Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

katie ganshert

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?

5 on Friday: inspiring quotes from books I've read recently

Sometimes, a story says it all. And lately I’ve found that while reading fiction, a line of text or a word picture will hit directly where I’m at and speak to my soul. Here’s a sampling of some quotes that have inspired me and caused me to think, from books that I’ve read in the last couple of months. I recommend each of these books for the storylines, truths and soul-stirring writing.

  • Like so many things Henry had wanted in life it had arrived a little damaged. Imperfect. But he didn’t care; this was all he wanted. Something to hope for and he’d found it. It didn’t matter what condition it was in. —Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie FordOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
  • “See that light?” he asked me when the firefly lit up his hand. “This light is bright enough to light up a little speck of the night sky so a  man can see it a ways away. That’s what God expects us to do. We’re to be lights in the dark, cold days that are this world. Like fireflies in December.” — Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent
  • Eliza knew she should go below. But she had never been very good at obeying authority. Besides, she’d rather be blown to bits on deck than die below cramped in the rank belly of the ship. —Forsaken Dreams by Marylu Tyndall
  • Be still and I will fight for you. Only instead of comfort, the words brought fear and doubt. Because as much as she wanted to believe them, the Lord did not fight for Micah when she’d begged Him to more than four years ago. She knew firsthand that her definition of deliverance did not match up with God’s. A small part of her thought maybe she was better off fighting for herself. But the words whispered over and over again. Be still and I will fight for you. — Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert.
  • She’d called her young infatuation love, but when she looked into her heart now, nothing there resembled those girlish feelings. Everything was so much richer and deeper–as if what had come before was simply an artist’s preliminary sketch, void of detail and color, and over the last few weeks, that same artist had brushed the canvas of her heart with masterful strokes, creating a vibrant work that left her breathless. — Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer