Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

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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?

When familiar words become fresh: Review of God Is Able by Priscilla Shirer {plus a giveaway}

Two verses. One powerful message.

In her new book, God Is Able, Priscilla Shirer breaks down Ephesians 3:20-21, familiar words from the apostle Paul, in a fresh and encouraging way. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my review.)

Here are the words on which she bases the book:

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

god is ableI will confess: this book made me nervous at first. I wondered if she was going to promise that God would answer every prayer if we just had enough faith to believe, or something along those lines. And I wondered if she had any hard places from which to draw her experience. It’s easy to place a Bible teacher, speaker or author on a pedestal of ease, thinking they’ve never had to deal with hardship.

I’m glad to say I was wrong on both accounts.

Shirer makes it clear from the beginning that she has experience with seemingly impossible situations. She lists some of them. And that she’s not promising results. She writes:

Just because God can doesn’t mean He will.

But just because He hasn’t doesn’t mean He won’t.

The bottom line is that He is able. (p. 13)

And it’s that theme, the title of the book, that carries through the book. Each chapter focuses on a word or a phrase from the verse in Ephesians, and I appreciated the chance to dig in to a set of verses that I sometimes gloss over.

Shirer is realistic and encouraging. She exudes hope, which is hard to handle sometimes when you’re in the midst of hopelessness, but doesn’t deny that life doesn’t always work out the way we want it to.

Whether or not God CHOOSES to do something is a question of His sovereignty, not His ability. Whether or not He WILL do it is His business. But believing that He CAN–that’s our business. (p. 62)

A tough assignment, especially for those of us with a tendency to want to fix and do something about our problems.

Shirer writes with boldness, humor and honesty. I appreciate her authenticity, and the book was so encouraging I wish I’d had a copy a year ago when life seemed impossible.

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Are you in the same boat? Because I’ve got a copy to give away. Leave a comment on this blog post. You can share about your impossible situation or simply tell me that you need this book. I’ll pick a winner on Sunday night, November 24.