Tag Archives: #bookhaul

Reader’s Log 064: A Valentine Book Haul Part I

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Todays post is a book haul and I was thrilled to unexpectedly receive a gift to buy books! Those are the best kind of gifts, especially for book nerds. The unexpected…

I thought I would share what books I got with you, so you may be inspired and discover books you may not have heard of. I will be sure to write a review for each one when I read them. I was able to get quite a few books and I have a feeling that I’ll enjoy all of them. All of the books below would make great summer reads, but I will be reading them before summer, is my guess. Or maybe I should spread them out a little? Hmm…

Be sure to be on the lookout for part two of this book haul! It is going to be fabulous! What books are you excited about reading this year? What are some of your reading goals?

I spotted “A Castaway in Cornwall” in the bookstore and it looked so familiar. When I got home I looked it up , and I remembered it was on my wish-list, and I posted a cover crush on the book in 2020! Needless to say, It is long overdue to read and I can’t wait to read it shortly. I have a couple other books by Klassen in my personal library I want to get to this year.

A Castaway in Cornwall by Julie Klassen

Published December 1, 2020 by Bethany House Publishers

Paperback/392 pages

Laura Callaway daily walks the windswept Cornwall coast, known for many shipwrecks but few survivors. She feels like a castaway, set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers. Now living with her parson uncle and his parsimonious wife in North Cornwall, Laura is viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong somewhere again.

When ships sink, wreckers scour the shore for valuables, while Laura searches for clues to the lives lost. She has written letters to loved ones and returned keepsakes to rightful owners. She collects seashells and mementos, and when a man is washed ashore, she collects him too.

As Laura and a neighbor care for the castaway, the mystery surrounding him grows. He has abrasions and a deep cut that looks suspiciously like a knife wound, and he speaks in careful, educated English, yet his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Their attraction grows, and while she longs to return the man to his rightful home, evidence against him mounts. With danger pursuing them from every side, will Laura ever find the answers and love she seeks?

I’ve read one of Colleen Coble’s books before and I decided after reading it, I want to read all her books! The premise sounds intriguing!

Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble (Hope Beach #1)

Published August 3, 2021 by Thomas Nelson

Paperback/320 pages

A USA TODAY bestseller! Inheriting a beautiful old hotel on the Outer Banks was a dream come true for Libby. . .until her newfound siblings accuse her of stealing their birthright, her friend is kidnapped, and she’s blamed for the crime. Libby can’t believe her luck when she learns she has inherited a beautiful old hotel on the Outer Banks. The inn cries out for her restorer’s talent and love of history. She’s delighted to learn of the family she never knew she had. And the handsome Coast Guard lieutenant she’s met there on the island could definitely be the man of her dreams. But Libby soon realizes that the only way she can afford the upkeep on the inn is to sell it to developers who are stalking the island. The father who willed her the inn died before she could meet him, and her newfound brother and sister are convinced she’s there to steal what’s rightfully theirs. Worst of all, her best friend and business partner has been kidnapped before her eyes, and Libby’s under suspicion for the crime. Libby’s dream come true is becoming a nightmare. Her only option is to find her friend and prove her innocence or she’ll lose everything on the shores of Hope Island.

A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble

Published January 4, 2022 by Thomas Nelson

Paperback/352 pages

A wealthy hotel heiress.

Torie Bergstrom hasn’t been back to Georgia since she was ten, but she’s happy to arrange a job for her best friend at one of the family properties on Jekyll Island.

A suspicious death.

When Torie learns that her best friend has drowned, she knows this is more than a tragic accident: Lisbeth was terrified of water and wouldn’t have gone swimming by choice.

A fight for the truth.

Torie goes to the hotel under an alias, trying to find answers. When she meets Joe Abbott and his daughter rescuing baby turtles, she finds a tentative ally.

But the more they dig, the more ties they find to Torie’s mother’s death twenty years before. Someone will risk anything—even more murder—to hide the truth.

As you can see, I picked up three books by Coble. I seriously can’t wait to start reading them. This copy is an ebook. I got a good deal on it. If I like the story and give it a 4 or 5 star, I may purchase a physical copy for my home library.

Ambush by Colleen Coble (Sanctuary #1)

Published March 4, 2025 by Thomas Nelson

Ebook Copy

Paradise Alden’s childhood in Nova Cambridge, Alabama, was idyllic until the night her parents were murdered. Since then, life has left her scarred. The abuse she suffered in the foster care system, her first love’s betrayal, and the jaguar attack that nearly destroyed her career have led to an unshakable distrust–in men, in God, and maybe in even in herself.

After fifteen years, returning to her hometown is a last resort to finding her life again. She’s hoping the wildlife refuge where she’s accepted a veterinarian job will be the perfect place to heal from her recent traumas and unlock her memories about the night her parents died. But the day she arrives at The Sanctuary, a body is discovered on the grounds. And soon, a series of deadly events threatens not only her future, but the man who, despite all odds, still makes her pulse stutter. Arson, a shooting, a break-in, and multiple instances of animals being freed from their enclosures all point back to him, but Paradise knows Blake Lawson isn’t responsible. Not the man who has been helping his mother manage The Sanctuary these past six months and care for his stepbrothers in the wake of their father’s death . . . even if his betrayal years ago cost her everything.

Someone dangerous is lurking beneath the town’s moss-draped trees, and Paradise refuses to let another murderer disappear into the shadows.

Reader’s Log 033: Cultural and Biblical Background Studies Book Haul

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At Christmas time I got four books on my cultural and biblical background study wish-list and super excited about them. Some of you may know I have been studying biblical cultural backgrounds for a more in-depth look at the ancient world for a while now. As modern-day people we tend to look at biblical scripture, ancient society’s ideas and norms and beliefs with modern day eyes. It helps to have a better look at how things were for a clearer and richer understanding of the Bible and the early Christian’s lives. It is most likely that if you are a seminary student getting a BA in Religious Studies, you may be reading some if not all these books. If not, I highly recommend you read them.  

I’m currently reading the first book mention below and it is wonderful. There is so many facts I already know about the Greco-Roman period in the 1st and second 2nd period but they are being expanded on in this book. After I read and study all of these books, I will be ordering four more from my wish-list. Most likely it will be next year. However, I’m thinking about creating a master wish-list of books for these types of studies and post them. That may be a useful resource for those of you who are interested.

Side note: The Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts book is heavy like a text book. Aren’t the covers lovely!

Stephanie

The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era: Exploring the Background of Early Christianity by James S. Jeffers

What was life like for first-century Christians? Imagine a modest-sized Roman home of a well-to-do Christian household wedged into a thickly settled quarter of Corinth. In the lingering light of a summer evening, men, women and children, merchants, working poor and slaves, a mix of races and backgrounds have assembled in the dimly lit main room are spilling into the central courtyard. This odd assortment of gathered believers–some thirty in number–are attentive as the newly arrived and travel-weary emissary from Paul reads from the papyrus scroll he has brought from their apostolic mentor. But if you were to be transported to this scene you would perhaps be overwhelmed by a flood of unexpected difference. The voice of the reader recedes as through open windows the din and clamor of the city assaults your ears. Hooves clunk and cart wheels grind and echo from the street while drivers shout, vendors call and neighbors gather and converse. And later, as you accompany a family through darkened and dangerous streets to their third-story tenement apartment, you might try to mask your shock at the cramped and unsafe conditions. In the Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era James Jeffers provides an informative and scenic tour of daily life during the time of Jesus and the apostles. He affords “you-are-there” glimpses of everything from legal codes to dinner foods, from social hierarchy to apartment living, from education to family dynamics. His eye-opening book will advance your understanding of the New Testament and early Christianity and enrich your reading and application of the Bible.

Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul’s Message and Mission by Jackson Wu

Combining research from Asian scholars with his many years of experience living and working in East Asia, Jackson directs our attention to Paul’s letter to the Romans. He argues that some traditional East Asian cultural values are closer to those of the first-century biblical world than common Western cultural values. In addition, he adds his voice to the scholarship engaging the values of honor and shame in particular and their influence on biblical interpretation.

As readers, we bring our own cultural fluencies and values to the text. Our biases and backgrounds influence what we observe—and what we overlook. This book helps us consider ways we sometimes miss valuable insights because of widespread cultural blind spots.

In Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes, Jackson demonstrates how paying attention to East Asian culture provides a helpful lens for interpreting Paul’s most complex letter. When read this way, we see how honor and shame shape so much of Paul’s message and mission.

God’s Kingdom through God’s Covenants: A Concise Biblical Theology by Peter J. Gentry, Stephen J. Wellum

In this abridgement of the groundbreaking book Kingdom through Covenant, a biblical scholar and a theologian offer readers an accessible overview of the overarching structure of the Bible. Tracing the significance of the concept of “covenant” through both the Old and New Testaments, this book charts a middle way between covenant theology and dispensationalism―exploring the covenantal framework undergirding the history of redemption.

Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts by Jonathan S. Greer (Editor), John W. Hilber (Editor), John H. Walton (Editor)

This authoritative volume brings together a team of world-class scholars to cover the full range of Old Testament backgrounds studies in a concise, up-to-date, and comprehensive manner. With expertise in various subdisciplines of Old Testament backgrounds, the authors illuminate the cultural, social, and historical contexts of the world behind the Old Testament. They introduce readers to a wide range of background materials, covering history, geography, archaeology, and ancient Near Eastern textual and iconographic studies.

Meant to be used alongside traditional literature-based canonical surveys, this one-stop introduction to Old Testament backgrounds fills a gap in typical introduction to the Bible courses. It contains over 100 illustrations, including photographs, line drawings, maps, charts, and tables, which will facilitate its use in the classroom.

Reader’s Log 008: Book Haul

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This past week and weekend we had family visit and Saturday we went to our local Half Price Books store and loaded up! It is not often I find more than two books on my wish-list in one visit. I scored four on my list and I’m quite happy with my finds. I also purchased two books from Costco and got, “The Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon at our neighborhood’s free library where you swap out books. In total, I acquired seven books and started reading two of them over the weekend. With my galley reads, I’m all booked up and reading for a spectacular fall season of reading. I almost forgot to mention another book I was just approved for through NetGalley! So, I guess that makes eight books. I may hold off on reading, “The Frozen River” and pick it up late fall or early winter.

Do you have a book list or stacks of books you want to read this fall? What usually are your go-to genres for the season? I find that with my moods. I normally read mystery thrillers-as usual-set in the past, modern times or a dual time-line. For non-fiction reading, I like to read true crime and history. Funny that, because I tend to stick to that year round but the true crime more so in the fall. This doesn’t include my other history and research studies (Biblical, Ancient History, 1st Century AD and church fathers) I delve in year round. Yeah, that is a lot. I have a system in place and it works. I tend to be a bit of an information junkie one might say. That and I love studying history in general.

Stephanie Hopkins

NetGalley Book: Murder at the Manor

by Colin Wade

Pub Date Sep 28 2024 by The Book Guild

Description:

The Cotswold Manor Hotel welcomes an eclectic mix of guests, and on one fateful Friday evening, two witnesses overhear an argument in a neighbouring room, followed by a loud thud. The next morning, the maid discovers the room has been vacated; all that remains is a dried bloodstain on the carpet.

Detective Chief Inspector Chloe Taylor attends the scene, and soon after, a body is discovered in the lake on the hotel grounds, launching a murder inquiry. It soon becomes clear that the case is much bigger than she initially thought when one of her key suspects is linked to a terrorism investigation. A DCI from the Counter Terrorism Unit is quickly assigned to work alongside her.

As the investigation progresses, they are confronted by lies and deceit, suspicious characters, fake identities, and a case that threatens to spiral out of control. As DCI Taylor wrestles with the murder case and the politics of working with CTU, the mounting pressure leads her to make impulsive choices, putting her own life at risk.

Will she survive and solve the Murder at the Manor?