Jane Austen always captures things perfectly, doesn’t she? Here in Northern California, we’ve been experiencing bouts of “dreadful hot weather,” and I certainly feel as though I’m in a “continual state of inelegance!” July is an active month for Jane Austen fans, which provides a welcome bit of refreshment in the middle of summer. And… Continue reading Jane Austen in July!
Category: Literary
Book Review: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
The Jane Austen Society is the perfect book for quarantine, for unsettling times, for a quiet read, or for a virtual book club. Even better, it’s everything a Jane Austen fan could wish for in historical fiction. If you like books about people who love books, people who gather to form societies to read and… Continue reading Book Review: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
On the Shoulders of Hobbits
Light, like the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12), is a double-edged sword that cuts both ways, shattering those who resist it but healing those who embrace it. On the Shoulders of Hobbits, Louis Markos In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis describes our world as a battlefield. He says we are living in “enemy-occupied territory” (Book 2, Chapter 2). Just turn on… Continue reading On the Shoulders of Hobbits
A little something about the Little Women film
I FINALLY got to go see the new Little Women movie!! (Don’t worry. I won’t spoil it for you.) In the midst of wrapping up the manuscript for my new book, I needed a break! I had been writing around the clock for weeks. Little Women fit the bill perfectly! I found the movie beautiful and mesmerizing.… Continue reading A little something about the Little Women film
Places of Peace: Kilmeny of the Orchard
I recently read Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery, author of the popular Anne of Green Gables book series. Whether you’ve read it or not, I want to encourage you with one of the faith lessons I discovered in it: God invites us into places of peace that we might dream dreams and see… Continue reading Places of Peace: Kilmeny of the Orchard
Visiting the Gardens at Stoneleigh Abbey
On a visit to see my relatives in Warwick, England, last month, I stopped at Stoneleigh Abbey. It was late in the day and the house tours had concluded, so I purchased a garden ticket and stepped through the wide, low door from the Gatehouse into the garden. Once inside, I followed a small path,… Continue reading Visiting the Gardens at Stoneleigh Abbey
Kindred Spirit Book Club: Fall Read-Along Books
I’ve been thinking about what to read next as a group, and I love the idea of reading one book every two months. A few of the women in our online book club suggested it. It’s a great idea because most of us have way less time to read during the fall months. I landed… Continue reading Kindred Spirit Book Club: Fall Read-Along Books
Praying with Jane Book Launch Team Invitation!
My upcoming book, Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen, releases October 2, 2018 (Bethany House Publishers), and you’re invited to join my launch team! Praying with Jane is a 31-day devotional book based on Jane Austen’s three surviving prayers. Writing this book has been a dream come true because it… Continue reading Praying with Jane Book Launch Team Invitation!
Why we love classic stories.
I admit it: I like my books old and classic, thank-you-very-much. There’s something about old-fashioned values, quaint language, and innocent characters and storylines that provide comfort and escape from the jumble of everyday, postmodern life. However, most of the newer books I read also seem to echo the themes of the classics. It makes me… Continue reading Why we love classic stories.
You’ll never find me; I’m buried in books.
Admit it . . . you have some borrowed books laying around and a stack of books you’ll never read. Is it time for a book purge or a book swap? I’ve collected a lot of books over the past few months. My bookshelves are lined two-deep in spots (see photo), and I keep adding… Continue reading You’ll never find me; I’m buried in books.