Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

Oh what a strange weather weekend this one is turning out to be, right? Whether you’re in bitter cold or snow or ice (or maybe all three) please, oh please, be safe, my friends. Hunker down and read some books and take some naps.

Before you read some books, though…here are some other fun finds for you to check out.

I know the post-holiday/new-year season is a common time for people to work hard at organizing their homes. It’s the perfect time of year for resetting the house and finding a place for everything (and keeping everything in said places). KariAnne wrote about some of her favorite organizational tools, and some of them were even new to me! The shoe storage and earring holders were my two favorites, I think, but take a look through the list and see what you like for your home!

You know I’m a huge fan of David Phelps, and I stumbled across this interview with him not too long ago. It was fun to hear some stories I hadn’t known – and to think about End of the Beginning, which is one of his early songs that is still so powerful!

It sure does not feel like gardening season around here right now, does it? But it is a great time to learn about gardening, and indeed I did learn much from Mary’s post about regenerative agriculture. Ryan and I have a relatively small (in the grand scheme of life) garden bed, and the size of our property doesn’t permit us to expand it much. I do want to make the most of what I have, though, so reading these tips about how to treat the soil (plus a few other things) was really helpful!

Sugar addiction is real for me, just like it is for Wendy. I really connected with her words here and am reminded that whether it is sugar or something else, there are far too many things that push us away from God, and we let them, because they don’t “seem” dangerous. Read this one a few times, even if you don’t have a sweet tooth. The underlying truths matter!

Audrey released a casual winter capsule wardrobe not long ago, and I liked her picks. It’s not go-to-the-gym casual, so if you want to be comfortable but still look work-appropriate, this one would probably work! I always like Audrey’s choices, and this capsule was no exception!

I love a good set of fun facts, so I had a blast reading this article about random photography facts. Indeed, I did not know most of these things – including the object captured in the first ever color photo! Enjoy learning some photography trivia that my one day serve you well in a party game! (Also, for the record, I’m REALLY glad DSLR cameras don’t weigh as much as the original. Whew!)

BOOKSHELF:

                A few weeks ago, I told you about the 2026 Christian fiction reading challenge, and I decided I wanted to participate so I could learn about some new-to-me authors. The January author is Becky Wade, and I’ve never read any of her books! The book they chose for the challenge is the third in a series, so of course I needed to read the first two before I get to the intended book. (It turns out I’m  unlikely to get to the actual challenge book by the end of January, since it’s next week.)

                I discovered book two for free on Kindle and the first and third books were just $2.99 on Kindle, so I got all three. That is how I came to read Memory Lane – the first book in the Sons of Scandal series – by Becky Wade.

                The book opens on a primitive island off the coast of Maine, where Remy Reed discovers a man overboard near her home. She rescues him, but he is injured and has amnesia with zero memories of his life and identity. Though she is, by nature, private and isolated, Remy devotes every moment of her day to helping “Jonah,” as she names him heal and rediscover who he is.

                Though I don’t want to say more of the plotline out of respect for the plot, the book is full of unexpected revelations and a complicated mystery that picked up speed as the book went along. (I stopped breathing entirely by the end.)

                What I Loved About This Book: I really loved the characters – main and supporting. I easily fell into their world and felt right at home there. Even though I did not accurately solve the mystery (and so thought I had!!) I loved the suspense and resolution of it all. I enjoyed reading about occupations foreign to me, and I really loved some of the underline-worthy quotes scattered throughout the chapters.

                What Surprised Me About This Book: I want to be clear that the following things were not off-putting to me, but they were surprising. Though the book has clear faith undertones, it doesn’t have as strong of a faith storyline as I expected. The characters do casually drink, which I didn’t love, but it wasn’t a main theme, and I reminded myself that this probably bothers me way more than most readers. Based on the design of the cover, I thought this would be a no-spice book. They all seem to have the same look about them. But there actually was a LOT of spice in this book. It was tastefully written, but it surprised me since I figured it would be absent. I did enjoy the push and pull of the love story within these pages, for sure.

                I’m excited to move on to book two – and then three! And even though I’ll be late to the party, I look forward to watching the interview with the author that comes with the reading challenge!

                Also, for the record, I really like Becky’s writing style and would love to eventually read more of the books she’s written.