Tea with Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn

 Tea with Elephants, by Robin Jones Gunn, reminds me of the Sisterchicks series and I haven't enjoyed books by this author this much since then. This was such a fun and surprising adventure to read. I whipped through it in about a day. It captivated me and I related to both Fern and Lily. I loved the way they met and how their friendship grew, reminded me of some summer camp friendships that I still have. It was the perfect book for me as it made me laugh and cry. I felt the emotions of the characters as they encountered new things (and animals!) throughout the book. I loved how Fern journaled and worked her way through her feelings in words. I cannot wait to read the forthcoming books in the Suitcase Sisters series! I hope it's more with Fern and Lily. 

From the back of the book:

Ever since Fern Espinoza and Lily Graden met as teenagers volunteering at a conference center in Costa Rica twenty years ago, they have shared a close friendship, even though they live in different states. They can hardly believe it when their teen dream of traveling to Africa together becomes a reality. It's the trip of a lifetime -- but life sure isn't what they thought it would be back when they were young.

Along with their suitcases, both women bring emotional baggage that weighs heavily on them. The two best friends slowly open up to each other about the challenges waiting for them back home. Soon they discover that the people the meet and the places they experience have the power to change their heart -- but only if they listen to the gentle lessons God is teaching them in the land of emerald tea fields, graceful giraffes, and rambunctious elephants.

Get ready for an unforgettable adventure on a safari of the heart in this vulnerable exploration of how to move forward in faith even when the future is uncertain.

This book provided for review by Revell. 

2024 Reading List

 

January

1. One Hit Blunder by Christy Barritt (Kindle)

2. Edgewater Road by Shelley Shepard Gray (Kindle)

3. Sycamore Circle by Shelley Shepard Gray (Kindle)

4. Permanently Booked by Lisa Q. Mathews

5. Force of Nature by Dana Mentink 

6. Moonlight, Murder & Small Town Secrets by K.C. Hart (Kindle) 

7. All My Secrets by Lynn Austin

8. A Novel Murder by Elizabeth Penney 

9. Bitter Words by Jan Fields 

10. The Grim Reader by Margaret Welch 

February 

11. Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

12. A Deadly Chapter by Jan Fields  

13. An Autographed Mystery by DeAnna Julie Dodson 

14. Second Edition Death by Elizabeth Penney

15. A Crime Well Versed by Marlene Chase

16. A Murder Unscripted by Elizabeth Penney

17. Pride and Publishing by DeAnna Julie Dodson  

18. A Literary Offense by Elizabeth Penney

19. Up to Noir Good by Jan Fields

20. On Pens and Needles by Sandra Orchard

21. Ink or Swim by Catherine Dilts 

22. Tell No Tales by Marlene Chase

23. Page Fright by Elizabeth Penney 

24. A Fatal Yarn by Allie Pleiter

25. Read Between the Crimes by Lucy Averill

March 

26. From Fable to Grave by Marlene Chase 

27. A Fateful Sentence by Lucy Averill 

28. Cloak and Grammar by Allie Pleiter

29. A Lost Clause by KD McCrite

30. A Thorny Plot by Catherine Dilts

31. A Scary Tale Wedding by KD McCrite

32. Never Fall Again by Lynn H Blackburn 

33. Leave the Lights on by Christy Barritt (Kindle) 

34. The End of the Road by Christy Barritt (Kindle) 

35. Reckless Christianity by Holly Pivec and R Douglas Gievett 

36. A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell

37. Stars Over Sunset Boulevard by Susan Meissner

April

38. Betsey. A Memoir by Betsey Johnson

39. The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

40. Stranger in the Looking Glass by Jan Fields

41.The Secret Letter by Mary Blount Christian 

42. The Christmas Riddle by Susan Sleeman

43. Pieces from the Past by Elizabeth Penney 

44.  A Ring of Deception by DeAnna Julie Dodson

45. Loom and Doom by Susan Sleeeman

May

46. Six Feet Undertow by Elizabeth Penney

47. Death Takes a Holiday by Susan Sleeman

48. Framed for Life by Kristi Holl  

49. Season of Misdeeds by Kay Marshall Strom

50. A Chime to Kill by Elizabeth Goddard 

51. Deadly Prospect by Elizabeth Penney

52. Humbug Hijinks by Kristi Holl

53. The Secrets She Kept by Christy Barritt (Kindle) 

54. A Fedora Offense by Donna Kelly

55. Danger in Spades by Elizabeth Penney

56. Bride and Seek by Janet Holm McHenry 

June

57. Rigged for Murder by Elizabeth Penney

58. Three Ring Threat by Donna Kelly 

59. Treble and Strife by Elizabeth Goddard 

60. Tools of the Traitor by Lucy Averill

61. O Stolen Night by Nancy Mehl 

62. A Slippery Slope by Elizabeth Penney 

63. Dead and Married by Donna Kelly 

64. Ladies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke

65. Most Likely to Die by Christy Barritt (Kindle) 

July

66. The Secret Staircase by Sheila Connolly

67. The Year of Jubilee by Cindy Morgan  

68. The Do-Over by Bethany Turner 

69. The Society of Second Chances by Deborah Raney 

70. Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem

71. The Deconstruction of Christianity by Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett

72. Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble 

73. Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart

74. The Lady in the Attic by Tara Randel 

75. Raised to Stay by Natalie Runion

76. Look What You’ve Done by Tasha Layton

77. Vacation Friends by Christy Barritt (Kindle) 

August

78. Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner 

79. You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart

80. Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green (Kindle) 

81. The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright 

82. Tender Grace by Jackina Stark 

83. Beauty to Die For by Kim Alexis & Mindy Starns Clark  

84. A Mountain of Mystery by Carole Jefferson

September 

85. Nobody’s Safe by Carole Jefferson  

86. Silver Surprise by Carole Jefferson 

87. Wildfire by Carole Jefferson 

88. Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright  

89. Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson  

90. A Lode of Secrets by Carole Jefferson 

91. Time will Tell by Carole Jefferson 

October

92. A Code of Honor by Carole Jefferson 

93. Empty Saddle by Carole Jefferson 

94. What I Left For You by Liz Tolsma 

95. Reunion Dance by Carole Jefferson

96. The Counterfeit Caper by Carole Jefferson 

97. A Blessing and a Curse by Carole Jefferson 

98. The Restoration Project by Carole jefferson

99. Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin 

100. Lights and Shadows by Carole Jefferson 

November 

101. Tea with Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn

102. When Lightning Strikes by Carole Jefferson 

103. Hashimoto’s Protocol by Isabella Wentz

104. God Bless us Every One by Carole Jefferson 

Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin

 Waiting for Christmas, by Lynn Austin, is a delightful Victorian-era look at one newlywed couple's first Christmas. I am always excited when Lynn releases a new book, as I know it'll be one to savor. This one did not disappoint. The characters became real to me as I read about Adelaide (Addy) and Howard. The book is four parts, all corresponding with candles lit at their church during the month of December. The changes they go through during this time reflect the themes of the Advent Candles. Addy arrives home one day to find a little boy hiding in the bushes outside her door, she takes him in and, with help from her cook and housekeeper, cleans him up and gets him some new clothes. Addy is determined to help him find his missing sister while they wait to see if his father arrives home by Christmas. 

I adored watching Addy learn how to cook and keep house, wanting to do things on her own for her new husband, as she'd grown up an heiress and never learned to do these things. Her determination was sweet. 

As with any Lynn Austin book, this was a clean read and suitable for all ages. A very good look at historical Christmas. 

I was gifted this book as part of the Waiting for Christmas launch team. It's been a pleasure to read and I recommend it. 

What I Left for You by Liz Tolsma

 

What I Left for You, by Liz Tolsma, is the third and final installment in the Echoes of the Past series. Liz has become a favorite author of mine as I adore her books set in the WWII era. This book follows a dual timeline and switches back and forth effortlessly as Helena navigates Poland/Germany during WWII and McKenna, dealing with a broken heart, tries to untangle some things from her family history, leading her on a trip to Poland.

Both women portrayed in this book are strong characters, more so Helena though. Just reading a fictional account of what happened during the war was hard to read because you know this is just the story of one person and there were thousands of others that could have gone through the same things. 

The heart wrenching decisions that Helena made are unraveled and pieced back together with some sleuthing by McKenna in current time. Another thing I loved about this book was the reference to Pennsylvania and the Polish population in my home state. Really enjoyed that tidbit, especially when it mentioned that the hills and mountains reminded Helena of Poland. Loved that. 

About the book:

A Family’s Ties Were Broken in Poland of 1939

1939
Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.

2023
Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.

Also in the Echoes of the Past Series:
What I Would Tell You
What I Promise You

I was honored to be part of the launch team for this book and am always looking for more from this author. 

Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson

 If ever a book was meant to be made into a Christmas movie, it is this one. Meddling with Mistletoe, by Liz Johnson, was a delight to read - from cover to cover. I was engaged with this book on the first page. A rom-com with a subtle Christian message, this book is a clean read and is appropriate for all readers. It was sweet and funny. I loved getting to know Whitney and Daniel. The characters became real to me and I whipped through this book as fast a Whitney could whip up a pie. Such a fun read. And that first kiss.....I swear I felt it too! 

From the back cover:

The recipe for romance is simple: Sweets, Treats, and Mistletoe Meets.

Whitney Garrett is preparing to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she has to sell enough homemade pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition. When her oven breaks, Whitney asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, is she can use the inn's kitchen to keep up with her orders. Marie agrees with a catch: Whitney has to watch the three Sloan children and cook breakfasts for the Red Door in return.

The inn is busy with holiday guests -- including Aretha Franklin Sloan's nephew, Daniel and Ruby, a businesswoman in town to purchase Aretha's antiques store. Intent on making a Christmas match for the two, Aretha enlists Whitney's help in her schemes. But the deeper Whitney gets, the more she realizes that Ruby is not the right woman for Daniel -- and the more she thinks that she just might be his perfect match.

Honestly, an adorable book that is filled with quirky characters and a lot of fun. Made me laugh and made me feel all cozy. You'll love it!

This book provided for review by Revell. 

Flyover Church by Brad Roth

 

Flyover Church, by Brad Roth, is an easy-to-read book that encourages pastors in rural communities to reach their communities without comparing their ministry to bigger ones. I like that the author shares his hesitation to talk to people in public because, as a fellow-introvert, I have done the same thing. Being an introvert in ministry is hard! I like how he encourages the reader to focus on who you have in front of you at your church and in your small town. Minister to the people right there. You don't have to be bigger or better or have the crowd-attracting methods. The people right there need ministered to. Not to look past the small town that appears to be dying, as most of our country is "fly-over". 

Just 150 pages, this is a good book for any pastor. Roth weaves scripture throughout the book and I didn't find anything that would be a warning or red-flag with his theology. He is a man who loves the Lord and wants to help small-town pastors realize what they have right in front of them. 

This book provided for review by MennoMedia 

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

 The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple, by Joanna Davidson Politano, is a story with many layers that unwraps slowly while drawing the reader into the intrigue. This author consistently delivers beautiful fiction that is clean and appropriate for all ages. Lily Temple is a silent film star, one wrapped in mystery. Peter Driscoll is an independently hired investigator, his job: to find the truth about Lily's identity. Lily evades questions and, while other outside sources try the same thing, manages to invite Peter into her world and into her heart. Another local mystery teams them to find a missing child. All the while, the gardener friend from Lily's memories lingers somewhere out there...with clues along the way. 

This book was a delight to read. Not one to read quickly, took me about a week to finish it. 

Highly recommended. 

This book provided for review by Revell.