Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Fiction

5 on Friday: Books to get you through winter {plus a giveaway!}

It snowed here this week, which has me thinking all things winter. Hot drinks. Warm blankets. Pretty scenery (viewed from inside, of course!). While I’m not much of a play-in-the-snow kind of person, I don’t mind snow. If it’s going to be cold, I’d rather have snow than nothing.

1. A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs. I read this novella last year, and I’ll probabl

No matter the season, I have books on the brain. And I’ve been thinking of some Christmas-themed ones and winter-themed ones that might make your winter a little warmer. Here are five that come to mind. (And I’m giving two of them away!)wreath of snow

y pick it up again. I didn’t used to read Christmas stories around Christmas, but there’s a charm to it.

sweethave christmas2. A Sweethaven Christmas by Courtney Walsh. This is the third book in a series, but if you’re from a small town that has a Christmas walk/parade/festival, then this book will take you back there. I haven’t been to something like that in years but when I read this story, I felt like I was home. (Keep reading to find out how to win a copy of this one!)

3. Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma. A new release I read this week (and it was on sale on Kindle!). Set in 1945 in the Netherlands, the book focuses on Dutch Resistance efforts and one woman’s internal battle with living safe or living free. Also, based, in part, on a true story from Tolsma’s family.

4. Winter in Full Bloom by Anita Higman. Another good one about a woman becoming who she truly is. I love that the main character’s name is Lily Winter. As she recovers from the loss of her husband and her daughter’s transition to college, Lily heads to Australia in search of a twin sister she never knew she had.

wildflowers from winter5. Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert. (I guess I have a thing for flowers and winter imagery!) In it, a small-town girl making it big in the city returns to her hometown to deal with tragedy and finds that leaving her past behind isn’t as easy as she thought. And I happen to have an extra signed copy of this one in the house, so I’d love to give it away. Consider it a Christmas present to you, my book-loving friends! Is there any better present than a book? Maybe, but books are near the top of the list for me!

And I’ve got a copy of A Sweethaven Christmas to give away! Two books, two winners!

So, how do you win? Just leave me a comment about what you love/hate/appreciate/despise about winter, or answer any of the questions below. Also, if you’d prefer one book over the other, let me know that. One winner per book, though! I’ll pick two winners on Tuesday, December 17 (my grandmother’s birthday!). (Contest open to U.S. readers.)

What other Christmas/winter books would you add to the list? Have you read any of these?

What stories do you like to read when the temperatures drop?

Better with age: Review of Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

I can’t tell you how old I was (at least 19) or how many years it’s been (too many) since I read Francine Rivers’s classic novel Redeeming Love. But I know my season of life was different. And because of that, when I read it recently for the second time, I found a whole new appreciation for this story. And the need for a box of tissues as I read! (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from Waterbrook Multnomah through the Blogging for Books program.)

redeeming loveRedeeming Love is the story of farmer Michael Hosea, whom God tells to marry Angel, a high-priced prostitute in a California mining town in the 1850s. It’s based on the Bible’s book of Hosea, an illustration of God’s faithful love for His unfaithful people.

And Oh. My. Word. I was a wreck!

Angel’s life is tragic from the start. Born to a mother who is a prostitute by a married man who doesn’t want her. Rejected by family. Orphaned at 8. Sold into prostitution as a child. Hers is a story that plays out in real life for too many children worldwide. What follows is despair and hopelessness. Until one day Michael Hosea offers to take her away. He buys her freedom. To love her as a wife.

It would be easy to see this story only in terms of romantic love, to wish for a man who loves unconditionally and sacrificially like Michael. But it’s more than just a nice love story. It’s a picture of God’s love. For us. Every. Single. One.

He pursues us. Loves us. Even when we run. And betray. He patiently awaits our return.

This book has been around for 20 years, so I’m not sure what I can say that hasn’t already been said. I love Rivers’ storytelling style, and I feel like I love this particular story better now that I’m older, both in natural age and spiritual age.

If you’ve yet to read this book, I can’t recommend it enough. Biblical books like Hosea can be hard for us to understand sometimes because of names and circumstances that are unfamiliar. Rivers puts all of that into a more understandable context to convey a life-changing truth: no matter what we’ve done, or what’s been done to us, God is faithful. And He loves us. And He wants us.

Good heavens, I’m getting all teary just thinking about it.

Get yourself a box of tissues and let this story invade your soul. And wonder at God’s love.

You can read the first chapter here. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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Want to know more about the author? You can read all about her here or visit her Web site here. She’s got a new book coming next year, and I can’t wait to read it!

For more about the book, including the video trailer, click here.

And would you consider taking a moment to rank this review on the Blogging for Books site? You could win a copy of the book, just for ranking this review. Find it here.