In the Middle of the Mess by Sheila Walsh

In the Middle of the Mess: Strength for This Beautiful, Broken Life by Sheila Walsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. "As a follower of Jesus, there is power in your story when you don't hide it. Your authority lies in your scars. I can't speak to things I've never struggled with; I can only confess my story, invite Christ into it, then invite you into it too." Sheila Walsh invites the reader into her "mess" through this book. As a woman who has had her father taken from her through suicide as a young girl, and suffered a mental breakdown, she is well-qualified to give advice to many of us who struggle day to day. Reading this book draws the reader closer to the grace of the Father and whispers "it is okay not to be perfect, you may be in a mess right now, but I can use this pain for something good. Just trust me."

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My Name is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd

My Name Is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. The best part of this book was the characterisation. The characters seem to come alive, and strangely I felt myself wondering what was going to happen to them even when I wasn't reading the book!

Venus Black is a 13 yr old girl who is incarcerated for about 5 years for killing her stepfather. Meanwhile, her little autistic brother is kidnapped. Most of the story takes place after she gets out of prison. She changes her identity so that she can start her life over. We see Venus trying to live her life as an adult woman for the first time in her life after prison. There are many twists and turns throughout the whole book. The reader finds out what happened to the brother and is taken into the life of the brother's kidnappers. Venus finds a place to live in a house with a man and his young niece. Venus develops a mother-daughter type relationship with the young girl only to have her ripped from her life by the girl's aunt. There is even a possible romantic relationship between Venus and an attractive man she meets at the diner where she works. When Venus finds out he is a cop, she thinks there is no way she can continue with him.

Throughout the book, the author never truly reveals what led Venus to take the life of her step father, although the reader is given a few hints. When we finally find out Venus' motives, we are faced with the moral dilemma of siding with Venus or the law.

All in all, this book is entertaining and full of emotion. There is suspense, laughter, and tears wrapped up in this book. Highly recommend!!

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Fearless in 21 Days: A Survivor's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety by Sarah E. Ball

Fearless in 21 Days: A Survivor's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety by Sarah E. Ball
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to have a free digital ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really appreciated the author freely sharing her story of her mental breakdown. She was a very overworked wife and mother who finally reached her breaking point and suffered panic attacks several times a day. In this book, she gives very practical advice on how to overcome anxiety through good advice and scripture. She has wonderful advice on how to better take care of your physical body as well as your mind, emotions, and spiritual self.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is or has ever suffered from anxiety or has a loved one who has went through it.

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The Man He Never Was by James Rubart

The Man He Never Was: A Modern Reimagining of Jekyll and Hyde by James L. Rubart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to have a free digital ARC of this book.

Toren is a professional football player who deals with major anger issues that stemmed from his childhood. His anger went through the roof when he stopped playing football and had no where else to let go of his anger. His anger affected his two children and his once wonderful marriage. One day Toren wakes up in a hotel and realizes that he's lost about 9 months of his life. He has no memory of what happened in those 9 months. When he goes home, his wife faints and his children are in shock. They had already had a funeral for him because he was presumed dead! The rest of the book focuses on Toren's search for what happened to him during the lost 9 months as well as emotional and spiritual healing that he never would have dreamed possible.

I enjoyed this book. It was part mystery and drama. I loved the connection that this book has with the classic works of Jekyll and Hyde as well as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Much of the struggle that Toren has in this book is a metaphor of the struggle each Christian faces with the old man and the new man. There were times right before the climax of the book where I was about to stop reading it because it got a little bit too "out there". However, I am glad I kept reading, because the resolution brought wonderful spiritual truths that I will probably remember for a long time.

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Blessed are the Misfits by Brant Hansen

Blessed Are the Misfits: Great News for Believers who are Introverts, Spiritual Strugglers, or Just Feel Like They're Missing Something by Brant Hansen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to have a free digital ARC of this book to review.

I cannot begin to explain how much I liked this book! I had never heard of the author, Brant Hansen, but I am sure that from now on I will read whatever he writes! The author has a podcast called Brant and Sherri's Oddcast (I have also added their podcast to my favorites as well). Mr. Hansen has had a struggle throughout his life fitting in to society (he was diagnosed as being on the Autism spectrum as an adult) and church culture. His father was a well-loved preacher who actually had a terrible mental problem behind closed doors. Despite his childhood, the author is a Christian - but a Christian who looks at church culture just a little differently.

This book reads kindof like the Beatitudes to me. Each chapter starts out with "Blessed are the....." Some of the chapters are "Blessed are .... those who landed on the wrong planet, the unfeeling faithful, the introverted evangelical, the people who can't pray, the wounded, those who don't have amazing spiritual stories, the introverts who keep trying, the meloncoly and depressed, the unnoticed, the lonely, and misfit royalty (those with disabilities)." If you find yourself in any of those categories, do yourself a favor and pick up this book.

Mr. Hansen's writing style is brutally honest. I walked away from reading this book with a renewed confidence that although I may not be what the typical "church member" looks like, I have just as much worth as her. I have a "love-hate" relationship with my introvertism, and frequently feel very much inferior in Christian circles. "Blessed are the Misfits" was like a ice pick that gradually chipped away the ice wall that I have built up around me to protect me from my perceived inferiority in the church.

I don't typically read books twice, but I have a feeling that this book will be one that I bring out several times in the future.

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10 Things A Husband Needs From His Wife by Erin Smalley

10 Things a Husband Needs from His Wife: Everyday Ways to Show Him Love by Erin Smalley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to have a free, digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit that I procrastinated reading this book for a while. I just knew it would be a book of a lot of things I would have to do differently. Fortunately, that was not the case. The book was very insightful on just how different men are than women. It was helpful to see his perspective on different aspects of our marriage and what he needs as a man that I would not readily notice.

I would recommend this book to a wife of any age, but it would be a wonderful present for a bride - to -be!

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Steal Away Home by Billy Coffey

Steal Away Home by Billy Coffey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read and enjoyed several of Billy Coffey's other books. This book was a little different than his other books. It is still a very deep book that challenges your beliefs.

Owen is a young boy who moves into a town that neighbors with a very poor, and shunned village called "shantytown". Even though people in his new town and the people of shantytown don't mingle, he falls in love with a shantytown girl named Marty. No one ever knows of their relationship. They meet at a hill in between their towns each evening. Owen has two loves - Marty and baseball. The story of Owen and Marty is told between innings of a very important baseball game. In the end, Marty realizes that what he loves is not really enough.

I don't really enjoy baseball, so I have to admit that I skimmed over some of the baseball scenes. Even though I skipped some of these chapters, I found the connection between baseball and the story of Owen and Marty very intriguing.

I feel like there are a lot of underlying spiritual connections that one can get from this book, the reader really needs to have time to read and think.

Even though I enjoyed the book, I felt like the character of Owen could have been developed a little more. Either I just didn't connect with him, or I feel like I didn't know him very well.

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