My Books of 2022

 Happy New Year!

And thank you for letting me have the last year off blogging.  I'll update you all with everything eventually, but for now lets concentrate on the most important things: Books!

I actually read 52 books (1 isn't currently on goodreads), though there were two books that I confess that I didn't finish.  I decided that life it soo short to persevere with books that are either too slow or too boring, when there is so much more out there that I want to read!

I should also say, that though I am going to separate out all the books that I have read this year below, the links won't work until I have written up the reviews.  And I know that some of you are still waiting for the reviews of the books that I read in 2021.  Hopefully, now that I have a bit more time (she says, on the first bank holiday of the year), I'll get around to catching up and filling those in too.

You will notice that some of these books are from my recent A-Z Challenge but that I haven't finished this list.  That's because, when my daughter was going in for her heart surgery, I made sure to download a load of free boxsets.  As they are currently on my kindle, these are what I have been going through more recently.  And I have recently joined my local book club, so I'll be reading two 'random' books each month too.  The first meeting I'm attending is tomorrow, so wish me luck!

So here is the list of books that I read in 2022, though I may have the order slightly wrong in some places. 
For those who prefer visuals, there is a picture below.

Fiction:

• Exodus by Andreas Christensen
• Aurora by Andreas Christensen
• Genesis by Andreas Christensen
• When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason
• When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason
• When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman
• Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
• The Monarch of the Glen by Neil Gaiman
• Black Dog by Neil Gaiman
• The Last Safe Place by Ninie Hammon
• The Crown of Thorns by Ian C P Irvine
• Hidden byt Megg Jensen
• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
• A Single Step by Georgia Rose
• Reckoning by Megg Jensen
• Hunted by Megg Jensen
• Before The Dawn by Georgia Rose
• The Wedding Pact Boxset by Denise Grover Swank
• Wicked Words by M J Scott
• Patterns in the Dark by Lindsay Buroker
• Pale-Eyed Mage by Jennifer Ealey
• Torn by O M Faure
• Untied by O M Faure
• Chosen by O M Faure
• Thicker than Water by Georgia Rose
• Soul Blade by Lindsay Buroker
• Dragon Blood 1-3 Boxsetby Lindsay Buroker
• Shattered Past by Lindsay Buroker
• Oaths by Lindsay Buroker
• Raptor by Lindsay Buroker
• The Fowl Proposal by Lindsay Buroker
• Heritage of Power Boxset by Lindsay Buroker
• Playing Dirty by Andrew R Williams
• The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
• Falling by T J Newman
• Jim's Revenge by Andrew R Williams
• Superior by Andrew R Williams
• Andalusia by David Harvey
• The Dark Insite by Solomon Carter
• The Singapore Grip by J G Ferrell

Non-Fiction:

• English Legal System by Emily Finch and Stefan Fafinski
• Legal Profession - Is it for you? by V Charles Ward
• Watching Neighbours Twice a Day by Josh Widdicombe
• Helping your Child with a Physical Health Condition
• Older and Wider by Jenny Eclair
• Parsnips: Buttered by Joe Lycett
• Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Christian Inspirational:

• The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian D McLaren
• Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey
• The Message: New Testament by Eugene H Peterson

My books of 2021

 

Last year, I set myself the target of reading 50 books, which I hit.  I think I've actually read a couple more than 52, as I still (sorry!) have some reviews to write up, and I don't always add them to Goodreads if I haven't done the review.  If you are a Goodreads user, feel free to click this link to follow me there too.

This next year, I've set myself the even more modest target of 24 books in a year.  This is because I barely wait whilst the girls are dancing anymore, so I have less time to read actually structured into my week.  I also (before last week) hadn't read anything since about October.  I had less free time, and in December you have to watch as many made-for-TV crappy Christmas movies as you can.  It's the law.

Here's a pictorial summary of all the reading I did last year, and I'll give a link to each review below.

Fiction

• The Dark Side of the Sun by Terry Pratchett
  
• Red White and Blues by Rysa Walker
  
• Ember by Jessica Sorensen
  
• Forgotten by Don and Stephanie Prichard
  
• Genesis Code by Eliza Green
  
• Happiness is a Smoking Gun by Alaine Allister
  
• I Spy, I Saw Her Die by Ian C. P. Irvine
  
• Juliette and the Monday ManDates by Becky Doughty
  
• Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
  
• Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson
  
• The Legacy of the Key by S L Morgan
  
• Mouse Tails by Sonny Collins
  
• Nocturne by Kat Ross (The Fourth Talisman Series)
  
• Out of a Dream by Rosemary Hines
  
• Pancakes and Corpses by Agatha Frost
  
• Quantum by Patricia Cornwell
• Rift by Andreas Christensen
  
• Season of Hope by Dayo Benson
  
• Taste by Mary E Twomey
  
• Ugly Girl by Mary E Twomey
  
• The Vine Witch by Luanne G Smith
  
• The Wave at Hanging Rock by Gregg Dunnett
  
• Yesterday by Amanda Tru
  
• Meadowlark by Melanie Abrams
• Brainrush by Richard Bard

Non-Fiction

• Trim Healthy Mama Plan by Barrett and Allison
  
• I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna
  
• The Diet Trap Solution by Beck & Beck
  
• The Obesity Code by Jason Fung
  

Christian Inspirational

• Women Rising by Meghan Tschanz
  
• Finding Intimacy With Jesus Made Simple by Matthew Robert Payne
  

I'm Back!

Hello my lovelies, how are you all?  

Ok, if you follow my facebook page I said my first post this year would be about books, but I've decided to give a brief overview about everything instead. And if you don't follow my facebook page, why on earth not?? Tut, tut, tut. 😜 Here's the link again, so you have no excuse: https://www.facebook.com/MusingsMiddleagedMum

So, I purposely had a break for Christmas, and it was needed.  I've come back this year feeling refreshed and ready to go.  Last week, however, I went to get ready for my first tutorial and my my computer had died.

Not only did the Automatic Repair not work, it wouldn't move off this screen.  I cancelled my tutorials and left it to my techy husband (they do have their uses, lol).  He used some techy magic to recover most of my files, but he couldn't get windows to work.  We wiped everything, started again, and windows still wouldn't work.  He even installed Linux, and even that operating system wouldn't work.  The hard disk was dead as dead can be.

After having to handwrite a comparison spreadsheet (I'm not joking, I am that geeky, and it took two A4 pages), I decided upon and bought a new laptop. Yey!  There are a couple of snags* with it, that I'm sure will be able to be sorted quickly, but overall I'm really pleased with it.
* There is automatically a background noise remover thingy on the microphone, which would be great, except now it stops my headset working with zoom when tutoring.  The only way to bypass is to not use my headset, so all my tutees are rewarded with sounds of my dogs barking in the background.  Should be a simple fix; husband will look at it later.

* Everything on my laptop is automatically saving to One Drive.  I use One Drive for music and photos, but all my large tutoring or Ed Free documents, I do not need nor want saving all the time.  It means I'm getting lots of notifications saying One Drive is full, and adverts where I can buy infinite (nearly) space for only £££ each month.  Again, a simple fix, but I'm ignoring it for now.

What's new with me? Well, yesterday was 20 years since I asked my (now) husband to go out with me.  Very forward of me, but he was/is shyer than me, if you can believe such a thing. Actually, if you know me now, you probably can believe it, but 20 years ago I was a mouse in comparison.  I thought he fancied me, and asked a couple of my friends a few months earlier, and they said that I was just imagining it, and he was just a good friend.  Anyway, in the January, we went back to uni and there was a party a friend of a friend was throwing and we tagged along.  We got drunk enough for me to ask him if he fancied me and for him to say yes - and then I ignored it and continued with the party!  It wasn't until I couldn't sleep that night, because everything was rolling around my head, that I went up to his room and asked him to go out with me, and then went back downstairs to go to sleep. I then didn't see him for 24hrs, because I was at a football match, and wasn't sure if he would remember or if he thought it was a mistake or what.  Ancient history it is, as we're now married, 17 years this coming August, with 2 kids, 2 dogs, and still happy.

I have started reading again - hurray! I don't think I had read anything seriously since about October.  I tend not to read much in December, because it's tacky Christmas movie season, but I had missed reading.  I don't have as much time to read as previously, only an hour on a Saturday of dedicated reading time (except when/if I read a good book, and it takes over my life for a few days), but I'm glad to have started reading regularly again.

And I've started calorie counting.  After hitting my heaviest weight ever after Christmas, I am properly tracking my food in MFP and have been meal prepping. I'm only on week 2, so it's not an established habit yet, but I have lost weight already, which keeps me motivated.

I'm going to my first naturist/clothing optional event for what seems like forever tonight.  Covid, of course, has stopped everything, but theatres are starting to reopen, so my husband and I are going to a clothing optional showing tonight, so that will be fun.

What's not new with me? Still tutoring maths.  Still involved in the home ed world.  Still have my personal trainer twice a week. Still going to church. Still ferrying the girls to dance every night of the week. Still me.

And that's about it!  I hope you all had a good Christmas and New years.  I did.  And that you are well xx

Yesterday by Amanda Tru

This is the last book in my A-Z Challenge (yes, I'm aware it is only Y, but I'm trying not to buy more books until I have finished all the ones I already have, lol).

The blurb says: 

Her yesterday was five years ago. What will her tomorrow bring?

When HANNAH KRAEGER saves a family injured in a car accident, she has no idea she has changed events in the past. Waking the next morning, Hannah discovers her yesterday was really five years ago.

Each trip Hannah takes through time changes the timeline and her own life. With help from DR. SETH MCALLISTER, Hannah must unravel the mystery of why she time travels and who she actually is before the strange ability costs her future, the man she loves, and even her life.

What I found interesting about this time travel book is that the time travel is not instantaneous.  What I mean, is that when Hannah finds herself back in time, the timeline she left continues so to those around her it looks like she has run away or left.  It also means that she ages at the correct rate for her personal timeline, rather than living life in the past, coming back to the present/future and have aged for no reason to her friends and family.

This book is a sweet romance with a time travel twist. I'm not sure whether to class it as Fantasy or SciFi since the time travel is not because of a machine but because of divine intervention - so I've labelled it as both on the side. >>>

I did enjoy this book.  I liked trying to work out how the stories of the different characters interacted.  I liked seeing whether the romance between Hannah and Seth would blossom and how it was impacted due to her changing things in the past.  It's a nice book.

Where has the time gone???

I can't believe it's nearly a month since I last posted anything on this blog!  I've got lots to say, but want to post it all separately, so I'll give a quick overview now, and hopefully will find some time in the not-to-distant future to actually write properly.

This past month, it was my 16th wedding anniversary, (did I tell you in July that my hair is no longer purple?  It's red now), I went to Back To the 80s & 90s Festival by myself and had a fab time, I finished reading all the books on my A-Z Challenge list, plus the rest of the Ugly Girl series, I went to London twice with the family to see 2 different shows, I've started going out with friends again in an evening, DD2 had her 11th birthday yesterday, and today was her first day of Summer School (transition week) before starting secondary in September.  I am officially not home educating any more!  I have some new tutees and some old ones lined up for me to start tutoring again.  I am still involved in HE politics, despite it being the summer holidays.  And I'm still seeing my PT.  I know I didn't update you guys with my last set of progress photos (even I can see a difference now compared to how I looked when I started!), but I'm due to take my next set this coming weekend.  I'll also be taking new measurements, and will have a look to see if I am finally starting to lose weight.  Since I started with her in April, I have only put on weight, so it will be good to see if that finally starts to change!  And, as I finished my A-Z of fiction titles I need to set myself a new challenge (based on the books I already have on my kindle that I haven't read yet).  As, on my kindle, I can only sort by Recent, Title or Author, I suppose I'm going to go back to Fiction Authors.  Unlike last time, however, I will not be buying any books to fill-in the letters I'm missing.

Season of Hope by Dayo Benson

After a dystopian thriller, what better than a cosy Christmas chick-lit to remind me of all that is well in the world?

The blurb says:

Last Christmas, Robyn Kellett was distraught because her fiancé broke up with her. This Christmas promises to be even worse as Chad Ryder, the man she loved as a naïve eighteen-year old, resurfaces with an invitation to come to a university reunion in Blackpool. Robyn’s only hope of having a merry Christmas is the mysterious man she talks to every night online. They have a date for Christmas Eve, and Robyn hopes he’s as perfect in real life as he seems on the Internet.

Chad Ryder needs Robyn to come to Blackpool. It’s the only chance he has to win her heart before she finds out that the man she’s been falling in love with online for the past six months is none other than him.

At Blackpool, Robyn is infuriated by all of Chad’s efforts to win her heart, and Chad is frustrated with her constant resistance. As Christmas Eve draws near, Chad hopes for forgiveness for his deception, and Robyn hopes for the man of her dreams.

Will either of them get what they want?

I do like Dayo Benson as an author, having got introduced to her writing through Searchlight, the first in the paranormal Crystal series.

Season of Hope is a short romance that is set in the UK, and follows the story of Robyn as she psyches herself up for her university reunion.  Having recently separated from her fiancé, and knowing that her teenage crush is going to be there, Robyn is thankful that she can confide in her online confidant.

It is light, it is predictable, it is Christmassy - everything you want from a seasonal chick lit. 😊

Out of a Dream by Rosemary Hines

 

Out of a Dream is O in my A-Z Challenge.  It is about a woman called Michelle, who starts to have some weird dreams, so looks into dream interpretation.  As she does so, she delves into yoga, meditation and then into tarot and other "New Age" things.  Meanwhile, her life starts to go belly-up:  she has problems in her marriage, and her dad is on the verge of suicide.

The blurb says:

Michelle Baron should be reveling in her new life in Sandy Cove, Oregon. From the outside, it all looks idyllic. A newlywed settling into a quaint coastal town, her husband establishing himself as a junior partner in a law firm—what more could she want?

But a series of disturbing nightmares haunts Michelle. Her quest to understand these dreams leads her to the New World bookstore, where she begins a spiritual journey that will challenge her Christian heritage as well as her marriage.

I have to say, I was not keen on how this book was written.  Even though I'm a Christian, it felt very much like a non-subtle "if you don't become a Christian, your life will be crap" message, which I can imagine will irritate a lot of non-Christians - it annoyed me enough!  I did persevere with the book, and though there was tragedy in the story, it had a good ending.

***Spoiler Warning***

However, the book really comes into its own, when you read the Note From The Author at the end and realise this book is semi-autobiographical: though the characters and events are fiction, the author did become interested in New Age ideologies before the suicide of her father, at which point she turned to Christianity.  Though it would give away the plot somewhat, I do wish this note was at the beginning of the book, so the story could be read through that lens.

***End of Spoiler***

There are two more books in the Sandy Cove Series, however I will not be adding them to my wishlist.

Book Organisation

Ok, so I have gone through all my past Book Reviews and tried to classify them, so that if you wanted to find a certain type of book that would be easy to do now.  All you have to do is look at the Word Cloud on the right, squint a bit, and then choose the genre you're looking for.

If you have read something based on my recommendation and think that I have missed a classification (from the list below), please comment and I will add it.  Depending where you read, there are 7 or 8 main classifications of genre (I have made sure I covered them all) but there are also 150+ subgenres and classifications that I can't always see the difference between.  As such, some things you'll have to give me artistic license for, such as grouping Paranormal under Fantasy, rather than giving it its own classification.  And I'm surprised to see that despite reading a load of Stephen King and James Herbert as a teen, I haven't got any Horror listed.  That's probably the only addition that I would make.

And, you will notice that some of the links give more than just books listed, especially in the non-fiction list, but you'll just have to cope with scrolling down to find the books for those.

So here is the list of classifications, so that if you did want to find something quickly, you can either click the link below, or the word cloud.

Fiction:
Adventure
Chick-Lit
Childrens
Classic
Cosy
Dystopia
Fantasy
Horror (No link yet, as there are no books yet)
Mystery
Romance
Sci-Fi
Thriller
YA

Non-Fiction:
Bible
Childrens
Christianity
Feminism
Non-Fiction
Real Life
Recipe
Weightloss

Depression as a Christian

I feel the need to preface this post by saying that I know depression is hard for everyone.  I know that depression manifests itself differently for different people, and I'm certainly not suggesting Christians are better than other people.

***

Depression as a Christian is hard.  Not only do I have the depression itself, but I feel the added pressure of "If God was real, he'd take away your depression" and "If you were a true Christian, you wouldn't have depression" - both of which are lies that add to making you feel worse.

Recently, I've been feeling crap.  Nothing, that I'm aware of, triggered it.  I just felt numb and 'meh'.  I wasn't suicidal, and wasn't in a pit of existential despair, I just felt sad and have been on this ride long enough to know that my depression was kicking in.  My self care had gone, and I felt like I had to be everywhere doing everything, but not managing anything - all of which made me feel worse.

I tried to let go of the small stuff.  Not worry that my house was looking worse and worse.  Not worry that I just wanted to run away and hide, whilst knowing that I have too much responsibility to be able to do that. I'm in the middle of various FOI requests regarding home education and the treatment of home educators; I have my tutees that I love tutoring (whilst simultaneously looking forward to the summer break!); I have DD2 that I am actually home educating (when she is not watching repeats of Miraculous); and even this afternoon I have a meeting with my Local Authority about changing their HE policy.  And walk the dog.  And see my PT.  And spend time with my family.  And phone family that live further away.  And see friends.  And keep in touch with friends who live further away.  And... And... And...

Two weeks on, and I'm in a place where my mental health is such that I can write this post, though I have been thinking about it for a while.  

Many people think (including some Christians) that Christians have to be "happy" all the time, with stupid grins stuck to their face (yes, I'm jealous due to RBF), never getting angry, with glitter and sparkles wherever they go.  However, when you read the Bible, it doesn't actually say that.  Nowhere that I recall does it say that Christians will have an easy life with everything they want - indeed it says that Christians will be persecuted* for their faith and suffer hardship.

*Brief segue: whilst some Christians are persecuted for their faith, I do think that many of the claims in the West about persecution are not.  This is a discussion for another time.

I listen to worship songs in my car (much to my girls' annoyance), and I can feel the love of God, even when I am depressed.  It doesn't take the depression away, however.  But I have the knowledge, understanding and faith, that my depression is merely feeling and emotion, and however I am feeling, does not mean that, poof, God suddenly doesn't exist anymore.

Paul wrote many of his letters whilst in prison, after having been beaten or stoned, having to run and flee for his life.  He knew that no matter how he felt, God is still in control.

For the individual Christian, more specifically me, this disparity between 'head knowledge' and 'heart knowledge' can make me feel worse at times.  Not helped by hereditary Catholic guilt, disagreeing with my current church (Baptist) on a couple of issues, and knowing what I'm really like, all mean that I know I am not a "good Christian", and I wonder if I was "better" then I wouldn't feel like this?  Obviously, the answer is "no", and when I'm feeling normal, like I do right now, I can rationalise that.  The whole point of Christianity, is that there is nothing we can do to earn our place with God.  As good as a mere human can be, we could always be better, however, rather than that forcing everyone into depression, God came down to earth, to meet us at our level, where we currently are, with all our sins and guilt and shame and everything else. And because of that, is why we can still be joyful and sing God's praises, even when we are depressed and 'meh'.

Finding Intimacy With Jesus Made Simple by Matthew Robert Payne

 

The blurb says:

Have you got a hunger to be closer to Jesus? Have you got a desire to know Him in a greater way and walk with Him in a deeper relationship? Do you have a thirst for intimacy with Jesus to such a level that you can know secret things about Him? Do you want to walk with Him so close that He directs your every step through the leading of the Holy Spirit?

 This book is separated into over 70 Kingdom Nuggets.  Each Nugget is only a few pages long and goes over some simple truths of the Bible and faith in Jesus - actually, not just faith In Him, but specifically enhancing your relationship With Him, and ends with a simple prayer.

Overall, I really liked this book.  I can't say I agree with the author 100% but overall, but, given this was a free book, I liked his casual writing style, the fact he owns up and is open about various sins, and there is a lot of encouragement within the pages without the author being "Holier Than Thou".  If you're looking for an easy-to-read book of encouragement, this may be what you are looking for.

Mouse Tails by Sonny Collins

This is a children's book.  Maybe I should have guessed, because it's called Mouse Tails, but when choosing this as part of my A-Z of Fiction books, I didn't realise that.

This is, however, a cute book to read to children at Christmas time.  It is only a few chapters long, and introduces  a few stories from the Bible from the perspective of mice who are watching the humans.

The blurb says:

A Christmas story for the entire family that introduces several stories from the Bible in a unique and different way - from the perspective of mice. Two orphans are lost in a blizzard when they happen upon kind Nicholas, keeper of the mountain church. Then a young couple arrives as well, slowed down by the storm. Nicholas gives them a haven from the cold as he shares his stories of some very special creatures in this inspirational novella.

If you are looking for a book to read on the nights leading up to Christmas, this may be for you.  If my children were younger, I can imagine settling them with some hot chocolate and a blanket, but I doubt any kids would be that interested over the age of about 8yo. 

Women Rising by Meghan Tschanz

I am on a Faith & Feminism group on Facebook because I think both Christianity and Feminism are important things in our world, not to mention that in some Christian circles, Feminism is considered a dirty word.

One of the admins of that group has recently written a book, Women Rising, so I thought I'd check it out.

The blurb says:

Fresh out of college, hating her job, and searching for meaning, Meghan Tschanz left everything to join a mission trip around the globe, and quickly witnessed oppression experienced by women that she never thought possible.
Over the next several years, she befriended women around the globe who had survived sex trafficking, female genital mutilation, and violence so extreme Meghan wondered at the woman's survival. Through listening to their stories, Meghan started to notice a pattern that pointed to systems of injustice that held women back―systems that her childhood church had taught and in which she was complicit.
She was changed.
Returning to the United States, Meghan became keenly aware of how the teachings and messaging surrounding women in her own upbringing were part of the problem. In the process, she began to find her voice, one that spoke out against injustice and moved her into tension with her Christian community.
Women Rising is Meghan Tschanz's personal journey of transformation. But it's also a Christian blueprint for anyone wanting to confront injustice against women while pointing to a biblical standard for gender equality. With humility and grit, Meghan calls Christian women to amplify their voices for righteousness―and she calls the church to listen.

I found this book to be a book of two halves, but I think that is mainly because of my own misconception. Both halves are important, and I can see why they are put together like this.

The first half of the book is an autobiography about missionary life, and tbh, I think it should be considered essential reading for all who are considering to go into missionary work.  Though it is written with a focus on women, I think it should be read by young men who want to work in the field too.  It is a very honest account of Meghan's journey through many countries, many experiences, and the many things she has learned, not least that she has her own privilege and has fallen foul of white saviourism.

The second half of the book is about how women are treated in the church in America (and it applies to England too, so I could say all the western World).  This was the area of the book that I was most interested in, and it didn't quite go far enough for my liking, but will open the eyes of people who haven't thought this way before.  Meghan has also given references to other books that will go deeper into the subject of patriarchy within Christianity, so I have added those to my wishlist.

All in all, this book is very easy to read, whilst talking about some tough subjects.  As I said, I think this should be compulsory reading for everyone going into mission work, and is an easy introduction for people who are interested in the systemic patriarchy within Christianity (or indeed, it's a quick read for people who don't think there is a problem, to perhaps open their eyes a little).

The only thing I wish (and this is a rarity for me!) is that I didn't buy the kindle version, but a hardcopy that I could pass around.  Definitely worth reading.

Juliette and the Monday ManDates by Becky Doughty

 I loved this book.  Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face.

The blurb says: 

Juliette is perfectly content with her quiet nights at home alone, especially when they include Chinese takeout and sappy RomComs.

But her sisters think she’s teetering on the brink of spinsterhood. So they've come up with an intervention plan: weekly blind dates until their Jules finds her knight in shining armor… or until they run out of single guy friends.

They’re calling it The Monday ManDates.

Survival skills kicking in, Juliette secretly names each new Monday man. There’s TheraPaul, Frisky Frank, and TAZ the Rock Star, for starters. Then there’s the Officer Manly Man, the policeman with a penchant for pulling Juliette over when she’s at her very worst.

With a lineup like that, positively identifying her happily-ever-after seems like a long shot.

Then again, maybe, just maybe, she’s looking for love in all the wrong places.

This book is really funny.  Juliette is quirky and down-to-earth, and shows life as it is. She is messy, if something could go wrong, it would.  Her sisters think they know what's best for her, so decide to set her up with their friends.  Meanwhile, she keeps getting into trouble with the law.

This is chick lit at its best.  There is some Christianity and church-going thrown in, which was a nice surprise for me, but I doubt it would put off someone from enjoying the book who wasn't Christian.

I'm still trying not to buy more books atm, but have added the rest of the series to my wishlist.

Trim Healthy Mama Plan by Barrett and Allison

 

Trim Healthy Mama Plan was recommended to me from a friend, and we read it simultaneously, but not together. Despite meeting up fortnightly to discuss the book, we've discovered that this method didn't really work for us, so we have now gone back to reading a set number of chapters each week of a book, and meeting up weekly rather than fortnightly.

The blurb says:

Forget the Fad Diets, Join the Food Freedom Movement!

Counting calories is out. All the food groups are in. Becoming trim and healthy doesn't have to be difficult or painstaking anymore. After trying almost every fad diet out there, Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett, creators of the Trim Healthy Mama movement, took matters into their own hands. Through trial and error and much research, they created the Trim Healthy Mama Plan, the breakthrough lifestyle program to help readers of all ages and stages get healthy, slim down and keep off the weight once and for all.

Based on the authors' successful self-published book, this simplified, improved, practical plan shows readers a unique way to lose weight and get healthy by eliminating sugar, and still eating hearty, delicious food. The biblically-sound and highly effective eating approach centers on Satisfying meals (which include more fats and protein) and Energizing meals (which include more carbs and protein), as they are the key to success.

Scrumptious whole, unprocessed foods, including fats, blood sugar friendly grains, proteins, fruits, and vegetables, are eaten in a way that boosts metabolism, yet still fits into anyone's hectic lifestyle. It's family friendly and effective for pregnant and nursing mothers, pre or post- menopausal women, and also those without weight or health issues--even men and growing children.

The book includes menu plans, a list of key super foods to eat on plan, time-saving tips, and pantry stocking and lifestyle advice to help readers successfully reach their goals.

Join the Trim Healthy Mama movement and along with thousands of others, and discover the groundbreaking, easy-does-it, and delicious way to eat for health and weight loss.

From the blurb, we thought this eating plan would dovetail nicely with the 2B Mindset book, You Can Drop It! and the fact they were writing from a Christian point of view is an added bonus.

The essence of this book is that there are two types of meals (S meals which are fat-based, and E means which are carb-based) which your body digests and processes differently.  To stop your body going into a rut or being overloads, you need to mix up these types of foods whilst ensuring a long enough gap between meals/snacks to that your body is being fuelled only by either S or E foods at that sitting.

It is worth noting at this point, that I only had the plan and not the accompanying cookbook.  The book regularly says about recipes that are in the cookbook, or that they can easily be found online (such as on pinterest) for free.  There are a few recipes written within this book, but it is more the theory side of things.

The theory seems sound (to an uneducated person like me), however, when you look at the recipes, there seems to be much need to buy specialist foods.  Rather than sugar, you need stevia, and not only one kind of stevia, but differing blends depending on whether the use it to be very sweet or medium sweet.  Apparently these mixtures are detailed in the cookbook, or you can buy the premixed versions direct from https://trimhealthymama.com/.  Not only sweeteners, they also recommend you buy specific flour blends, collagen, gelatin, glucomannam, whey powder, lecithin, dietary fibre, nutritional yeast, and a host of other oils and flavours to be used in your cooking.  I do believe them when they say this is all natural and good for you, however, I'd rather eat whole foods that provide this or that (even if it's deemed as "less healthy") rather than have a kitchen that is stocked like a Chemistry lab.

So, this diet or eating lifestyle isn't for me.  There are plenty of stories online about how this is amazing and it has worked for them, so if this review hasn't put you off, then it may be worth trying it.

The Daily Message by Eugene H Peterson

 

The Daily Message is a Bible-in-a-Year using The Message version.  I have not read much of The Message version before, but I do like it's simplicity to understand.  It may not be the most accurate in terms of specific words used from the original language, however this translation means the Gospel is more accessible as it gets the meaning across.

The other thing I particularly liked about this book, was that every 7th day was a rest day for reflection on the previous week - for me, this was a catch-up day, so even if I fell behind slightly, I knew that by the start of the next week I would be all caught up.

The blurb says:

The Daily Message is the perfect one-year reading Bible, allowing for both flexibility and time to let the readings soak into your heart and mind. Arranged into six readings per week, this simple, easy-to-do plan will revolutionize your daily quiet time with God. Features include:

• Discipleship Journal’s “Book-at-a-Time” reading plan
• Inspirational words from Psalms or Proverbs and thoughtful questions for deeper reflection
• Alternative reading plans that allow you to start any day of the year and read at your own pace

If you have considered trying to read through the Bible in a year, but thing the task is too mammoth or the language is too antiquated, then this is the book for you. 

The 7-Day Prayer Warrior Experience by Stormie Omartian

 

This was a free download that I got a few years ago, and though it took me some time to get around to it, I am glad that I read this book.  It is only short - a few pages to read each day for 7 days - but I found it helped me to focus back on God and on my prayer-life.

The blurb says:

The 7-Day Prayer Warrior Experience is a free eBook from bestselling author Stormie Omartian, developed using excerpts from Prayer Warrior and Prayer Warrior Prayer and Study Guide. Are you equipped for spiritual battle? Take the next seven days to “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Join Stormie as she explains the pieces of armor, what they mean, and how they can help you be a prayer warrior in your spiritual battle. With devotional thoughts, suggested prayers, ways to dig deeper, and opportunities to connect with Stormie and a whole community of prayer warriors, The 7-Day Prayer Warrior Experience will empower you with the truth that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

What I liked about this book, is that to be a good warrior, we need good armour, so rather than focussing on the same quotes about the importance of prayer, this book goes through the armour of Christ from Ephesians and applies that to our prayer life.  At the end of each short chapter, there is a prayer and some suggestions for further reading, so you can go much deeper if you have more time.

I recommend this free book to all Christians.

My Books of 2020

I had set myself the challenge on Goodreads to read 70 books this year, and I smashed that by reading over 80! 

Next year, however, I'm going to be setting myself the more modest target of 50 books.  The reason for that is because I'm actually reading less when we're in lockdown!  At the start of Lockdown 1, I was reading a lot - everything had stopped, I was advised to self isolate, and it was sunny, so I was sat in the garden reading lots.  Bliss!  However, I was then told that I shouldn't have been told to self isolate, worked started up again (albeit virtually) and when the girls' dance classes started up, the parents couldn't wait inside, so I was driving more frequently back and forth, rather than waiting in the carpark in the cold, and when we brought our puppy home, I was then using that time to take her for walks - so even less reading.

So, here is my completed list of all the books that I have read this year, with links to my reviews - I have tried to review the books without giving away any spoilers.

Keen-eyed people may note that the last few don't have working links as yet, and that's because I haven't published the reviews yet, but when I do, I'll update this page.

Fiction

• A Flair for Chardonnay by Deborah Garner
• Sons of Encouragement by Francine Rivers
• Assassin's Apprentice and Books 2&3 by Robin Hobb
• Rose of Prophesy by Hope Ann
• The Blade Heir by Daniel Adorno
• Gauntlet of Iniquity and Keep of Dragons by Daniel Adorno
• Broken Halo by Dayo Benson
• Saints and Sinners series Books 2 & 3 by Dayo Benson
• Black Virus and Black Rust by Bobby Adair
• The Magemother by Austin J Bailey
• Murder under Construction by Maddie Cochere
• Tomorrow's Guardian by Richard Denning
• The Lost Heir by E G Foley
• Truthbearer by Hans Erdman
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• Following His Heart by Donna Fasano
• The Forbidden City by Alexander Grant
• Foreclosed by Traci Tyne Hilton
• Full Circle by Mona Ingram
• Sword Bearer by Teddy Jacobs
• Wind Rider by Teddy Jacobs
• The Grandfather Clock by Jonathan Kile
• Run, Hide, Fight and Hunt by Patti Larsen
• Country Heaven by Ava Miles
• If I didn't Care by Kait Nolan
• The Centurion's Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke
• Ties That Bind by Anne Patrick
• Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn
• The Royals of Dharia, books 2 and 3: Second Daughter and First Daughter
• Rise of the Dragons by Morgan Rice
• The Lanvin Murders by Angela M Sanders
• Incarnation by Jason Tesar
• Plague 99 by Jean Ure
• Stronger Than Magic by Melinda VanLone
• Now, Then and Every When by Rysa Walker
• On Her Own Two Wheels by Stacy Xavier
• Forged In Rage by Sean Young
• The Forever Man: Book 1: Pulse by Craig Zerf
• Trinity of the Truthbearer by Hans Erdman
• Red, Green, Blue and Wolfen by Hans Erdman
• After Days: Affliction or America Falls: Hell Week by Scott Medbury
• Begin Again by Kathryn Shay
• Chosen by D G Swank and the rest of the series

Non-Fiction

• Becoming Fearless by Michelle Aguilar
• No More Diets by Sheila Granger
• The Unschooled Life by Lizi Gambell
• Damage Limitation by Roland Meighan
• Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst
• Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
• Toward a Liberalism by Richard Flathman
• You Can Drop It! by Ilana Muhlstein
• Reshaping It All by Candace Cameron Bure
• Actually Factually by Guy Campbell
• Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy by Steve Mann
• The Ultimate Yorkiepoo Dog Manual by Hoopendale and Moore
• Trim Healthy Mama Plan by Barrett and Allison

Christian Inspirational

• Live Uncaged by Mary DeMuth
• The Fragrance of Crushed Violets by Cathy Bryant
• The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D. A. Carson
• Joyful by Toks Adebiyi
• God's Will for our Daily Lives by William J Luke
• A.S.K. God by Andrea G Williams
• The 7 Day Prayer Warrior Experience by Stormie Omartian
• The Daily Message by Eugene Peterson

So that's my list!  The formatting is a bit funny, but I thought 'sod that'.  The point of this post is to highlight the books, so I've left them large.  And yes, there are some books that fit into multiple categories, so I tried to put them in the most relevant one.

I don't have a favourite book of the year, but going through them all again now has reminded me of some pleasant memories.  I hope some of these titles call out to you, and you enjoy reading them as much as I have.

Weekly Update Y2w46

 I'm hoping things have turned a corner, and my weight is starting to go down again!

Clearly, going for at least one long walk a day is starting to help, as is starting to eat home cooked foods again. Now it's winter, I'm starting to make stews, soups and casseroles again, which I pack with vegetables.

I've actually been really busy this week.  I read a whole series of books, that I need to write a review for, as well as finishing a 7day prayer Bible Study.  We're starting to make progress at finishing the girls' bedrooms (well, DD1's, since DD2's was finished over the summer), which in turn means it hopefully won't be too much longer before my room gets done.  I'm really busy with tutoring, and am having to turn people away.  Once DD2 goes to school next year, I'll be able to take on more students.

And speaking of home education, my LA is being awful atm, so I'm having to organise, counteract and help coordinate the response to that, as how they are acting atm is totally unlawful. Grrr.

A.S.K. God by Andrea G Williams

 

This book is only 52 pages long and the blurb says:

Have you ever felt like you don't have anything to offer the world? Has your mistakes, life experiences, or relationships distract you from going after your purpose? No fear my love, I am here to bring you some good news! God gives us all an assignment to do here no matter what. It is up to us to find out what God put on the inside and walk in that truth. When you walk in your God given purpose, you will discover a continuous overflow of abundance and real joy in your life.

In this book you will learn how to discover your calling, your gifts, and the purpose you never thought you had. You will learn how to use your gifts to serve others while setting up wealth streams. You will learn how to do what you love and still be in alignment with God's will. If you have a gnawing feeling in your belly that there is more to life than this, then you have landed at the right book. It is God's perfect will for you to answer the call, walk it out, and win!

I have to be honest and say I was disappointed in this book.  It doesn't say anything new, and I always worry when books talk about "wealth streams" - it's too much like Prosperity Gospel to me.  That is not to say I totally disliked the book - there are snippets of good things in here.  It is encouraging.  It does reinforce that we should Ask, Seek and Knock (hence the title) and we should look to be using our gifts and live authentically.  However, this book doesn't seem to suggest any more than this.  There is no deep discussion about gifts, nor how to practically apply them to life.  As I say this, I realise it is a short book, so it cannot cover everything, but for me, this book is lacking.

God's Will for our Daily Lives by William J Luke

 

The Blurb says:

Chapter one is the Christian's seven phases of spiritual development from insemination to maturity. Chapter two is the Christian's ongoing sacred duty, following maturity. Chapter three to five is the Christian's nourishment [knowledge and understanding] that is required at phase four of spiritual development, in order to progress to maturity. Chapter six is the Christian's supreme authority. Chapter seven is the Christian's defence against failing their sacred duty.

Other books about God's will for daily life consistently say either that we should, keep the ten commandments, live by the new testament letters, or follow divine inspiration. These are the three main schools of thought today, and they are all flawed.

The bible clearly says that we are to do what Christ says, and this book clearly explains it. From the basic phases of spiritual growth, to the controversial issue of sin in a believer’s life, this book clarifies all of God's will for daily life.

In this groundbreaking explanation of Christ's teaching [sermon on mount], you will find God's will clearly defined and explained. You will learn what God requires of every one of us, including: 

• Spiritual development - from acceptance of Christ's gospel through to maturity.
• Sacred duty - from enduring persecution to producing a testament.
• Rightness in life - concerning the Mosaic Law, works of faith, and Christ's Law.
• Goodness at heart - in relation to God, possessions, and people.
• Rightness in God's sight - concerning the teaching of man, of Christ, and of the devil.

This book summarises and collates the words of Jesus, specifically the Sermon on the Mount, and relating it all to the Parable of the Sower. I particularly liked this books version of the Lord's Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Lord Jesus Christ.  May your kingdom come and your will be done absolutely upon earth.  Give us all this day our daily requirement of knowledge concerning your will. And forgive us all this day our latest offences, as we forgive all those who repent of having offended us.  And do not let us give in to temptation to live in accordance to what we think or feel is right.  But rather, deliver us all this day from our self-centredness.  For the kingdom of God, the power to forgive sin, and all the glory from our good works, are yours, forever, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Two other sections of this book that I highlighted are:

Christians who have ignorance or misunderstanding in their hearts concerning God's will erroneously believe that salvation is a gift from God, that salvation is received upon conversion, and that continued unrighteousness (sin) following professed conversion means that either, (1) that salvation has not actually been received, or (2) that salvation will ultimately be lost.  They do not understand that God's spirit of graciousness within a person's heart, and that continued sin following conversion does not necessarily have any bearing on a person's salvation.

And:

Therefore, when praying to God, ensure that your requests are for every member of Christ's army - as per the Lord's prayer - rather than just for yourself and those members that you know of.

As this book is focussed on Jesus's words, it is heavily based in the Bible.  It is not too deep or theological, but neither is it a light read.  I found this book a good book to remind me of the sermon on the mount, alongside my usual Bible reading.