Enthusiastically, Dawn

Hello friends! Today I am sharing a quick Fall reading update. A bit of where I am now and where I have been in the readerly world. Be sure and leave me a comment on what is the best book you have read so far this year, will you? Got a solid recommendation? Let me have it. OK, let’s peek into this (brief?) look into my latest book reading.

First I have to tell you of the two books that come to my mind when I mention best books so far this year. The books I have most enjoyed so far this year and must mention and highly recommend are The Mother of All Words (poems) by Kelly Belmonte, and The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (historical fiction). These both were two books I could not put down. Two different genres but both so good, they are worth sharing with you.

The poetry by Kelly Belmonte in this delectable collection will leave you with a new appreciation for poetry. Actually for those of you who struggle to enjoy poetry or don’t always get it (I confess even as a sometimes poet myself, I am in this group!) Kelly’s small collection of bite-sized ensembles might be your jam. I devoured it, and felt a fresh hope in the possibility of what poetry is, can do and accomplishes in us when it’s this good. It is. That good. I promise you won’t be disappointed with this collection. Read the title poem Here and catch a glimpse of her website: HERE. +

Let’s talk about Ariel Lawhon. She singlehandedly turned me into a better fiction reader. No, wait. I absolutely was not a fiction reader. I knew this was a pitiful state for someone who claims to be a writer. So way back in maybe 2012 or so, I had been following and semi-keeping up with Ariel’s writing- back in the days I was still on the Gram and the Book, (Instagram, Facebook, etc.). I believe it was a first release fiction effort for her- I can’t even recall the title of the book, but there are definite hints of her amazing writing potential in it. I got it free on Kindle, read it by the pool that Summer and understood why I needed to read fiction regularly. Something clicked for me. Lawhon went on to write a number of lengthy historical fiction bestsellers since, and I finally decided to get her latest, The Frozen River. Many, if not all, of Lawhon’s books focus on a female heroine, steeped in pivotal points in history and loaded with deeply researched and well written prose. I am pretty sure I will read everything she writes. She writes tastefully, sensitively and has a sharp eye for details which allows her characters to jump off the pages. I would say, she is trustworthy. As in not going to lead you to a place which compromises your good senses. There are some things I just don’t want to read. I could do a whole other post about picking up a book and finding it to be popular with the masses, and critical acclaim, but not trustworthy, and not where I want to focus my attention. I don’t think this author will lead you to those places. Thank God for good writing and good taste. She writes about difficult topics with sensibility and grace. Reading before bed, will keep you awake, there is your warning. But so good, it’s worth staying up late. You can check out more about the storyline and your next hero, Martha Ballard and her (spoiler alert – not really) JOURNALS – a hint into why I loved this book —-HERE.

About this month’s stack:

I picked up Rebecca by Daphne de Mauria at our local library’s giveaway shelf. It’s a classic, however, I have never read it. I know little about it, but it seems to be quite descriptive, long in introduction, but not unenjoyable. So here I am jumping into this and hoping I get through it to the end. Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts if so. I am still early in in this one.

When the Stars Disappear by Mark Talbot is a second time read for me. My book group (which is a small group of mothers whose children have died) are meeting together this month to discuss it, so I have been re-reading and listening to it on Audible. I love listening to refresh my memory of what has been read. A dear friend gifted me this book shortly after my daughter passed. I read it but I am not sure I absorbed it at that point, so this is a good opportunity to revisit and reevaluate. The focus of Christian suffering and biblical perspective (Crossway is the publisher) is a powerful, practical combination.

The Joy of Missing Out written by Tonya Dalton is one for my plannerly lifestyle. I bought it a few years back, but am just getting to it. ‘Tis the season, the pre-new year planner season, that is- so this read is a good way to consider all the planner type things that we who plan love so much to do!

Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby. I had the original book years ago, Experiencing God, so I was familiar with the title, but this little devotional was sent to me by my bestie for my birthday this year. I have been enjoying it alongside my morning Bible reading.

Finding Freedom in Christ by Portia Collins is an exegetical dive into the book of Galatians. The structure and format is helpful in building basic Bible study habits for searching scripture, and using additional resources. The author, offers in this book, a tool for individual and group study which facilitates the kind of information needful to access the facts of scripture. How? By walking the reader through every step of the who, what, why, how, when of the book of Galatians. Portia asks questions which are not feelings focused but scripture focused. She is an excellent Bible Study partner. There are QR codes throughout for a bit of Portia’s helpful input. I am hopeful to partner with a couple of women from church at my home to complete this study. Check more out here if this interests you.

Still enjoying Becoming New and my Wiersbe Study Bible. Am I a Bible and book nerd? Why yes, I am.

One new Bible that came to me as a pleasant and joyful surprise was the CSB Notetaking Bible Sage Revive Our Hearts Edition. I actually received it as part of a giveaway during the launch of this beautiful new Bible. I hope to review it at a future date. I need to have some time with it and I am currently using another. Stay tuned! As an appreciator of Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and her Bible teaching ministry, I feel blessed to have received this Bible.

I guess that’s it for now. Let me know your reading stack, favorite reads so far this year or favorite authors in the comments below, would you?

You can see all the books I am loving on Goodreads – the only social media platform I am active on (I really am a book nerd). You can also check out all the books I have read so far this year here: Dawn’s books so far 2025.

Thanks, as always, for joining me here. I am grateful for my readers, and for the opportunity to share!

Enthusiastically, Dawn