Clearly, Princess Leia Freyja enjoys the good things in life. Snuggling up with one of her boys on the couch while they read or even adding her adorable visage to the various books that her momma is enjoying. So here they are, folks! Some great reads from October to December of 2022! Please be patient with my photography for some of these. I’m learning about how to use the lighting in our new home and some turned out less adorable than others. This does not mean that the books were not good, though!

Oh, the fun of gear punk! Yes, I borrowed this one from Judah, my nineteen-year-old son. This general market title feels a bit like a batman story set in the old west but with magic! It is very fun, but I must mention that this is the only series of Brandon Sanderson’s that does have some inappropriate humor and the occasional swear word. There is that one pesky character, whom we love, but who is a bit rough around the edges in these ways. This series is a bit like reading the old serialized adventures from bygone days, highly dramatic, hilarious, and entertaining. If you are accustomed to general market reads, you will love it (but start with book 1) and if you are wanting more Christian fiction recommendations then stick around! I’ve got tons of those, too!

Quest of the Queen by Dawn Shipman is Christian YA set in a classic horse-and-sword fantasy world with its own different kinds of peoples and races of creatures. This second one was a little harder for me to get into than the first, but before too long I was zipping right along. Perfect for the teen who loves fantasy and wants Christian themes woven throughout.

Looking for a swoony Christian romance with tons of action? Well, Sunrise by Susan May Warren fits the bill. Set in the wilds of Alaska, I was just as delighted with the fun Alaskan life details as with the romance. A fun read!

Spooky Christian fiction? Yes, please! The Premonition at Withers Farm is now one of my favorites by Jaime Jo Wright. Hurting characters, spooky situations, deep matters of faith, and a God who shows up in the hard times. She describes her stories as “Christian Scooby-Doo” which basically means that you will get spooked during the read, but don’t worry because there are not actually any ghosts. I always zip right through this author’s stories. So good!

One of my favorite Christian authors! Carrie Stuart Parks is a forensic artist herself and so she brings so much interesting info to her characters from the field. This one took place at an Idaho ranch in the mountains which felt a lot like home for me since I live at a Bible camp in Eastern WA … which is also in the mountains! Lots of action with just a tiny wink of romance. Such a great read!

Oh, my! This book!!! So, not my normal type of read at all but part of the movie was filmed up at our house and so after REALLY enjoying the movie and what our neck of the woods looks like from the air, I just had to read the book. Wow, what an amazing story and Jesse and Daisy Brown were people of faith as well! Their relationship with God shone through in the book like it couldn’t on the screen and I loved it. Prepare for tears though, so many tears!

This one was just plain fun. Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen, yes please! A delightful and satisfying read all around.

Now, you guys know about my love of RomComs … this one was just exactly what I needed! Sweet, hilarious, awkward, heartwarming. All the feels and the laughter and the romance. Loved it!

Scruff lay down by the fire after long, grueling hours plowing our remote mountain road and so Princess Leia Freyja took a break from her reading to snuggle up at his side. Aren’t they adorable! Where is your favorite place to read … or nap?

OK, prepare yourself for all of the tears folks! Linda Byler doesn’t just write Amish fiction, she is Amish (she writes her novels in a notebook) and so she has all of the honesty and warmth of someone who loves her community but is real about the struggles that accompany the joys. Clearly, I picked up this book because there was a Newfoundland on the front of one of the three Christmas novellas (A Dog for Christmas) but all three books in Amish Romance At Christmastime were good. But yeah, so much crying!!! Prepare yourself, my friends!

This one made me laugh and cry, which is my favorite I think! A young woman looking for her biological father doesn’t realize how much trouble she might be walking into. I think this is my favorite of Robin Jones Gunn’s many wonderful stories.

More Father Christmas from Robin Jones Gunn! The perfect story for snuggling up by the fire or sitting and enjoying the glow of Christmas lights. I was so glad that the story continued after the first book.

Speaking of snuggling up by the fire … Princess Leia Freyja is such a loyal dog, dutifully helping her guy get some much-needed rest.

And the final book in the series! This one has a different POV character but still has the nostalgia and warmth of the other books and that same amazing small town British setting.

I loved this book! It was funny, it was sweet, it was thought-provoking, and romantic! She is such a good writer and so good at bringing out the struggles and warmth of the holidays in this great Christmas read! Plus, there is a home re-design and TV competition fun!

This is a trilogy of unrelated Christmas novellas. Now, the middle novella was absolutely hilarious and delightful. It is written by the well-known author Melissa Ferguson. The first and final novellas are not quite at the same level of writing craft, but might still provide what you want for a sweet Christmas read so it is well worth it to give them a chance, especially since you get the more polished Melissa Ferguson story with them!

I have heard a lot about Mimi Matthews before but never tried one of her stories. I was also a little bit concerned by the title. Would there be gaslighting? Reading about emotional abuse is not my favorite thing and so I was cautious. Nope, no gaslighting!!! Yay! There is a plot element where someone is converting their country estate to gaslight and although there are secrets kept, much drama, and of course swoony romance, the insidious manipulation one sees when one person gaslights another was absent. I will definitely be reading more by this talented author!

And that’s all folks! So many good reads and such good snuggles with my reading buddy Princess Leia Freyja. Don’t worry, she will be back soon to share some wonderful books from our 2023 reading list. Happy reading, friends!

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The Red Door Inn by Liz Johnson is a sweet romances with some depth. I loved how the author showed a character dealing with trauma and gave her hope and redemption. Also, this is set on Prince Edward Island and I LOVED this idyllic setting as a backdrop to the story.

The Wizards of Once: Twice Magic is fast-paced and hilarious with fun characters and heart. If you don’t mind the occasional evil witch showing up in a story or a touch of scatological humor, give this fun general market middle grade adventure a try. This is book 2 though, so better start with The Wizards of Once.

Short Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer was exactly what I needed when I was looking for a new humorous read. A new author to me, I will definitely be picking up more of her books.

Exactly what you want in a general market middle grade novel! Wish by Barbara O’Connor was sweet, heartwarming, and showed the life of a child in a difficult situation honestly in her pain and anger, but showed her growth and strength in the end as well. Dog books are the best and behind this story, a girl finding her own place and strength shone through beautifully. Well-crafted southern fiction for kids with such a delightful setting.

The Assassination of Bangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin is a fascinating general market YA fantasy. An elf is shot through the sky in a barrel to become an ambassador to the goblins, but all is not as it seems. The words tell a different story from the illustrations and the author and illustrator touch on stories of good and evil told by different sides in a conflict. Sounds a bit heavy? What it is, is hilarious! The creators have managed to be both thought-provoking and incredibly humorous all at once, which is exactly how I like my YA.

The Christmas Heirloom Collection tells four different love stories that each involve the same piece of antique jewelry passed down to each generation from the women before them. Historical fiction from four different eras written by four different talented writers, this one was exactly what you want in a Christmas read.

Is your brain working right? No, I’m not being snarky, I’m talking about this interesting book by Dr. Daniel Amen. Yep, it is even published by a Christian publisher, Tyndale House, so cool! This was a fascinating read that I jumped into because we work with children, teens, and adults at a Bible camp and are often called upon to walk beside those who struggle with depression or other mental health concerns. We lost a beloved staff member to depression in 2021 and that changed these conversation forever for us. Clearly, my husband and I are not psychiatrists, but so many of the hurting kids we know don’t go to a psychiatrist, they come to us. Other than encouraging them to seek the Lord and find a pro for counseling, I wanted to be able to offer some tips that might also be able to help. This book has loads of info about how the brain works, what damages it and what we can do to optimize its functioning. I occasionally struggle with depression as well and it was eye opening to realize how much dehydration effects my ability to deal with everyday trials. A simple way to keep your brain healthy, that I could pass on to hurting kids when they are having a hard day. Lots of good stuff in here if you are looking for practical tips to boost your mental health or the health of those you love.

Blood Secrets by Morgan L. Busse is fun Christian steam punk. This is the conclusion to Secrets in the Mist, my favorite of her books and it was so great to finally read the finish to these characters exciting tale. There are zombies, so while they are not super gory, if you don’t do zombies, pick up her Follower of the Light series or Mark of the Raven series instead.

The Promise Bride by Becca Whitham and Gina Welborn is a fun prairie romance that takes a peek at what could go wrong with the whole mail order bride scenario and how dangerous it actually was for the women involved. Don’t worry, there is a happy ending!

I LOVE RomComs and Bethany Turner is one of my favorite Christian RomCom authors. The Do-Over was just what I was hoping for, a wonderful read.

I had never read the general market middle grade classic, Howl’s Moving Castle before. But after watching the movie with our winter intern, I was charmed. Magic and mayhem and a touch of romance, written about teens but for middle grade readers I would say, this is a charming fantasy. There is a “fire demon” who is basically an adorable campfire, so if magic and these kinds of characters are not your thing, skip it. I loved the story and went on to read all three, but it is not for everyone.

A superbly written story that breaks your heart but also gives you hope. Yes, there is Literary type fiction being published in the Christian market and if you want a heartbreaking tale told in evocative language, Mountain Laurel by Lori Benton is for you. However, be warned that these characters who feel so real, struggle with real sin during the course of this tale. The author takes you on the journey with them and you will be screaming at them in your head to watch out and be smarter and for goodness sakes stop before you do anything and pray! There is redemption here, from terrible things, but it is a tragic tale. Beautiful, beautiful book, but not a light read.

A sweet romance with a lovely setting. I adored the bookshop and the ocean in this one as well as the romance.

Not every book is for every reader. This general market book is a good example. There is some strong language and SO many zombies. However, the author is extremally talented and the story is not about the gore and the devouring masses so much as it is about how humanity responds to a crisis. I needed to read something outside my normal genres for a reading challenge and had a hard time coming up with something as I read a bit of everything. Not much zombie journalism though. This was recommended by one of my sons and so I gave it a try. If war, gore, and “colorful” language will make your day worse, skip it. But if you read the occasional general market war book, World War Z will probably be right up your ally.

Pride and Premeditation is a clean and sweet general market regency romance that takes Darcy and Lizzy and moves them down to the upper working class. My goodness that helped me love the characters even more! I ADORE Pride and Prejudice, but the fact that they don’t really have any work to do (OK, I’m sure that managing his estate is a lot of work for Darcy) does distract from their story a bit for the modern American reader. What a fun imagining of their story. Combined with a murder mystery, it ended up just being loads of fun. No, I’m not going to toss my copy of Pride and Prejudice, but I am going to add this to my permanent collection to join it.

I really enjoy Melissa Ferguson’s Christian RomComs and Meet Me In The Margins is probably my favorite. All the feels, all the angst, and so much embarrassment! I love it!

I have really enjoyed Karen Barnett’s Vintage National Park books, but When Stone Wings Fly really showed me what this author is capable of! She just upped her craft and spun a story with so much depth and heart. LOVED it! Also, having had a relative lose her land to a nature preserve, I was so impressed with how the author honored both the terrible heartache of losing your family land as well as honoring the dream of having a national park in the smokies. Beautifully done!

Let me just say along with Larry the Cucumber, “I laughed, I cried, it moved me Bob!” Yes, this is a crying book and yes, it also made me laugh and cheer as the characters faced real and tragic heartache, but found strength in God that seemed impossible and dared to live again. As someone who has been through so much grief, Facing the Dawn was a hard read for me, but a good read all the same.

I so love that there is some Gothic WWII Mystery in the Christian market! Chateau of Secrets was a wonderful read with great atmosphere in the chateau and an amazing war time story of love and loss and heroism. A grand duel timeline tale.

A fun Christian fantasy full of adventure with some deep spiritual truths as well.

The Ghostly Grounds is a light-hearted general market cozy mystery and ghost story. If you don’t do spooky tales, skip this one, but if you don’t mind a good ghost story and fun bed and breakfast fixer upper vibes, check this one out. Warnings about some light language and the main character being in an out-of-marriage intimate relationship, but there are no bedroom scenes.

Oh, my Robin W. Pearson … you just slayed me with A Long Time Comin’! Can I just say, “Wow! Wow! Wow!” Well, clearly I just did, ha! But seriously folks, this book is just so well-crafted. Beautiful prose, jump off the page characters, love and heartache, betrayal and brokenness, humor and fun and pain and redemption! Having loved and been loved by some prickly people in my life, I just adored the indominable Granny B but also ached for her granddaughter as she tried to get close to her through all of that armor. What a tale! This is another one you can recommend if you hear anyone say that Christian publishing isn’t producing literary fiction. Gorgeous and charming prose and a happily ever after, I just loved it!

Well, that’s it for now folks. Princess Leia Freyja needs a nap after zooming through all of those stories!

So, what are you reading?

The post What is Princess Leia Freyja Reading Now? appeared first on KristenJoyWilks.com.

Princess Leia Freyja started out her 2022 reading by borrowing Theo’s new book, Cytonic! The third in the series, she zipped through this at lightning speed in order to find out if Spensa would survive, save those she loves, and the most important question of all … what on earth happens to Doom Slug!!! For potential readers, this is a general market YA title by a Mormon author. Brandon Sanderson keeps his books clean, especially his YA. This story shows a strong heroine from a violent culture slowly growing in both skill and compassion. It has a tiny touch of romance and the author makes up his own swear words (scud) and the heroine occasionally shouts out alarming battle cries that sound like they come from Beowulf such as: I’ll crush the skulls of my enemies and make tea from their tears! However, as I mentioned before, her character arc absolutely includes growing compassion and an awareness of others. Great for both boys and girls, all my sons love this series and young women will, too.

After reading book three, Princess Leia Freyja wanted to be introduced to Spensa and her enemies/friends again and so we horrified Judah (by reading out of order) and borrowed book one from Theo. Love this book!

Yay! There are novellas set between the Skyward books. These are written by a different author with some help from Brandon Sanderson. The novellas do include a couple of actual swear words, unlike the novels in the series. I enjoyed them … I mean Leia enjoyed them and the chance to spend more time with these characters.

The second novella told the story of an alien character as she attempted to interact and understand humanity.

The third novella was Leia’s favorite of the three. It was great to hear some of Jorgen’s story and to finally see the Kitsen planet! Yes, fierce but adorable tiny foxes who fight like Samurai!!! What could be better? This one has very high stakes as well and Leia and I zipped right to the end. Great book.

Leia’s first Christian novel of 2022 was Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich! I “met” this author at an online writer’s conference and have been really looking forward to this release. It was worth the wait! Leia was very pleased to see that there was a great Pyrenees dog, not a Newfoundland, but big and shaggy and gentle with children, just like her. I enjoyed being swept away to a different world. Since I’m a country girl, New York City and a big found family in Harlem are completely different for me. So much fun! A great choice for middle grade readers.

Next, Princess Leia Freyja borrowed Spinning Silver from Epona. This is a general market YA retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin story. It has magic, evil creatures, arranged marriage (and all of the fear and contemplation that goes with that), and loads of tension! Spinning Silver is my favorite general market read so far this year. Is this book a good choice for your teen? It depends. If Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are a no, then don’t bother with this title. However, if you are looking for a spooky fairytale with no sex scenes, (there are kisses and some tension with expectations in regard to the arranged marriage) a mighty good vs. evil struggle, well crafted villains (such great villains) and heroines, and absolutely gorgeous writing, this book may be your teen’s next favorite read.

Next, Princess Leia Freyja picked up a general market middle grade novel! It has a Newfoundland dog, which was a huge selling point for her. Is this book a good choice for your nine to twelve-year-old reader? It depends. There is no language, no sexual situations, and nothing too grown up. This sits solidly in the middle grade age bracket. It is a well crafted title for young readers that they will enjoy. However, it is a ghost story. There are ghosts and it is spooky. There was a time when I was on the hunt for spooky stories for one of my boys that didn’t have questionable content (of a non-spooky variety) and that were age-appropriate. If this is you, then this book is a great option. The dog character is absolutely fabulous. It is well-written and just good old spooky fun. If you do not want a ghost story, don’t bother, it’s a ghost story.

Next, Princess Leia Freyja picked up a new release by one of our favorite authors, Toni Shiloh! I think this was my favorite Christian novel of the year, so far! A princess story, a fish out of water adventure, and a marriage of convenience romance. This delightful offering felt a bit like the Princess Diaries but with a strong, African-American heroine from New York who is thrown into a completely different culture. Super fun!

Next, Princess Leia Freyja jumped back to the 1930s with this fun Christian murder mystery! Droll British humor, the fun of all the fancy things with a glimps into the lives of the wealthy elite, plus a strong and feisty heroine to help our proper British hero solve the crime. This was a fun read and I enjoyed it very much. I’m certain that the author did a whole lot of research into the time period. My only complaint, the sexism was just a bit too authentic. Yes, a historical should be accurate, but the accuracy in this area kept tugging me out of the story. I’m hoping that our hero will gain more appreciation for his lady when he grows closer to the Lord as the series continues. A fun murder mystery that those who love Agatha Christie will find just perfect.

Finally, Princess Leia Freyja snorked down this historical romance by Julie Klassen. An outsider along the Cornish coast, our heroine rescues a handsome ship-wrecked man with secrets to hide. Good clean fun with pirates and war and hearts on the line. This was a quick and fun read.

Well, that’s it for now, folks! Princess Leia Freyja will be back soon to tell you about all of her new favorite stories and of course her favorite places to nap. So far in 2022, napping on the newly-folded laundry wins the day! Until next time, happy reading and God Bless!

The post What is Princess Leia Freyja Reading Now? appeared first on KristenJoyWilks.com.

This friends-to-more romance kept me turning the pages. Sweet and sassy!

A fabulous middle grade adventure/mystery with orphans and young mad scientists and a small town legend come to life.

I borrowed this massive tome (1,200 pages!) from my oldest son. It is epic, so very epic, but a great read and a lot faster paced than you might expect for such a large book.

I got this book because I was told it had a Newfoundland in it, and it did! The Newfy helped care for hurting soldiers along with the heroine. Lots of realistic battle scenes, so a bit heavy, but the character arcs are beautifully drawn as the hero and heroine grow and learn.

A missionary friend who had to flee Nicaragua wrote this book. His words are honest and constantly reaching out toward God as he struggles with faith issues as they clash with our American politics. A great choice if you are wanting to read the perspective of a strong, Bible-believing Christian whose politics lean more toward the left.

This gritty and heartbreaking story, illustrates God’s fierce love for us. Just like the Biblical book of Hosea, the story follows a man told by God to marry a prostitute. He does, but will she ever learn to love and trust him?

This book provides a great way to improve my writing using tricks that method actors use!

A cute cozy mystery featuring a book store owner and her poodles.

Hey, that one looks familiar! It’s so good to see Princess Leia Freyja reading Momma’s book!

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