Think Mother's Day. Father's Day. Any old day at all. There are some great books in this round of Literate Getaway!

Also, I haven't read it yet, but Happy Launch Day to Birthing Hope: Giving Fear to the Light by Rachel Marie Stone. Review to follow soon!

NONFICTION

Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus: How a Jewish Perspective Can Transform Your Understanding by Lois Tverberg 

Tverberg has other books out explaining the Jewish culture Jesus would have known, and how we can better understand our Bible and Christ by learning about it. These books are FULL of great insight and I got a ton out of reading this one. Highly recommend as a box set with Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus and Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus.

How to Fix A Broken Record: Thoughts on Vinyl Records, Awkward Relationships, And Learning To Be Myself by Amena Brown 

I knew of Amena Brown as a poet, and you get glimpses of that gifting in this book when you read certain passages. The biggest takeaway for me were the life lessons she passed along. Writing from her experiences as an African American woman, but applicable truths for all women. I loved the storytelling! We're discussing this book in our book club in a few weeks, and I think it lends itself nicely to conversation about a number of topics.

Long Days Of Small Things: Motherhood As A Spiritual Discipline by Catherine McNeil 

Confession, I don't read a lot of books on motherhood. My preference is deeper books on theology or exploring Christianity. This book. It covers all three of these topics in a really meaningful way. Catherine refutes the idea that a believer must practice certain spiritual disciplines (contemplation and silence for example) in order to deepen their faith. Busy moms can't always do that! She tells about the ways she's found to commune with God in her everyday life. It's an excellent read.

Mystics & Misfits: Meeting God Through St. Francis and Other Unlikely Saints by Christiana Peterson 

I have become friends with Christiana and I appreciate her faith story, so I couldn't wait to read this one. The story is good, and I liked the format of the book too. She tells about her family's experience living in an intentional Mennonite community, but also writes letters to saints she's learning about in her faith explorations. I loved this one!

Why I Hate Green Beans: And Other Confessions About Relationships, Reality TV and How We See Ourselves by Lincee Ray 

She's funny. It always surprises me when I come across a blogger who writes a book, and I hadn't heard of her before I came across the book. If you watch The Bachelor, doing weekly write-ups on this show is how Lincee got her start. She offers a lot more than that though. I appreciated the way she laughs about the twists her life takes, right in the midst of learning about herself and passing lessons along to her readers.

MEMOIR 

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover 

A remarkable story, and I'm still blown away that it's TRUE. Growing up Mormon in Idaho, Tara tells incident after incident about what she considered a  "normal" upbringing. She didn't know any different. Eventually, Tara created opportunities for herself to see the outside world, and then tells readers about her experiences forging her way through entirely different lifestyles. I suspect we'll be hearing about this book for a while.

HISTORICAL FICTION

Judah's Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees (The Silent Years) by Angela Hunt 

For a long time, I've been fascinated by those 400 years between the Old Testament and New Testament. I haven't read much about this time period, so when I saw Angela Hunt's new book on the Maccabees, I was eager to review it. I've read a couple of her other historical fiction novels. This one was really good. It puts readers right in the midst of that day and time. Excellent.

I Was Anastasia: A Novel by Ariel Lawhorn 

My daughter went through a movie phase where she wanted to watch Anastasia multiple times every week. I knew the basic story of this Russian princess, but this novel takes it further. Anastasia spends her whole life trying to prove she is who she says she is. At first, I thought the book's format was going to drive me crazy. It jumps around in time from Anastasia's early days with her family, to an elderly woman still fighting for her identity, and all stages in between. I ended up liking the way this made my mind work though. 

HOME DECOR

The DIY Home Planner: Practical Tips and Inspiring Ideas to Decorate It Yourself (Thistlewood Farms) by KariAnne Wood 

This blogger's book is beautiful. The artwork was done by Michal Sparks and deserves its own recognition. Full of practical home decorating advice, and it also works as a workbook for you to make lists and drawings. I kept thinking of when we built our house, and how nice it would have been to have all of this information in one book.

FICTION

Unveiling: A Novel by Suzanne Wolfe 

Italy. Old Catholic churches. Artwork discoveries. Those three sentences should be all you need to pick this book up. It was well written and I loved the story from start to finish. 

###

 I received a copy of "Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus," "How to Fix a Broken Record," "Mystics and Misfits," "Why I Hate Green Beans," "Educated," "Judah's Wife," and "I Was Anastasia" from NetGalley for the purpose of generating a review. I received a copy of "The DIY Home Planner" from the publisher, Harvest House Publishers, for the purpose of generating a review. I received a copy of "Unveiling" from the publisher, Paraclete Press, for the purpose of generating a review. I received a copy of "Long Days of Small Things" from the author in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.