“Dangerous to Know” by Megan Whitson Lee

I was supposed to post this quite a while ago – thought for sure I had, but apparently not! Here it is now though. :P

 

“Dangerous to Know” by Megan Whitson Lee

Review copy through Audra Jennings PR 

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

About the Book:

“Don’t look at him, dear. He’s dangerous.”

Isabella Bankmill seeks a husband whose character matches her list of requirements. The man must share her faith, but he must also possess a certain je ne sais quoi. The enigmatical Lord Gregory Gordon Bromby—London’s newest literary sensation—certainly possesses the latter. Despite a deformed foot and alarming views on politics and religion, he attracts the ladies in droves.
Haunted by his past and overwhelmed by his newfound celebrity status, Lord 

Bromby’s obsession with his own doom leads to reckless behavior. When he is stalked by an obsessive aristocrat seeking an elopement, Bromby’s friends urge him to marry a suitable lady as soon as possible. Intrigued by Isabella’s convictions, and hoping to avoid further scandal, Bromby proposes to Isabella.
Isabella also receives an offer of marriage from kind-hearted philanthropist, David Beringer—a man equally devoted to his faith—but she only has eyes for Lord Bromby. Blinded by his talent and good looks, Isabella convinces herself that he’s not as dangerous as everyone claims. But when Bromby’s world violently collides with hers, Isabella must decide once and for all who is lord of her life. God or Bromby?

 

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

This was a fascinating novel, based upon the life of Lord Byron. The names were altered, but recognizable.

Honestly, I’m not quite sure how to review this one. It wasn’t an entirely happy sort of book; it held more of a solemn tone. But it worked, and it was needed.  I cannot really decide between a 3.5 rating and a full 4 – it absolutely intrigued me, and kept me turning the pages. However, it is not a light happy book that I could readily recommend to younger readers, due to some of the content. It wasn’t graphic, but it was realistic, and it was a bit on the heavy side. Lord Bromby was very much a tortured soul, and certainly a rake.

Isabella is faced with the decision to follow after her emotions/heart or adhere to the wisdom in her spirit and that given by her family and friends.

It is all too easy to be led by our emotions. I can understand why she made the choice she did, but I cringed for her. I at once wanted her to choose differently and yet got caught up in her emotions and rooted for who she chose. Except I didn’t. It’s hard to explain. :P

I appreciate the lesson this book got across – our decisions we make in life are so very important, and there are consequences. Nothing should rise above our devotion and love of God.

I liked the redemption message too.

The end was a bit open-ended, but it was…hopeful. I feel like that is a word best described for it.

The writing was well done, easy to read. The formatting sometimes tripped me up, as nothing was ever in a slanted format so it would switch from its third-person form to first person as the main character felt an emotion, or had a thought, etc. I think it would have been helpful to have some distinction between the third to first person style.

But yes, this was definitely a novel that stuck with me even after I closed the last page. I’d be very interested to read the author’s other book, and any future ones. :)  But would not recommend it to younger readers.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

July ’18 Recap

Ah, a rather boring title, but logical. ;)

 

 

I find it both crazy and a tad bit thrilling to see July pass by. It actually went quite fast, which brings us one more step closer to fall! ;) And the latter half of this month has actually been manageable weather-wise. The first half was ridiculously hot and humid and yeah. But lately we’ve had some cooler days, which is surprising for July, but I’m not complaining! In fact, one day last week was 65 degrees. Sweatshirt weather. The mornings have been chilly as well. I know August is still to come, and with that more hot hot hot weather, but I’m enjoying this respite for now. ;)

 

 

In life updates….

 

 

We had to clean the tubs of the butcher chickens and transfer a few over to a new, less crowded one. And let me tell you, the smell was nasty. Like, horrible. Sometimes I think  still can smell it…And then another week later they were all transferred again to the larger pen, which is more spacious and nicer, and easier to feed them in. Whenever you step in there though, your feet are swarmed and pecked at because that’s how they are. XD I used to wear jean shorts to do chores in the hot weather, but now it’s long jeans only because eww. XD

And we also added 8 new layer chickens to our flock (except one disappeared and became some predator’s dinner, very sadly).

I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that my favourite mail carrier might just be done delivering our mail and I need to adjust to our new one. Yes, mail is a bit of a big deal to me. Our old MC was very orderly and always placed the mail in a nice stack, with any letters that might be addressed to me sitting on top. Packages arrived in a careful manner. ‘Twas nice.

But now…So sad. I do actually quite like our current mail carrier; she’s very nice. But maybe not as OCD me when it comes to mail ;)

In July our town has a bit of a celebration thing with various events. We went to the kiddie parade (for my nephews of course ^.^), the book sale, and the regular parade. It was all quite a bit of fun!

Also in July, we made a day trip up north and it was fabulous. an almost 4 hour car ride both ways, but so good to get up there and see my grandparents if only for a few hours.

 

 

I’m sure other stuff happened this month (in fact I know it did), but I’m moving onto the book section of things because I like books. ;)

 

 

These are the ones I read this month:

 

          

 

By clicking on their covers you will be brought to my reviews of the books. :)

 

 

And these are the books I acquired:

 

 

 

And let us not forget my new book cozy!

 

 

 

 

 

Other posts of this month include….

 

 

 

 

 

 

How was your  July? Have you read any of the books I read or received this month? Any recommendations? :)

“The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond” by Jaime Jo Wright ~ Book Review

 

“The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond” by Jaime Jo Wright

Review copy from the publisher/author as part of launch team.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

About the book:

For over a century, the town of Gossamer Grove has thrived on its charm and midwestern values, but Annalise Forsythe knows painful secrets, including her own, hover just beneath the pleasant faade. When a man is found dead in his run-down trailer home, Annalise inherits the trailer, along with the pictures, vintage obituaries, and old revival posters covering its walls. As she sorts through the collection, she’s wholly unprepared for the ramifications of the dark and deadly secrets she’ll uncover. 

A century earlier, Gossamer Grove has been stirred into chaos by the arrival of controversial and charismatic twin revivalists. The chaos takes a murderous turn when Libby Sheffield, working at her father’s newspaper, receives an obituary for a reputable church deacon hours before his death. As she works with the deacon’s son to unravel the mystery behind the crime, it becomes undeniably clear that a reckoning has come to town–but it isn’t until another obituary arrives that they realize the true depths of the danger they’ve waded into.

Two women, separated by a hundred years, must uncover the secrets within the borders of their own town before it’s too late and they lose their future–or their very souls.

 

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

 

Gossamer Grove is a town of lots of secrets – past and present. Goodness! I knew that by picking up this book I would be in for a suspenseful ride, and I was right! From reading the author’s debut novel, “The House on Foster Hill”, I expected this to be a bit on the creepy side (like a not-read-at-night sort of novel!), but TRAGP actually wasn’t quite as creepy as the first. ;) Oh there were a couple of moments that had your eyes huge, wondering how it was going to end. And the suspense and mystery are so present! And so well done. All the secrets were woven through the story at a perfect pace, revealing themselves slowly and at the perfect time. Very impressive. :)

I don’t usually care for duel-time line stories, but I make an exception for Jaime Jo Wright’s novels – I am always so captivated, and always love both past and present stories pretty equally, which is a feat in itself! Switching back and forth can be a bit hard for my brain to adjust, but these stories…well, golly! I have to keep reading. ^.^

In 1907 and present day, our heroines Libby and Annalise both strive to uncover the mysteries that surround their lives. It’s very gripping, and the characters are so realistic, it’s almost hard to remember that I’m reading a fiction novel. :)

Also woven through this book is the very important message of grace and forgiveness. I like that it was also presented with the message of the importance of repentance too.

I very much enjoyed this one, and am so looking forward to the next book by Jaime Jo Wright!

Quotes:

“No amount of mystery in one’s soul can escape the ever-watchful eye of God. One may carry guilt and shame with them for years, only to discover that while they attempted to doge God’s judgement, they instead cheated themselves of His forgiveness.”  

“There is a balance to be struck between justice and grace. I say justice rather than judgement, although sometimes one comes hand in hand with the other. We cannot cheapen God’s righteousness by familiarizing Him to such a degree that His grace becomes a ticket to wanton freedom. Yet we cannot discount His forgiveness under the assumption He creates only to destroy.” 

“The consequence of sin is death, but the grace of God brings us life. One must fear God for what He can do, while loving Him for what He doesn’t do. A contrite heart results in the withholding discipline in exchange for mercy – and love.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

From Now On

“From now on…These eyes will not be blinded by the lights”

These are some lyrics from the song “From Now On” of the movie “The Greatest Showman”.

First off, I love this song, and it gets very upbeat towards the end and just makes you want to dance along. But the lyrics are awfully meaningful too.

You know how God will bring something to us at just the right time? This movie has actually been that a few different times. And these lyrics specifically have become so relevant to me lately.

Because my eyes do get blinded by the lights. It’s so easy sometimes.

“For years and years, I chased their cheers, a crazy speed of always needing more”

I’ve gotten this way with books, reading, supporting authors. Wishing, hoping, yearning for their accolades, their acknowledgement. To be honest, it stings to admit it. But it’s an ugly truth for me. I wanted their ‘cheers’, to be noticed for my countless years of book reviewing etc. And it wouldn’t really matter when I received it, because as the song says…it becomes a crazy speed of always needing more. And then I’ll look around and see others getting acknowledged for what they do, and see how they really are supporting these authors and doing more than I am doing, and I get jealous. Because I want that to be me.

And as I said, I get so caught up in it, to the point where I’m blinded by these ‘lights’. And the ‘lights’ can be any number of things – whatever we think our hearts desire is, and we get so blinded by it that it takes our focus away from what really matters.

“…but when I stop, and see You here, I remember who all this was for”

As I sat one evening pouring out my emotions into my journal, I had the soundtrack for The Greatest Showman playing in my mp3 player, and this song hit me so much stronger than before. The words all became clear to my situation, to what I was feeling, and where God wants me to be. So yes, I capitalized the ‘y’ on “You” in the above lyrics, because this is how God related it to me.  So often we get caught up in the whirring and busyness of life, and caught up in what we want to be doing. But we need to just stop. Set our eyes on the One stable thing in our lives, and remember Who we live for. And sometimes we will be forced to stop…

“‘Cause from that rubble,

what remains

Can only be what’s true

If all was lost

Its more I gain

‘Cause it led me back

To You”

This pain of chasing something that was unattainable made me stop – it was the rubble. It was a sort of ‘crash and burn’ situation. You can only run on searching for the lights for so long before the rubble becomes clear. But when the rubble is there,  the One thing that does remain is Him. In all this, He is clear, and if we lose the lights we strive for, we’ve gained more than what we ever thought we could’ve had from the lights. Because a great many times, it’s the pain and the rubble that brings us back to Him. It still makes me tear up as I sit here typing this.

He reminds me that whatever I do, I do for Him. It doesn’t make it easy all of the time, no. It’s hard but also it makes me thankful that He does woo us and bring us back to Him.  Because He is there when it stings. And He is always there to call us back Home. If only we will listen.

“And we will come back home

And we will come back home

Home, again!”

He is our Home. And oh how He rejoices when we return to this point!! When we stand in the rubble and refocus on what – and Who – is true. When we lay down the lights and the cheers, stop chasing after the things of this world, and come back to Him – we come back Home.

So it is my prayer that… “from now on, these eyes will not be blinded by the lights.” From now on, may my heart always find its place secure in the Home of Jesus.  I pray this for you too, reader. That whatever lights you find yourself temporarily blinded by, you will heed His call to come back Home. To what remains.

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him.” Philippians 3:8-9

My very first booksleeve from The Cozy Life ~ Review

(So, somehow, in the pictures I took, I managed to put the cozy backwards each time, failing to showcase “The Cozy Life” fabric tag….oops! I’m still learning on picture-taking. ;))

 

My Book Cozy! My first from The Cozy Life. I have seen the cozies from this etsy shop all over, was very familiar with the name, and drooled over the cozies in the shop frequently.

And then I got to receive one for the purpose of this review. And I couldn’t be more excited about it!!

The owner is so kind, and super quick in mailing the cozy out – I received it right away. And when I took it out of the package, I found it wrapped so perfectly.

 

 

 

Perfect little package tied up in string – so cute and special!

Now, for the quality…Um, it’s beautiful. Need I say more? I mean, that word encompasses the whole thing! It’s durable, and thick, and soft, and sturdy, and I adore it. I was surprised by its thickness and softness upon receiving it – it’s almost like a pillow! You can tell it is extremely well made, and I love knowing it protects my books so well. Because if you know me, you know that I do my best to keep my books in like-new condition, but I still have to have my current read accompany me wherever I go, so this book cozy is perfect for that.

It’s just the right size for my paperbacks, and they fit snugly inside.

 

 

 

 

If you couldn’t tell already, let me tell you that I am utterly thrilled with my cozy from The Cozy Life, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her shop!

 

 

 

“Midnight Comes” by S. J. Blasko ~ Book Review

My devotional post will be up next Monday. For today, please enjoy this post about “Midnight Comes”!

 

 

 

“Midnight Comes” by S.J. Blasko

Refractions: Fairytales Between the Lines, #1

review copy from the author

My rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

 

Once upon a time…
There was a sorceress, who cursed a prince to become as beastly as his pride
There was a daughter, who watched from her window and ached to see the world
There was a mermaid, who traded her voice in the hope of a soul
There was a stepmother, who saw beauty only in others, never in herself
And there was a boy, who forgot the warmth of love.

In five narrative poems exploring the darker, more human side of these classic fairytales, rediscover the characters as they are given a voice of their own.

 

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

This is a creative collection. After reading novel after novel, I enjoyed reading this book of poem-like retellings. They are unique in the telling of familiar fairy tales.

My favourite of this collection would certainly be “Mermaid’s Soul” – it flowed beautifully, and had a bittersweet tone of reality.

I’m a lover of words and seeing them in this format makes for an enjoyable read. It was a short collection, so perfect to read in one sitting.

I look forward to Miss Blasko’s future writings. :)

 

“Murder at the Flamingo” by Rachel McMillan ~ Book Review

 

 

 

“Murder at the Flamingo” by Rachel McMillan

A Van Buren and Deluca Mystery

 

Review copy through BookLook Bloggers

My rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

 

 

About the Book:

 

“Maybe it was time to land straight in the middle of the adventure…”

Hamish DeLuca has spent most of his life trying to hide the anxiety that appears at the most inopportune times — including during his first real court case as a new lawyer. Determined to rise above his father’s expectations, Hamish runs away to Boston where his cousin, Luca Valari, is opening a fashionable nightclub in Scollay Square.  When he meets his cousin’s “right hand man,” Reggie, Hamish wonders if his dreams for a more normal life might be at hand. 

Regina “Reggie” Van Buren, heir to a New Haven fortune, has fled fine china, small talk, and the man her parents expect her to marry. Determined to make a life as the self-sufficient city girl she’s seen in her favorite Jean Arthur and Katharine Hepburn pictures, Reggie runs away to Boston, where she finds an easy secretarial job with the suave Luca Valari. But as she and Hamish work together in Luca’s glittering world, they discover a darker side to the smashing Flamingo nightclub.

When a corpse is discovered at the Flamingo, Reggie and Hamish quickly learn there is a vast chasm between the haves and the have-nots in 1937 Boston—and that there’s an underworld that feeds on them both. As Hamish is forced to choose between his conscience and loyalty to his beloved cousin, the unlikely sleuthing duo work to expose a murder before the darkness destroys everything they’ve worked to build. 

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

I’ve got a lot of cover-love for this one. Not to mention the clever title. :)

I liked the story itself alright, but to be honest it wasn’t my most favourite.I had a bit of a hard time getting into it, and sometimes it felt choppy and jumped around a bit to where I wasn’t sure I knew what was going on and would need to read the same thing several times before I would get what was going on.

There were several things that were repeated and sometimes felt a little more like filling rather than integral to the book.

I liked Hamish quite a bit, and loved his love for The Hunchback of Notre-Dame – that was extremely endearing to me. How he carried his well-loved copy with him and knew parts of it by heart; yep, loved that! And I also appreciated his struggles with anxiety. No, I don’t like anxiety, but it is nice to see real characters with real struggles. And while I don’t suffer from panic attacks or anxiety at the severe level he does, I could understand. I applaud the author for writing this into his character and making him come to see himself as strong through it all.

I liked Reggie and enjoyed their relationship, until the latter half of the book. Reggie was very fickle in her romance and it was very aggravating. Literally, in one chapter she was kissing one of the two men she goes between, and is having a marvelous time with him, and then in the very next chapter she is said as feeling wildly attracted to the other man, trying to keep her gaze from tracing his lips. That just irked me. I understand that “the heart is deceitful, who can know it?” but it was like there was no conflict of her conscience either.

The mystery plot was pretty well done. It kept you wondering till the end. As I mentioned above, there were definitely parts where I felt lost in the explaining of it, but that might just be me.

I was also disappointed by the utter lack of faith included. It was ‘clean’, but I wouldn’t classify it as Christian.

I didn’t hate this book. I just didn’t love it like I had hoped.There were definitely aspects I enjoyed, like the time period, and the nightclub, and the dancing. And I would be curious to see how the series continues.

I think it will be one that many people love. And I wish I could’ve said the same for me. It was just a bit of a miss for me, but that doesn’t mean it will be for you. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

“The Masterpiece” by Francine Rivers ~ Book Review

 

 

“The Masterpiece” by Francine Rivers

Review copy from Tyndale Publishers 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

About the Book:

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers returns to her romance roots with this unexpected and redemptive love story, a probing tale that reminds us that mercy can shape even the most broken among us into an imperfect yet stunning masterpiece.

A successful LA artist, Roman Velasco appears to have everything he could possibly want―money, women, fame. Only Grace Moore, his reluctant, newly hired personal assistant, knows how little he truly has. The demons of Roman’s past seem to echo through the halls of his empty mansion and out across his breathtaking Topanga Canyon view. But Grace doesn’t know how her boss secretly wrestles with those demons: by tagging buildings as the Bird, a notorious but unidentified graffiti artist―an alter ego that could destroy his career and land him in prison.

Like Roman, Grace is wrestling with ghosts and secrets of her own. After a disastrous marriage threw her life completely off course, she vowed never to let love steal her dreams again. But as she gets to know the enigmatic man behind the reputation, it’s as if the jagged pieces of both of their pasts slowly begin to fit together . . . until something so unexpected happens that it changes the course of their relationship―and both their lives―forever.

My Thoughts:

 

I may not have read  all of Francine River’s books, but I know that, by picking up one of hers, I will be guaranteed an excellent and deeper read.

Right from page one, I was drawn into “The Masterpiece”, and was not keen to stop when life required it. ;)

It is such a realistic read, with real struggles. The author doesn’t tip-toe around the harsher things in life. And yet she still weaves it in a tasteful way.

Both main characters, Roman and Grace, suffered pretty horrible and traumatic childhoods. And our childhood does shape us into how we deal with life as an adult. I feel that it was portrayed very well in this book. Reading about their trauma’s was heart-wrenching. I felt for these characters as if they were real people.

The message of Christ was also very realistically and beautifully shown. It was very poignant, and touching.  I also liked the morals Grace upheld, even when it was difficult. Yes, she’s made mistakes, but all Christians do.  And in everything, she still fought to keep God at the forefront.

Roman’s journey was an important one. I was so happy to see his conclusion, and the things God brought him to. Very cool.

Despite that this is a bigger book, I actually think there could have been a bit more at the end – I wasn’t quite ready for it to come to its finish. However, it was nicely done. Just wanted more, as you do with many a good book. :)

One small thing that kind of bugged me was some of the ways Grace raised her son, Samuel – she was an excellent mother, but she didn’t have a problem leaving him with people she didn’t know after moving to a new place, or letting him cry because he was apart from her, etc. I realize that these are just different parenting-things and different views, however, it is also true that leaving our children to people we do not know, could result in abuse.  That wasn’t included in this book, but it bothers me when people are casual about leaving children in unknown situations. As well as the fact that society (even churches) push parents to leave their kids with others.

Otherwise Grace was a very loving mother.

The graffiti-art aspect of this novel was terrific. I found it very fascinating, and the whole thing just worked together greatly.

I very much enjoyed this novel. :) It was a very powerful book that I look forward to reading again!

*This book is geared more for mature-readers. As I said, the author doesn’t skirt certain issues. Topics of abuse, death, sex, etc. are involved.

The First Book You’ve Ever Read Challenge

Hello readers! Marrok McIntyre created a tag-like challenge about the first book you’ve ever read that also inspired you to become a writer. In his words, “I thought it would be a pretty cool idea if we writers would share what originally inspired us to pursue this path of artist expression.”

 

Quite a fun idea, so lets get started!

 

 

 

The rules are simple

• Challenge at least 1 person
• Share what was the first book you’ve ever read
• Why you read it in the first place
• How did it inspire you to become a writer

 

 

 

Okay, so the first book I ever read.

Well, this may be hard to believe, but I actually hated reading at first. I know. But I did. I resisted it for quite a while. I didn’t want to learn, I didn’t like it, and I didn’t want to. I’ve always been a little envious of others who could say they loved reading from the get-go. Especially since reading is now one of my biggest hobbies. But, alas, it was not so for me. I remember how hard my Mum tried to get me to read. My older sister was one who loved reading right away. But not me. I liked The Bob Books that helped teach us to read, but only a little. I liked them in the way that they were entertaining, but the struggle to learn the words was aggravating.

So what switched me on reading? Well, again, I wish I could say that it was some amazing book. But it was…

Yep. SpongeBob. I now realize it wasn’t even the first book in the series. I just remember sitting down at my sister’s bookshelf, wondering why she liked reading so much. I picked this one out (wish I could remember my motivation for this choice particularly!) and realized, “Hm, this is actually…enjoyable. The story isn’t boring,” and that was it, so to speak. Now, I don’t think I took off reading like a mad-man at that point, but it was my start. I realized that books took you on great adventures. Even silly ones. ^.^

However, I don’t think I really began wanting to write until I read this book:

I don’t remember much about the book, other than the thought of “I want to write a story too”. So I did, and it was basically a carbon copy of this book, with different characters. XD I don’t believe I finished it either.

But once I started writing, I found that I liked. For a while most of my writing energy was poured into journals (I had discovered “Amelia’s Notebook” series, and the Dear America series coincidentally) as I processed life. Then I eventually came upon another book that boosted my desire to write, and since then I haven’t looked back. Well, I mean, I’m looking back right now, but I think you know what I mean. ;)

The book that made me want to write more was:

That was at about 12/13, and I reread it several times. It’s been several years since I read it, but I hold it in fond remembrance for being the book that I loved to read the most and what made me want to write more. And as for the motivation of why it made me want to write in ernest…well, it was creative, and captivating, and I loved how it transported me to a new world, to new things. I wanted to be able to do that too.

So, there you have it! A too-long posts about books from a now-book-lover who was once a book-hater! Sometimes I forget that I didn’t always love to read and I wonder how anyone couldn’t like it, but all I have to do is remember. And know that everyone is different. My younger sister has never been a fan, and that’s okay. She’s started to enjoy it a bit more now, but as more of a side-hobby.

So I’m more understanding now that I might’ve been before.

And I do really love books now. Really, really love books. ;)

Now, I hearby challenge, should they accept:

Faith P. at Stories by Firefly!

Soleil at Thoughts from a Daughter of God

And I’d love to also challenge my bestie, author MacKenzie Morganthal, but she does not have a blog. However, I would like to know your answer, Ken… :D ;)

And that is that. Hope you all enjoyed reading, and if you were not challenged and would like to be, consider yourself challenged and please let me know when you post, because I’d love to read it!

Character Introduction: Lettie

 

Today’s character introduction will be a little different.  (If you’re new to these posts: The idea behind them is just to spotlight the character a bit, give a little description of their personality, and for fun, a few books I’d recommend to them if I could. )

In a normal month, I do an author interview on the first Monday, and follow with a character introduction from one of the featured author’s books. But as you may have noticed, I did not do an author interview this month. Time got away from me. So, I’m using this moment to do a bit of a different sort of character introduction…instead of being from a book, I am choosing a movie character. I hope you enjoy!

Photo from Pinterest; I do not claim any rights to it.

Lettie from The Greatest Showman

She’s the Bearded Lady in the group of Barnum’s Misfits. She’s been scarred on the inside, and understandably so.

When Barnum discovers her, she draws back, assuming he will ridicule her like everyone else. Because she is not like everyone else – she is not “the norm”. But Barnum doesn’t ridicule her of course; he enthusiastically embraces who she is, and calls her beautiful, which I love.

Lettie is also not a size two. I know that weight does not matter in this world, but I also understand this struggle. I’ve struggled with my own weight for many years, and I don’t always like what I see in the mirror. I think Lettie would understand this. It’s not just an outward thing either; I think Lettie’s character represents all sorts of people and their situations. Whether that be emotional, physical, or mental etc. Everyone has their own sort of struggle and wants to be accepted, wants to be what they think is “normal”. But that’s by the world’s standards. God doesn’t have a ‘normal’ – He’s made everyone different and unique. And whole.

Lettie learns to accept who she is, beard and all. The song she sings, “This is Me” brought tears to my eyes immediately, and almost every time I heard it afterwards.

I think Lettie’s journey is relatable to everyone, no matter their looks, size, heart, etc. We live in a world where we’re told we have to be something other than we are. We have to be this or that. But no. This is ME. I am who I’m meant to be. Because of God. They don’t say that in the movie, but oh I felt it. God made me who I am. I need to remember I am priceless in His eyes, in His Kingdom.

So is Lettie. So are you.

We are brave, we are bruised, we are who we’re meant to be. This is us.

So yes, I found Lettie inspiring. Relatable. Strong. Bruised like me. And beautiful.

As for what books I’d recommend to Lettie, I’m not really sure. I’d love to sit down with her and get to know her – see what books she might like herself. If only, right? :)

If you’ve seen The Greatest Showman, what books do you think Lettie would enjoy?

Lettie Lutz’ character can be found in The Greatest Showman movie (which I love so much). :)