Sidetracked by Brandilyn Collins My rating: 5 of 5 stars Driving home from Clara’s shower after everyone else has left, 34-year-old Delanie spots a suspicious-looking character in a dark hoodie, and then a body lying on the sidewalk. Right from the first chapter of Brandilyn Collins’ Sidetracked, we’re alerted as to what kind of story… Continue reading Sidetracked (review)
Poet Maureen Doallas tagged me this morning in a poetry-writing meme. Her poem, "Learning to Jump Rope," is based on Lisa Hesselgrave's painting Jump Rope Pink Room. I took my inspiration for the poem below from these lines in Maureen's poem: “your wrists will begin to ache / at a quarter to three…” As I… Continue reading Learning to Skate
Sorry I'm Not Sorry: An Honest Look at Bullying from the Bully by Nancy Rue My rating: 5 of 5 stars When twelve-year-old Kylie, the leader of a posse of bullies, is summoned to the principal’s office of Gold Country Middle School one morning in June (along with her parents, her friends, and their parents),… Continue reading Sorry—I’m Not Sorry (review)
Hiding in the Light: Why I Risked Everything to Leave Islam and Follow Jesus by Rifqa Bary My rating: 5 of 5 stars A face marred by an accident at six, a strict Muslim upbringing, and cruel treatment by her parents fed a deep longing within Rifqa Bary for love and acceptance. It was her… Continue reading Hiding in the Light (review)
Glynn Young's insightful blog post "Poetry At Work: The Poetry of Retirement" reminded me of when I went through some of the same things he and any new retiree faces—wondering who I would be now, what activities would my life consist of, would I find new purpose and direction? The poem below came out of… Continue reading Beware Retirement
This is the season of runs and marathons. It seems like every week there's another one happening around here. I believe this weekend several of my family will be running in the Annual Saskatchewan Marathon (a Boston Marathon Qualifier race—not that they have designs on that). Then on August 22nd, my sister is running in… Continue reading To runners true
When life hands you a lemon You are not holding a mistake reject, or serene yellow egg but a blonde grenade that explodes puckering sour all through your mouth acid that pales pear, apple and peach squeeze that brings to attention potato, souvlaki, calamari. Its zesty shrapnel trademarks loaf and pie, square, drop and tart.… Continue reading When life hands you a lemon
An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling My rating: 5 of 5 stars An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling begins in Norway with a prologue dated 1877. Then Far (father Gustaf Bjorklund) and his family begin planning for the immigration of several of his sons from Norway to America. Roald, married to Anna with 21-month Thorliff… Continue reading An Untamed Land (review)
Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl, Her Journey to Heaven, and Her Amazing Story of Healing by Christy Beam My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Beam family didn’t know at the time that December 30, 2011 was the end of more than the year 2011. Christy Beam’s memoir Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl,… Continue reading Miracles from Heaven (review)
Adam's Animals - fun facts about God's Creation by Kimberley Payne My rating: 5 of 5 stars Kimberley Payne has packed a lot into her 90-page children’s activity book Adam’s Animals. The book begins with a simple explanation—this is a book about animals we’ll find in the Bible—and an invitation to get acquainted with them,… Continue reading Adam’s Animals (review)
Violet Nesdoly 