Janet Sketchley's Blog: Tenacity, page 4
January 31, 2025
Why Reading Can Be a Challenge (Guest Post)
Image by Free stock photos from www.rupixen.com from PixabayWhy Reading Can Be a Challengeby Steph Beth NickelDon���t get me wrong. I love books. Physical books. eBooks. Audiobooks. All the books. But sometimes I do struggle to sit down and read a book from cover to cover.
Specific Challenges
When I���m tired, it can be difficult to focus on the words on a page. All of us have likely found ourselves reading and re-reading a paragraph because we complete it and wonder what on ea...
January 24, 2025
Review: Stumped, by Emily James
Stumped, by Emily James (Stronghold Books, 2020)
She left high-pressure city life behind and is now part-owner of a maple syrup farm in Michigan and a partner in a small-town law firm. She���s also a wife and expectant mother���and an amateur sleuth with a knack for digging out the truth.
There weren���t supposed to be any new cases for Nicole Fitzhenry-Dawes-Cavanagh to tackle before her baby���s birth. But when a man shows up at her office covered in blood, with no idea what happene...
January 17, 2025
Picks from 2024
Image credit: Goodreads. Click to view full details on Goodreads.From those 59 books in 2024, here are my top picks:Book of the year, fiction: Born of Gilded Mountains, by Amanda Dykes
Book of the year, nonfiction: Abiding in Christ, by Andrew Murray
Christian living: Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, by Tyler Staton; , by John Mark Comer, Opening to God: Lectio Divina and Life as Prayer, by David G. Benner
Fantasy...
January 10, 2025
Review: Born of Gilded Mountains, by Amanda Dykes
Born of Gilded Mountains, by Amanda Dykes (Bethany House, 2024)
To open an Amanda Dykes story is to step into an exquisitely crafted tale of diverse, well-crafted characters that is at once poignantly real while evoking wonder and a feel-good ending.
Born of Gilded Mountains is a historical novel of friendship, loss, loyalty, and resilience set in a small town in the mountains of Colorado.
Schoolgirl pen pals Marybeth Spatts and Rusty Bright forge a deep bond that shapes the rest o...
January 3, 2025
New Releases in Christian Fiction (January 2025)
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website
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Feather by Susan Page Davis — Feather is snatched by a fierce tribe and forced to work for them. Her younger brother, Karsh, vows to find her. When Feather learns the arrows she makes will be used against her own people, she and her friend Tag decide to escape and warn the peaceful tribe of the coming attack. (Children/Middle-grade, Tea Tin Press)
Cozy Mys...
December 27, 2024
Much-Needed Rest (Guest Post)
Last month, I shared some of my favourite podcasts and audiobook providers. But even the best of these can become little more than noise in this world of overstimulation. And coming out of the holiday season, rest���and quiet���may be exactly what you need.
Although quiet and rest are not the same, they are related. While being quiet doesn���t guarantee we will be at rest, it is difficult to truly rest and recharge without at least some periods of q...
December 20, 2024
A Christmas Blessing
And his name will be the hope of all the world.
Matthew 12:21, NLT*
Think about this verse. Isn���t it beautiful? Doesn���t it cause a quiet peace to well up inside? His Name���Jesus���will be the hope of the whole world.
In your busyness and life circumstances, good or bad…
In your relationships, sweet or strained…
I pray you���ll sense His nearness, His gentle hand cradling you, and His love lighting your heart. Because of Jesus, we have hope.
May your Christmas season bring at...
December 13, 2024
Review: Prayers of a Stranger, by Davis Bunn
Prayers of a Stranger: A Christmas Journey, by Davis Bunn (Thomas Nelson, 2012)
Amanda and Chris have lived the past year grieving the loss of their baby, each carrying job stress, and slowly growing apart. An unexpected request for Amanda to accompany an older neighbour to Israel before Christmas may be the catalyst to change everything.
This faith-filled story brings heartfelt family drama, new friendships, answered prayer, and a chance for readers to vicariously visit the Wailing W...
December 5, 2024
New Releases in Christian Fiction (December 2024)
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website
��Contemporary Romance:
Always In My Heart by Iola Goulton — Broke solo mother Maya Allen is raising her daughter, Sarah, as well as her dead best friend���s daughter ��� who just happens to be her own daughter���s half sister (thanks, cheating college boyfriend). When her lowlife landlord doubles her rent, she realizes it���s time to make a new plan and return to New Zealand wi...
November 29, 2024
Be Careful Little Ears (Guest Post)
Image by AS Photograpy from PixabayBe Careful, Little Earsby Steph Beth NickelThose of us of a certain age will likely remember the old Sunday School song encouraging us to be mindful of what we focus on and what we listen to. The importance of doing so has never been more vital, considering the multiple avenues through which our senses are bombarded these days.
This month, I���m going to share some of my favourite podcasts, a couple of my favourite audiobook providers, and two ap...
