motivation | encouragement | support
Find my book reviews here! I only review books I love.
I’ve just finished The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel, and I offer an enthusiastic five stars! Set primarily in Paris during the second world war, it’s a beautiful story of courage and love. I learned so much about the French Resistance and their heroic efforts to help downed RAF pilots escape. A riveting … Read more
Are you looking for a devotional that fits your life and values? Whether you’re drawn to the rhythms of the lectionary, looking for a weekly theme to reflect on, or hoping to dive deeper into your spiritual journey, there’s a devotional out there for you. In this post, I’ll feature a handful of meaningful devotional … Read more
My sister-in-law recommended The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar to me ages ago, and I finally picked it up. Wow, now I understand why she was so enthusiastic! The novel weaves together the lives of two young women living in very different eras but facing equally challenging circumstances. With chapters shifting between the … Read more
Photo attribution (above): Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Caption: Tea at Chartwell in August 1927 (left to right): Thérèse Sickert, Diana Mitford (later Mosley), Eddie Marsh, Churchill, Professor Frederick Lindemann, Randolph Churchill, Diana Churchill, Clementine, and Walter Sickert. Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict is a fictionalized biography of Clementine Churchill. Clementine’s work behind … Read more
I just finished reading The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn, and I was enthralled! Wow! A captivating and fascinating read. Recommended to me by my sister-in-law, who has never steered me wrong, Mila Pavlichenko’s story is mesmerizing. I have read few books from the Russian perspective, so perhaps that was part of what caught my … Read more
A very dear friend gifted me How to Know a Person by David Brooks for my birthday. It’s excellent! Full of insight and challenges on how to become a better person. A better communicator. A better listener and questioner. So much of what was discussed in the book deeply resonated with me, and I’m eager … Read more
I read The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown with a group of dear friends, and we met weekly (usually) to discuss and share insights. What a rich, meaningful, fun, and heartwarming experience! The book is all about a journey toward wholehearted living. It’s filled with fun personal anecdotes, wisdom gleaned from careful research, humor, … Read more
An absolutely riveting read! Perhaps I was so caught up in it because I had never read anything about the Berlin Wall. Moreover, I remember when the wall came down in 1989. Getting a glimpse of how the wall impacted people and turned lives upside-down was thought-provoking and emotional for me. An enthusiastic five stars … Read more
A compelling read based on a true story, Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris is the second book in her acclaimed Tattooist of Auschwitz series. Alternating between her experiences at a Soviet gulag and Auschwitz-Birkenau, the book emphasizes Cilka’s time in Siberia. The hardships Cilka faces are unfathomable, but she demonstrates exceptional strength and resilience through … Read more
Three Sisters by Heather Morris is beautiful and full of hope. But also harrowing. Really disturbing. It’s based on the true story of three Jewish sisters and their experiences in World War II. A must read. Book summary: Three Slovakian sisters—Livia, Magda, and Cibi—have endured years of imprisonment in Birkenau-Auschwitz, Nazi Germany’s most infamous death … Read more