Jesus-Centered Planner -2027

 

About the Book:

 

Keep Jesus at the center of every appointment, holiday, and where-did-I-put-my-coffee day. Beautifully minimalist and spiritually intentional, the Jesus-Centered Planner 2027 blends practical organization with daily Scripture, weekly devotional readings, and guided prayers to help you manage your schedule while keeping your heart anchored in Jesus all year long.

In a world that feels nonstop, creating order in your daily life makes space for peace. The Jesus-Centered 2027 Planner provides a practical way to stay organized so your heart can slow down and focus on what matters most. Closing the gap between a busy schedule and an attentiveness to God’s voice, this newly designed planner includes:

• A daily reading plan focusing on the four Gospels
• Monthly Scripture memory verses connected to the daily reading plan
• Weekly Christ-focused reflections
• Year-at-a-glance pages
• Weekly challenges to inspire you to live out your faith every day
• Prayer journaling prompts
• Gratitude prompts
• Pocket page for keepsakes
• Spiral-bound pages for ease of writing

If you’ve struggled to carve out time for Bible study, prayer, or reflection, this planner will help you build consistent spiritual habits while staying on top of your schedule.

My Review:

I always have a planner next to my chair. I have always used a generic one but I am excited to be able to use one with spiritual emphasis for 2027. I will be prompted to read through the four gospels next year and have a monthly memory verse. I was happy to see there is plenty of space for reflection and prompts for prayer and expressing gratitude.

This will be a great way to focus my thoughts on Jesus as I go through the year.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

David C Cook, 168 pages.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

The Knot by Seth Godin Audiobook Review

About the Book:

You’re not stuck because the problem is too hard.
You’re stuck because something invisible is holding it in place.

Most persistent problems—at work, in organizations, and in our own lives—aren’t unsolvable. We’ve tried harder. We’ve optimized. We’ve worried about it.

And nothing changes.

This is the kind of stuckness that shows up for people who lead, create, and build—for those who care deeply, think clearly, and still find themselves going in circles.

Some challenges are situations outside our control, best met with acceptance. But others are real problems, capable of being changed. The trouble is, we often can’t tell the difference.

That’s because we’re entangled.

An entanglement is a hidden commitment that creates conflict beneath the surface: wanting progress without risk, change without loss, or forward motion without letting go of who we were—or who we promised to become. When we want two incompatible things at the same time, effort doesn’t help. We stay stuck.

In The Knot, Seth Godin offers a clear, practical framework:

• How to tell the difference between problems you can solve and situations you need to accept
• How to see systems, understand what people actually want, and create conditions for change rather than simply hoping for it
• A practical guide to entanglements—time-based (sunk costs, premature optimization), social (phantom audiences, borrowed scorecards), and identity-based (who we were, who we promised to become)—each named, examined, and shown to be removable

My Review:

Godin provides many examples of problems that appeared unsolvable yet were solved by an insightful individual. The key is finding that one knot that is keeping the problem together. Once that is found and loosened, the whole problem can be solved. I think the strength of this book is near the end when Godin provides a number of questions to ask to help identify that knot.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

This book releases September 22.

About the Author:

Seth Godin is the author of 20 international bestsellers that have been translated into over 38 languages, and have changed the way people think about marketing and work. For a long time, Unleashing the Ideavirus was the most popular ebook ever published, and Purple Cow is the bestselling marketing book of the decade.

He worked as a year as the volunteer founding editor of The Carbon Almanac, and his recent bestsellers also include The Practice and This is Marketing.

Simon and Schuster Audio, 4 hours 24 minutes.

I received a complimentary digital audio edition of this book through NetGalley. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Vacancy by Jann Alexander Book Review

About the Book:

A sudden widow. A single mother. Both have a habit of hiding from hard truths until a brutal accident-or was it?-forces them to face what they're hiding, and what they want, in an unforgiving Texas town.

Helen is childless and widowed after a long marriage, and gets a second chance with a long lost love. But she's grieving her hidden regrets. She bonds with her quiet kindergarten student, and doubts the girl's struggling single mother, Charlene, is fit to parent.

Charlene's hiding a secret of her own, and she resents Helen's interference. She's determined to make a better life for her young daughter, the teenage boy her ex left behind, and the baby on the way, when a scarred veteran offers to lend a hand.

A tragedy no one sees coming forces the two women to unite, as small-town bias threatens to destroy innocent lives. But first, Helen and Charlene must confront the vacancy in their hearts, to find newfound strength, acceptance, and a second chance at love.

Based on a true story.

My Review:

This is a touching novel of two women whose lives cross as they face the tragedies in their lives. They find strength, making it through to new life. Second chances give hope to them both. Alexander has written an emotional novel in which the women eventually find healing and strength to overcome tragedy, remorse and guilt and experience forgiveness and hope.

Potential readers should be aware that the tragedies include the death of a spouse and a child's death. Those may be trigger situations for some. There is also a threatening and dangerous past boyfriend. Those are hard experiences but the women find the strength to go on.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Jann Alexander writes characters who face down their fears. Her novels are as true as fiction gets.

Jann is the author of The Dust Series, including the best-selling historical novel, UNSPOKEN, set in the Texas Panhandle during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression eras, her first book in The Dust Series. Her next novel in series, VACANCY, is fictionalized true crime with second-chance romance, and releases in September 2026. The third novel in The Dust Series, OVERDUE, releases in May 2027.

Jann is also a public speaker on Texas history, and she writes on all things creative in her blog and newsletter, Pairings. She's been a resident of central Texas since 2004, and is the creator of the Vanishing Austin photography series. As a former D.C. area art director for ad agencies, corporations, and magazines, and as an Austin painter, photographer, and art gallery owner, creativity is her practice and passion.

Black Rose Writing, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through WOW! Women on Writing. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Hidden Currents by Claire Booth Blog Tour Book Review

 

HIDDEN CURRENTS

by Claire Booth

August 24th - September 18, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

SHERIFF HANK WORTH MYSTERY SERIES

 

Another outstanding book in an ever-evolving police procedural series perfect for fans of Terry Shames and Steven F. Havill.

When spring settles over Branson, Missouri, Sheriff Hank Worth hopes for a quiet season. Instead, the town is rocked when Gene Willard, owner of the local fishing stores, is savagely murdered. What looks like a burglary gone wrong quickly descends into something far more personal. Gene’s messy divorce, his resentful stepson, and a terrified employee with a violent ex all weave a tangle of motives. As Hank digs deeper, the investigation collides with the long‑delayed, politically explosive trial of the men charged in his chief deputy Sheila’s near‑fatal assault. Tempers run high throughout the county, stretching Hank’s department to the breaking point. With personal stakes rising and the community on edge, Hank must unravel lies, expose old betrayals, and confront a killer driven by revenge. In a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business, the hardest secrets to uncover may be the ones floating right near the surface.

My Review:

I liked this entertaining mystery set in the COVID era. It has a small town vibe with many relationships important to the murder investigation and the other issues going on. There are three subplots including one deputy planning a wedding while there is a court case involving a brutal attack on another deputy and then the recent murder the department is investigating. The narrative focus frequently changes from one subplot to another so there is not a smooth continuation of action through the book. But it was not confusing and it did help me see how busy and complex the work of the sheriff department can be.

I liked the characters. The sheriff and his deputies are hard working and committed to the community. I especially liked the sheriff, a compassionate man but also one who would do whatever it takes to catch the villain. This book is down the line in the series and some of the action in this one is a result of actions in previous books yet I felt it read really well on its own.

My rating: 4/5 stars. 

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedural
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: September 1, 2026
Number of Pages: 240
ISBN: 9781448313891 (ISBN10: 1448313899)
Series: The Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery Series, Book 8
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Books-A-Million | Goodreads | BookBub | Severn House

Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

The lake was calm and glassy, reflecting the bluffs on the other side. The giant bur oak rustled above them, its foliage almost fully returned after its winter shedding. The tree had stood near the White River for more than two hundred years, adding rings as settlers built Branson around it and dammed its river to create the lake. On this side, the shoreline was flat, dotted with homes, a cabin resort, the edge of downtown where Main Street met the water, and the park where Sam Karnes and Brenna Cassidy now stood.

It would make a beautiful background, Brenna said. There was no guarantee the weather would be good, Sam thought. But he looked at his fiancée’s face and kept his mouth shut. They had decided on a May wedding, before everything got too hot and sticky with summer humidity. That didn’t mean they’d be safe from the rain, though. That could come any time. He thought maybe he should suggest a contingency plan, then remembered his boss’s advice. “You can have an opinion on the food and the music. Everything else—tread carefully.”

So he stood quietly as Brenna framed potential photos with her hands. Where to take the wedding party pictures was one of the last decisions they needed to make. He hoped.

“This area looks good,” he said. “Doesn’t it? It’s not too far from the church.”

She half-nodded and moved to eye things from a different angle. “I don’t know how to avoid that darn plaque. It ruins every shot.”

He walked over to it. It was such a part of the scenery, he’d almost forgotten it was there. When some enterprising 1970s tree aficionado figured out the oak was older than the country, it became the Liberty Tree and the plaque went up in time for the bicentennial. Now the thing needed a good cleaning and, if Brenna had anything to do with it, a relocation.

“If we shoot this way, you don’t see the lake. And if you do it that direction . . .” She sighed. “Big old ugly plaque.”

It stood on a waist-high column. Sam leaned against it and watched Brenna wander around this end of the park. The darn thing was wider than he was. He thought about that and stepped away. Then did some hand measurements.

“What if we covered it up?”

Brenna walked back to him. “What do you mean?”

He moved so he stood directly in front of it. It was clearly visible behind his thin frame. “We put Roddy in front of it.” He spread his hands out a foot on either side, which was about how wide his groomsman Roddy Hale was. “He’d block the whole thing. We just have to arrange the order of everybody so he’s right here.”

Brenna considered that. “I think that could work. Don’t move. Stay right there.”

She walked fairly far away while Sam stood with his hands out as if he was illustrating the size of a particularly large trout. A mom with two young children walked by and gave him a look. He wished he had his sheriff’s deputy uniform on. Then he’d look like he was doing something important instead of just standing around like a sketchy weirdo in the park. The lady hustled her kids past and headed to the picnic area. Sam watched her go as another group came by on their way to the shoreline. By the time they noticed him, Brenna had gestured that he could put his hands down.

“Yes, that’s going to work. Good thinking, babe.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. “And good thing you have a football linebacker as a friend.”

Sam laughed at that. Roddy’s size had come in handy many times growing up. He told her a few stories as they walked back to his car. By the time they got there, the group near the picnic area had equipment out, and a lady in slacks and a silk blouse was pointing them in multiple directions.

“Looks like someone else is planning an event, too,” he said, opening the passenger door of his Subaru for Brenna. “The way they’re measuring things, maybe it’s a whole wedding ceremony.”

She scoffed. “That would be way too risky. What if it rained?”

CHAPTER TWO

Sheila Turley had left him a note. And a file. It never boded well when she did this. Hank Worth sat down at his desk and cautiously slid the paperwork closer.

Gursey’s at it again. He’s all yours this time.

The Branson County sheriff opened the file and pulled out the arrest report. Sheila, his second-in-command, only printed things out when she wanted to make a point. Or wanted quick action. Because Hank wasn’t known for staying on top of his email. And she knew this particular suspect was a pet project of his. Gursey Rugg.

The young man had shoplifted again. The twenty-three-year-old was always plucking cheap items off the shelves of local retailers. If it was food, he’d eat it. If it wasn’t, he’d sell it on cheaply to friends and use the money for drugs. If the shopkeepers caught him, they’d call Hank’s deputies and Gursey would spend a while behind bars. But only rarely did people press misdemeanor charges. It wasn’t worth anybody’s time and, even if it had been, the sticky-fingered addict would still be back out on the street soon enough. So instead, he sobered up in Hank’s jail, swore he’d stay off the meth, and slouched back off into an existence where everyone involved deserved better and no one knew how to accomplish it.

But this time, Gursey overstepped. A magpie entranced by bright and shiny, he’d scooped up a handful of the wrong thing in the wrong store. Fourteen hand-tied, rare-feathered flies from Reel Life Outfitters. The owner was a newcomer. Purchased the two venerable fish and tackle stores on opposite ends of Lake Taneycomo when Lyle Boskins retired and seemed to be doing well. But it turned out he wasn’t willing to do nice. He wanted to press charges. And that meant a felony, because of the misdemeanor convictions Gursey had already accumulated. And a felony meant a stint in state prison, which wouldn’t be good for the fragile kid.

Hank re-read the narrative included in the arrest report. Then he got up and walked over from his office in the sheriff’s department Forsyth headquarters to hear from the man himself.

“Hi, Gursey. How you doing?”

“Hey, Sherf.” A disheveled scarecrow the color of a ghost rose to a seated position on the cell bunk. The jail scrubs hung off him in folds, and his dull brown hair stuck out in a dozen directions. At least it was clean. The young man blinked blearily and steadied himself on the mattress.

“What happened?” Hank leaned against the bars. “Last I heard, you were doing pretty well.”

Gursey shrugged, clavicles jutting like wings. “I was. Ask my addiction counselor. I got one of those, did you know? Nice lady. Always worried all the time, though.”

“It sounds like she was helping. When was the last time you saw her? Because right now you don’t look so hot.”

Gursey rubbed his wrists together. “Don’t feel so hot, neither.”

“You coming down off something?”

“Not really. Not like last year. At all, man, I swear. Just a little bit when Morty come to town.”

Hank had no idea who that was. He sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair in frustration. “And when did Morty come?”

“’Bout two weeks ago. He brought some homemade stuff, fresh cooked. I don’t remember much after that, ’til last night—I think. There weren’t no Morty anymore and I was at some trailer someplace.” He shifted suddenly from staring at the ground to looking Hank straight in the eye. “And that sucked, man. It was gross, and I was gross, and I don’t like that anymore.”

Hank blinked in surprise. After every previous arrest, Gursey had promised to stop the drugs. But until right then, he’d never come close to saying he wanted to stop. He kept Hank’s gaze as he continued to talk. “I walked ’til I got past Honey Lane and then saw that fishing place. Figured it would have a bathroom. I went in, and bro, I just wanted money for food. Thought I could turn some stuff over for a few bucks. I—”

“Stop talking,” Hank said. “Just take a deep breath and stop talking.” The goal of keeping Gursey out of state prison would not be helped by a confession to the county sheriff. He considered the inmate. In their numerous interactions in the four years since Hank became sheriff, Gursey had never made this much eye contact. It gave Hank hope. And made him a lot more willing to do what he was going to do once he left the cell block.

***

Excerpt from Hidden Currents by Claire Booth. Copyright 2026 by Claire Booth. Reproduced with permission from Claire Booth. All rights reserved.

 

Author Bio:

Claire Booth spent more than a decade as a daily newspaper reporter, working all over the country—from Washington, D.C., to South Florida, the Seattle region, and the Bay Area. She spent much of it covering crimes so convoluted and strange they seemed more like fiction than reality. Eventually, she had enough of the real world and decided to write novels instead. Her critically acclaimed Sheriff Hank Worth mystery series takes place in Branson, Missouri, where small-town Ozark politics and big-city country music tourism clash in, yes, strange and convoluted ways.

Catch Up With Claire Booth:

ClaireBooth.com
Severn House
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram - @claire.booth10
X - @clairebooth10
Facebook - @claireboothauthor

 

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!

Click here to view the Tour Schedule

 

This Investigation Has a Giveaway Twist!

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Claire Booth. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

HIDDEN CURRENTS by Claire Booth | Gift Cards

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I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Awake Sleeper! by Mark Alan Leslie

About the Book:

Discovered floating down a river, renowned singer Christiana is as comatose as much of the church is today.
What was once reprobate becomes accepted, what is accepted becomes celebrated, what is celebrated becomes normalized. Anyone opposed is ostracized.
Join detectives Seth and Sophia MacGregor and Police Chief Ian McElroy as they investigate whether Christiana’s fall into the river was accidental, suicide, or attempted murder. They discover a disturbing plunge from faith in this dramatizing of today’s Christianity, which in large part has succumbed to the dogma of compromise.
Eighteen-year-old Christiana was riding atop the world of Christian music when her parents were murdered by a man who meant to kill her because of her lyrics declaring, “Jesus is the only way.” Blaming herself, she left her career, lost her faith, and spiraled into other religions and a world of sins.
Rescued but lying unconscious in a hospital, her condition frames the question: Is the church savable?
Read to the end … and you decide ...

My Review:

This is an entertaining allegory of the American church, nearly dead, in a coma, on life support. There is a contributing story line of two people, Seth and Sophia, investigating, trying to find out what happened to leave Christiana in this dire situation. In the course of their investigation, they find many clues as to what led to her current condition.

Mostly, this book is a critique of the contemporary modern, liberal church. Messages other than the gospel being preached from pulpits, for example. The author has a narrow view of what it means to be a Christian. You cannot be a Christian and be a Democrat, for example. (41) If you criticize Israel or are pro-Palestinian, you are anti-Semitic. (91) (Regardless of war crimes.)

Seth is a hard line Christian, with a condemning and judgmental attitude without any compassion or mercy. He seems to embody what I would call the extreme right. I liked Sophia much better. She evidenced mercy and compassion, praying for those being led astray, for example.

This is a thought provoking novel exploring how the church has strayed from the pure gospel. It is by no means politically correct. It may be considered shocking, the idea being to wake Christians up from the slumber they are in. I just wish there had been more love and mercy shown for the deceived and lost.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

The winner of seven national journalism awards and described as a "master wordsmith," Mark Alan Leslie has authored 15 books, including a dozen historical and contemporary novels from the Christian worldview. American Family Association’s AFA Journal called Leslie’s A Cause Most Splendid: The Battle for the Bible the best novel of the year in 2022. His True North: Tice’s Story about a young slave’s escape from Kentucky to Canada was a Publisher’s Weekly Featured Book and set the stage for his speaking to numerous schools, historical societies and elsewhere across New England. He and his wife live in Maine.

Elk Lake Publishers, 182 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

The Economy Always Gets Better by Nikki M Finlay, PhD

Dr. Nikki Finlay's

 

WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR

 

OF

 

The Economy Always Gets Better: Navigating Turbulent Times with Confidence

About the Book:

For those of us who forgot what we learned years ago or never had the opportunity to take an economics class, terms like recession, depression, tariffs, inflation, and gross domestic product can make our heads spin.

If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place.

In The Economy Always Gets Better, award-winning economist Dr. Nikki Finlay explains the economy in its simplest terms, making it easier to understand and giving readers the tools to approach even the most distressing economic information with confidence.

Dr. Finlay combines her knowledge and years of academic experience in this practical and accessible guide for anyone wishing to better their understanding of the economy. Using personal stories, useful metaphors, visual representations, and statistical data, she makes economics accessible to everyone.

Whether you’re worried about the current economic troubles or trying to figure it all out for the first time, The Economy Always Gets Better will leave you better informed and better prepared to thrive.

Publisher: Amplify Publishing 

AISN: B0GVVTV6K7

ISBN-13: 979-8891388826

Print Length: 240 pages

Purchase a copy of The Economy Always Gets Better: Navigating Turbulent Times

with Confidence on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org.

You can enter for an opportunity to win a copy of the book here. (Scroll all the way down to the bottom of that page. Opportunity ends August 30.)

My Review:

I have always considered economics one of those subjects like quantum physics. It would take years and an advanced degree to understand it. I really appreciate how Dr. Finlay explains everything in ways I was able to grasp. She challenges readers to explain the concepts to an eight year old so has made the information that clear.

I appreciate her helping me understand all the aspects of the economy, like pricing, inflation, unemployment and trade. She also clearly explains what the US government and the Federal Reserve do to regulate the economy and what is means to have an economy that is running well.

I recommend this book that takes a complex subject and explains it well.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Dr. Nikki Finlay is an economics educator and author of The Economy Always Gets Better: Navigating Turbulent Times with Confidence. She helps adults who feel intimidated by economics understand how it actually works in their everyday lives—without the jargon.

With over two decades of teaching experience at institutions including Clayton State, Georgia State, and Gwinnett Technical College, Dr. Finlay has worked with students of all backgrounds and experience levels. Her approach is simple, practical, and rooted in real-life examples that make complex economic concepts easier to understand.

Through her writing, Dr. Finlay translates topics like inflation, employment, and economic cycles into clear, relatable insights that help readers build confidence—not just knowledge—about the world around them.

She lives just outside Atlanta, Georgia with her husband of over 40 years and enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her children and grandson.

You can follow the author at: 

https://nikkifinlay.substack.com

www.linkedin.com/in/economics-for-the-rest-of-us

Amplify Publishing, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through WOW! Women on Writing. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Waters of the Deep by Jonathan Freed

About the Book:

What really happened “in the beginning”?

For centuries, Christians have wrestled to harmonize Scripture with science. Did God create the universe billions of years ago―or just thousands? Were the heavens and the earth formed in the same week, or is there a deeper story written between the lines of Genesis 1?

In Waters of the Deep, physician and researcher Jonathan Freed, MD, explores an evidence-based creation model that affirms both the authority of Scripture and the vastness of the cosmos. Building on the hydroplate theory and a close reading of the biblical text, Dr. Freed proposes the Old Universe / Young Earth framework―one that restores reason, reverence, and coherence to the creation narrative.

Written for sincere Christians who love God’s Word but struggle with the seeming conflict between faith and modern science, Waters of the Deep offers a compelling, scientifically informed, and biblically faithful vision of creation―one that strengthens confidence in both the Bible and its Author.

My Review:

Understanding how science and the Bible relate with respect to the universe has long interested me. How do we reconcile what the Bible says in Genesis to what Science has discovered about the Universe? How do we create a model that respects the authority of Scripture as well as integrates evidence from the natural world? Freed explores the previously proposed models and evaluates them.

He advocates an Old Universe/Young Earth Hydroplate Theory view. It allows for a universe billions of years old and an earth with life only thousands of years old. Water under the crust of the earth is key. The water is expelled at the Flood. A feature of this theory is that created beings, such as angels, could exist before the creation of the earth. The rebellion of angels and the introduction of sin could have happened during this time.

While I don't think his proposed theory answers all of the issues involved, I think it does get us to a place for serious consideration. This is certainly a book worth reading for Christians interested in the creation and science topic.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Jonathan Freed, MD, is a plastic surgeon from Auburn, California. He has been involved in Creation Science education for over 20 years. He has a passion for mission service having served as a short-term volunteer missionary in India, Central and South America, Africa and the South Pacific. Active in leading Bible studies, he is an elder in his church in Granite Bay, California and has served on educational and missionary boards.

Carpenter's Son Publishing, 158 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison

About the Book:

When Babe―the complicated, magnetic matriarch of their teenage summers―dies, four estranged friends return to sleepy Mercy Island, a storm-swept stretch of coastal Georgia, summoned by the reading of her will.

Didion arrives at the timeworn pink house to find the friends she never thought she’d see again―along with the tensions, attractions, and unfinished business that once bound them together and broke them apart.

What should be a brief weekend of small talk quickly unravels when they wake up and discover...it’s Saturday. Again. And again. And again.

Trapped in a time loop with no end and no instructions, they’re forced to confront the betrayals, breakups, and buried truths that shattered them all those years ago. Because maybe, just maybe, an endless weekend is exactly what they all need to save their own lives.

My Review:

This is an enjoyable novel that explores life and what one can do, how we experience grief. The characters are drawn lifelike. There is magical realism included as time repeats, like Groundhog Day. That provided time for contemplation of life and actions and the rebuilding of relationships. This book is a new twist on an old theme. It's entertaining but not spectacular.

St Martin's Press, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)