Sarah Holman's Blog, page 6

Heroes Wanted

In 2024, I read two books that became unlikely favorites. One was a historically inaccurate novel, and the other was violent—far more violent than I usually like my fiction to be. Yet both made their way deep into my heart. Why? because they had heroes—idealized and romanticized heroes who were larger than life.

The Scottish Chiefs and Break the Beast are two books that seem to have little in common at first glance. The Scottish Chiefs is a historical fiction on the life of William Wallace. Break the Beast is a fantasy retelling of the epic poem Beowulf. The Scottish Chiefs has a vintage feel (it was published in 1809), taking its time to tell a romantic version of William Wallace. Break the Beast is a fast-paced, modern book with grit and violence. Both books featured an idealized main character who made me crave more hero books.

Heroes are not a popular idea right now. Current book trends favor the morally grey characters - the characters who can be horrible, but you find they have redeeming qualities. 

The drunken superhero. 

The super handsome boss who adores the girl, but is possessive, obsessive, and rude.

The good girl who falls for the bad boy and realizes being good is boring.

The person willing to sacrifice everything and everyone to achieve a goal.

The fallen good girl, struggling to find redemption.

The man who ignores rules and laws to achieve a 'greater good'.

While we need stories that show redemption and the triumph of the flawed characters doing their best, we also need more. We need the characters that are so good that they inspire us to do better. We need the good boys and girls who stay good through the whole story and win victories because of it. We need stories that tell us that we could be so much more than what we are settling for.

In The Scottish Chiefs, William Wallace is a man whose life is upended by tragedy, and is forced to fight a war he didn't want. Yet, he does so with character, purpose, and integrity. His noble character is in stark contrast to those he is fighting. No, this is not the book to go to to get the historical facts. However, it is a good book to read to see the beauty of a morally shining character against the black backdrop of corruption.

In Break the Beast, Beowulf is a powerful warrior who can do just about anything on his own. He charges through the story defeating enemies, and offering bold compassion and redemption without compromising his quest to right wrongs. He knows what others need and pours himself out for others through the whole story, keeping his end goal in mind. A morally bright character against the black backdrop of evil.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. Philippians 2:14-16 NIV, emphasis added.

 Idealized heroes remind me of the above verse. They shine like stars against a dark sky. They challenge me to think beyond what I am to what I could be. Ultimately, they point me to The Hero, Jesus, who is my ultimate hero and role model.

Do we need realistic, flawed characters in our fiction? Yes! Do we need redemption stories? Absolutely! However, I argue that we also need morally shining characters. We need the unabashedly good heroic character that seems a little too good to be true. We need characters like Beowulf and Wallace. We need characters like the Old Testament Joseph, Daniel, and Ruth; men and women who stand out from the darkness as shining lights of heroic morality and courageous goodness.

We need heroes. 

Episode #4: The Weekly Mercies of Pam Ellis

I had the house to myself. While an introverted person andan adult, I truly enjoyed living with my parents and siblings. A lot of peopledidn’t understand why. They didn’t understand my joy in spending my daily life with people I loved. But I had given up on peopleunderstanding me. Jessie had made it clear that I didn’t have the skillsto make myself understood.

To drown out the pain from the last year. I turned on amovie and pulled out the bag of things I had picked up at the grocery store. EverythingI needed to make my own chai tea. I dropped the cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods,and black tea into the water.

I sang along to my favorite catchy song while I chopped acouple of slices of ginger. peppercorns and cloves went into the mix. As I leftthe mixture to heat, I prepared everything to make it into a latté. Maybe Icould mix a little of that lavender syrup that my mom gave me for Christmas.

Was I a bit lavender-obsessed? Perhaps. However, I blame mymother entirely. I hated traveling as a child, but we had to for my parents’business. They sold homeschooling curriculum. My mom found that if she scented everythingat home with lavender and also did that when we traveled, I slept better. So, Ibecame an early addict of the scent and then it moved into other aspects oflife like my tea.

My phone buzzed and I looked at the text. A v formed on my forehead.Crystal? I hadn’t heard from her in a while. Her family used to be on thehomeschooling circuit too and she, Jessie, and I had done a couple of things together.

Hi Pam! It’s been a long time since I’ve talked to you butI had to reach out. You're friends with Jessie Hays, right?

I swallowed and set my phone down. How was I supposed toanswer that? Jessie had told me we wouldn’t have further communication and we weren’tfriends so I couldn’t say that we were. Yet, I still cared about Jessie anddidn’t want to say she wasn’t my friend.

I swallowed as I looked at the lavender syrup in my hand.Part of me still hoped that maybe, one day, we would be reconciled. Maybe I wasstupid for thinking so. Maybe Jessie had been right when she said I wasn’t agood friend. Or maybe she was complexly wrong and she was the bad friend. Ormaybe…

I shook my head. I was so tired of puzzling thoughts. I had prayed. I had done my best. I had tried to honor Jessie and God in how I acted. And I would do that now. I would tell the truth, but in a way that respected Jessie’s wishes.

Hi Crystal! It’s good to hear from you. I know Jessie.

I turned off the pot of tea and poured it into a mug using a strainer. I added a spoonful of maple syrup, milk, and a touch of lavender. Then, my phone dinged again.

I don’t know I you, but Jessie’s dad had a heart attacklast week. We’ve started a fundraiser. I’m sending you the link.

On a happier note, I’ll be in town next week and was hoping we could meet up.

I stared at my phone unable to move. Jessie’s dad had aheart attack? Oh no! I blinked and moved my finger across the screen and wentto open my text thread with Jessie. The absence at the top of my list broughtthe reality home again. She wasn’t part of my life.

Tears sprung to my eyes. I dropped into a chair and put mystinging eyes into my hands. “How long will it hurt like this, God?”

I wanted to be there for Jessie, but I knew I couldn’t be. Iwanted to make things better for her but I couldn’t. That door had closed.Hadn’t it.

I switched to my phone app and hit my most frequentedcontact.

“Pam?”

“Hi mom,” I hated that my voice creaked.

“What’s wrong sweetheart?”

I swallowed and gathered my thoughts about me. “I just foundout Jessie’s dad had a heart attack. I want to be there for her but… Mom, whatif this is my fault?”

“The heart attack?”

“No,” I choked out. “That our friendship collapsed.”

My mother snorted. “Let’s go over this again. Remember hercalling and telling you things were messy. Why was that?”

“Because I said something stupid that hurt her.” It wastrue, but I knew it wasn’t the answer my mother was looking for.

“Almost a year before. She had let it fester. She hadn’tbrought it to you.”

“Why couldn’t I have been a better friend? She needed me andI let her down.” The tears spilled again. I had needed her too.

“She chose to let bitterness between you. Remember herresponse to your birthday gift?”

I nodded. I had bought her something she had told me shewanted but she had been disappointed that I had just bought something she hadtalked about instead of being original. And then I realized I had nodded to mymother who was on the phone.

“Remember how she refused apology for anything but required repeatedapologies from you?”

“Yeah,” I choked out. I remembered all the hurtful wordsspoken to me I had tried to let go. “But I hurt her mom.”

“We all have to forgive things.”

I reached over for my mug and took a sip. I nearly spit itout.

And I laughed.

“What is it?” Mom asked.

I continued to laugh. “I don’t think making chai tea isgoing to become my thing. This tea is way too strong and too… I don’t know butit’s awful

My mother joined in my laughter. “Pam, I know things werehard, but you’re going to get through this and make new friends.”

I looked at my mug. I would rather drink this stuff everyday than try to make new friends. Bad tea I could handle, losing anotherfriend? I didn’t think my heart would ever recover.

Sunday Song: Hymns in Grace Livingston Hill Novels

 

One of the things I love about reading Grace Livingston Hill's novels is her use of hymns. While some people insert song lyrics into books and you can easily skip them over, Grace Livingston Hill had a way of making the hymns live and breathe in her story. Often, they impact her characters as well as the reader. 
I was recently reading a novel and she shared the lyrics of the hymn Higher Ground. Even though I spent a few years in a Baptist and developed a love for the old hymns, this isn't one I sang much. While the practice of including the lyrics of songs or copying out poems in stories has fallen out of favor, it added a lot to her novels. It's a practice I would like to see return.
Excuse me while I spend my Sunday soaking in a Hill novel and listening to some of the hymns I find. Oh, and if you want to read more about the hymns in Grace Livingston Hill's novels, check out this website.



*Some of these practices fall out of favor due to the practical reason for copyright rules. Including song lyrics or poems that are still under copyright is complicated.  

Writing Desk Updates: What has Sarah been up to?

 

Hey everyone! I can't believe it's already the middle of January! Time is flying by and at times it feels like I'm already behind in my goals for the year. At other times, I'm pleased with my progress. Today, I'm sharing with you what that progress looks like.

Yes, this is a goofy photo, but I've had some days where this is what I've felt like. While I am privileged to get to be a full-time homemaker/writer, at times, I struggle to do the next thing. There have been a few days when it's been hard to leave my warm bed and do the next task.
One of the biggest challenges/learning curves for me this year has been learning to design stuff. Due to a lot of factors, I'm working to make most of my own covers, including redesigning some past books. I have gone through times where I've adored this and times I just wanted to throw in the towel. However, it was either figure out how to do most of it on my own or not publish as much. I'm blessed to have a husband who let me get Canva Pro, which is helping me.
January is usually our coldest month in Texas and we've had some cold days. I pulled out my fancy tea set once because it was cold and I wanted something pretty to look out for while I worked.
Here are my goals for the month with a  ✅ next to the ones I've finished 

✅Finish editing Kate’s Truth (this one is off to the editor at last)Write 10 episodes of Weekly MerciesCreate Kate’s Truth CoverCreate Kate's Informant paperback cover✅Post daily on social media except Sunday (so far so good)Create Kate’s Truth digital bundle

Here's to finishing my goals for the month! 

New Year, New Adventures

 Hey friends!

You didn't think I would get back to blogging without sharing about my life, did you? Well, welcome to my personal update space. Although, starting this post has made me realize how bad I've gotten at taking photos. 

I started reading my Bible through. It's been a while since I read it through in a year (I've been digging deep into the Psalms and some other books of the bible for the last three years). I'm thinking of doing a post about my quiet time because I love how it's going right now.

Scott and I started off the New Year by taking my sister to the airport for an early flight for an adventure to Pennsylvania. We got back and enjoyed our Christmas lights one last morning.
This is me, preparing to take down the tree and sporting my new headphones. My corded headphones died and since I've been spending a lot of time on the phone, Scott sweetly bought me these new ones. It was quite an upgrade to the Bluetooth ones.
Not the the best photo, but me preparing to start writing work for the year.
I've been enjoying an old computer game, Pharoh, sometimes in the evenings. 

I'm enjoying preparing for a friend's baby shower. It's going to be children's book-themed

What have you been up too?

Episode #3: The Weekly Mercies of Pam Ellis

The euphoria from last week hadn’t lasted long. My list and mercynotebook looked like a juvenile idea. My list of things to do to help buildback my joy seemed pointless.

I plunked a bag of chia tea into my mug and moped back tothe front desk to prepare another curbside order for Mrs. Kingston. She put inan order about once a week and usually canceled them. When she did pick themup, she usually quibbled and tried to get the price reduced for stupid reasons.Why did I have to deal with her today?

You’re so self-righteous

I don’t understand how you have any friends.

It’s probably a good thing Evan left before he figuredout you like him. You have a lot of growing to do.

If only covering my ears would block out the words flung at me over the months of trying to repair things with my friend.

I’m sorry, Pam. We just can’t be friends anymore.

Over and over again the words from Jessie played in my head.It felt like glass shards cutting at my heart every time. I missed her so much.I had tried so hard, even when a lot of people had told me to write her off. Eventhough I had said the week before I was done letting her steal joy from me, Ididn’t know how to practically do that.

No mercy notebook – not a cute little list – would fill thehole my friend left or heal my heart from the damaging words.

“Pam!”

I turned and smiled. It was hard to not smile when Lacie’snieces came to visit. Molly and Anna were growing so fast. Molly was entering her teen years with the same joy she had in childhood.Anna followed her older sister most of the time, but more frequently these dayswas venturing on her own.

“What are you reading?” Molly asked, coming behind the desk.

I usually had my current read behind the desk. I sighed.“I’m between books.” I hadn’t read a book in a couple of weeks. I was todepressed. I had let myself binge-watch Andy Giffith episodes. Why when you aredepressed, does reading feel like such a chore?

“I can read all on my own!” Anna announced proudly. “I read MoreStories from Grandmother’s Attic.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “That was one of my favoritesgrowing up.” It was. I loved the whole series by Arleta Richardson. Too bad Ioutgrew those books. I stopped with my tea mug halfway to my mouth. Why had I outgrownthem? A good story was a good story. Maybe the simplicity of something writtenfor a younger audience was what I needed.

I looked at the books in my hand. The whole series of Grandmother’s Attic was in a large plastic bin underneath my bed. My eyes wandered over the titles that had enthralled me in my childhood. Suddenly, I just wanted to read all of them over again.

Why couldn’t I? I might be grown, but there was no lawagainst me reading these books, was there? I felt a surge of giddiness like Idid when finishing the candles last week of diving into these books once again.I grabbed a mug of lavender vanilla tea and put on a lavender candle. I grabbedthe first book by Arlita Richardson.

The first lines of In Grandmother’s Attic pulled meback into my happy childhood and into Mable and Sarah Jane’s world; log cabins,one-room school house, and the hilarious hijinks. Oh, I had forgotten thehoopskirt story! I laughed so hard.

Before I knew it, I had devoured three of the books and hadstarted the fourth.

“Pam?”

Mom stood in my doorway. I jerked up. “Oh, I’m sorry! I wassupposed to finish cleaning the kitchen.”

Her mother smiled and entered the room. “I thought it mighthave been a hard day at work? Did that fellow come and yell at you again aboutnot carrying his books?”

I snorted, thinking of the young man who had demanded we carryhis books so our shelves would have more diversity. He wrote books that hecalled Christian, but went against God’s moral code. I don’t know why hethought coming in every few months and making threats and demands would make uswant to carry his work, but it didn’t

I shook my head. “It wasn’t that. It was just…I wasstruggling with all the stuff from last year.”

She nodded. “I’m sorry things have been so hard. I’m hopingthis year is full of good things.”

I swallowed. I wanted to believe it could. I had tried topush through my feelings and find healing, but my plans seemed silly and kiddishat the moment.

“I got something for you.” She held out a white bubblemailer.

I took it and ripped it open and found a bible study on thelife of Elizabeth. The subtitle caught my eye

Dealing with Disappointment.

I looked up at my mom and tears sprung to my eyes. “Thankyou.”

She nodded. “I know this year hasn’t been easy, but I wantto see your joy return.”

I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to burst intotears…again. I was so tired of sadness and crying.

“Your dad and I are headed to our counseling session. You’lldo the dishes?”

I nodded. I sighed after she closed my door. She hadreminded me of yet another burden on my heart, my parents. I glanced at thestudy and then at the ceiling. I couldn’t pray aloud, but I sent a silentprayer upward.

Jesus, please help my parents be okay. And please, help me to be able to feel joy again.

Do you like to read books written for a younger audience to relax? To relive childhood? Let me know in the comments below. 
The Grandma's Attic series is among my favorites from my early childhood. If you are interested in the series you can find it HERE.
I found the bible study Elizabeth: Dealing with Disappointment Bible Study very helpful in my own life. You can get it HERE.

Sunday Song: He Will Hold Me Fast

This is one of my favorite songs we sing at church. I love how it reminds me that it isn't my effort that holds me up, it is God holding me fast.

I hope this song blesses you today.

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Palmetto State Park

 

Scott and I are fortunate to live within a couple of hours of a lot of Texas State Parks. Palmetto is among our favorites. It's far enough from Austin to feel like we've been able to leave the city far behind, but not so far that we can't make a round trip easily. 

This park has four miles of hiking trails, which makes it pretty easy to hike all of it in a day with plenty of time to spare. We often come and have lunch and then hike the trails together. This is a CCC-built park. In the 1930s many parks were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). At these parks, you can find buildings and trails that these men built all those years ago.  (this photo is from the park website)Buildings like this refectory are beautiful and fun to walk up to. Make sure you see this and the CCC water tower. It's history you can see and touch.
While Scott and I like to hike year-round, shade is pretty important for much of the year due to heat. Most of the trails at Palmetto have wonderful shade and, because of the nearby river, they are cool.
Just do make sure you use bug spray or lotion before you come. This is near a river and a swamp. The bugs are thick much of the year and we have seen a snake on the trail once. But look at the palmettos (the cool plants with the pointy leaves) they are worth it. 


Yeah, this place makes us happy.
A larger palmetto (with Scott hiding behind it.

Suggested Hiking Routes:Get the park map HERE.
Our favorite route (2-4 hours depending on your speed):Drive past The Refectory and park in the parking area near the San Marcus River Trail.Walk along the San Marcus River Trail until we get to Mossycup SpurTake Mossycup Spur to Canebrake SpurTake Canebrake Spur to San Marcus River Tail.You won't stay on the San Marcus River trail for long before you get to Mesquite Flats Trail*Take Mesquite Flats Trail* to the Ottine Swap Trail Take the  Ottine Swap Trail to The Refectory (enjoy that) and walk along the road back toward the Palmetto Interpretive Trail.Walk back to your car and drive to the restrooms near Oxbow Lake.Starting with the tail to the side of the restrooms, take the Oxbow Lake Trail (this loops back around so you end up back at your car)
*Mesquite Flats Trail isn't well-shaded. Avoid during the hottest months.

The quick tour highlight route (30-45 minutes):Park near The RefectoryWalk to the Palmetto Interpretive TrailTake the Palmetto Interpretive Trail to Mesquite Flats TrailYou won't stay on Mesquite Flats Trail long before you turn onto Ottine Swap TrailWalk along the boardwalk area. When you reach the end, turn around and go back to Mesquite Flats Trail and take the Palmetto Interpretive Trail back to the road and your car
For a hot day, a shorter hike (About 1 hour):Drive past The Refectory and park in the parking area near the San Marcus River Trail.Walk along the San Marcus River Trail.Then, enjoy the Palmetto Interpretive Trail
Facts to know:Is this a CCC park? Yes!Do you need to make a reservation? While always recommended, this one isn't often at capacity.Sarah's favorite spots: The Refectory, Palmetto Interpretive Trail, and the low water crossing (point 3 on the official trails map)What else can I do at this park? They have canoes and kyack rentals at Oxbow Lake. Also a swimming area.Camping? There are tent and RV sites and one cabin. (We have never camped here)

Hike with Us: Pack your bags

 

Hey friends! I'm excited about a new series I'm starting on the blog. I'm going to bring you along for one of Scott's and my favorite pastimes: visiting Texas State Parks! 
Most of our dates will find us tossing our trusty backpack, a picnic, and extra water into our car and heading off to spend a few hours hiking. One of the things I wish there was more information online about was what trails should you not miss on some of the larger parks. So, I decided I would have to start making those guides themselves.
But first, the packing. 
I'm going to share some important things to put into your bag when you are hiking. Most of the hikes we do, we aren't too far from help if needed. However, we are often enough into the backwoods where we can't get back to our car for at least twenty or so minutes, so we have to be prepared.
Here is what we pack:

Of course, a backpack is a must. Why? You might ask? Seriously, you do not want to have to do a hike, carrying even just your water bottle in your hands for four miles. This backpack was a gift from my family and has a chest and waist strap (highly recommend this if you do a lot of hiking), two side pouches for our water bottles, as well as plenty of pockets for stuff. 
Water, is of course, important. We usually have some extra bottles of water and/or sports drinks in our backpack, but we each have our own bottle (which we've covered with stickers from State Parks. I've loved these bottles and waited until they went on sale to grab them a couple of years ago. These hold 33 ounces, have a staw and are super easy to use while hiking. Whatever bottles you take, make sure they seal so you can put them in your backpack.
We also carry a multi-tool. We've used both the screwdriver and knife a couple of times. It's something you don't think you need...until you do.
No one wants to think they would forget critical things or things not go well. However, things happen. I always have a small backup of bug spray and sunscreen in our bag (though I usually use this bug lotion when I'm getting dressed for a hike) as well as gauze, bandaids, basic meds (triple anti-biotic lotion, hydrocortisone cream, Tylenol, Advil, allergy meds), tissues, and also some sanitary pads at times.
We also carry hiking polls. I use them pretty often. It's surprising how helpful they can be. We also always have some stable stack in our bag. We have used it quite a few times when hikes have gone longer than expected. We also have this, but not in our bag, in our car. You never, never want to be caught with not enough water. We make sure we have this full of water in the car to refill our bottles after a long hike.
Well, there you have it. We are packed and ready to go. Check back soon for a post on one of our favorite Sate Parks: Palmetto. 

Top 10 Books of 2024

 

This post contains some Amazon Affiliate links

Hey friends!
What a reading 2024 was! I read 173 books. My longest was City of God by St. Augustin (didn't like) and I somehow ended up in the top 1% of Goodreads readers and reviewers. I'm not sure how. If you want to see all my stats on Goodreads, You can check them out HERE.

Now, to THE LIST.

As usual, I'll work up to my number one pick of the year. This year, I have an honorable mention.

This book, Inheritance of Tears, is honestly hard to share. My husband and I have gone through three miscarriages, including one at the beginning of 2024. In October of 2024, I was hit with a wave of grief over the losses and I picked up this book my dear friend, J. Grace Pennington, had sent me. I found this book helpful. It was so rich in mercy and good theology, that it helped root out some wrong ways of thinking that had slipped in without me knowing. Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | Audible
I kept grinning all through reading this book. It was just so...whimsical. It reminded me why I love reading so much. I had never read Steampunk books, they always sounded weird, but this book made me think I might just enjoy one on occasion. This was grounded in real places and history, yet with a touch of the whimsical. I adored the retelling of the Nutcracker (trying a sweet from each country? Brilliant!) The message was wonderful as well. Honestly, I can't wait to read more from this author as well as reread this book.Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | AudibleFollow the author on Instagram HERE
I discovered Joanna Davison Politano a couple of years ago and binge-read all her books. I had this book on preorder. I was nervous because early reviews were mixed. As you can tell. I ended up loving this book. It talked about the importance of stories and loving people where they are. It also was such a good reminder of how God uses hard things in our lives.
Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | AudibleFollow the author on Instagram HERE
Amy Lynn Green has been one of my top favorite authors since her debut novel, Things We Didn't Say. This book was another amazing book by this author. I loved the eclectic cast of characters (found family, anyone?) and the peek into a very different aspect of the war. I think one of the things I appreciate most about Green's books is that she deals well with average family problems in a godly way. I cannot wait until her next book.
Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | AudibleFollow the author on Instagram HERE
The author of Votes for Sophie has been a friend for years. I had no idea she was going to publish this until it arrived in the mail. This collection of stories is set in spring and my husband and I read them together. I loved how these stories were in the same village in England, spanning centuries. It was such a fun experience and I cannot wait to read all the other books!Goodreads | My Review | Amazon
This might be an odd one to be on here. This is a series of academic lectures by a woman whose book on singleness was my absolute favorite. I feel like I learned so much that made me appreciate this book of the Bible even more as well as gave me a lot to think about. 
Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | Audible
If you had told me this book would make my top ten a few months ago, I would have rolled my eyes and thought you didn't know me. I don't read much fantasy, much less fantasy retellings. However, I love Tebo's Instagram account (her stories often have some of the most fascinating information) and she got me to read Bewolf. So, I decided to try to read her retelling. God used the story to bolster me at a time when I was discouraged and just tired of fighting the good fight. I cried while reading one scene, and I don't actually cry while reading so that was big.
Goodreads | My Review | Amazon Follow the author on Instagram HERE

Sometimes, I put books here because they impacted me enough I can't not put them here. This is one of those. This book is a good reminder of living a Titus 2 life. It pushed me to finally reach out to find a mentor. It has reaped huge benefits in my life to have Beth in my life, meeting regularly. She listens and asks me questions and reminds me of God's truth. I wouldn't have reached out if I hadn't been convicted by this book.
Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | AudibleFollow this author's ministry on Instagram HERE

You know how I just said Beth, my mentor, has been a blessing in my life? Well, she gave me this book. It's a book about dealing with overthinking. I found it very helpful in turning my mind toward God. I needed the reminder to keep fighting the battle of the mind.Goodreads | My Review | Amazon


Sara Brunsvold does it again, clinching the number two spot on this list for the second year in a row. This was my favorite fiction book of the year. It was a story not only that was beautiful and deep, but also exactly what I needed. I loved the realistic family history - the joys and tragedies of life, all shown in the light of strong everyday faith.This book is beautiful and healing. If you haven't read it, hop to it.Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | AudibleFollow the author on Instagram HERE
Isn't it odd for a devotional to rank number one? But this devotional, which my husband and I read every day leading up to Easter, impacted me. It reminded me of how amazing our Savior really is. Some of the concepts stuck with me and the impact has stayed with me. I plan to reread it next year. Perhaps this wasn't the most mind-blowing book, but it was the most mind-shaping book I read. 
Goodreads | My Review | Amazon | AudibleFollow this author's ministry on Instagram HERE

What were your top favorite books of the year?