The Christian Bookworm

Bookish links- September 2026

2026-09-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

We recently got this small (toddler-sized) display bookshelf pictured above and my baby loves it!

September new releases I'm excited about: 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women // Every Given Day // PlantYou Quickies // Twelve Days and Twelfth Night

Good reads for Hispanic Heritage Month

Autumn picture books we have loved

What a cute idea, sitting in a bookstore painting!

Not sure how I actually feel about a rock climbing library!

Bookish art I love- Homework at the Kitchen Table // Apricity

84 morning basket ideas for grades k-6

Which fall (Christian fiction) novel matches your reading style?

Would you do me a favor today? Would you kindly please share our homeschool curriculum, Teach Homeschool Finance, on your favorite social media platform? Or pin it on Pinterest? The more links it gets, the better it performs in search engines and such. I appreciate it!

This printable kids' book bingo page is so fun!

5 Must-read secret identity romances

Everyday Reading's 2026-2027 reading log is another cute one!

10 clean books for tweens

How to do a Libby Deep search // How to get more Libby options using Reciprocard

Exciting novels and series set in the west

I loved this podcast on homeschooling high schoolers and I added her book to my Amazon cart.

Non-book things I loved in August: exploring in Montana // The nectarines were true perfection this month, at least in our area // The calm before the storm... September brings more extracurricular classes and October starts pure chaos with those + rehearsals for a Christmas performance some of my kids are in this year so I was glad to savor a bit of calm together, first! // My sweet daughter made me this split-pea soup // watching some Christian productions- The Blind and Vindication

Three great new releases for kids

2026-08-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

📗 Becoming You for Boys... Books about puberty are often very frustrating for parents. I've checked so many of them! It often seems that the more modern books contain content I don't agree with but the older ones often include body image negativity, illustrations I find inappropriate, and more. Some are too vague and some give way too much information. Every parent should of course check for themselves but I was truly completely happy with this book. I also appreciate that it briefly goes over the changes that girls will experience while encouraging young men to be respectful about it all, and also goes over technology safety including never sending someone certain pictures of yourself. Finally, a quote I think parents will appreciate so they can get a feel for the worldview here: "The world says a lot of confusing things about what it means to be a boy or a girl, but God is clear and kind. You don't have to like everything people say boys should like. You don't have to love sports and be tough all the time to be a boy! But you can trust that God chose your body and who you are with love."

📕 Becoming You for Girls... I have tried several puberty books for girls and this really is my favorite! Along with an approach that repeatedly reminds a young lady that her changing body is good and God-designed, I found it to be informative and appropriate. While it's full of color illustrations, there aren't any that I find to be inappropriate in any way.

📘 God and Me... I absolutely loved this first Bible study! This is exactly what a kid needs to prepare them for a life long habit if thinking and reflecting on their Bible reading. It starts by actually explaining the Bible- how it's broken up, what are those numbers all through it (chapters + verses), and how to study the Bible. Then it's truly fun- Bright, colorful, a few games, lots of questions to make your kiddo really think about what they've read. I'm so excited to do this one with my toddler in a few years but I think my 8-year-old is going to enjoy it in the meantime.

* I received a free copy of each of these from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review.

Bookish Montana Adventures

2026-08-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

I recently shared that my family and I got to enjoy a bookish Montana adventure around some work for our homeschool curriculum, Teach Homeschool Finance. I shared an adorable Christian bookstore in Libby, MT and today I wanted to share some photos from the rest of our adventures.

First, a (far too smoky) picnic at Little McGregor Lake.

We hit at least four different Kalispell thrift stores (plus their library's used bookshop) and found a few books from our lists...

And then turned in summer reading sheets at a Barnes & Noble! These are the prizes they picked. I'll check them and see what we think!

We also liked this cute health food store :)

Christian fiction about parenting teens

2026-08-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been enjoying stories about the season I'm sliding into, parenting teenagers. Teenagers are often portrayed in a fairly negative light but my young teen is delightful to do life with and I hope to find many more stories with a joyful parent-child teen relationship.

All She Ever Wanted (historical fiction, timeslip)... This book really touched my heart but will probably be too depressing for a lot of readers. This is about four generations of women in a family line and the pain and family dynamics that led to their paths. Our most midern-day character is raising a troubled teen, which is really what kicks off her examination of her own life and her family history.

Baxter Family books... These were very dramatic and had me very invested. The first of these books involve only the youngest Baxter child as an older teen. There's a few books only about young adults and then there are quite a few books about a family friend (Bailey Flanigan) as a teen before we start to see all the Baxter grandchildren as teenagers.

Christiansen Family books... I am still working my way through these ones and loving them. The youngest Christiansen, Amelia, is a teen at the start of the series. We don't see much of her in those books and really only see a lot of teen parenting in the Christmas novella Evergreen but I couldn't not include this series here.

Dark Justice (suspense)... in this high-speed suspense we have a woman on the Run from someone very sinister, while also trying to protect her 19-year-old daughter and her elderly mother with dementia. I read this book very quickly, sneaking in a chapter every chance I could get.

The Deep End of Love... This one is focused on a few different women but one is the mother of a pregnant teenager. This books was full of tough topics- infertility, grief, post-abortion hurt, and more- but so good. It made me tear up or cry multiple times.

Firstborn... In this one we have a woman who is raising a teenage son and then gets a shocking revelation- the young lady (whom I believe was also an older teen) she gave up for adoption as a teen would like to meet her biological mother. This is news to her husband and son so we see a lot of family dynamics worked through in this one.

Intervention (suspense)... This page-turner series was hard to put down but its focus on a teenage daughter with a drug addiction was also hard to read at times. The mother character also has a teenage son whom we see more of in the later books.

Ladies of the Lake (historical fiction, time slip)... This was such a delightful read for me! We essentially open with a teenage daughter begging her mother to come to her boarding school graduation, and mother refusing. Then, we examine her story and find out the why. I definitely see myself re-reading this one someday.

More Than We Remember... This is a story about three different women whose lives are tied together by one terrible accident. That is the primary focus here but one of them is also patenting a troubled teen while dealing with this other struggle, too. I got quite a lot out of this one.

One Perfect Day... I have to caution that few of you will be able to stomach this one. We're following two mothers- one whose teenage son just died, one whose teenage daughter was just saved by an organ transplant from that boy. I almost put this one down several times but was ultimately glad I'd finished it.

The Printed Letter Bookshop... This one, too, is from the perspective of multiple women, one of whom is the mother of a troubled teen. This one is focused on the employees of The Printed Letter Bookshop and I enjoyed it but still haven't read its sequel.

Though I Stumble... This one is about four different women at a Christian women's conference, all working through their own life circumstances and being moved by the speaking they hear at the conference. One of the women, Treva, is the mother of the 19-year-old character, Stephanie. They both have to work through Stephanie's story and this made for such a powerful read! I really loved this book but couldn't get my hands on the rest of the series at the time. Now I'm reminded that I really wanted to read the rest of it but it's been so long I'll probably need to start with this one again!

Twenty Something-Else... This story was about a woman who had a pretty negative view of her life and her children, then got a chance to re-do her twenties after a pickleball-related head injury. The mc made a lot of choices I disagreed with and I admittedly asked myself several times if I really wanted to this all play out. I again don't necessarily recommend this for everyone but I do think some of you will enjoy it.

July reads

2026-08-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

This was a great month for kid books! Adult books, not so much. I spent a lot of time on/procrastinating my book club's read this month (Life, and Death, and Giants) which I ultimately did not finish and was a bit uncomfortable with. There were mixed feelings. Two women loved it, one didn't finish it either and doesn't plan to, and two did finish it but didn't necessarily enjoy the process. I'm super excited for our next read!

GROWN-UP READS:

📖 Bible study: 2 Peter // Ephesians using Worthy // Slowly studying Ezekiel with my husband

📖 The Girl From Tomorrow's Town* (Christian, historical fiction)... I still have yet to meet a circus book I didn't enjoy. This one got a full review here.

📖 Your Life Signature* (Christian, nonfiction)... What a book! This book made me think and reflect so much, which I always love. The author uses a lot of imagery and illustration to express his points so it was really jam-packed with gold that led me down some wonderful paths, my favorite being the story of Sir Nicholas Winton in the beginning or middle of the book. I have thought a lot about my purpose for years and this book only made me that much more excited to see what else God has planned for me and my one little life.

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS

📖 Falling Out of Time (secular, fiction)... Another Margaret Peterson Haddix- this one is a sequel to Running Out of Time I never knew existed! I enjoyed it and then my oldest did, too.

📖 Game Changers (secular, middle grade, fiction)... Truthfully, I didn't like it. I'm not into sports books. There was a bit of rudeness but not too bad and I do think kids who like sports books will probably like it.
📖 Hand Lettering God's Word for Girls* (Christian, middle grade, nonfiction)... I enjoyed this kind of art book-devotional combo and put up a full review here.

📖 Island Dreamer (Christian, YA, fiction)... This is the 5th book in the Christy Miller series and I still find them compulsively readable. I do think I would have loved it as a teenager.

📖 The Legend of Bluebell Forest (secular, middle grade, fiction, TGTB)... This was the free book from the TGTB summer reading program. I liked it and think my daughter will like it, but we'll see if she wants the second!
📖 The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli (secular, middle grade, historical fiction, time slip)... I really enjoyed this ancient China / 1930s Chinatown time slip! I can't wait for a few of my kids to read this one.
📖 Nory Ryan's Song (secular, middle grade, fiction, TGTB Book List)... This is a historical fiction about the Irish potato famine, a subject I've only encountered in fiction one other time. I found it interesting, though it wasn't a new favorite or anything, and I'll be curious to see what my oldest thinks if/when he picks it up!
📖 Raising Dragons (Christian, YA, fantasy, fiction)... I mean, fantasy is not for me so I kind of hated it but I get the appeal and can see that my oldest will love it. There was a bully teasing a girl and implying that she isn't a virgin, and later that girl implies that she was abused in a specific way by her father. Both issues are one single line and are implied, not said. I decided I'm okay with it for 8th grade but I do wish those things weren't in there.

📖 Resist (secular, middle grade, historical fiction)... This was a short but good WWII resistance story and I'll definitely try more Alan Gratz books.
📖 The Story of Simone Biles (secular, chapter book, nonfiction, TGTB book list)... I liked Simone Biles' memoir and I enjoyed this version for the younger crowd.
📖 A Summer Secret (Christian, upper middle grade / YA, Amish fiction)... This was a good 8th grader-ish story. I thought it would be more of a mystery but the mystery is solved pretty quickly and then it becomes more of a social dilemma. I liked it and will definitely try book 2.

📚 PICTURE BOOKS WE LOVED: God Bless You and Goodnight (not new, but this is the current favorite bedtime book) // The Heart Who Needed a Friend (full review here) // Play With Me (this month's Imagination Library gift) // Thank You Bear

* I received a free copy of The Girl From Tomorrow's Town, Your Life Signature, and Hand Lettering God's Word for Girls in exchange for an honest review.

6 New Releases

2026-08-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Art of the Margins (Christian, nonfiction)... This one is for you, creatives! This made me think about the creative delights God has placed in my heart and just where they fit into my God-given purpose here on Earth.

Jerusalem Calls (Christian, nonfiction)... This has been a lovely addition to my morning time stack. I expected a more dry, academic approach to the Jewish feasts but have been pleasantly surprised by the author's warm and tender recalling of her own Jewish heritage and childhood celebrations & her conversion to Christianity. This is a great resource for anyone attempting to understand more orthodox traditions.

The Jesus Centered Planner (Christian, planner)... struggle every year to find a good planner. The best I've ever found is now making only one version, one that is literally curse word themed. I'm so happy to try this alternative in 2027! The weekly spreads are column-style, my personal preference so I can lay out my daily routine in order. I also appreciate that the weekend days are the same size as week days. My Saturday is always just as busy as my Monday, but when I was working I needed those weekend slots more than I did weekday slots! I also appreciate the gratitude and reflection spots each week.

Loved by God (Christian, picture book)... I just adore this delightful picture book! It has a good, important message and so many illustrations I love. I can tell this will be a favorite in my house for years to come. It'll also make for a wonderful baby shower gift for a friend.

Man of God (Christian, nonfiction)... I am obviously not the target demographic for this book but I have a husband and a teenage son I thought might enjoy it. A favorite quote, from the introduction- "biblical manhood is not defined by culture, power, or personality. It is defined by obedience. A godly man leads not by control but by example, because he himself is being led by Christ." Along with a lot of great messages the book is also visually appealing with lovely tree art on the chapter headings.

Tales of Buttercup Grove (Christian, early reader/ chapter book, fiction)... I love this little book! This early reader book was so cute! I loved both the sweet animal illustrations and the sweet kindness/ friendship stories. There are four seasonal stories (which reminded me of Brambly Hedge!) and they each begin with a Bible verse.

* I received a free copy of each of these books in exchange for an honest review.

Good News Christian Books in Libby, Montana

2026-08-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend my family and I got to enjoy a very bookish Montana adventure! We went specifically for some work regarding our homeschool curriculum, Teach Homeschool Finance (if you live in Kalispell, check the free shelf in your mall, on the Red Lion side, for a free copy of our curriculum!), and we took that opportunity to hunt for some of the books on our lists.

Today I'll just share all the photos I took at Good News Christian Books in Libby, MT. This was a cute small-town bookstore and the owner was sweet.

Discount cart

So many cute mugs!

My personal favorite 🐝🍯 💛

Christian Fiction for Music Lovers

2026-08-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

🎶 Because You're Mine (suspense)... This is a creepy standalone about an Irish singer whose husband was just killed. It's quite clear that she's in danger and it's a great mystery to unravel. It's also set in the Carolinas which always feels so summer-y to me!
🎶 Bespoke (Christmas, historical)... This one is very short, readable in one cozy afternoon, and follows the daughter of a famous secret symphony composer. Fans of classical music will appreciate this one.
🎶 Beyond Ivy Walls (historical)... Piano fans, this Beauty and the Beast retelling set in 1903 Iowa is for you!
🎶 A Carol for Christmas (Christmas)... This one is heavily focused on a young marriage and its struggles but the young wife is a guitar player and we see that quite a lot, too.
🎶 Long Way Gone (general fiction)... This Prodigal Son retelling is going to be a bit too gritty for dome of you but it follows a young musician who leaves home to make it big. This one is filled with talk of guitar and singing.
🎶 Love and a Little White Lie (romance)... Although I'm not a romance fan I really enjoyed this one. Our female protagonist is agnostic but accepts a clerical position at her aunt's church in an attempt to start over. Then she meets the church guitarist and her aunt's landscaper. Watching her decide who she belonged with was more fun than I expected.
🎶 The Roads We Follow (romance)... Again, not typically a romance fan... but very typically a Nicole Deese fan! I loved this story of a young woman her sisters road tripping with their famous singer mother while everyone has so much going on in the background!
🎶 Roots of Wood and Stone (historical, time slip)... This one is for jazz fans which I do believe is a rarity. Our heroine is uncovering her family history and we're slipping into that past but she happens to make jazz music on the side just for fun.
🎶 The Shunning (Amish)... This Amish fiction, the first in a trilogy, is not about music (it's about a young Amish woman finding out she's adopted snd searching for her birth mother) but talks a fair bit about guitar-playing.
🎶 Wedding Dress Christmas (Christmas)... A magical wedding dress, the owner of the wedding dress shop, and a hunky country music star all come together in this Christmas story I really enjoyed. This story would work fine as a standalone but will mean more if you've read The Wedding Dress (which I also love).

Also, Jesus loves you ❤️

2026-2027 Curriculum Choices!

2026-08-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's almost time to start a new school year and we are so excited! These are the things we'll be using this year.

*I make my own language arts courses after reading The Brave Learner and Wild + Free. Some (but not all) resources I like to utilize: a journal for each kid to write in on Mondays (typically about their weekends, interesting prompts when the weekend wasn't very write-able), spelling, TGTB Simply Spelling and online language arts, English Grammar Workbook, Evan Mor Writing books, Greek & Latin Roots, buddy reads, read-alouds, and independent reading, various writing projects of my choosing

*All four big kids participate in a local extracurricular activity as well.

* Morning Basket goodies: Vocabulary cards // Soaring Through the Bible // 4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication // Keep Thy Heart Bible study

* My husband also does computer and shop classes with the kids and I do cooking lessons with them.

8th grade: Math // Homemade language arts // Chemistry + my own expansions // Health + nutrition review // History // Homemade Geography // Spanish + Butterfly Spanish // Teach Homeschool Finance // Drawing 1 // Music Appreciation 2 // Guitar

6th grade: Handwriting // Math // Homemade language arts // Chemistry + my own expansions // Health + nutrition review // History // Homemade Geography // Spanish + Butterfly Spanish // Drawing 1 // Music Appreciation 2 // Nature notebook // Creative Writing // Typing 2 // YouTube paint tutorials

5th grade: Handwriting // Math // Homemade language arts // Biology // Health + nutrition review // History // Homemade Geography // Spanish + Butterfly Spanish // Drawing 1 // Music Appreciation 2 // Creative Writing // Typing 2 // YouTube paint tutorials

3rd grade: Handwriting // Math // Homemade language arts // Biology // Health + nutrition review // History // Homemade Geography // Spanish + Butterfly Spanish // Music Appreciation 1 // Creative Writing // Typing 1 // A Hive of Busy Bees

It's inevitable that I find new material and read-aloud as the year goes on but this is the general idea!

Bookish links- August 2026

2026-08-01T05:00:00.001-08:00

August New releases I'm excited about: The Heiress and the Woodsman

Summer reading recommendations for your kids

Ideas for homeschooling through chronic illness

I got some great recommendations for my son on this Reddit list of Christian fiction recommendations for men

I've got a still-growing men's fiction list of my own, too!

Please consider sharing our homeschool finance curriculum with any homeschool parents you know! The intro course, which we believe will make a huge difference for many young adults, is completely free! You can share it with non-homeschool families with teens, too 💙

Art lovers, this site pairs art with scripture to help bring your reading to life visually! Pretty cool!

One of the ladies in my bookclub sent us this no-spice romance book database reel for all you romance fans!

The best Christian books for mums

Books build what screens can not: Benefits of reading aloud to kids even after they can read

This is fascinating- writing out the Bible by hand!

3 gripping historical spy novels to keep you guessing

These fast forwarded kind of paintings always make it look so quick and easy!

Bookish art I love- Storybook // Meadow // Seaside // Soft Hour // Under the Apricot Tree // Summer in the Forest // Picnic

We watched the new Little House on the Prairie as a family last month and all loved it! We're happy it's already been renewed for season 2!

Emily Lex recommends this free class on Ephesians

We use a different handwriting curriculum but how fun are these literature-themed handwriting books?

This was a fun list of books by and about homeschoolers!

I know I'm late to the party but we finally watched David as our family movie last night and it was so good!

Non-book things I loved in July: 4th of July shenanigans // Sheet pan gnocchi (we used crumbled pumfu as the sausage... I paired it with mushrooms and steamed cashew cream kale. Everyone loved it, but two daughters asked for smaller veggies next time) // Vacation Bible School excitement // giggles and shrieks of delight from running through the sprinklers and playing at the water table in the yard // air conditioning// learning about the Story of Nicholas Winton rescuing over 660 children in the Holocaust and telling no one. When his wife found the scrapbook, this happened 💙

4 New Releases

2026-07-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Blades of Eternity #2: The Curse of the Black Saber* (Christian, middle grade, fantasy, fiction)... This second book was just as engaging as the first. I'm truly not a fantasy fan I'm the slightest but most of my children are so here I am! There is some really great imagery on this one but of course parents should be aware of standard fantasy battles (good vs evil) as with most fantasy. I like this series more for the upper middle grade-middle school group. This series is a new smash hit for my oldest and we'll eagerly await book 3.

The Heart Who Needed a Friend* (Christian, fiction, picture book)... This was a cute little wintertime picture book focused on friendship from a Biblical perspective. I thought it was sweet and I know it'll be a fun read for a lot of families!

Worthy* (Christian, nonfiction, Bible study material)... This is a Bible study commentary on Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. It's exactly what I want in a Bible study! I want to understand the Bible, not just hear about how this relates to your sister's husband's cousin. Right at the beginning of each section is a Bible Background Check to help me understand genre, key verses, author, audience, historical context, and cross-referencing. I have been loving this and will absolutely be saving it forever for my family and I to reference down the road.

Your Life Signature* (Christian, nonfiction)... What a book! This book made me think and reflect so much, which I always love. The author uses a lot of imagery and illustration to express his points so it was really jam-packed with gold that led me down some wonderful paths, my favorite being the story of Sir Nicholas Winton in the beginning or middle of the book. I have thought a lot about my purpose for years and this book only made me that much more excited to see what else God has planned for me and my one little life.

* I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Christian Books for 6th Graders

2026-07-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

100 Days of Adventure (nonfiction)
The Aedyn Chronicles (fiction, fantasy)
Andi Unexpected (fiction, mystery)
Arcade series (fiction)

Beyond the Orphan Train series (historical fiction)
The Chronicles of Narnia (fiction, fantasy)
Dream Traveler's Quest series (fiction, fantasy)
Emma's Secret (historical fiction)
A Girl After God's Own Heart (nonfiction)
Girls of Harbor View: Girl Power // Mystery Bus (fiction)
Heaven for Kids (nonfiction)
Indescribable Atlas Adventures (nonfiction)
The Inkwell Chronicles (fiction, fantasy)
Jones and Parker Case Files (fiction)
The Key House (fiction)
Marvel at the Moon (nonfiction)
No Place Like Holmes (fiction, mystery)
Princess in Camo series (fiction)
The Promise and the Light (Biblical fiction)
The Restorationists series (fiction, fantasy)
Road Trip Rescue series (fiction)
Rosa Takes a Chance (historical fiction)
Sleuth Family Robinson (fiction, graphic novel)
The Songs of a Warrior (Biblical fiction)
The Sower's Secret (fiction)
Sugar Creek Gang series (fiction)

They Found Dragons series (fiction, fantasy, sci-fi)

Viking Quest series (historical fiction)

Christian Fiction Retellings, Revisitings, and Nods

2026-07-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Beyond Ivy Walls (historical fiction)... This Beauty and the Beast retelling is set in 1903 Iowa. I generally like this author and I liked this book pretty well though its not what I generally gravitate towards.

Dear Mr Knightley (Contemporary, epistolary)... This was such a cute book and it's a retelling of a classic I still have yet to read (but do intend to!), Daddy Long Legs.

Dust (YA, Contemporary, fantasy)... I wasn't sure I should include this as a YA but some of you won't mind. This is a Peter Pan/Nederland revisiting. It's an adventure but as far as I recall it was very light if not fully lacking on the Christian content.

Eli (Contemporary)... The premise of the one really fascinated me- what if Jesus hadn't come back until modern times? It's borderline historical now, since it was published in 2000.

A Game Most Foul (YA, mystery)... Sherlock Holmes fans, this one is for you! In this contemporary YA mystery, Sherlock and Watson happen to still be alive and solving mysteries today.

In Search of a Prince (Contemporary)... This one is for fans of The Princess Diaries- remember that one? We have a young woman casually living her typical American life and then, bam, she's hit with the news that she's actually an African princess and needs to go take over the throne, like, now. Oh, and she needs to marry. 😉

Ladies of the Lake (historical fiction, time slip)... I really loved this book and it was such a delightful nod to Anne of Green Gables. Our main character lives a similar orphan life and identifies a lot with Anne... but she also strikes up a pen pal friendship / mentorship either the Anne author LM Montgomery!
* If you're an Anne fan, I also recommend the clean secular fiction Marilla of Green Gables.

Laura's Shadow (historical fiction, time slip)... This time slip is partially about Cap Garland and another girl in his time period, partially about a writer of a Laura Ingalls Wilder comic strip and her family history/secrets, some regarding Laura herself. Little House fans will likely enjoy this one.

Long Way Gone... (Contemporary) This one was a gritty, modern day retelling of The Prodigal Son. I'm a bit sensitive and struggled through a few parts of this one but boy, does this author know what he's doing!

Once Upon a Dickens Christmas (historical)... I'm sure you can guess from the title but this collection has three Christmas novellas all about Charles Dickens and his works. My mom and I read all three as Christmas buddy reads and we both enjoyed all of them.

Once Upon a Wardrobe (historical)... This one is for my Narnia fans! A college student befriends professor CS Lewis and learns more about the Narnia world he's created.

Tacos for Two (Contemporary)... This one is a more modern nod to You've Got Mail and I really enjoyed it! We are working with taco trucks instead of bookstores and an anonymous dating app instead of AOL emails. Fun, for sure.

To Love a Beast (historical)... Another Beauty and the Beast retelling- this one was set in late-1800s Texas. I enjoyed this one in preparation for a Texas trip last September and thought it was cute. The author has a whole slew of Texas-set fairy-tale retellings if that sounds fun to you.

To Love a Lady (historical)... I really loved My Fair Lady in middle school and high school so I enjoyed this My Fair Lady retelling. My mom and I buddy read this one, too, and she was also happy with it.

Under the Texas Mistletoe (historical)... Okay, this was a Mom buddy read, too. We liked all of the Christmas stories in this collection but it's on the list specifically for A Texas Christmas Carol, which is of course a Texas-set retelling of A Christmas Carol.

I'll also tell you about YA author Melanie Dickerson who has many fairytale retellings. I tried two and didn't love them but they were both buddy reads with my cousin who devoured them and then read all the others in the series and I only ever hear great things so they're still worth a try if you love fairytale retellings.

Happy reading! And friendly reminder that Jesus knows every tiny thing you've ever been ashamed of but thinks you're precious anyway and can't wait to hug you and say "Well done." 💙

June reads

2026-07-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

GROWN-UP READS:

📖 Bible study: I did a lot of floundering again this month. We've made some changes with my baby's sleep routines and I let my morning time be the casualty. Better in July!

📖 Hidden Mysteries and the Bible (Christian, nonfiction)... This was my morning read for quite a while and I've been talking about it so much over the last two months. There were parts I didn't enjoy reading about and/or didn't agree with based on other teachings, parts that made me squirm, and parts I thought were so cool/exciting in my nerdy way. It was free on Kindle, at least at the time I got it. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you ever try it!

📖 Love Like a Mother (Christian, nonfiction)... I posted a full review of this one here.

📖 To Love a Lady (Christian, historical fiction)... My Fair Lady (based on Pygmalion) was one of my favorite movies in middle and high school so my mom and I recently read this together as a buddy read. We both thought it was fun.

📖 Twenty Something-Else (Christian, fiction)... I was so excited about the Itsa Wonderful Life-esque premise of this one and listened to the audio version of this one. It took me a while to finish because I didn't feel comfortable listening to it when my children might walk up and overhear. I overall liked it but was definitely very bothered by relationship choices Sutton made in her do-over timeline.

📖 The Wonder Weeks (secular, nonfiction, parenting)... Finished it! I'm forever grateful for this book, goodness. I am pretty sure I've now read it with every baby? Most, if not all! Insanely helpful.

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS

📖 Andi Saddles Up (Christian, chapter book, fiction)... This was a cute one I added to our 3rd grade shelf.
📖 The Birthday Castle- Fort Builders Inc #1 (secular, chapter book, fiction, TGTB book list)... This was cute. I'll try book 2 if my 2nd grader likes this one.
📖 Blades of Eternity and the Keeper of Peace (Christian, upper middle grade, fantasy, fiction)... I'm not a fantasy fan but I liked this author's mission and could tell this was well-written and would be a hot with my 7th grader. I was right. FYI, there's a lot of rudeness depicted.
📖 Donavan's Word Jar (secular, chapter book, fiction, TGTB Book list)... This was sweet. I don't think any of my kids would have been interested to pick it out on their own so I'm glad we learned about it from TGTB's book list.
📖 Dragon Seed (Christian, YA, fiction)... I saw this on a list of great Christian books for teen boys. I would agree. I put it in our 9th grade shelf.
📖 Far Side of the Sea (Christian, late middle grade/early YA, historical fiction)... This was a quick skim read I got for free because of the TGTB summer reading program but I was impressed! I will be curious to see if my oldest requests the next books in the series or not.
📖 Freaking Out: The Science of the Teenage Brain (secular,YA, nonfiction, Science/health)... This was a very short but fun snd informative read, perfect for about 7th grade.
📖 Guns for General Washington (secular, YA, historical fiction, TGTB book list)... My 7th grader and I both liked this Revolutionary War story a lot more than we expected to.
📖 Lightseekers #1: A Kingdom of Shadows (Christian, middle grade, fiction, fantasy)... Fantasy is never my favorite but I do think this will be a hit for my oldest. It was engaging and I read the first 3/4 but skimmed the end. I imagine we'll be excited for book 2.
📖 Lisa of Willesden Lane (secular, middle grade, historical fiction, TGTB book list)... I always love a good WWII story, particularly one that feels hopeful. One of my kids is very excited for this book.
📖 S.A.V.E. Squad #1: Dog Daze (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... This was cute for my dog-lovers but I'm not interested in book 2 unless they are. Quite a lot of "stupid" If that's a no for you.
📖 The School For Whatnots (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I loved this story! Margaret Peterson Haddix is becoming a secular favorite for me.
📖 Secrets in the Mist (Christian, YA, Speculative fiction)... This is zombie fiction and there is definitely violence against zombies. I don't know how I feel about it, honestly. It was well-done but not for me, I guess. That probably sums it up well enough.
📖 Shades of Truth: From Sadie's Sketchbook #1 (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... I like this first book if another Faithgirlz series and will try book 2 soon!

Favorite read this month: To Love a Lady, I think? But The School For Whatnots was good, too.

* I received a free copy of Love Like a Mother in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl From Tomorrow's Town

2026-07-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

One of the topics I love reading about is circus fiction. I don't know why I love this subject so much, I just do! I was very excited when I saw that Barbour was releasing a new circus fiction, The Girl From Tomorrow's Town, and quickly reached out to see if I could review a copy.

Don't be fooled by this book's placement in a series as its the kind of episodic series where each book is about different characters, in a different setting, and by different authors.

This one is set in 1918 (a time period I've been gravitating towards a lot this year) Indiana, though it starts in Wyoming, and it follows a 19 year-old young woman searching for her birth mother + a male protagonist who has very impaired vision. He's a roustabout for a circus and helps her get a job as a circus seamstress so she can travel on the circus train and search for her mother as she goes.

As I expected, I definitely liked this book and enjoyed seeing it all unfold. It was very easy to root for Lily and Francis, two generally nice characters, and want to see their stories end well. This was my first read by this author and I'll likely read others by her, too.

*I received a free copy of The Girl From Tomorrow's Town from Barbour exchange for an honest review.

Hand Lettering God's Word for Girls

2026-07-07T11:55:01.387-08:00

I was so excited to be offered a wonderful devotional resource for tween girls, Hand Lettering God's Word for Girls.

Not only does this book teach basic cursive and hand lettering skills (and provide supply recommendations), it also includes devotionals perfect for a young girl.

I appreciate that this melds creative expression with treasuring the word and I am excited to see all the lovely new scripture art my loves create! I do believe scripture memorization to be powerful and important, and I also find a lot of value in displaying scripture in my home. This will be a wonderful resource for both!

* I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

A New Endeavor

2026-07-06T07:58:28.355-08:00

I am so excited today! We have officially launched a homeschool curriculum focused on personal finance! You likely know that my husband's big passion subject is finance and one of mine is homeschool. It's been so much fun to merge the two to create Teach Homeschool Finance.

My husband and I made lots of costly mistakes when we were first starting out and risked even more. There was so much we didn't understand about money, debt, insurance, and investing. We were handed a diploma and told we were ready for the real world because we'd used Bunsen burners correctly and could find the area of a triangle, yet we weren't even remotely ready to actually manage our finances and lives.

We didn't want the same struggles and frustrations for our children. This curriculum was created for our own children and because we truly believe it'll help others we wanted to put it out into the world, too.

The introductory course is completely free and we believe the full set is very modestly priced for the information it provides. The entire course is available in two formats, fully online or printable to be fully analog. Why? Because we know that most people prefer digital but I prefer analog 😉 We printed our copies and put them in a three-ring binder for our almost-8th grader.

We hope you'll all check it out and share it with any homeschool families you know- though of course non-homeschool teens can use it and benefit from it, too!

Can I also just say thank you in advance? Truly. You all have been so supportive over the years with my books, my podcast, my old children's book website back in the day... my people truly are the best people. God has blessed me greatly through all of you. 💙

Bookish links- July 2026

2026-07-01T05:00:00.001-08:00

Happy July! I hope this is a good month for you- health, growth, learning, feeling God's presence and love.

July New releases I'm excited about: Bookmarked for Love // The Spy Keeper of Marseille

There's a 5 Love Languages card game! I don't actually remember where we saw this but the barcode situation has me pretty confident that's a Walmart?

If you struggle to find time to read your Bible, maybe one of these ideas will help!

I was looking for a zippered pouch last month and Amazon tried to trap me with this cute number! But I am smarter than the algorithm so I didn't buy it! (Clap, please)

How to make a mini book... cute doll project :)

12 Christian fiction beach reads for your summer

I think all children's librarians should wear this fairytale dress on the first day of school

Neuroscience proves that this Biblical habit rewired your brain

Ooooh, this might be fun... Popular Christian fiction from the 1990s and 2000s

14 must-read Christian books for teens and 30+ Christian fiction suggestions for your 10-15 year old boys

This artist makes it look so easy to quickly create some lovely bookworm art.

Mother child reading art print- lovely!

9 audio books that will immerse you in the story

How singing in class may support early reading skills and brain development

14 of Crystal's favorite nonfiction books

Cozy summer reading corner reset guide

LOTR fans, how cute are these (expensive) Hobbit playhouses?

8 Christian books every faith-filled family needs

Emily Lex says these 10 commandments podcasts by The Bible Project were fantastic

I really enjoyed this video and its comments talking about Christian fiction and why it gets labeled "cringe" or "preachy."

If any of you have PureFlix on Prime, Meet Me in the Margins was a fun book and will probably be a fun movie, too!

I loved this post- Unsung elements in Christian fiction

If you're looking for a book to match your travels or to let you explore a new place from the comfort of your own home, check out my location-themed book lists! Adult fiction // YA // Middle Grade // Picture Books

Non-book things I loved in June: planning and booking a fun trip for later this year // our 16th wedding anniversary // starting summer break // listening to my kids giggle as they run through the sprinklers // butternut squash and red lentil curry... we are huge fans of Indian food around here! // legs up the wall (I want to be clear that I'm recommending laying on the ground with your legs up becauseit has benefited my lymphedema problems, NOT religious yoga practices) // walking every chance I get because it's about to be too hot and sunny for two months!

Love Like a Mother

2026-06-27T13:20:03.133-08:00

I've been reading a new nonfiction in the mornings recently, Love Like a Mother: How the Sacred Work of Motherhood Reveals the Maternal Heart of God. Right off the bat, I very much appreciated the short snippet sections that made it easy for me, as a mom, to read in the short bits of time I had available and then pick it back up at a convenient time.

This is not my first time encountering writing that shows the way God mothers us and highlights the way we mother as a result of being made in His image. I strive to be more like Jesus in my life here as a human, wife, and mother so this makes sense in a lot of ways.

However. I did grow up in a conservative Baptist church and occasionally bristled so I'm sure some of you will, too. I agree with the reality that God is a spirit rather than a y-chromosomed human male... but I guess my mind is like, "Right, exactly! A y-chromosomed SPIRIT male!" She does choose to use the he pronoun for God and only to show mothering traits, not to call Him "the divine earth mother' or something, too.

This was my first time encountering this author and I thoroughly enjoyed her lovely writing style. She paints some gorgeous word pictures! I immediately found her Coffee + Crumbs essays, too. I felt touched and moved by her imagery many times. I love motherhood and I appreciate her love for it, too.

I'll be very curious to hear your thoughts if any of you try this one.

* I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Middle grade Christian fiction about animals

2026-06-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

🐾Brightwing Tales: Mole's Misadventure... I do believe this was the very first time I'd ever read a story about a mole! There were of course other animals too.

🦗 The Bug Bandits... Maybe it's cheating to put a bug book on an animal list but I don't think so! My nature child really enjoyed this one.

🦎A Chameleon, a Boy, and a Quest... This one was set in Africa and, as the title suggests, heavily featured a chameleon. It's a four-book series but I've only read book 1 so far. This one is for older kids, more middle school age, and does contain some sad content.

🐇Green Ember... This series, with three spin-off series, is all about rabbits. These are favorites among my children.

🦁The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe... This famous classic Christian fantasy series is full of animals. Along with Aslan the great lion we also see beavers, a mouse named Reepicheep, a horse, and so much more.

🐇Little Pilgrim's Progress... The original version of this book is about a human child but this newer version is about a young rabbit!

🐕Operation: Happy... This one is published by a Christian publishing house but didn't feel very Christian. This one features a dog.

🐕Road Trip Rescue... This trilogy is my girls' favorite and is fully focused on a dog story.

🐕The Sapphire Sword... another fantasy series, another dog! But this one talks.

🐕SAVE Squad #1: Dog Daze... Again, a dog story! This one is a series where each book is about a different animal but we've only read the first one, the dog story.

🦡The Shadow and the Promise... This series explores biblical stories through the animals who were there! This one is an Eden story from the perspective of rock badgers. We've only read the first book so far but look forward to more!

🐎Winnie the Horse Gentler... Horses, of course! We've read the Horse Gentler in Training chapter book series but only book one of this older series.

Summer 2026 Bucket List

2026-06-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

✔️ 🍉 Drink watermelon slushies
⛱️ Find our new swim beach
📖 Finish my buddy read with my second-born, start my buddy read with my oldest
✔️ 👗 Fix my denim sundress- it got caught on a nail at an event and I neeeed it fixed for summer fun!
✔️ 🍦 Make these ice cream cones with my kids
🍑 Make a peaches & cream smoothie bowl (We always add granola to our smoothie bowls, too)
🎨 Paint summer art together
💧 Play in the sprinklers with my loves
📖 Read the Nicole Deese novela I got free for the Kindle, A Summer Remade... and maybe a Christiansen novel?!

✔️ 🌳Set up a cozy, shady reading spot outside

🎮 Surprise my kids with a day focused on their favorite video game
🍔 Try five different veggie burger recipes and vote for our favorite

✔️ 🎁 Turn in summer reading program sheets for prizes + free kid books!

Bookish weekend fun

2026-06-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

We had another fun weekend! Mostly what made it fun was just that it was low-key and we were able to just enjoy each other. Minimal obligations, a hilarious game of Spy Alley, cleaning + yard work, good food and conversation, foosball, a Tetris competition... but also an outing where I took pictures of several fun things to remember and I thought I'd share!

Also. We try so hard to eat homemade and unprocessed foods the majority of the time but these two processed snacks were so delicious! Highly recommend.

May reads

2026-06-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

May was a pretty decent reading month for me.

GROWN-UP READS:

📖 Bible study: May was really a very weak Bible study month for me. My baby's morning routine shifted and I did NOT do a good job shifting my routine to make it work. I'm trying something different in June so we'll see how it goes!

📖 Beyond Ivy Walls (Christian, historical fiction)... This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling I enjoyed. I really like Rachel Fordham's books. I've liked two others of hers even more.

📖 Raising Gen Alpha* (Christian, nonfiction)... This was such a fantastic read! I am Raising FOUR gen alphas and I think all the time about this very strange world that's become so foreign to me, about how to prepare them for things I don't even understand yet. This was a very helpful and very inspiring book I've been talking about and recommending to so many of the moms I know and love!

📖 The Wings of Poppy Pendleton (Christian, historical fiction, time slip)... This was my personal fiction read and then my book club joined in. I want to be very clear that this book contained some heartbreaking situations for children but it was so well done. I was really hooked and kept feeling excited, all the way to the end, to see how it would all work out!

📚 Plus applicable sections of Mom Heart Moments and The Wonder Weeks.

📖 I also read a little less than half of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World for book club. We all had the same feelings- we liked the message, liked the writing, but didn't finish the whole book because we felt we'd already gotten what we needed from it.

YA & MIDDLE GRADE READS...
📖 Brightwing Tales: Mole's Misadventure (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... This was a well-written story with a great feel to it. I think most of my bookworms will really enjoy it. For parents, there were a few mentions of bathroom/bodily habits snd the mole smokes pipe tobacco.
📖 A Chameleon, a Boy, and a Quest (Christian, middle grade, fiction)... One of my teens adores Africa stories and is going to Love this one. *There is a brief mention of a dead dog I know might upset some children.
📖 Living Water in the Desert (Christian, middle grade, historical fiction)... A friend loaned this to us to see the Christianity side of history in Iran. My oldest and I both read it and liked it.
📖 Nothing Else But Miracles (secular, middle grade, fiction)... This is a WWII homefront story about three children living alone in NYC while their father is deployed. I believe I learned about it from Read Aloud Revival, though I could be wrong. There were a few things I didn't totally love but it was overall good, I did cry near the end, and I added it to our 7th grade list.
📖 Remarkables (secular with a lot of faith mentions, middle grade, fiction)... I really enjoyed this story. It was focused on family and friendship with a light time travel mystery thrown in. There is a heavy topic (a young man's father blames himself for a death and has turned to drug addiction to cope) but I felt that it was handled well for my 7th grader.
📖 Running Out of Time (secular with faith mentions, middle grade, fiction)... My 3rd grade teacher read this Aloud to theclass and I very much liked it. After reading Remarkables and seeing that this author is obviously a Christian, I thought I'd try this one again. I do like Remarkables a lot more but I still enjoyed this one and am fine with my 7th grader reading it.

📖 Surprise Endings: Christy Miller book #4 (Christian, YA, fiction)... Christy drove me a lil crazy in this one but I was still generally happy with it and with the growth arc. Why are these books so compulsively readable to me at my age?!

📖 The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City (secular, middle grade, fiction)... I thought I was going to have a problem with family dynamics in this one but I ultimately ended up fine with it. It doesn't look like a Christmas story but it is! I have decided this will be our 2026 Christmas read-aloud.
📖 Wild Times at the Bed and Biscuit (secular, chapter book, fiction)... This was book two in this animal series and I was fine with it.

📖 Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows (secular, chapter book, fantasy, TGTB Book List)... This was cute and a fun one for animal lovers. I'll try book 2, too.

📚 PICTURE BOOKS WE LOVED: Daddy, How Much Do You Love Me? // Eric Carle's Search and Find Vegetable Garden (this month's book from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library) // Every Heart // Lovely Beasts

Favorite read this month: Raising Gen Alpha

* I received a free copy of Raising Gen Alpha in exchange for an honest review.

Summertime Christian Fiction

2026-06-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Are you a seasonal reader? I discovered recently that I am NOT. I like to read autumn and winter books in the autumn and winter... but then also in the summer to escape my hot reality 😅 But maybe you love to read summer stories in the summer and if so, this list is for you!

🌞 All That Fills Us (contemporary, general fiction)... This one is heavily focused on an eating disorder so beware if that will not be good for you. We have a young woman walking her way across the country and you'll get to see quite a bit of nature along with quite a bit of personal reflection and development.

🌞 All That Really Matters (contemporary, general fiction)... I am generally fascinated by the concept of influencers-- the psychology of being one, the psychology of following one, the aftermath, the parasocial relationship aspect, all of it. I really enjoyed this Nicole Deese story about an influencers finding meaning and value in a charitable summer project.

🌞 Chasing the Horizon (historical fiction)... This Oregon Trail story is about a mother and daughter on the run. It's not in my normal wheelhouse but I did enjoy it.

🌞 In Search of a Prince (contemporary, general fiction)... This book is such a fun nod to The Princess Diaries- a young woman who suddenly learns she's an African princess and has to take over the throne... and also find a prince to marry!

🌞 The Key to Everything (historical fiction)... This post-WWII story is about a teenage boy traveling biking from one end of Florida to the other. I liked it, and I felt that it would be a good read for my kids as teenagers too. This one is on our high school lists.

🌞 I Really Do Miss Your Smile and Take a Chance on Me (contemporary, general fiction, romantic fiction)... I love the Christiansens and these two, the prequel and book 1, take place firmly in the summertime by a lake in Minnesota.

🌞 Pocketful of Pinecones (historical fiction, fictionalized homeschool how-to)... This one, which actually covers each season, will likely only appeal to homeschool moms or nature lovers. This is a fictionalized example of how to do nature study with your children, but it's also about marriage and motherhood in the 1930s. I have the next book on my shelf and look forward to reading it, too. This was written as diary entries.

🌞 Summer of Yes (contemporary, general fiction)... I judged this book by its cover and expected it to be light-hearted fluff (which I don't really like) but I ended up loving some depth and richness I hadn't expected. This one feels extra summery to me since it's a road trip story.

🌞 Tacos for Two (contemporary, general fiction, romance)... This Texas taco truck story had major You've Got Mail vibes and I really liked it. I feel like I've recommended this book Way too many times but oh, well. I loved it!

🌞 What Happens Next (contemporary, general fiction, mystery)... Christina Suzann Nelson books hold my attention so well. I love her writing! This one is about a popular podcaster, so kinda fits into my influencer fascination, but it's also about a Missing child from the 80s. That part makes this book a hard one to stomach at times, at least for my sensitive mama heart, but I did finish it and I did love it.

Bookish links- June 2026

2026-06-01T05:00:00.072-08:00

June New releases I'm excited about: Parable Port #2: The Captain's Clue // The Girl from Tomorrow's Town // Twenty Something Else (so, so excited for these last two... a circus book and a kind of amnesia trope?! Yes, please!!!)

10 Spiritual warfare novels

How to write books kids can't put down

Kate's 2025 nonfiction reads

Lovely watercolor bookmark tutorial

American Girl has collaborated with Tea Collection, a brand we know for lots of 100% cotton dresses for girls.

6 exciting reads for the summer // Must-read novels by 12 experts in their fields

I LOVE this Green Ember party!

10 faith-filled books that will shape and sustain the class of 2026

I couldn't spend this much but this cute little felted mouse reader makes my heart squeal with awwww!

Cute (free) summer reading log downloads from The Good and the Beautiful

One of the books I read last month took me down a rabbit trail learning about a real literary crisis happening in America right now, so many of our kids and teens are unable to read or write. This is terrifying! These are our future nurses, for example. We've got to do better! Please, read to/with the children in your life 💙

This Peanuts storybook corner is so cute, Snoopy fans!

Amy's sister coffee date posts always make me wish I had a sister. And liked coffee 😆

2026 summer reading programs

7 Christian books and Bible studies for this summer

Recently I had a great prayer time where I feel that God revealed to me that I am still very much a writer, just not publishing in this season. So I was thinking a lot about my Christian books and wanted to take a moment to share them (in a no pressure way) if you are interested. For the Love of Marriage // Blessed by Birth

Non-book favorites last month: This song // flowy dresses // playing quick rounds of GUESS WHO with my younger children // Long walks while the weather is still tolerable // working on YouTube videos along with my physical creative projects // building a non-addictive Android phone using this tutorial // savoring. Remembering that I don't have to get it all done and just savoring peaceful moments with the people I love // this Christian version of a show like Laguna Beach / The Hills, brought a smile to my millennial heart but in a much more edifying way :)