Book Review: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less. Terry Ryan. Simon & Schuster (2001). 351 pages. Genre:  Biography.

First Lines:  "The ordinarily sleepy town of Defiance, Ohio, emitted an industrious hum on hot days, a subtle pulse of activity - like the buzzing of distant bees.  It was late Indian summer, a little too warm for an October day, in 1953."

Summary:  Evelyn Ryan was the mother of 10 children.  Money was tight so she began using her love of language to enter jingle contests.  At that time almost every brand had a jingle and in order to keep them fresh, they would hold contests requiring entrants to provide a line or two of a jingle.  The winners would receive prizes.  Sometimes the prizes were small.  But other times there were several prizes awarded to one winner.  

Evelyn was constantly working on jingles for whatever the current contest was.  She kept a notebook nearby as she worked around the house.  She loved to iron because that is where she could do her best thinking.  She would keep her notebook on the end of the ironing board to jot down her ideas.  She won many prizes, from a couple of dollars to cars, appliances and thousands of dollars.  She kept the smaller prizes in her closet and would use them as needed to replace items around the house or as gifts.  

My thoughts:  The book is written by one of the daughters of Evelyn Ryan and so is told from her perspective.  Evelyn was a woman who never gave up.  She would enter many contests and not win anything, but she never let that dampen her spirit.  Mr. Ryan worked in a machine shop where he made, "...$90 a week, barely enough to pay for food and rent."  Unfortunately, he was also an alcoholic and spent too much on his nightly consumption of liquor.  Evelyn didn't let this defeat her either.  She just continued to take care of her family and do the best she could to make ends meet.

Most interesting to me was the peek into life in the 1950's in Ohio.  

"In the days before credit cards, few people in Defiance had a checking account.  Bills were paid in cash and in person."

"She was always trying to replace the dilapidated family Chevy with something a bit more dependable.  Just to start the car most mornings required a ten-person push so Dad could pop the clutch and rumble off to work in a cloud of blue smoke."

"Back in Defiance, the rest of the Ryan family, gathered around the TV to watch Bruce on national television, saw nothing of the show.  The blizzard ruined the reception, and 'snow' was all we were able to pick up.  We sat inches in front of the TV for the entire hour anyway, unable to hear or see a thing."

I felt sad for the family as they lived with alcoholism.  Mr. Ryan missed out on so much.  But I was encouraged by Evelyn's resilience and ability to keep going even when everything seemed to be against her.  

I would recommend this book if you enjoy memoirs, history of America in the 1950's or stories about overcoming obstacles.  

Book Review: The Story of Edith Cavell by Iris Vinton

The Story of Edith Cavell

Author:  Iris Vinton

Publisher:  Signature Books (1959)

178 pages

Genre:  Children's Biography

Edith Cavell grew up in the village of Swardeston, England.  Her father was the local vicar.  From a young age Edith was tidy, paid attention to detail and did her best to tell the truth.  These were all traits that served her well when she became a nurse.  

After graduating from school, she went to Brussels as a governess for a wealthy family.  When her father became ill, she left Brussels to return to Swardeston.  In an effort to help her mother, she volunteered to become her father's nurse while he recovered.  It was during these months that she realized she wanted to become trained as a nurse.  When her father was well, Edith went to London for nurse's training.  She carried out her tasks with swiftness and attention to detail.  The head nurse in London showed great respect for Edith and gave her more and more responsibility.  

Eventually she was asked to be a Directrice of a Clinique in Brussels that would train nurses.  World War I broke out during this time and Edith found herself assisting wounded soldiers from France and England to get well and then get out of Belgium to a safe country.  Eventually the Germans discovered what she was doing and arrested her.

This is a thrilling story well told.  The theme of honesty is woven throughout.  Edith was a woman who wasn't afraid to do what was right, even at threat of her life.  She was a woman from whom peace emanated.  When her pastor came to see her before she died, she told him,

"Standing as I do, in view of God and eternity, I realize that patriotism is not enough.  I must have no hatred and no bitterness toward anyone."

Those words were engraved on her head stone at the Cathedral of Norwich in England.  

This book was written for middle school aged children, but older children would enjoy it as well.  It was enough information for me and I felt like I learned something about Edith, the history of nursing and World War I.  It would also make a great read aloud for younger children.

I recommend this book for anyone who would like to learn more about the history of nursing or World War I, as well as anyone who likes a good story about a godly woman.

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

The Great Divorce

Author:  C. S. Lewis

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster (1996) (first published 1946)

125 pages

Genre:  Classic, Fiction, Theology

"Blake wrote of the Marriage of Heaven and Hell.  If I have written of their Divorce, this is not because I think myself a fit antagonist for so great a genius, nor even because I feel at all sure that I know what he meant.  But in some sense or other the attempt to make that marriage is perennial.  The attempt is based on the belief that reality never presents us with an absolutely unavoidable 'either-or'; that, granted skill and patience and (above all) time enough, some way of embracing both alternatives can always be found; that mere development or adjustment or refinement will somehow turn evil into good without our being called on for a final and total rejection of anything we should like to retain." (from the Preface, pg. 9)

The Great Divorce is Lewis' attempt to help us better understand Heaven and Hell.  It is allegorical fiction, which C.S. Lewis does best.  The story begins with the narrator standing in line waiting for a bus.  He finally gets on the bus, but doesn't seem sure where he is going.  When he arrives, he and the others on the bus get off and begin to wander around.  The people he is with seem ghost-like.  But those who are already in this place are more solid and shining.  Along the way the narrator witnesses several conversations between ghosts and solid people.  He finally is able to engage in conversation with one of the solid people, who happens to be George MacDonald, and is able to have a conversation.  He doesn't always understand, but finally feels free to ask questions.  

I am not a big fan of fantasy and so don't always like this type of story.  But, it did help me understand better that in order to get to heaven, there are things in our lives that must die.  We can't have both.  Sometimes things that are good can become too important in our lives and leave no room for God.  Even things that seem like they can't be bad, such as love for a child.

This was a quick read, but has left me thinking about it for days afterward.  If C.S. Lewis seems intimidating, The Great Divorce might be a good place to start.

Book Review: The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

The Fifth Avenue Story Society

Author:  Rachel Hauck

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson (2020)

400 pages

Genre:  Inspirational Contemporary Fiction

Five people receive an invitation to The Fifth Avenue Story Society.  All five decide to attend, even though not one of them is sure who sent them the invitation, who will be there or what to expect when they arrive.  One man knows two of the invitees, the others are strangers.  Each one is struggling with something from their past that is impacting the present, however this is not discovered until much later. 

Jett is a divorced literature professor who has written a book and is in the process of writing a dissertation.

Lexa works for restaurant start-up.  She feels she keeps the company running and should be named its CEO.  She was married to Jett.

Coral is owner and CEO of a cosmetics company started by her great-grandmother.  She is also a celebrity who recently was in the news for leaving the prince of Lauchtenland at the altar.

Ed is a widower with one daughter who is attempting to write a memoir of his wonderful marriage.

Chuck is an Uber driver, who discovered his wife was having an affair.  They have young twins who Chuck is not allowed to see.

What an interesting story concept this is!  I will not soon forget the characters.  Each one has much depth and are people I would like to know.  Of course, each one has flaws, but that is what makes the story interesting.  Each one makes the commitment to continue coming to the Story Society meetings each week even though they are not really sure why they are meeting.  As they continue to meet and become friends, they help one another work out issues in their lives.  Soon they are coming because they enjoy spending time with each other.  It is a hope filled story that will stick with me.

Some of the themes are friendship, dealing with the past, faithfulness, forgiveness, and family.  I highly recommend it.

Book Review: Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

Pollyanna

Author:  Eleanor H. Porter

Publisher:  Puffin Classics (1994), (first published 1913)

288 pages

Pollyanna has recently lost her dad and has no one else in the world, except her aunt, Miss Polly Harrington.  Miss Polly, one of the wealthiest residents of the town,  has never been married and lives in a big old house.  When she is asked if she will take her niece, she says yes out of a sense of duty.  

Miss Polly is often shocked by Pollyanna and calls her a "most extraordinary child".  Pollyanna has learned to see the good in all things and this is most unusual.  She and her father played a game of looking for the good in every situation.  Pollyanna makes friends of most everyone she meets and often has occasion to tell them about "the game".  But one day, tragedy strikes.   Pollyanna loses her courage and can't bring herself to play the game.  Many people have been encouraged by Pollyanna's game and they in turn try to encourage her when she is down.

This was the first time I had read Pollyanna.  Many years ago, someone accused me of being a "Pollyanna".  It was not meant as a compliment.  I knew enough about the story to understand something of what they meant.  Now that I have read the story for myself, I would take that as a compliment!  I loved this story!  I loved Pollyanna and her ability to believe the best about everyone she met.  There are themes of wealth vs. poverty, friendship, love, loneliness and the difference one person can make in someone's life.

The copy of the book I read had an afterward written by author Lois Lowry.  

She said this, 

"Now, suddenly, I find something charming in the book's innocence."

"Now I read it with a consciousness that is weary of a lot of worldly, contemporary troubles.  And I find the book refreshing for their absence."

"Strangers transport the eleven-year-old from West to East and then put her alone on a train from Boston to Vermont, sending her to other strangers - and no one worries about whether she will disappear en route and end up as a photograph on a milk carton."

"The child is sent up to bed in a hot attic room of an old house, carrying a lighted candle - and I don't have to wonder whether there is a smoke detector up there."

"Aunt Polly announces that her niece will share her bed, and it never once occurs to me that Aunt Polly may be a sex-starved spinster turned to grievous vice."

"Pollyanna runs to call the doctor when Mr. Pendleton breaks his leg - and the doctor, not an answering service, answers the phone; more than that, the doctor comes, in person, and transports the injured man away  - and no one ever asks whether his malpractice insurance is up to date."

"I love it."

I agree!  This was a refreshing read.

Book Review: Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty

Delta Wedding

Author:  Eudora Welty

Publisher:  Mariner Books (1979), (first published 1946)

336 pages

Young, motherless Laura McRaven is traveling alone from Jackson, Mississippi to visit her mother's people, the Fairchilds, at their plantation in Fairchilds, Mississippi.  Her 17-year-old cousin, Dabney, is getting married.  She will be staying with Uncle Battle, Aunt Ellen and her many cousins.  The story follows the day to day happenings on the plantation as the family prepares for the wedding.  It is through the day to day happenings that we learn about the characters as they come and spend time together at the plantation and help prepare for the wedding.  

At times I found the story dragging because nothing much happens.  It is an interesting look at life in the Mississippi delta on a plantation.  Things moved slower then and this is evident in the story.  Most of their time was spent working - the men in the fields, the women with the servants, in the house, garden or kitchen.  When they weren't working, they were spending time with one another.  They ate simply and for fun would go to the river for a swim.  

I enjoyed getting to know the Fairchild family.  If you like stories of large, close-knit families, I recommend this book.

Book Review: Safe Passage by Ida Cook

Safe Passage

Author:  Ida Cook

Publisher:  Harlequin (2008, first published 1950)

287 pages

"An autobiography should, I suppose, begin at the beginning of one's life.  So - I was born in Sunderland, Durham, the second daughter in a middle-class family of two girls and two boys.  My father was an officer and later a surveyor of Customs and Excise.  As this work entailed a good deal of moving, we four children were all born in different parts of England.  In spite of this, there was always a tremendous sense of stability in our family life."

Safe Passage is, as the subtitle suggests, "The remarkable true story of two sisters who rescued Jews from the Nazis".  When Ida and her sister, Louise, were young women, they developed a love for opera.  At that time they were both working and still living at home.  They began saving money so that they could attend performances at Covent Garden.   Ida boldly sent letters to their favorite stars and was surprised to hear back from some of them.  The sisters became friends with some of the stars and began attending performances outside of England, in other parts of Europe and even the United States.  It was this travel that put them in the perfect position to be able to help refugees get out of dangerous places and into places were they could start a new life.  They never set out to do this, but just fell into it as one of their opera star friends asked them to accompany a friend of theirs to England.  Only later did they really understand what they were doing.  

The Cook family was living in London when the war broke out.  They had finally convinced their mother to stay with relatives in a safer location.  Mr. Cook volunteered with the Home Defense Service as an air-raid warden, both of the brothers were enlisted in the army.  Louise's office had been evacuated to Wales for the first year of the war.  So, Ida and her father were the only family members left in London during the war.  Ida volunteered for night duty at an East End shelter.  Her descriptions of the bombings and of the people she met are fascinating.  

After the war was over, Ida and Louise continued to help displaced people by working with refugees in camps.  I found this interesting as this was an aspect of the war that I didn't know much about.  

"Most of our work consisted of fund-raising for daily fresh milk provision for children under six, or helping to provide treatment and rehabilitation for the many tuberculosis cases.  But we did sometimes go out to visit our camp, and so we came to know some of our cases personally, as well as the wonderful personnel who worked on the spot."

Both of the sisters have such hearts for people of all kinds.  Neither of them ever married, but their family and friends played a large part in their lives.  Their love for others shines through in all of the events related in the book and makes this a heartwarming, enjoyable read.

If you like first-hand accounts of World War II or historical autobiographies, I would recommend this book.  If you are interested in the history of Opera, you will enjoy this book.  If you are just looking for a great story, I would recommend this book.

Book Review: Two Steps Forward by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Two Steps Forward (The Deacon's Family #3)

Author:  Suzanne Woods Fisher

Publisher:  Fleming H. Revell Company (2020)

320 pages

"Growing up is hard on a man.  If he'd done well for himself, coming home again should be one of his finest days.  The kind of day that kept him buoyed up with hopeful visions to survive his lowest moments:  A mother peering out the kitchen window, eager for the first sign of her returning son.  A sweet aromatic cinnamon cake baking in the oven.  A loyal dog, muzzle now gray, sitting by the mailbox.  Unfortunately for Jimmy Fisher, he hadn't done terribly well for himself since he'd left Stoney Ridge."

Two Steps Forward is the third book in The Deacon's Family Series.  I have loved them all, but this one is my favorite!  Suzanne Woods Fisher is a great storyteller and this book is no exception.

The main characters in this installment are Jimmy Fisher and Sylvie Schrock King.  Jimmy is the son of Edith Fisher Lapp.  Edith and her husband Hank are fixtures in Stoney Ridge.  Jimmy is just returning to Stoney Ridge after being away for several years chasing a dream of working with horses in Colorado.  Sylvie Schrock King is cousin to Luke Schrock, deacon of the church in Stoney Ridge.  She is the widow of Jake King and has a little boy named Joey.  Jimmy meets Sylvie almost immediately after stepping into the town of Stoney Ridge.  Her horse and buggy are parked in town and Jimmy notices her horse, an Arabian, which is unusual for an Amish buggy horse.  Sylvie is surprised that he knows it is an Arabian.  He tells her that he has been working on a ranch in Colorado and has worked with Arabians.  Sylvie asks him if he is looking for work.  Before Jimmy can answer, Hank Lapp walks up and in a loud voice lets Sylvie know that Jimmy is not available.  Hank is convinced that Sylvie is on the hunt for a new husband.  Since Jimmy really doesn't have a plan and he could use some work, he decides to pay Sylvie a visit the next day.  She lives on the property adjacent to Edith and Hank's property, which belonged to her husband.  Her husband was quite a pack rat and managed to fill two barns full of junk.  Sylvie has cleared enough room in the newer barn for her horses, but there is still much work to do.  She decides to give Jimmy the work.  When Sylvie learns that Jimmy is the second son of Edith Fisher Lapp, she wonders if she has made a mistake.  Edith has never approved of Sylvie or her son.  How will Jimmy feel about her?  Will he treat her with disdain, like his mother does?  

The secondary story involves Luke Schrock and his wife, Izzy Miller Schrock.  They were the main characters in Mending Fences.  After getting to know and love them in that story, I enjoyed catching up with them here.

Hank Lapp is one of my favorite characters in this series.  He was first introduced in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series.  Hank is not afraid to say what is on his mind and often does so in a very loud voice.  Jimmy often asks him if he has to yell.

"Last evening, he said he wanted to remind Sylvie that Jimmy was an eligible bachelor, available for courting.  'FREE AND CLEAR,' Hank had bellowed, loud enough to scare a flock of black crows right out of their roost."

One of the things I enjoyed about Sylvie's character was her love of animals.  She knows a lot about animals, whether they are her horses, her pets or wild animals, and she naturally shares this with her son.

"'Does your mom take in every stray that gets dropped off? ' 

'Yup.'

'How come?'

'She says God cares about each one, whether they got a family or not.  She says that maybe God cares even more about the ones who don't have someone to love them.  She says we should do just what God does and give them a home.  Even cats.'"

Some of the themes in this story are family, found family, adoption, the importance of fathers, a mother's influence, hard work, promises, forgiveness and faith.  There are some difficult issues dealt with in this story, but it comes to a satisfying conclusion.

This book could be read on its own, but you would lose some of the connection with the characters from previous books.  If you like stories where family and faith play a central role, but also don't shy away from difficult topics, I would recommend this series.  If you are interested in the Amish lifestyle, Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of the best authors in this genre.  

****Possible spoiler alert****

Content/Trigger warning:

Abortion is talked about.

One of the characters has a miscarriage.

Book Review: The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel

The Secrets of Paper and Ink

Author:  Lindsay Harrel

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson (2019)

326 pages

Sophia Barrett, a women's counselor, has spent the last three months doing little more than reading and napping.  This was how she was healing after having a mental breakdown in a grocery store on the one year anniversary of her fiancee's death.  Her best friend and boss, gave her three months' paid leave from work to heal.  But now she's ready to get back to work.  At least she thought she was until her first client is an abuse victim.  The client lied and said she was seeking counseling for anxiety.  Not only did Sophia's fiancee die, but he had also been abusing her.  The client's story brings back far too many memories and she flees the counseling session.  When her boss finds her at a book store, she encourages her to take the summer off.  That is the last thing Sophia wants to do, but realizes it is what she must do.  But, she can't spend every day for the next three months napping and reading.  As she is rereading one of her favorite books that takes place in Cornwall, England, she spontaneously decides to spend her three months there.

Ginny Rose and her husband Garrett moved to Cornwall, England five years ago to realize Garrett's dream of opening a book store.  Several months ago, Garrett decided he needed to find himself and went to live in London for a while in order to do so.  Ginny was left to run the bookstore.  Rosebud Books is in financial trouble.  After being denied a loan from the local bank, Ginny is desperate to find a way to bring in more money.  There is a flat above the book store that has been sitting empty.  She cleans it up and puts an ad on a vacation rental site.  

When Sophia sees the ad for the flat, it sounds perfect to her.  She books it for the summer and makes her way to Cornwall.  Sophia and Ginny connect instantly.  While Sophia is helping out at the book store she comes across a notebook in a box of donated books.  It is a story about a woman named Emily who lived in the late 1800's.  Who wrote it?  Is it real or fiction?  Sophia wants to discover all she can about the notebook.

The novel follows three story lines; Sophia's, Ginny's and Emily's.  The chapters alternate between the three voices.  It was so interesting to see the three stories come together showing the beautiful way God can work in our lives.  The importance of story was illustrated in the way Sophia used books to heal.  She would read her favorite books over and over and this brought her comfort.  She also deeply connected with Emily's story and felt compelled to find out more about it.  This also helped her heal.  While this is a story about healing, it is also about friendship and family dynamics.  There is some romance and the mystery of the notebook.  The descriptions of the small village of Port Willis in Cornwall were delightful and made me want to visit.  The one weakness in the novel for me was the faith theme.  There was very little mention of the place that faith played in any of the characters lives in the first part of the book, or maybe it was just very subtle.  So, I found it unrealistic when later in the book Sophia, after reading a few sentences written by Emily, realizes that what has been missing in her life is faith in God and that she is "slowly opening myself back up to that childlike faith I had once upon a time".  I didn't realize she previously had a "childlike faith".   But, even with that weakness, this was a delightful read.

Book Review: Counter Culture by David Platt

A Compassionate Call To Counter Culture in a World of Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Persecution, Abortion, Orphans, and Pornography

Author:  David Platt

Publisher:  Tyndale House (2015)

267 pages

"'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me' (Luke 9:23).  Talk about countercultural.  In a world where everything revolves around yourself - protect yourself, promote yourself, comfort yourself, and take care of yourself - Jesus says, 'Crucify yourself.  Put aside all self-preservation in order to live for God's glorification, no matter what that means for you in the culture around you.  And isn't this, after all, the main issue in any culture?  Maybe better stated, isn't he the main issue in any culture?  What if the main issue in our culture today is not poverty or sex trafficking, homosexuality or abortion?  What if the main issue is God?  And what might happen if we made him our focus instead?"

David Platt hopes to compel Christians to not "quietly sit and watch evolving cultural trends", but rather to "courageously share and show our convictions through what we say and how we live".  He readily admits that he has seen a tendency in his own life to engage in certain social issues, while neglecting others.  In this book, he invites us to explore some of these issues in light of the gospel.  

The book has 10 chapters covering different social issues:

1.  The Gospel and Culture

2.  The Gospel and Poverty

3.  The Gospel and Abortion

4.  The Gospel and Orphans and Widows

5.  The Gospel and Sex Slavery

6.  The Gospel and Marriage

7.  The Gospel and Sexual Morality

8.  The Gospel and Ethnicity

9.  The Gospel and Religious Liberty

10.  The Gospel and the Unreached

In each chapter he gives examples of the particular issue in our country and around the world, includes Scripture about the issue and expands on what the Scripture means, and shares how the issue has impacted his own life.  At the end of each chapter is a section called "First Steps to Counter Culture" where he includes bullet point lists of steps we can take.  He includes things to pray for, actions to take and truths from Scripture.

I found the book easy to read and very helpful.  It will make a great reference book to keep on my shelf when I need to be reminded of what Scripture says on these issues.  

Book Review: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile

Author:  Agatha Christie

Publisher:  Harper Collins (2001, first published 1937)

373 pages

"The book has a lot of characters and a very elaborately worked out plot.  I think the central situation is intriguing and has dramatic possibilities, and the three characters, Simon, Linnet, and Jacqueline, seem to me to be real and alive."  (Agatha Christie, from the Author's Forward)

I think this quote sums up Death on the Nile nicely.  The central story line is a love triangle involving Simon, Linnet, and Jacqueline.  Simon and Jacqueline were engaged to be married when Jacqueline asks her best friend, Linnet, who happens to be the one of the richest girls in England, to give Simon a job as a Land Agent.  He is out of a job and has no money and Jacqueline loves him so.  Somewhere along the way Linnet steals Simon from Jacqueline.  The next we meet them, they are on a honeymoon trip to Egypt, cruising down the Nile.  

Hercule Poirot is on holiday in Egypt and definitely not working.  Only, he can't stop his brain from noticing things.  Simon and Linnet are on their honeymoon and Jacqueline has followed them.  She has been hurt and wants to cause trouble for Simon and Linnet and her presence seems to agitate them.  Hercule Poirot notices her and has a conversation with her where he says this, 

"It is deeper than that.  Do not open your heart to evil."

"Poirot went on gravely;  'Because - if you do - evil will come... Yes, very surely evil will come... It will enter in and make its home within you, and after a little while it will no longer be possible to drive it out.'"

Before long a murder has occurred.  There are plenty of other characters on the cruise who have their own secrets, but the obvious murderer seems to be Jacqueline.  But that seems too simple...  And so begins the investigation.  

This was my first time reading Death on the Nile and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I love the meticulous way Hercule Poirot works through the case and then finally explains it to the other investigator (and the reader) who can't quite figure it out.  

The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare

The Winter's Tale

Author:  William Shakespeare

A fully dramatized recording by Arkangel (2007)

On my reading list for 2020 is a play by Shakespeare.  I chose The Winter's Tale because The Literary Life Podcast will be discussing this play soon.  I decided to listen to an audio version of the play, but also use a written version along with the audio.  The audio version I chose was the dramatized recording from Arkangel.  This was very easy to listen to.  I have tried other dramatized versions that were difficult to listen to because there was too much going on at once.  The Arkangel version generally had just one person speaking at a time.  Sometimes there was background music, but it didn't distract from the dialogue.  Before beginning the audio version, I read the cast list and opening scene from the written version.  This familiarized me with the setting and the characters and the general direction of the play.  Then I would listen to the audio.  After listening to a portion I would sometimes go back to the written version and read parts or get clarification if I was confused about who was speaking or what was happening.  This worked really well for me.  I was able to follow the characters and the story without much trouble.  

Book Review: The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson

The Dating Charade
Author: Melissa  Ferguson
Publisher:  Thomas Nelson (2019)
336 pages

Cassie Everson is tired of the dating game, specifically the online dating game. She is 33 years old, so she has been at this a while. When her latest date turns out to be married, she decides to delete the dating app from her phone. Just before deleting it she notices one more message. When she begins reading it, it sounds like all the rest, so she doesn't finish it and deletes the app. She figures she will just throw herself into her work as director at Girls Haven, a center for disadvantaged girls. Cassie's best friend, Bree,  is skeptical about her spontaneous decision to give up on the online dating scene. After all, it has been sending men her way. Bree thinks Cassie is overreacting and wants to see for herself if things are really as bad as Cassie claims. So, Cassie give Bree her account ID. Bree takes it upon herself to answer that last message and sets up at date for Cassie with Jett.

Jett, a firefighter, remembers Cassie from high school. Although, he is not sure she will remember him. He can't believe his luck, Cassie Everson has agreed to go on a date with him. When Jett shows up, Cassie is waiting outside Girls Haven.   She is a little alarmed when he approaches her bearing flowers. But, then she realizes that Bree has set her up, lets Jett know this and excuses herself. Jett gets in contact with Bree and she agrees to help Jett get a real date with Cassie.

This is a feel-good story, full of hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud. However, it also deals with some weightier topics such as; abandonment, addiction and adoption. Both Jett and Cassie have such big hearts for others. They both desire to do what is right, no matter the cost. It was interesting to see inside the life of a firefighter as well as the ins and outs of working with disadvantaged girls. After secrets, misunderstandings and an accident, it all turns out in the end. This was an enjoyable read.

Visual Theology 2020 Christian Reading Challenge

The Visual Theology 2020 Christian Reading Challenge is hosted by Tim Challies at his website.  It is composed of 4 lists of books,  which you are meant to move through progressively.  

There are several levels to the challenge:

*The Light Reader - with a goal of 13 books

*The Avid Reader - with a goal of 26 books

*The Committed Reader - with a goal of 52 books

*The Obsessed Reader - with a goal of 104 books

I have participated in this challenge for several years and usually just use it to see where my reading takes me by seeing if the books I am reading fit into the categories.  However, this year I am planning to complete the Light Reader list and then see where my reading takes me.  If you would like to join the challenge, click the link above to get a copy of the list.  I will record the books I read for the Light Reader list below.

1. A book recommended by someone else - Still Life by Louise Penny

2. A biography - The Prizewinner of Defiance Ohio

3. A Christian novel - The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson

4. A book about history - Safe Passage by Ida Cook

5. A book targeted at your gender - Two Steps Forward 

6. A book about Christian living - Counter Culture

7. A book with at least 300 pages - Death on the Nile

8. A book about theology - The Great Divorce

9. A book from a "best of 2019" list - The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel

10. A book more than 150 years old - The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare

11. A book on the ECPA Bestseller List - The Fifth Avenue Story Society

12. A biography for children or teens - The Story of Edith Cavell

13. A book of your choice -  Cape Light