Book Review: A Christmas Carol Devotional: 25 Advent Reflections from Charles Dickens's Beloved Classic by Rachel Dodge

 

A Christmas Carol Devotional: 25 Advent Reflections from Charles Dickens's Beloved Classic by Rachel Dodge is a unique and insightful devotional. Whether you have read A Christmas Carol by Dickens or not, you will find much to enjoy. However, fans of the classic Christmas story are certain to find wandering through favorite moments from the book in a new way just as touching and wonderful as their first read-through of A Christmas Carol. 

Cleverly, Dodge uses the five-stave format that Dickens used to pen his well-known tale of Scrooge's transformation in her devotional. Each day opens with Scripture and a quote from Dickens's story. Then readers find a "Prepare Him Room" section for reflection, followed by "A Christmas Prayer." 

The book's format has pages of stunning artwork that remind us of the story and the season. The author dives deeply into A Christmas Carol, providing insights and helping the reader uncover even more treasures from the beloved classic along the way. What is most beautifully done, however, is how Dodge connects Scrooge's tale with Scripture and God's love for us, helping the reader to focus on the true meaning of the season. In her Introduction, the author says, "When seen through the lens of Scripture, his story reminds us that each day is a gift, that the hardest hearts can soften, and that God can redeem and restore even the most broken parts of our lives." This made me love A Christmas Carol even more than I did before and encouraged me to see Dickens's beloved classic in a new way. 

This is one of the most beautiful and touching Advent devotionals I've had the pleasure to read. A perfect gift for you or someone you love, A Christmas Carol Devotional is a wonderful way to reclaim your focus and intention this holiday season.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zondervan
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 8, 2026
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0310468035
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0310468035

I downloaded this book from NetGalley. This review contains my honest opinions, and I have not been compensated in any way.

Book Review: Food is Medicine by Dariush Mozaffarian, MD DrPH

 

Food Is Medicine is a book that hits squarely on a topic I care deeply about. The ideas in it genuinely made me want to start a farm, grow my own food, and rethink the way nourishment fits into everyday life. The subject matter is compelling, timely, and somewhat revolutionary.

Mozaffarian brings an extraordinary level of expertise to the table, weaving together nutrition science, medicine, and public policy. His argument is clear: the food we eat is making us sick, not because we’re eating too much, but because we’re eating too little of what actually heals. The book lays out how the right foods can prevent illness, treat chronic disease, and reduce the enormous cost of poor health in our communities. It also explores how we can transform the entire food system — from farms to grocery stores to legislation — to make nourishing food accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

That said, this is a highly academic read. It’s dense, wordy, and packed with research. I found the content absolutely fascinating, but it’s not a breezy book you can casually flip through. It requires focus and patience, and at times feels like a textbook.

Still, the payoff is worth it. Mozaffarian’s blend of science, storytelling, and optimism paints a powerful vision of what food could be — medicine, yes, but also pleasure, abundance, and a path toward a healthier future.

If you’re interested in nutrition, food policy, or the future of health, this book is an eye‑opening resource. Just be prepared: it’s a lot to digest.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Henry Holt and Co.
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 20, 2026
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250394287
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250394286

I downloaded this book from NetGalley. This review contains my honest opinions, and I have not been compensated in any way.

Book Review: The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller

 

Women ahead of their time, living in a world that doesn't accept them, forging new paths that change the world for future generations of women, is the story you find in Vanessa Miller's The Ladies Hall. 

When Mary Church Terrell and Anna Julia Cooper enter Oberlin College, they soon learn the promise of equality doesn't match reality for Black women on campus. Mary and Anna enter the men’s academic track and immediately face resistance from classmates and faculty who doubt they belong. Joined by the quiet and steady Ida Gibbs Hunt, the three women navigate academic pressure, social hostility, and the unspoken rules of the Ladies Hall, where every interaction tests their resolve. Their shared fight for dignity and opportunity transforms them from isolated students into a united force, proving that progress is built through courage, intellect, and sisterhood.

What an amazing story. Vanessa Miller’s The Ladies Hall is a compelling blend of history and heart, offering readers an intimate look at three Black women determined to claim their place in higher education during the 1880s. Miller’s storytelling shines in the way she balances fact with emotional depth, giving Mary Church Terrell, Anna Julia Cooper, and Ida Gibbs Hunt distinct voices that are authentic and deeply human.

The novel’s greatest strength is its portrayal of sisterhood. Through moments of quiet support, shared frustration, and hard‑won triumph, Miller shows how these women shaped one another as much as they shaped history against the vivid backdrop of Oberlin College and the Ladies Hall. Their progress is constantly tested, making every victory resonate. 

For lovers of character‑driven historical fiction, you will find a touching story of three women who come together against odds they refuse to let defeat them. The Ladies Hall is an inspiring novel that is rich in history. It’s the kind of story that you won't be able to put down and won't stop thinking about even after you've turned the last page. 

• Publisher: ‎ Thomas Nelson
• Publication date: ‎ August 11, 2026
• Language: ‎ English
• Print length: ‎ 384 pages
• ISBN-10: ‎ 1400351103
• ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1400351107

I downloaded a copy of this novel from NetGalley. This review contains my honest opinions, and I have not been compensated in any way.

Unwinding and Getting Back to the Grind

What is it they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men? Yeah, I intended to blog today. I also intended to get a blog post ready for tomorrow. So, needless to say, I did not participate in It's Monday! What Are You Reading? or Mailbox Monday today. Nor will I have a post ready for Top Ten Tuesday and Tell Me Something Tuesday tomorrow. I might make it for the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge, but that all depends on how tomorrow goes. 

Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day Weekend. While it didn't turn out the way I had planned (still need to write those overdue reviews), I can say that it was the first time I stood firm and didn't answer work calls when I said I wouldn't. I even put an out-of-office message on my phone. Here's to boundary setting. 

Here are photos from the weekend.

Theo stole a cat toy

My move downstairs gave Travis a 

new napping place

Chef's salad from The Earlee Mug in Granby

Two new children's book arrivals

Spent some time in the kitchen

Walked two days this week

I am preparing two rental listings and reactivating a multi-family listing tomorrow. Then I have a listing consult in the afternoon. I will pay for those two days off, but it was worth it. 

Reviews that I promise are on the way:

The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller - Excellent

Food is Medicine by Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH - Superb information and very academic

The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson - Loved this so much I would go back and read it again if I had time

How to Train Your Mind by Chris Bailey - Excellent resource on meditation

Still reading or to read:

Massawa by Pam Webber

The Eyes of River by Cindy K. Sproles

A Christmas Carol Devotional by Rachel Dodge, which I am loving so much. 

Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Assistant by Hank Quense

Evan's Stormy Voyage by Karen Charles

She Forgot She Was Free by Giselle Mascarenhas

   

I also downloaded an audio version of Staged by Caitlin Rother because I promised her a review in June. When I have books in PDF format, it is harder for me to read them. NetGalley and Kindle files get read first, and printed books are even better since I can take them with me in the tub. I have muddled through the PDF, but to finish, I will listen in the car. 

I shared The Labor Day and Christmas Connection at Christmas Year Round this week. You can find that post here.

Hope to be blogging with all of you on Wednesday. Take care!

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: One Sci-Fi Item or Ability I Wish Really Existed

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews requests that you share your link in their weekly post on their website (which will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

Here we are at Wednesday again. Many school kids in our area are back in the classroom. The weather continues to cool down seasonally. And I am ready for a slower schedule--not that it is coming--and for the leaves to change. 

The prompt for this week's Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge asks us to share a sci-fi item or ability I wish really existed. While sci-fi is totally out of my league, I guess I would say traveling back in time. I've always been fascinated by shows like Quantum Leap and Voyager, whose premise involves traveling to the past. For me, it would be a neat way to see loved ones again.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books with Nationalities in the Titles and Tell Me Something Tuesday: Which books are you looking forward to reading this Fall?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Welcome to Tuesday and the first day of September. I am ready for fall, y'all! My mantle has been cleaned off and is just waiting for me to have time to decorate it. My fall decorations can't quite rival my Christmas decorations, but they are trying. 

No real news from the doctor, so more bloodwork tomorrow. How fun. 

Let's talk books. Such a neat topic this week. I will do my best with it. 

Top Ten Books with Nationalities

 in the Titles

French Letters: Virginia's War: Tierra Texas 1944 by Jack Woodville London

(Makes this list because I despised every character)

French Illusions by Linda Lovic-Skow

(Loved working as an editor on this project)

Loss of Innocence: A Novel of the French Revolution by Anne Newton Walther

(One of the first books I reviewed)

American Prophet by Jeff Fulmer

(I enjoy politics)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

(An online quiz said I wrote like him. LOL!)

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

(One of the books I still desperately want to read)

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

(The title alone makes me want to read it)

Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

(Might be the most used cookbook in my house)

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

(This one sounds adorable)

Under a Greek Sky by Francesca Catlow

(If I didn't have a Greek book on the list, the family might disown me)

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday's first prompt of the "ber" months asks us to share which books we are looking forward to reading this fall. Honestly, with my schedule lately, any book will do. I've been sneaking in moments here and there, but certainly not enough. Though it might seem like I am rushing the holiday season, here is what I want to read.

A Christmas Carol Devotional by Rachel Dodge

The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson

A Castle Christmas by Jimmy Bennett

Belle's Christmas Carol by Michelle Griep

Looking forward to reading your lists today!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Aug 31

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and are about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. 

Welcome to the last Monday and the last day of August. How quickly that happened. Hope you had a nice week. I worked and worked and then worked some more. No day off for me, but I'm looking forward to a day or two off this coming weekend. I did, however, get to spend some time in the kitchen.

Cookies!

Green beans and potatoes like my MIL 

used to make

Chicken cacciatore, which my MIL

 enjoyed cooking

Today is filled with medical appointments and work appointments. Would appreciate your prayers, as I have a suspicion based on recent bloodwork that I won't like what the doctor has to say. Hopefully, I am wrong. 

In my blogging and reading world, I still need to write my review of The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller. Amazing book! 

I didn't read The Eyes of River last week. 

Almost done with Staged by Caitlin Rother. 

Loving Massawa by Pam Webber. 

I still need to write a review of Food is Medicine by Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DRPH.

I am reading:

• A Christmas Carol Devotional: 25 Advent Reflections from Charles Dickens's Beloved Classic by Rachel Dodge
• The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson
• Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Assistant by Hank Quense

Upcoming Events

• Evan's Stormy Voyage by Karen Charles - Sep 24 (Review at TC&TBC)
• She Forgot She Was Free by Giselle Mascarenhas - Oct 14 (Review)

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

I am still pretending I have self-control by not ordering or buying anything new. Of course, I haven't done much other than work, so that has helped. 

Christmas Year Round

Journey through Christmases Past explores what might be the last analog Christmas in 1994. I will let you decide if that's true. You can read my post here. 

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

New feature alert! What Do You Think? will be reaching out to readers to ask their opinions on things. It might be very quiet, but we will see how it goes. Talking about author newsletters this week. Check it out here.

Laura's Little Houses

Nothing new this week, but ideas are always brewing. Season 2 of the new Little House on the Prairie is in production. I always have a hard time investing in a Netflix series because they cancel them so easily. I hope this series gets a longer run. 

That's it from me. I look forward to visiting you later today.