This post may contain affiliate links that allow me to make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
On the Other Side of the Hill (The Rose Years #4) by Roger Lea MacBride
Follow Rose as a new baby is born nearby, natural disasters bring hardships for her family, and she experiences more of what life is like in town.
Genre: Historical | Age: Middle Grade (8+) | Buy: Bookshop.org
Personal Review:
Another great installment of the series and read-aloud for my three older girls. I have really been enjoying Rose’s stories, especially because the scenery is so different from when they were in the Midwest (which I am more familiar with).
There were a couple of scarier moments in this book. I was surprised at how well my girls handled the chapters involving a tornado and a fire. They were well written for the target age.
There was so much good in this book, too! We got to see Rose deal with her emotions when she was shamed by a “town” girl. And we got to meet Effie’s baby! The surprises involved in this book were so fun for us to read together.
Joy Fueled: Catalyzing a Revolution of Joyful Communities by White, Daniels, and Smith
Defining joy and implementing a life as church has never seemed so simple or meaningful.
Genre: Christian Nonfiction | Age: Adult (16+)
Personal Review:
This book was a pleasant surprise. I come from a pretty conservative background and have wrestled for years with differences in denominations that can make me uncomfortable. I also have a pretty poor theology of the Holy Spirit because I am so wary of hyper-charismatic movements.
But THIS BOOK showed me that following Jesus is not based on denomination, it is not based on how much you know about the Bible or theology, and it’s not based on how passionate you are about your relationship with Christ. It is about THE relationship you have with God/Christ/Holy Spirit!
I loved how they defined joy, putting into words something that is so ambiguous to me. I also loved how they interchanged the names of the Trinity throughout. Sometimes they listen to the Holy Spirit, sometimes to God, but mostly they listen to Jesus (this bothered me at first – but I like that they do this as it really embodies the definition of the Trinity). And it is all done in a balanced way that is not over-reacting to a certain group of Christians.
My husband and I have already implemented the “church of two” and I’m thinking of how to live this out with my children. I’m so glad I read this book and I’m looking forward to their next one as well.
The Faith Legacy (The Legacy Series #2) by Malory Ford
Jake has been Beth’s closest friend since her and her sister came to this small Texas town. Everyone says he loves her, but she’s not so sure.
Genre: Historical Christian Romance | Age: Adult (17+) | Buy: Author Storefront
Personal Review:
I really enjoyed this second book in the Legacy series. I enjoy already being familiar with the setting and seeing my favorite characters again!
Jake was probably my favorite character in the first book, so I really liked seeing and understanding him more in The Faith Legacy. I also loved getting to know Beth. I appreciated that she was a creative type (dress designer!) and was sometimes impulsive. I like those types of heroines. I also like the gentle hero who can get angry when pushed too far, which Jake was pretty good at.
It took a little long for Jake to come around to telling Beth how he felt. I was glad that Beth had a date with another man because Jake needed to face reality and get moving!! The family aspect of this series is really fun for me. I like that Carissa’s husband Matthew and Beth easily feel like family – and that Jake fits right in too. Interestingly, Abigail already feels like one of their sisters, so her story involving Carissa and Beth’s brother Kade will be a fun one in the next book.
Cute story, great faith content, and I’m looking forward to book 3.
Ansley’s Big Bake Off (The Daniels Sisters #1) by Kaitlyn, Olivia, & Camryn Pitts
Ansley and her family settle into a new normal after moving to a new city with a new school and new friends after the death of the girls’ mother.
Genre: Contemporary Christian | Age: Middle Grade (7+) | Buy: Bookshop.org
Personal Review:
I enjoyed this lower middle grade book quite a bit. The faith content was really strong and it is a great example of how a Christian family works on a daily basis. Not all Christian families are like them, of course, but that’s what made it so interesting to read. I think my girls will like seeing a slice of life from these Christian sisters who are starting a new Christian school.
Ansley is our main character and is having trouble finding her “calling”. I very much appreciated that the message of the book was not how to find her one calling but to just do what she enjoyed and do it as well as she could. Her whole family helped her work through new friend problems at school, they supported both her baking and gymnastics, and the relationships with the adults were top-notch. There was no sneaking around or adults giving immature or controlling advice to the kids. That was so well done!
However, I did have to take a 1/2 star off of my preferred rating because of one little sentence. The sisters pray for each other throughout the book, which is great to see. But after a particular prayer is answered, one sister thanks the other for praying and says she must “have some powerful faith” in order for that to have happened. Whether it was intentional or not, that is prosperity gospel and not how our family believes prayer works. I made a note in the book for whoever reads it after me :). Other than that one little sentence, I thought the book was very well done.
Happy reading!
📚 Follow on Goodreads.
📌 Follow on Pinterest.
📷 Follow on Instagram.
✒ Follow on Substack Notes.
💜 Share this post with a friend. 💜
🤖 Always written and edited without the use of AI.
Get the extra paid perks in The Cottage Membership. Find out how to join by subscribing:
Leave a Reply