rich2023's reviews
192 reviews

A Run at Love by Toni Shiloh

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

This was an ok read. This story has different feel than Toni Shiloh’s other books. I’m looking forward to book 3!

A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was my first time reading a book by Nadine Brandes. This was my first time reading a Christian dystopian novel and I liked it! This book is about a girl named Parvin who is searching for purpose and meaning in life. She grows up in a world where people have clocks that tell how long they have to live. I can’t say anything more without spoiling the story. One thing that stood out to me is Parvin pursuing shalom. Shalom is wholeness and completeness in God; the way things were intended to be. The gospel is shown in this story and I love that! 

What I liked about this story: 
-The plot
-The twists and turns
-the faith journey of Parvin and what God teaches her on her pilgrimage
-the scriptures and prayers 
-the prayer by Reid for his sister (“God,give her perseverance and peace. Help her pursue your shalom”)

Themes:
- Pursuing Shalom (We live in a broken world where we experience broken shalom. But God in his goodness made a way for us to have relationship with him and that’s through Christ and his atonement for our sins on the cross )
-placing your hope in God and not in your life or in how much time you have
-using the time God has given you to bring him glory and honor
- atonement was mentioned a lot too


The Preacher reminds me of Solomon from the Bible. The preacher has multiple wives and talks like Ecclesiastes  before the last chapter. (lol, that probably doesn’t make sense to anyone but me)

There were so many good quotes. It’s hard to pick one to share. 

For Your Love by Toni Shiloh

5.0

Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee
Did not finish book.

I read to page 186. I wanted to find out if Mila stood up for herself to the bullies or if she reported their behavior to a teacher.

Content Warnings: There were two middle school boys who liked each other. 

Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham

hopeful lighthearted reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I enjoyed Luke’s story!
What I enjoyed about this book:
-Luke’s thoughtfulness and kindness towards Ellie
-Luke’s relationship with his sisters 
-Luke’s personality and his humor (He cracked me up!!!)
-Luke’s kindness towards the kids from the orphanage
-the movie references (Luke’s description of Hallmark movies was spot on!)

Concerns:
“Was it possible that his little sister was writing this scene of his life and cackling from her place of omniscience?”
Only God is omniscient!
While this book does mention God and prayer, I still wouldn’t consider this book Christian fiction. It is a clean romance.

Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Calvin Ortlund

5.0

Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn

5.0

This was my first book by this author and I am looking forward to reading more books by her. I thought was going to be a simple book about kids visiting their grandparents for the summer. This book was so much more. This book has depth and I loved the characters. 
I would like to read more about this family. 

Quotes
“Half of life is showing up.”
“Holding a family is a quiet kind of work. Sometimes that work doesn’t get noticed so much.”

What I enjoyed about this book:
-Her granddad Macon teaching her how to fish
- I liked seeing Macon and Cat open themselves up and grow in their relationship. 
- The ending was very realistic and not rushed. Cat’s mom and Macon started back talking and were on the road to a better relationship
- The illustrations of Caterpillar and Chicken!

Wooing Cadie McCaffrey by Bethany Turner

2.0

This book surprised me. I wasn’t expecting for it to go in the direction that he went. I liked how the book didn’t shy away from something that is a real struggle for dating couples. I wasn’t sure that Will and Cadie would seek God’s forgiveness but they did. I like how Cadie and Will realized that God wasn’t at the center of their relationship. I would have liked for Jesus to be mentioned more in the book and to see their relationship with Christ mentioned more. I would have like for the author to mention sin and  that Jesus forgive us for our sins. Also, I don’t think it was wise for Will and Cadie to be in her apartment kissing alone so much. They didn’t set boundaries.

I wouldn’t considered this Christian fiction even though God was mentioned. The focus of the book in my opinion was more on movies, kissing, sports,etc

Patina by Jason Reynolds

4.0

I liked this book.
Things I enjoyed about this book: 
-The kindness of Patina’s uncle and aunt for taking their nieces in
-The made up words (wrathletes and Momly) 
- I thought it was so cute that the girls called their Aunt Emily, Momly.
- I also liked  the friendship between Patina, Ghost, Lu, and Sunny. 

A Mother Would Know by Amber Garza

dark mysterious tense

2.0

This book was sad in a way. The kids didn’t have a lot of supervision growing up. One parent was an alcoholic and one was off chasing her dreams. The children were so evil. If the children would have received love, discipline, care and attention, I think they would have turned out differently. 

I figured out who was behind everything for the most part. I was little bit surprised at the ending. I’m so glad the mom didn’t try to cover for her kids anymore. 


There are some things I didn’t like: the cussing,God’s name in lowercase and the his name being used in vain, the adultery.