Archive | October 2025

The Atlas Of Untold Stories by Sara Brunsvold

Oct12

Worth Coming Back For

The Atlas Of Untold Stories by Sara Brunsvold is the most charming contemporary Christian novel that I absolutely adored. It is a book to be savoured from start to finish.

This is a book about relationships between a mother and her two grown daughters. It is also about our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We witness the effects of life’s experiences on our outlook and on how we do life.

The younger daughter, Chloe, is like a breath of fresh air. She has a joy in life that is infectious, and which reaches from the pages to encompass the reader. Her joyful spirit comes from her faith. She knows that she is loved by God and that whatever happens, her life is in His hands.

In contrast, her elder sister and mother do not have a faith, preferring to rely on themselves. Their lives are far more tense. Chloe prays for them to know God. “I pray you hear His voice… Faith often came like a stranger to those who lacked it. But Chloe had plenty to share.” Chloe longs for them to know the joy of living loved.

The three go on a week-long road trip, taking in the literary haunts of authors and their fictional characters. It is a journey of discovery in more ways than one. “Walking in faith was an adventure like no other.” Each new day offers new opportunities.

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The Old Gals’ Bucket List by Karen King

Oct11

Grab Life By The Horns

The Old Gals’ Bucket List by Karen King is a perfectly charming contemporary novel that I read in just one sitting.

This is a light-hearted and fun read about learning to live again. The leading characters are all about seventy and prove that you are never too old to have fun.

The leading lady had been widowed earlier. Life has been on hold until she bumps into an old friend who is a cancer survivor and determined to now make her life count. “I promised myself that if I survived, I’d live life to the full, no fear, no excuses, I want to make every single day count.” This is a turning point as the pair decide to make a bucket list and then work through it.

As the novel progresses, we see that growing older can still be exciting as the pair grab life by the horns.

We see the ladies get their first tattoo, learn to swim and conquer many fears. “Feel the fear but do it anyway.” Life is for living and new experiences can be fun.

A grown-up son tries to limit his mum, believing she is ready for a retirement home! “I’m ready to live again and you need to step back and let me do that.” Her son’s stance comes from the viewpoint of love.

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Releasing Janet by Alex Banwell

Oct10

Of Love & Life & Loss

Releasing Janet by Alex Banwell is a powerful and heart-wrenching contemporary Christian novel that consumed me from the start. This book is incredible. It is so good that it is hard to know just what to pick out. It is all excellent.

This is the follow-on book to Just Benny. It can be read as a stand-alone but I recommend reading the books in order for character progression, development and understanding.

Releasing Janet is such a beautiful novel. It is about love, and loss, and a family who lost their way, each living isolated lives but under the same roof. A tragic event tore the family apart. Grief and guilt set in. Everyone stopped talking. Healing halted. Life as they knew it was ripped apart. “She stole our joy, and without her, we only existed.”

It may seem strange to declare a book about loss, ‘beautiful’, but it is. The beauty comes from the love that is found in the purest of hearts – namely children – young Janet and Beth. Their zest for life is infectious and makes the reader smile.

Benny is another character who sees life very much in simplistic terms. He is a sixteen-year-old who has battled epilepsy his whole life. He knows just what he likes and just who he loves. He is a character with a huge hear. He is a gentle soul. It is beautiful to witness his interactions with, and love for, two-year-old Beth.

The focus of this book is Benny’s mother Janet. She has lived life under a cloud since aged eleven. Following a devastating event, Janet has piled guilt on herself. Her guilt has dominated her whole way of thinking and behaving. If only someone had told her the truth when she was eleven, her life would have been so mush easier. As Benny says, we must tell the truth even if it is hard.

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A New Life In Amsterdam by Helga Jensen

Oct10

New Beginnings

A New Life In Amsterdam by Helga Jensen is the most delightful novel that I read in just one sitting.

You are never too old to have a new beginning. The fifty-nine-year-old proves that as she moves from a house in England to a houseboat in Amsterdam after the empty nester syndrome kicks in.

Isolated in England, Amsterdam offers a community feel and friendly, feel-good vibes as she is welcomed with open arms by the houseboat community.

In England, loneliness had been temporarily alleviated by becoming a shopaholic. “All these material goods only serve as a temporary comfort blanket. It is loneliness at home that is the problem.” Each shopping high was following by a crashing low.

In contrast, we see the community and care that life in Amsterdam gives. “Kindness, compassion and being helpful are more important than material things.” The lead character finds herself cocooned by the new community.

Characters bond over food and community activities, such as knitting and a book club. All the characters are warm and welcoming. Their love and care reach beyond the book, to envelop the reader.

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