Spiritual Resilience

I just finished reading Spiritual Resilience by Sharla Goettl. If you know me, you know that finishing ANY non-fiction book is a tremendous accomplishment. I'm fair at starting them, but somewhere around chapter four I ditch the book and move on.

I read this book in three days. Yeah, three days. I know, wow! Just wow. But this book took me on a journey. It was incredibly insightful (which I keep saying in all my reviews, but, truth darling!) and I feel I am changed by those insights. 

One thing she says, "The Lord truly makes sure that whatever information, knowledge, tools, or resources we need to accomplish his commandments will cross our path at the opportune moment." Is it not true? I have been preparing to teach a class to the women at church and so many times during my reading, I found things or inspirations that were applicable.

This is geared for adults helping youth, but it is definitely applicable to all generations. I highly recommend this book. 

*I received an ARC. My opinions are my own. And my opinion is you should get this book!

I Hated You First by Rachel John

 

I've dived into summer reading a little more enthusiastically than usual. I have started and not finished a few, but here are a couple I've really enjoyed:

I Hated You First by Rachel John

Back Cover:

Clay… My best friend has held a grudge against his half-sister, Lauren, forever. It’s unjustified and ridiculous, but I have to take his side. Also ridiculous? How bad I have it for her. My Lauren radar goes off the second she steps in the building. Did I mention we work together and her dad’s the boss? Yeah, she’s so off-limits I might as well start running now and never come back. Except, her family is like family to me. So, I’ll do whatever it takes to stick around, even if she hates my guts.

Lauren… I date guys nothing like Clay on purpose. I will not let my old crush on him get the best of me. It’s going on the list of things I’ve outgrown and will deny ever having, like the Justin Bieber poster I used to keep on the back of my door. It doesn’t matter that I’ve caught Clay looking at me like he’s a jewel thief and I’m a precious gem encased in glass. He’d never choose me over my brother, or his job, or his enjoyment in teasing me. Avoiding Clay is easy, until the day I realize my dad’s asked for Clay’s help in checking up on my dates. No stinking way. 

My Goodreads/Amazon review:

Seriously fun book. Quick, easy read. Loved the characters and their growth. Recommend and would read again.

*I received a reader copy. My review opinions are my own.

Second First Kiss by Jennifer Griffith

Back Cover:

A torching kiss on a long-ago high school dare just might flare up again.

Back in high school, Jasher Hotchkiss and Sage Everton shared one perfect kiss at a kissing booth. 

Now, they've both returned to their hometown of Mendon. Bachelor Jasher is there against his will as the reluctant new general surgeon. Widowed Sage is the hospital’s underappreciated nurse anesthetist. 

They see each other daily.

Neither has forgotten that mind-blowing kiss.

However, if Jasher is universally loathed by the town's citizens and Sage carries a potentially lethal dating curse, is there any chance at a second first kiss?

My Goodreads/Amazon review: I love books by Griffith. Fun, fluffy, and easy to read. This one was no different. Lots of swooney smooching and I liked the resolutions at the end. Recommend and would read again.

Baited by Roxanne McNeil

First, isn't this cover beautiful and intriguing? 

Second, my thoughts on the book:
Wow. It did take me a few chapters to get into this book, but then every time I had to put it down, I kept thinking about the characters and what they were going to do, how they were going to resolve things, and how things would play out in the end. I was not disappointed. I loved the bit of secrecy and why it was necessary and the challenges it brought because in the end, it really mattered. I loved Reylen's development and that she knew all things fishing--which I, personally, would probably take a pass on the cleaning part haha. 

Recommend!

**I received an ARC. The review is my own opinion. 

A Looking-back Survival Guide

Warning: Post contains religious thoughts. 

I think for most of us 2020 was full of the unexpected. From pandemic restrictions to home-schooling, from cancelled travel plans to working from home, it kind of rocked my world.

But we made it through. We did it! And we can take those lessons we learned and jump right in to 2021.

I'm curious what you learned. What did you discover about your life or yourself? What coping skills or mechanisms did you lean on?

My experiences confirmed that God is aware of all of us and we need to be aware of Him. He loves each of us. Each of us! No matter our circumstances or our heritage. We need to love our brothers and sisters in that godly way, no matter their circumstances or heritage.

I found peace in His word. Particularly the Book of Mormon. If you don't have a copy, you can get a free one here. Listening to it almost daily on my walks or as I ate breakfast was a game changer for me. If I was feeling troubled, I knew I'd missed a day or two. When I read or listened to it, it brought such a calm and peace to my heart. And, there is so much we can learn from it. I love Jesus Christ and I love learning about Him.

Leaning on and staying connected to family was a big deal too. More time with my immediate family meant lots of practice of patience and some letting go of the little things. It also helped me appreciate my ability to work from home, but that was also a little complicated since I was trying to wear so many hats at the same time. I think it works much better to wear only one or two at a time. 

Let us love God and each other for that is the only way.

Again, I would love to know what worked for you, so please leave a comment!

Shop Small, Shop Local, Shop Educational

You know I love unicorns, but I also love small and local business offerings. 

Russet Road Kids has all three! Whether you're into fairytales or sports or love animals, Russet Road Kids has something for you (they even have a tractor!). Their name puzzles help children learn letters and their name. Their educational toys encourage fun learning from number and alphabet puzzles to wooden or acrylic tracing boards. So much about this that I love!

And right now they have some Black Friday specials so head on over before they're gone.

This is what they have to say:

"We promote positive, educational playtime from our family to yours! We've created several educational wooden toys you and your little one will love."

They are a family-owned and operated small business and make everything right here in Arizona. 

You can visit their website or follow them on Instagram at RussetRoadKids.

It's Christmas Romance Time

 

It's Christmas romance time! 

To celebrate, I am doing a giveaway. What do you need to do to enter? It's easy. Follow my author Instagram account (@authorpeggyurry) for all the details. The contest will run today, Nov 17, through Thursday, Nov 19, midnight. 

Online Bookshop Supports Local Bookstores

 

Reading on the beach is a favorite for many of us. We also have our favorite bookstore haunts. Maybe you already knew about this one, but I just learned about  Bookshop from Eschler Editing. It's very cool.

Bookshop (a new-ish but powerhouse outlet) allows you to blend gifting your favorite books with supporting your favorite local/indie bookstore. Hooray!

I absolutely love this!

Eschler Editing says this about Bookshop: "Dreamed up and founded by Literary Hub co-founder Andy Hunter, its purpose is to allow independent bookstores to create their own shopfront on the site, and the stores receive the full profit margin." 

See why this is a big deal? Maybe you think it can't rival that giant online bookstore. Customer service and shipping are handled by Bookshop and its distribution partners with books being shipped within two to three days. In addition, titles are offered at a small discount. I dare you to give it a try.

Shop local and shop small this holiday season. Link is also in my sidebar.