2026 Book Challenge (Quarter 2)

This was not my usual genre of preference, but I gave it 3.5 stars. It was an intriguing murder myster with mental health themes (delicately handled). I’ve heard much about this author, but it was the first time I’ve read her. I don’t know that I’d read more just because I don’t gravitate to thrillers/darker story tones, but it was a well-written read. 

This book follows two highly successful individuals who had a marriage they loved, careers they loved, but no room in their lives for a child. That is until they found out they were expecting. As they are navitaging the challenges that will come as they seek to pursure parenthood and career, they are swept up in a legal case of a failed abortion and infant neglect resulting in the death of the baby. Set in the 1980s and based on true events, this is a heartbreaking story that sheds light on practices that were kept secret.

A continuation of the Timeless Series… Maggie inherits a unique ability from her parents that allows her to live in three different time periods: 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each period is as diverse from the others as are they men pursuing her in each path. Where does her heart lie and which path will she choose to stay in forever and which two will she forfeit? 

Grace and Hope are twins who share so much, even the ability to live in two different time periods. 1912 New York is brimming with opportunity and adventure. 1692 Salem, Massachusetts is in the midst of the Witch Trials and holds nothing but confusion, hardship, and heartbreak. Unforseen circumstances force both girls down paths they would never have chosen. Can they find God’s purpose in all the twists and turns?

1727. 1927. Caroline lives two very different lives. Confused as to why this is, she sets out on an epic adventure to find answers to the questions that have followed her all her life. That quest finds her aboard a pirate ship in 1727. It also finds her falling in love with the handsome Marcus. But how will this affect the life she lives in 1927 where she is the daugther of a famous preacher? Both paths have very different expectations of her, but where does her destiny lie?

Kathryn finds her lives in both 1888 and 1938 swept up in the dangerous drama of Jack the Ripper. The more research she does on the mysterious case in 1938, the more fearful she becomes for those she loves in 1888. With the help of a handsome friend, she embarks on a journey to set things right, even if it costs her the most precious thing she has- her ability to chose her future.

A valient tale of Heather, Picket, Smalls, Uncle Wilfred, and so many others as rabbits battle for their lives against Morbin Blackhawk and his band of birds and wolves. 

This is our second time reading through this series, and it is just as epic as I remember it being! A must-read for families.

This book was PACKED with so much information and insight into women’s health. I found her research to be fascinating, yet her writing was straighforward and easy to understand. She discusses hormonal birth control at great lengths- sharing the dangers of taking synthetic hormones. Very eye-opening!

The 6th book in the Timeless Series, this book throws a unique twist as it follows the stories of several different time crossers who’s lives become intertwined. All are facing hard decisions, weighty responsibilities, and futures they are not happy about. Can joy come from such challenging circumstances?

Identity. It’s a buzz word today. The world has much to say about where our identity should lie. And so does the Bible! This book equips parents with the grace to navigate different indentity struggles their children may face (such as academics, sports, gender, and sexuality). 

This was a very interesting read. While I do not agree with quite a few of the authors conclusions (regarding theological things and magic in literature), she did present a well-researched argument on a topic that most Christians don’t know how to navigate. It gave me things to think through as Simeon and I discuss what we are comfortable with in our home.

Book #2 speeds up the adventure and peril as Heather and Picket find themselves children no longer. Responsbility and reality have been thrust upon them, and they magnificentlly rise to the occasion. But who do they trust? Where should their alliances lie? As confusion and uncertainty surround the crown, our favorite rabbits forge ahead dreaming of a mended wood and hope of the green ember rising again. 

A great fiction read. Laura Callaway finds herself orphaned and left where she doesn’t feel she fits in. Searching for treasures from shipwrecked boats in the cove and restoring them to their owners is just the distraction she needs… until a more handsome distraction comes along. One stormy night, she saves a mysterious man from death. That moment changes her life forever as she begins to unravel her own story and the one of those she has loved and lost.

I’ve never done much research into fasting for health reasons, so this book provided a lot of interesting information. Much of what it had to say made a lot of sense such as not eating around the clock, matching foods with your cycle/hormonal needs, and boosting energy and mental clarity through fasts. I am not in a season to implement more of her more extremem fasting protocols (due to pregnancy and breastfeeding), but I will keep some of the research in mind, especially as I come into the perimenopause years one day.

Dr. Michihiko Hachiya experienced the flash of light and the horrors that ensued after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He crawled his way to the hospital where he worked and experienced a miraculous recovery. This enabled him to serve others who had been injured. Many died, but many were improving. But then mysterious symptoms began to arise, causing death amongst those who had been close to the bomb’s epicenter. 

This true-life story is the journal of the doctor who experienced it all, yet lived to write about it.

This might be one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read. I’m always on guard when I come to a self-help book that is not written from a biblical perspective. Funny enough, the parts that were about being a productive, successful person had some really great ideas! But the author buried all that information (what I’m assuming most people come to the book for) in the strangest fiction story narrative. 

“… what makes the most successful achievers so great isn’t their inherent talent but their levels of commitment, discipline, resilience, and perserverance.”

My first Agatha Christie novel, and it didn’t disappoint! I started this book thiking none of the characters are capable of murder! Somewhere in the middle, I was beginning to think that everyone had hidden motives. Then at the end, I couldn’t believe I missed all the signs that pointed to the obvious culprit! A captivating murder mystery involved family squabbles, mysterious nuns, wedding cake arriving in the mail, and mirrors with secrets.

It seems that everyone is raving about this series these days. While I enjoyed the humor and whimsy of this first installment of Emma’s journals, I think I will enjoy it more as I get into the series and come to have a better understanding of the plot and characters.

“Practice won’t necessarily make perfect, but it will always make progress.” 

Motherhood is a gift, but if we don’t guard our hearts and keep an eternal perspective, the responsibilities can become overwhleming. Author Jamie Erickson shares insight on how moms can fight overwhelm and find joy in their calling.

I have read many books on the suject of motherhood. Because of this, this book was more of a reminder of things I’ve learned before.

• “Family doesn’t have to be perfect to be strong.” 
• “We long to build a home that our children want to come back to, a healthy environment where they can make mistakes and try again. We long for a place of unconditional love, a foundation to launch them into this crazy world without feeling lost or untethered.”
• “It’s never too late to build a strong family… It’s never too late to give our children a soft place to land, a foundation of faithfulness and grace.”

This book is BEAUTIFUL! It is definitely one of my top 5 favorites so far for this year. Jessica encourages families to create ties that will bond them throughout the years while clinging to grace and hope.

Sissy Goff is an experienced counselor who brings many insightful truths to light when dealing with our daugthers who battle the “Worry Monster.” It was heartbreaking to read the stastistics of how many young girls (ages 6-18) deal with anxiety. Sissy get to the heart of the issue and equips parents with biblical, practical ways they can help their daugthers overcome their fears.

Nicolae Ceaușescu controlled Romania from 1965 to 1989. To the world, he was a charming leader. To his people, he was a nightmare. This book sheds light on the atrocities the Romanians faced under his rule and the lengths people went to to fight for thier freedom.

This was the sweetest story! An older sister, who is a student at Oxford, seeks out C. S. Lewis. Her younger brother is dying, but the bright light in his life is the new book, The Chronicles of Narnia. He wants to know where Narnia came from, hence the reason big sister is seeking answers. 

This is a lovely unfolding of the life of C. S. Lewis written in a heartwarming narrative.

I am in love with the Timeless series, and I think this is my favorite book so far! In 1849 California, Allie is desperate to save her father from death, swept up in the Gold Rush, and intrigued by a mysterious, handsome man with a shadowy past. But in her other life in 1929 California, Allie is a movie star in Hollywood’s Golden Era. Both historical time periods were fascinating and the plot in both kept me reading one more chapter!

This book takes you into the future of Generation X. What will the world of AI look like when our children are adults? The author paints a very positive, hopeful picture. While I do think there are definitely benefits from advancing tech, I tend to fall more on the skeptical end of the spectrum on this issue. Because of that, I gave this book 3 stars.