Of Mess and Moxie Review

Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life by Jen Hatmaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure how in the world Jen Hatmaker would top her excellent book For the Love, and yet with this beautiful turquoise follow-up, she absolutely did. Of Mess and Moxie has heart, passion, a little bit of mess, and a whole lot of moxie.

I read this book with a pen in my hand and a lump in my throat. So much of what Jen Hatmaker wrote in this book resonated with me. I gleaned so much encouragement from her words, and even though many things she states are not new to me, they are fresh and full of moxie:

I don’t have to be who I was before. It’s never too late to change. It is perfectly fine to live in the world and love the world and yet still be devoted to Christ. It is never, ever too late for me to dream and be creative. Forgiveness is a process that takes a lot of time. Prayer matters. Stand. Tell the truth.

Jen Hatmaker is the friend we all wish we could meet for coffee: funny, snarky, and oh so very real. With her trademark honesty she relates her experiences in the church, in friendships, in family, and on television, with Biblical truths and encouragement for all her sisters around the world. This one’s for the girls, indeed. Moxie on, Jen.

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Thanks to HarperCollins for an advance copy to read for review. Part of this review is published as an endorsement of the book, and all words and opinions are my own. I am a member of the launch team for #OfMessandMoxie. You can preorder the book at your favorite online retailer.

Jane of Austin - Review

Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility by Hillary Manton Lodge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this revisit of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility." It's a retelling without being a page-by-page modernization of Austen's classic tale of sisters who must make their way in reduced circumstances, with wit and verve and the limitations of Edwardian England.

Having the tale told from Jane and Collum's points of view is really great (they are the Marianne and Colonel Brandon characters). It adds depth to the story and makes Jane (Marianne) a deeper and more likeable character overall.

In fact, I enjoyed everything about this book--except the subtitle. I think Jane would recoil at the fact that "sweet tea" gets a mention, because she is all about the purity of the tea leaf and in fact even states that sweet tea isn't real tea at all. (It brings to mind a quotation from NCIS's Ducky, when Dr. Mallard says tea bags aren't real tea, but "tea dust in a paper pouch.")

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys modern-day Austen retellings, tea of any kind, romance, and/or Texas.

View all my reviews Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy. All opinions are my own.

If I Run: a Review

If I Run by Terri Blackstock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was very suspenseful and kept me turning the pages as quickly as I could. If you like good suspense stories, look no further. However, if unresolved endings or "cliffhangers" are as frustrating for you as they are for me, then you will likely end the book with a sense of incompleteness. When I agreed to read this book for review, I didn't know it was the first in a series. Now I am anxious for the next books in the series!

Good Christian suspense that steers away from preachiness and feels realistic, relevant, and current.

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WE Can Do This!

You Can Do This: Seizing the Confidence God Offers by Tricia Lott Williford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had my doubts...but isn't that the way it goes? The woman with so many doubts, trampled by circumstances and just life, has doubts that she can do anything.

When I signed on to do this book launch, I didn't think I would be chosen. I had never heard of the author or her story, even though I'm familiar with so many Christian women bloggers. And yet, I was chosen. I savored this book, taking it slow, trying to glean every last word of wisdom from its pages. I am working on internalizing the truth that I have more confidence, faith, and love than I ever give myself credit for. I am healing this summer from a school year that was so difficult and draining that I doubted whether God had called the right woman to room 733!

You--and I--WE can do this. We can trust God and His Word to remind us of the confidence and strength He's already imparted to us.

Thank you to Tricia and Peter for the opportunity to read, review, and help recommend this book to everyone.

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Flirtation Walk by Siri Mitchell

I am working on catching up on book reviews. The irony is, the review for this book was written on paper in the front cover, and I found it when I went to loan this book. Oops.

So, with apologies to Siri Mitchell for not posting this on my blog many months ago, here is my review of the wonderful Flirtation Walk.

Publisher's description:


Trying to escape the shambles her con-man father has made of their reputation, Lucinda Curtis arrives in West Point, New York, determined to land a husband from the military academy. Campbell Conklin is first in his class and preparing to embark upon a storied career in the U.S. Army. Lucinda thinks Campbell will make the perfect husband . . . as long as he does not find out about her father.

Seth Westcott also has taken a liking to Lucinda. He's kind, smart . . . and working extremely hard to graduate last. Tradition states that the worst cadets are assigned to the cavalry out west. And west is where Seth must head to track the swindler who stole all of Seth's mother's money. Seth is smart enough to vie for the top spot, but life isn't fair and this is his chance to catch the man who ruined his family. It's too bad Campbell is all shine and no substance, but Lucinda will surely see through all of that, won't she?

Pattie's Review:

Secrets. Identity. The characters are all dealing with identity issues long before modern psychology was in the picture. Lucinda is wondering if she can change. Can she leave the past behind and forge a new identity? Can Seth lose his first place standing and get to the bottom to win the assignment in the wild west? And can their mutual attraction survive their attempts to change their very identities, or is it merely pretense?

I found myself intrigued long after I finished the novel by the idea that change can indeed be wrought, but often at a great price. True change must begin in the heart, and by God. Yet there is something to be said about masks and personality shifts. The core of our personalities: can they change? Should we try? These are not easy questions.

The novel is intriguing and the characters are multilayered and complex, as are all of Siri Mitchell's characters. No stock characters here. No predictable plot, either. She remains one of my favorite authors in the Christian market, mainly because her books make me think. And what more do we want from good literature?


#flirtationwalk #sirimitchell #bookreviews #BethanyHouse

A Simply Tuesday Giveaway

A year ago we were unpacking boxes and making our Georgia house a home. A year ago I stared at the mountain of boxes in the garage, thinking I'd never make my way through them all (still haven't, to be honest; but it's down to only a handful of my own stuff rather than the family's, and they're stored in the garage's perimeter). A year ago I didn't have a job. A year ago I had just finished reading Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman, and I was mulling over how in the world I could be happy with the small and mundane of life.

I hope you haven't forgotten about this book. I haven't.

A year after reading it for the first time, marking the advance copy (pictured on the left) with my notes and observations, I have been thinking about how I can incorporate the "It's simply Tuesday" idea into my own classroom this coming year. I would like for my students to be thoughtful and observant, and maybe I'm being idealistic in believing brand-new high school students will be able to settle down into this--but I'm going to try anyway.

In the spirit of sharing and collaboration, I am going to give away the pretty, shiny, new copy pictured on the right. To enter, please leave a comment below. If you share this giveaway on your social media platform, let me know. (I can see the shares on Facebook, but if you share on Instagram or Twitter, tag me with @pattierwr so I can give you an extra entry.)

The winner of the book will be chosen on Tuesday, July 12 - sometime in the evening Eastern time.

Finally, for the observant reader who may not have heard: Yes, I got a teaching job for the fall! I'll be teaching freshman English at my daughter's high school. The rest of my "summer break" will be sprinkled with planning, professional learning opportunities, and meetings.

**The winner...Deborah! Thanks so much!** Comments will now be turned off.

Summertime

SUMMER. For teachers (and substitute teachers), summer is always highly anticipated. However, I have not even accomplished half of what I've set out to do, and summer's nearly half over.

My tendency is to beat myself up over this. Why do I insist on doing that? Every time. Every day. 

So, today I'll write a list of things I have accomplished, and one in progress, just to see where I am at the moment.