The Circle of Fire

 The Circle of Fire By: Chelsey Vick

I got this book from a local fair. The author, who was born and raised in the county I reside in, was there to promote, sell, and even sign her book. It did sit on my bookshelf for a while before I got to it. This book starts out in Salem during the witch trials, where you are introduced to three sisters who use their various knowledge of herbs and elements to help the local people. After some time, tragic events begin to occur, and they are deemed witches and flee to their home country of Ireland. You then skip to modern times and meet McKenna. The character McKenna is very relatable. She has real-world problems and trauma she needs to overcome. Living in New York most of her life, she finds a man whom she believes she is in love with. It's only after he cheats on her and she decides to visit her grandma in Ireland that she starts to really see just how toxic that relationship really was. Once in Ireland, back with her loving grandma, she starts to learn more about herself and her ancestral heritage. This story also has a romance that almost every girl fantasizes about. An attractive man who gives and gets unconditional true love. Learning about her ancestor Adena's story was quite fascinating too, and I like the message of "learn from history and your past." The addition of witchcraft, rituals, and elemental powers didn't seem to fit as well as I would have imagined the author was hoping. Overall, I enjoyed the book. But there do seem to be a few loose ends, unnecessary information, and rushed story and dialogue. 

How Far I'll Go

 How Far I'll Go A Twisted Tale. By: Keala Kendall

I am excited to return to this series. It was heart wrenching to read about Moana's self doubt and her self sabotage. But at the same time it was very raw and real character arch. I think that's what made it so frustratingly realistic to read. As an outsider all the warning signs were there, but from the main characters point of view I can see where she would be blinded. This book kept me wondering how it was going to all come together. I really enjoyed it.

The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry

The Renaissance Studies in Art and Poetry By Walter Pater

"The Renaissance is a strikingly original and influential collection of essays in which Walker Pater gave memorable expression to an aesthetic view of life. It has never before been published in a scholarly edition. Donald L. Hill reproduces Pater's text of 1893, with a record of all verbal variations in other editions, from the early magazine versions to the Library Edition of 1910. Mr. Hill provides a full set of critical and explanatory notes on each of Pater's essays; headnotes outlining the story of its composition, publication, and reception; and an essay on the history of the book as a whole. Students of Pater and the Aesthetic Movement in England will find this new, annotated edition indispensable."

This was an interesting book; however, I don't feel like I did justice listening to it as an audiobook. I think I need to revisit this in paper format.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

 The Five People You Meet in Heaven BY Mitch Albom

When I first started reading this book, I felt like this was going to be a normal story with characters, plot twists, etc. The book follows a man named Eddie through his life, death, and then his experience of meeting five different people in heaven.  By the end of the book, it got me thinking of my own life. I started thinking about the people who have come into my life and how we can all be connected. 

When Books Went to War

When Books Went to War By: Molly Guptill Manning

The concept of being able to offer soldiers a chance to "escape" the horrors of war through reading seems so simple. But it was fascinating to hear just how very needed those books were. Also, the idea she poses is that sending books to the troops in Europe was a way to defy Hitler's war on ideas and books. At the end of the book, she says that for all the books that were burned by the Nazi's during the war. Books that were sent overseas were triple the amount of those that were burned.  With the amount of information that was given in this book, it's hard to convey it all in a book review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a lot. For those interested in historical non-fiction, I highly recommend adding this to your list of must-reads.

Grace Where You Are.

 Grace Where You Are By: Emily Belle Freeman.

I didn't plan on reading believing Christ followed by this, its just a coincidence but I cannot believe how remarkably well they go together. If your interested in reading these two books I highly recommend reading them in that order. This book was so enlightening and has a lot of thought provoking topics to ponder. It reiterates how The Lords grace is for all and it goes beyond that to convey that Gods grace can be found anywhere, anytime, anyplace. The Savior comes to us where ever we are in whatever situation we are in and offers us his grace. 

This was such an inspiring read that I can see myself revisiting again when I need reminding of Gods grace for me.

Believing Christ

 Believing Christ BY: Stephen E. Robinson

We got this book back in 2006 for our wedding, and it's been sitting on our bookshelf ever since. I finally started it, and I am EXTREMELY grateful I did. This book was Amazing! It gave me a whole new perspective on Christ and his atonement. But it also showed me just how flawed my thinking and certain views of the atonement were. This has been so wonderful to read, especially as we have been getting closer to Easter