Book Review: The Making of Us by Sheridan Voysey

Title:  The Making of Us

Author: Sheridan Voysey

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: 19 March, 2019

Website: themakingofus.com 

Sheridan Voysey’s delightful new book, The Making of Us, jumped straight into my “unputdownable” category after I read the first few pages. This well written book tells the story of many journeys and is a fascinating read.

There is the physical journey which Sheridan takes to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, where his friend, DJ, joins him. The two then make a hundred mile pilgrimage on foot (mostly!) to Durham on the northeast coast of England, where the famous Lindisfarne Gospels are on display for a short while.  Sheridan’s descriptions are such that I felt as if I was travelling  with him—experiencing  the highs and the lows along with landscapes, seascapes and skyscapes. I marvelled at God’s Creation with him and met the many colourful characters Sheridan tucked into the pages.

The physical and spiritual journeys of Cuthbert, the 7th century monk who was one of the first evangelists in northern England, and other saints of yore, are interwoven with Sheridan and DJ’s journey. Interesting snippets of historical detail signpost the way and add to the richness of the narrative.

But the most important journeys are the spiritual journeys of Sheridan and DJ which seamlessly unfold through the walk. They seek answers to questions which we all ask at times such as: Who are we? What makes us who we are? What happens and who are we when our lives do not play out as we hoped or planned? Sheridan shares his experiences and epiphanies with us in a way which makes them relatable to our everyday lives.

At the end of the book there is an invitation to take a spiritual journey of our own. This is in the form of a Bible-based refection guide for each chapter, which will help us to learn more about God’s love and our identity in Him. I look forward to accepting the invitation and taking up the challenge of working through this section as I read the book again slowly so that I can savour every page.

I read this book hoping to enjoy Sheridan's writing and to learn more about drawing closer to God. It exceeded my expectations and I give it a five star rating.

I received a free copy of this title, but it is my own fair and honest review. 

The Emotion Thesaurus (Second Edition) Available Now

Hi guys! 

Today I'm helping authors Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi launch their new book, The Emotion Thesaurus (Second Edition)!

You might know about The Emotion Thesaurus or even have it on your shelf. But chances are, you may not have known a second edition was in the works. Becca and Angela decided to keep it a surprise and only recently announced the book was releasing!

Your Favorite Book Is Now Bigger & Better

The Emotion Thesaurus is known for its powerful lists that help writers show (rather than tell) character emotion through body language, thoughts, visceral sensations, dialogue cues, and behavior. 

This second edition gives writers more of what they love: more emotions (55 more to be exact!) more teaching content, and more writing tips.

Here are three of the new entries: Euphoria, Vindicated, and Schadenfreude. This book is almost twice the size of the original, so it's almost two books in one.

Anyway, if you'd like to check into it, Goodreads has some reviews up, and you can find more information here. 

One More Thing...Want to Attend a FREE Writing Conference?

a writing retreat? A workshop? Or even have your yearly membership to a professional writer's organization suddenly paid for? 

OF COURSE YOU DO!

Angela and Becca have a giveaway on right now to celebrate their release, and one lucky winner will get their choice of the above, up to a $500 US value. There are some conditions so check that out, but this is the giveaway of a lifetime, so hurry over to enter. And good luck!

"Surprised by Oxford" by Carolyn Weber

Title: Surprised by Joy
        A Memoir
Author: Carolyn Weber
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Date: 2011
ISBN-10: 0849946115











I requested "Surprised by Oxford" as I wanted to know more about Oxford and its history before visiting it. The author, Carolyn Weber, is Canadian and I found it very interesting to see the town through her eyes. "Surprised by Oxford" is a treasure trove of interesting information studded with literary quotations. Did you know there are signs of fish carved in the pavements by Christians during pagan times? That's just one piece of trivia I learned. I loved reading about the nooklike bookstores, the adverts for shows and plays stuck up on the glass in the bright red phone booths . . .

But this book is so much more than just a book about Oxford. It's the story of an agnostic student from Canada and her journey through the academic liturgical year to a relationship with a loving God as she becomes a Christian. She writes about her experiences and intellectual struggles with a refreshing transparency and honesty that had me laughing and crying by turn.

It's also the story of her developing romance and all its ups and downs with TDH (Tall, Dark and Handsome) who became her husband.

Although this book is often very down-to-earth, it also includes intellectual philosophical discussions and lectures which I sometimes found myself skipping over as some were abstract and hard to follow, others did not make sense to me.

I highly recommend this fascinating memoir, it's a long read, but a really good one.

Thank you to BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson for a free electronic review copy. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed above are my own.

Book Review: Strength Renewed: Meditations for Your Journey through Breast Cancer by Shirley Corder

Book Title: Strength Renewed: Meditations for Your Journey through Breast Cancer
Author: Shirley Corder
Publisher: Revell
Date: October 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8007-2023-0










"Strength Renewed" consists of 90 devotions which follow Shirley Corder's cancer journey chronologically, but they can be read in any order as each one stands alone. Shirley's upbeat personality, laced with her lovely sense of humour, shines through this beautifully written book. She comes alongside her readers as she chats with honesty and transparency about the roller coaster ride of having cancer, her treatment, recovery and personal relationships. Her faith in God is evident throughout the book.

The meditations can be read on several different levels. Whether you want encouragment from the Bible, down-to-earth tips, words of hope, a short prayer or a connection with someone who really knows what the cancer valley is like because they've been there, you'll find it in this book. Shirley has included three questions in each devotion for those who wish to explore the cancer journey in more depth.

Shirley's prayer in the introduction is that "this book will strengthen your faith." My brush with cancer was many years ago, but I found much in "Strength Renewed" to strengthen my faith today.

I strongly recommend "Strength Renewed". It's an outstanding resource for anyone with cancer and for their companions on the journey through the cancer valley.

Shirley Corder is a registered nurse and a breast cancer survivor who has a passion for helping others as they go through treatment. She is a contributing author to several books, including four Guideposts anthologies, and has published many devotions. She lives in South Africa. Her website can be found at http://www.riseandsoar.com/http://www.riseandsoar.com/

Book Review: The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy

Book Title: The Baker's Wife
Author: Erin Healy
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Date: October, 2011
ISBN-10: 1595547525
ISBN-13: 978-1595547521












A lie-based scandal forces Audrey Bofinger and her pastor husband Geoff  to leave their church. One of their ministries is baking breads—think  rosemary-potato loaves—to give away, so “Rise and Shine”, a failing bakery, becomes their new workplace, as well as being a healing place for their family wounds.

Early one morning Audrey and her son Ed drive to the bakery through heavy fog. They crash into a motor scooter, which turns out to belong to Julie Mansfield. Julie’s blood is found at the accident site, but her body has disappeared without a trace.

What happened to Julie’s body? Where is it? This mystery lured me through the book and kept me wondering and turning the pages to the end.

Julie’s husband, Jack Mansfield, a police detective and also the man responsible for forcing Audrey and Geoff out of their church, blames Audrey for Julie’s disappearance. He's a self-righteous man who twists scripture to suit his purposes and believes that God owes him for living a good life. He has no compassion whatsoever. He’s vindictive and seeks justice at all costs.

Jack is a complete contrast to Audrey, who is the embodiment of compassion. She’s gifted with empathy, so much so that she experiences the pain and suffering of other people. She hears voices audible only to her and feels the weight of an unseen arm turning her in the direction she should go to bring comfort to someone. Jack and Audrey show two different responses to hardship and suffering.

This supernatural element of Audrey’s empathy made me feel a little uncomfortable, but it was not overdone and did not detract from my reading experience.

I loved the symbolism of bread and the bakery. Bread, like Geoff and Audrey’s ministry, is life-giving and sustaining.

If you like Christian fiction with well developed characters, deep themes, mystery and suspense, then this is just the book for you.

I highly recommend this intriguing book and give it a four star rating.


Thank you to BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson for a free review copy. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed above are my own.