Janet Sketchley's Blog: Tenacity, page 38
March 8, 2019
International Women’s Day
Fiction-lovers, celebrate International Women’s Day with some strong female characters.
Available in print and for Apple, Kindle, Kobo, and Nook. Ruth: the prayer warrior abducted by a serial killer. (Heaven’s Prey)
Carol: the single mother targeted by a drug lord. (Secrets and Lies)
Amy: the plane crash survivor who suspects sabotage. (Without Proof)
Then there’s Landon: the young woman with a traumatic past, trying to solve the mysterious happenings at the Green Dory Inn. (Unknown Enemy)
I...
March 5, 2019
New Releases in Christian Fiction (March 2019)
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Children’s:
The Case of the Missing Firehouse Dog by Daphne Self — Majesty, the firehouse dog, is missing. Willie and Jax are on the case to discover who is the dognapping culprit. Could it be their neighbor, Mr. Applebee? Or maybe it is Ms. Thornton? Join the Pintail Duo, Wilhelmina van der Coup and Jackson Barnaby, as...
February 19, 2019
Review: Bonhoeffer, by Eric Metaxas
Bonhoeffer, by Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson, 2010)
Subtitled “Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy,”
Bonhoeffer traces the shaping of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s thoughts and life from childhood until his execution in 1945 as an enemy of the Third Reich.
This interesting and educational account is scholarly enough for academics yet accessible to the average reader. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was highly intelligent as well as intensely committed to living out his faith. Some of the quotes from his writings, share...
February 12, 2019
Review: The Mystery of Three Quarters, by Sophie Hannah
The Mystery of Three Quarters, by Sophie Hannah (HarperCollins, 2018)
Sophie Hannah does a fantastic job writing further adventures for Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. The Mystery of Three Quarters is her third, and I think it’s the best yet.
Poirot feels true to life (true to fictional life?). In these novels his Scotland Yard contact is Edward Catchpole, and neither Inspector Japp nor Hastings appear. Nor Miss Lemon. I don’t recall where the stories fall in the overall Poirot timeline....
February 5, 2019
New Releases in Christian Fiction (February 2019)
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Amish Romance:
Convenient Amish Proposal by Jan Drexler — When Bethany Zook’s childhood friend returns to Indiana Amish country a widower, with an adorable little girl in tow, she’s willing to aid him in any way. But there’s just one thing Andrew Yoder needs – a mother for little Mari. And he seems convinced Bethany i...
January 29, 2019
Review: Wayfarer, by K.M. Weiland
Wayfarer, by K.M. Weiland (PenForASword Publishing, 2018)
Gaslight fantasy… I didn’t even know that was a genre. But K.M. Weiland’s Wayfarer, set in 1820s England is a fantastic tale of a young man who becomes a superhero.
Will is a blacksmith’s apprentice whose family died in debtors’ prison. Despite his master’s advice, he can’t ignore the way people look down on him. The strange powers that afflict him could earn him respect—or they could get him killed.
Complex characters and vivid desc...
January 15, 2019
New Releases in Christian Fiction (January 2019)
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Amish Romance:
Seasons of an Amish Garden by Amy Clipston — Enjoy a year of beautiful seasons in this new story collection, as young Amish couples manage a community garden and harvest friendships and love along the way. (Amish Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)
January 8, 2019
Picks from 2018
Goodreads tells me I’ve read 99 books in 2018. And that’s not counting Bible reading. Here are the books (and new-to-me music) that I’ve most enjoyed this year. Some were produced in 2018, some previously. Pop a note into the comments with your own favourites?
My top picks from 2018:
Book of the year: Oathbringer, by Brandon Sanderson (epic fantasy)
Christian living: The Dream of You, by Jo Saxton
Contemporary novel: Dear Mr. Knightley, by Katherine Reay
Fantasy novel: The Wounded Shadow, by...
December 28, 2018
The Year of JOY (Guest Post)
The Year of JOY by Steph Beth Nickel It’s that time of year again.
We’re getting ready to say goodbye to the year gone by and hello to a shiny new year filled with possibility.
For the past few years, I’ve embraced the concept of choosing a word for the year ahead.
The theme for 2019 came more as a series of ideas.
In many respects, I have been living selfishly. I believe God is calling me to follow Jesus’s example as outlined in the book of Philippians, to live more sacrificially.
It’s a mat...
December 18, 2018
Review: The Advent of Christmas, CD by Matt Maher
The Advent of Christmas, by Matt Maher (Essence Records, 2018)
This new Christmas album from Matt Maher mixes songs of worship with others that are just plain fun. Christmas, after all, is a time for both.
I love this album and would put it in my top three for Christmas. The musical styles are diverse, so don’t sample one or two tracks and think you have a feel for it all.
A bit about the songs:
“Gabriel’s Message” leads off, slow and haunting. “He Shall Reign Forevermore” melds the traditi...
