2

The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer by Andrew Murray - Another classic on prayer. Final section of a month-long school of prayer. Christian Living. 155 pages, 📃📃📃-1/2

Being Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn - In this second part of the biography, Vaughn traces more of Elisabeth's shortcomings in her drive for relationships. Elisabeth endured suffering in her final two marriages. Her voice on suffering is a balm to any who face hardship and trial in life. Christian Biography. 320 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 12-3/4 hours), 📃📃📃📃-1/2

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan - Historical fiction accounting of the life of Joy Davidman. After reading this, I want to return to my copy of Dr. Lyle Dorsett's book on Joy Davidman, And God Came In. Historical Fiction. 405 pages, 📃📃📃📃-1/2

And God Came In: The Extraordinary Story of Joy Davidman by Lyle W. Dorsett - Follow-up to reading the previous book, I decided to dig out this older biography written by my former boss and beloved professor. Christian Biography. 149 pages, 📃📃📃📃

💖Good Catastrophe: The Tide-Turning Power of Hope by Benjamin Windle - What a powerful book outlining how good comes from bad in our lives and how to cling to our best source of hope, Jesus! Christian Living. 208 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 5-1/2 hours), 📃📃📃📃📃

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave - Hannah's husband disappears and leaves behind a cryptic note, "Protect her." As she attempts to protect his daughter, Bailey, she confronts what she didn't know about her husband and their past. Mystery Thriller. 336 pages (I listened in audio form, 8 CDs, 9 hours), 📃📃📃📃-1/2 

The Garden of Memories by Amanda James - Several women, each facing particular losses, establish a garden of memories and develop friendships. Sweet but slow. Women's Fiction. 378 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 11 hours), 📃📃📃

June 2025 - God's Protection Amid Chaos

June has been another difficult month. While I cannot unload much of the stress or pains, I am grateful for God's provision and protection amid the many challenges we have faced. We had several minor health scares in June. After eating a bowl of chili (something soft, not hard), I detected a hole or chip in one of my back molars. I made a frantic call to the dentist office, but they could not get me in until the following Tuesday (4 days later). Catastrophizer that I am, I immediately went to worst-case scenarios. I'm a medical-intervention-wimp! The mere thought of what they might have to do sent me into a tizzy. What if it got infected? What if I needed a root canal? I had John try to take a photo of the tooth.

I took great care, brushing carefully and often. I swished salt water around my mouth for a minute three times each day. When I ate, I used the other side of my mouth and avoided both hot and cold foods ("Sorry, no you cannot take me to Dairy Queen! I have to baby my tooth.") When Tuesday finally dawned, I thanked the Lord profusely because it was a quick and painless fix. The dental assistant took a photo of the spot.

The dentist explained that the tooth had a filling and part of the filling simply broke off. After a quick bonding (I'm guessing that's what it was), I was on my way home, free to eat ice cream to my heart's content.

John had his own mouth issues to tackle. He had oral surgery to remove a fibroma. While it was painful the first few days, he is so grateful it is gone and he, too, can eat more freely.

Now, we're facing another mouth issue, this time for Sean. I don't know if his wisdom teeth are just now growing in, but he is experiencing pain in a wisdom tooth and has a dentist appointment scheduled for early July. Hopefully, he will not have to have all four wisdom teeth removed (quite possible, and yet another expense).

Finally, I'm praising God for his protection in a close call. I walk on the treadmill every morning. Perhaps I was paying more attention to the audio book blaring in my headphones. Perhaps I was merely clumsy. For whatever reason, I stumbled on the treadmill. Thankfully, I was wearing the safety clip and as soon as I began to fall, it pulled out of the safety slot and the treadmill came to a stop. Otherwise, I might have experienced the friction Trevor had during his treadmill accident years ago. Another praise is that we had placed a recliner in the guest room, squeezed in between the treadmill and the book bar near the door to the garage. As I fell, the left side of my back landed hard on the soft arm of the chair and I slumped in a heap on the (now motionless, praise God) treadmill.

Now that I'm in my 60s, I need to learn to be more careful. Plus, I'll keep petitioning God for his protection and provision. When I think of what could have happened if the chair hadn't been there (my head, likely would have hit the book bar* and that would not have cushioned my fall at all), I'm so very grateful to still be in one piece. Now, to get myself to step back on the treadmill again. That might take some doing. Perhaps it is safer (though hotter) to walk outside. Hope your June was uneventful and good!

* My husband has always called that shelf area, just inside the garage door, a "book bar." I cannot find any such term or label on the internet, so I guess it is a term his family made up, ha!

Book Review: The Garden of Memories

May was a hard month for me. Thus, after reading The Garden of Memories, by Amanda James, I failed to write up a review for the book. All I have to go on, for this review, are a few sketchy notes: "I had trouble staying absorbed (but that was probably my fault entirely, given challenging circumstances in life). The pace was gentle and breezy. The characters were somewhat interesting. This was a sweet, endearing story."

The tale begins on the first day of Rose's retirement from nursing. She is a widow and has always felt like her career put her in a box. Now, she is free to rewrite who she wants to be. Her husband's garden needs tending, so Rose gathers an assortment of friends to help. As they nurture and grow individual plants, based on memories, they deepen relationships and endure life's losses together. This book is perfect for those facing loss. It emphasizes the healing power of both gardens and memories.

Book Review: The Last Thing He Told Me

A friend read The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave, because her daughter-in-law was reading it. The book provided a way of connection between the two of them. Thus, I selected it as an audio book for my car rides. I've only known of one book my daughter-in-law and I have both read, but this sounded like one she might pick up. It was a riveting story. There may have been minimal cursing, but it was a clean read. Amazon bills it as an editor's pick for Best Mystery, Thriller and Suspense. Here's Amazon's teaser:

"Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen's sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

"As Hannah's increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen's boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn't who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen's true identity—and why he really disappeared.

"Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen's past, they soon realize they're also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated."

I appreciated the engrossing tale. The pacing was excellent as Hannah and Bailey pursue clue after clue. This is a tale of hard-forged trust and fractured families. I waited with anticipation to see whether Bailey would warm to her stepmother. Teens are difficult to sway (for that matter, even adult children are difficult to sway) when their parent bestows love upon someone other than their mother. I wasn't sure the ending would satisfy, but I think it played out in a way that was best for each character. If you love domestic mysteries, this popular book is worth a look.

 

Book Review: Good Catastrophe - Highly Recommend

Benjamin Windle's outstanding book, Good Catastrophe, met me in my deepest need. It offers a dynamite blast of hope. If ever I needed hope, it is now. The author references J. R. R. Tolkien's concept of "eucatastrophe," first introduced in Tolkien's essay, "On Fairy-Stories." This word means "good catastrophe." In literature, it is a turning point that takes an expected terrible outcome and, instead, brings triumph out of tragedy.

As soon as I finished this book, I began recommending it to friends and family. I'm not the only one facing significant odds, carrying tremendous burdens, and expecting impending doom. The author notes that life's challenges "trespass into our homes, they blindside us in our relationships, they hijack our health, and they rob us of our finances." But what if those very catastrophes take us to a grander future than we expected?

May and June were brutal! The circumstances in my life demand something to ease the pain. The hope Windle is talking about is not cliché or photogenic hope. Hope has tide-turning power! He says, "It's more than a feeling... it's a worldview.... At the point of deepest pain is the start of the greatest good... [because] pain provokes an accelerated growth response.... What we initially consider as inconveniences or hardships can later be celebrated as tools that developed us." Windle offers relatable examples. In one, he speaks of Stephen Curry, a basketball player known for tremendous accuracy. Curry learned to play on an uneven and rutted court. Those obstacles taught him to strive for greater accuracy so he wouldn't be constantly chasing the ball. In another, the author highlights a musician forced to play a concert on a broken piano. The maestro, maneuvering around non-functioning keys, ended up creating a new and magnificent sound.

This is a simple, yet powerful, book I will come back to again. I know my need for hope will not diminish. Windle's look at the hard life of Job sings of the hope that springs up amid draught and loss. He references the image of the tree in Job 14. Verses 7-9 say, "For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant." (KJV) Trees can sense the mere scent of water. Let the hope of Christ be like that faint scent of renewing water in your life. If you are demoralized by your trials, if life seems more than you can bear, this book provides a dose of hope that your catastrophe will bring good. 

Mid-month Mention: Read Write Rendezvous

In 2024, I learned of an upcoming author talk held at a local mega-church near me. I eagerly and quickly read the first two books by Sara Brunsvold: The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip and The Divine Proverb of Streusel. The author talk was wonderful. I feel a real kinship with Sara because I was born and raised in small towns in Missouri and come from German heritage.

Tomorrow, Sara's 3rd book, The Atlas of Untold Stories, releases. I pre-ordered the book and received it on Thursday, along with the pre-order goodies. What could be better than a story about mothers and sisters and road trips aligned around books? When I first heard of the book, I wanted to take a road trip myself to visit the sites mentioned in this Midwest book. By pre-ordering through Baker Book House, I received a copy of a road trip itinerary for just such a trip. Hmm, now to find someone to road-trip with me (i.e. do all the driving).

In checking out Sara's website, I discovered a reader's/writer's event that sounds absolutely marvelous. I doubt I'll be able to attend (expense, uncertainty of life, travelling alone...), but I thought my blog readers might like to know about this event. Sara is one of the many authors who will be there. Read Write Rendezvous takes place in St. Louis, from November 7th to 8th, 2025. I am familiar with the names of a handful of writers who will be in attendance: Amanda Cox, Jaime Jo Wright, Joanna Davidson Politano, Pepper Basham, and Sara Brunsvold.

If you sign up to attend the Read Write Rendezvous, let me know! I'd love to hear all about it, even if I cannot attend this year myself. There's always next year, possibly... 

Book Review: And God Came In

As I read Patti Callahan Henry's novel about Mrs. C. S. Lewis, I felt compelled to dig out an older book I own called And God Came In. Dr. Lyle W. Dorsett, then curator of the Marion E. Wade Center, wrote this brief biography (republished as A Love Observed). The staff at the Wade gave me an autographed copy in December 1984. I probably haven't pulled it out and read it in over a couple of decades. My heart bursts with love for both Lyle and his wife, Mary. They were so kind to me during my Wheaton years and treated me as if I were their child.

Joy Davidman lived a vibrant and tumultuous life. She was as brilliant as they come, with a nearly photographic memory. Pushed in her early years to excel, she graduated from college in her early teens. She declared herself an atheist and, later, a communist. Patti Callahan Henry's novel about her life begins with the moment God came in. Lyle does an outstanding job of revealing how significant Joy considered this abrupt introduction to the Almighty. Her life was changed. She was changed. She must have been a remarkable young woman! Her tenacity is awe-inspiring. Of course, the English considered her abrupt and loud (many Americans are). Still, she was an excellent sparring companion and like a flint for C. S. Lewis.

I guess the thing that jumped out at me the most from reading this book is not an observation about Joy, but one about myself. As I was reading, I came upon a passage from a C. S. Lewis letter. He abbreviated the word "would" with the letters "wd." I immediately recognized this abbreviation. It is one I use when taking notes during lectures or scrawling quickly in a journal entry. It makes total sense to me now that my notations are influenced by the time I spent transcribing C. S. Lewis' letters at the Wade Center. I am sure I picked up these shorthand methods from him.

When I mentioned this to my husband, he said it was completely understandable that I would absorb things from a man I admired. That's the thing, though. I would say I admired Lyle Dorsett far more than I admired C. S. Lewis. My favorite photo of Lyle accompanies this Christianity Today testimony in the September 2014 issue (by typing in the title of the article, "A Sobering Mercy," I was able to gain access to make a copy). Indeed, I had not even read any of Lewis' works when I began my transcribing work. The first Lewis book I read was Till We Have Faces, for a class taught at Wheaton by Frederick Buechner. Then, I picked up The Screwtape Letters. When my boys were small, I read some of The Chronicles of Narnia books to them and then finished the series for myself. At some point, I also tried to read his space trilogy but lost interest.

Some people prefer novels to biographies. If so, definitely lean toward Becoming Mrs. Lewis. But some of us enjoy biography. The details are fascinating. I love a thoroughly researched biography. Lyle did a great job! It makes me want to pick up another book from off my shelves, Lenten Lands, written by Joy Davidman's son, Douglas Gresham. I've read it before, but I might as well stay on this little Lewis kick.

Book Review: Becoming Mrs. Lewis

Once again, the titles of my current reading seem to parallel. After meeting Patti Callahan Henry at her author talk in Franklin, Indiana, I was eager to pick up this historical fiction based on the life of Joy Davidman, C. S. Lewis' wife. When I worked at the Marion E. Wade Collection at Wheaton College, my time was focused on transcribing the letters of C. S. Lewis. I didn't really stop to think about Joy Davidman. Even when I met her son, Douglas Gresham (researching his book, Lenten Lands), I didn't consider Joy. Then Dr. Lyle Dorsett, my supervisor, wrote his book, And God Came In. I received this book, with Lyle's signature, as a Christmas gift in 1984.

I had such a great time briefly discussing Patti's research at the Wade (now called the Wade Center). How fun to think she may have opened a binder and read words I transcribed! Or perhaps she actually saw my own handwritten scrawl. There were times I could not decipher C. S. Lewis's words. Both he and his brother, Warnie, were born with a congenital defect of a missing joint in their thumb. I would type up a passage and leave a blank space where I couldn't decipher the words. Then later, sometimes with the help of other eyes, I would go back in and print the missing words. It was my favorite job ever, since I often would happen upon great insights in the correspondence I transcribed.

This book held a similar message to the one I gleaned from Ellen Vaughn's biography of Elizabeth Elliot. I think many people hear the name C. S. Lewis and imagine a saint on a pedestal. Neither Elizabeth nor "Jack" (as he was known) were saints. They were ordinary individuals with faults and quirks and a rare gift for sharing insights through their writing. In Becoming Mrs. Lewis, we learn how he acquired his nickname. We learn how and why he held Joy Davidman at a distance, despite a growing love building between them. 

Joy, too, held a brilliance of writing ability. Jack described her work as "flaming." He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She started as a friend, someone with whom he could say, "What, you too?" I loved the descriptions of their playful, literary banter. Joy was an amazing woman. She knew several languages, had a photographic memory, could discourse on a variety of subjects, and was quite frank. Yet, as with Jack, she was not perfect. The book highlights how her passion for writing led to great difficulty settling into a "housewife" role. She suffered because of her poor choice in marrying another woman's husband, who turned out to be an alcoholic with a violent temper.

As a reader, you can see the train heading for a derailment. Why did Joy leave her wayward husband with her attractive, driven cousin to care for her sons while she took a trip to England for her health? Given her husband's abuse (and especially his demeaning comments against her writing), is it any wonder that she was drawn to a man like C. S. Lewis? And, given Lewis' background, it is easier to understand why he took so long to assert his love for Joy. This aspect gives the book tremendous pull, as the reader waits, with bated breath, for the two to come together.

I think my favorite endorsement for Patti's book is this blurb by the New York Journal of Books: "Patti Callahan took a character on the periphery, one who has historically taken a back seat to her male counterpart, and given her a fierce, passionate voice. For those fans of Lewis curious about the woman who inspired A Grief Observed, this book offers a convincing, fascinating glimpse into the private lives of two very remarkable individuals." Joy had a fierce, passionate voice in a time and era when women's voices went unheard. Her vehement determination to protect her sons was admirable. I'm grateful to Lewis for shepherding them after Joy's death. I'm also glad to have met Douglas while working at the Wade Collection. How sad to hear from Patti that Douglas is now dealing with dementia! How sad to have to tell her that Lyle (a beloved father figure for me) is also struggling with dementia. God carries us each through trials and triumphs. He uses the good and the bad in our lives for His glory. Praise God! 

Book Review: Being Elisabeth Elliot

I'm so grateful to Sara Brunsvold for mentioning the two-part biography of Elisabeth Elliot, written by Ellen Vaughn. The Hoopla access to both Becoming Elisabeth Elliot and Being Elisabeth Elliot kept my interest piqued during my daily treadmill time. My only complaint with listening to biographies in audio form is that the reader misses out on the accompanying photos. For the first book, I found a hard copy at a local church library. A friend offered to lend me the hardback of the second book, but I may purchase this set.

In Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, we learn some of her exacting personality. In Being Elisabeth Elliot, the quirks and, even perhaps, failings seem more pronounced. Vaughn clarifies the importance of truth-telling in a biography. Elisabeth was not perfect (only Christ is). Despite an intense dedication to obedience to the Lord, she gave in to loneliness and relational desires. It was appalling to read of the flirtations that went on between Elisabeth and her soon-to-be second husband, while that man's dying wife was still alive. This detracted from her testimony.

Several favorite parts made me want to own this book. I loved the societal explanation of the '60s, Elisabeth's views on Christian ideals, and an outstanding and inspiring testimony drawn from the life of her son-in-law. Even though I was born mid-way through the 60s, the descriptions were so spot-on and well-written. Vaughn's word choices and witty commentary made me smile.

I, too, struggle with a Christianity that adheres to actions determining a person's spiritual depth. Elisabeth felt that truth liberates where dogma imprisons. I cannot remember if this is a quote from Elisabeth's or from Ellen's perspective, but it bears repeating. "We love to establish worldliness as something to be combatted by elimination of activities rather than internal attitudes." How many hold that a true Christian doesn't smoke, drink, or cuss, goes to church on Sundays and Wednesdays, and participates in a variety of ministries? These externals are all well and good, but the internals are far more significant. Elisabeth was always in a fight against graven images, often ones produced by the church.

As for Walt Shepherd's dramatic testimony, I loved it so much I transcribed it from the audio to share with my wayward son. Walt's parents were missionaries. Yet, as he came into himself, he rejected their views and beliefs. He walked a perilous path. There was even a miraculous rescue from a burning car (perhaps by angels). God's hand was clearly on Walt's life. His story was worth taking the time to transcribe from the audiobook (for my keeping). It is in Chapter 31, if you can find a copy of the book and wish to read it for yourself.

All in all, Elisabeth endured more suffering than many of us will ever know. She may not have always made the best choices, but she determined to obey her Lord and Savior. I can align with her views on obedience, on suffering, on women's roles, and on God's daily grace. Her books have been, and will continue to be, a blessing to Christians everywhere. God used her life in mighty ways, despite her failings.    

Sean's High School Graduation

Although May was a heck of a month, we had reason to celebrate. Our youngest completed his high school years. He graduated on my birthday. The whole family was able to attend (with Bryce and Elizabeth flying in on Friday night).

Congratulations, Sean! We're proud of you. Good luck as you pursue your aeronautical engineering degree at Purdue University!