Ask anyone and they will confirm that I love and enjoy all types of books.
Over the years I’ve given away some very special books to some very special people. A book is a gift that goes on forever. One person will share it with another. That person will pass the book on too. It is highly possible that one book (just the right one) could even change the world.
You never know.
Are you stuck on what to give to one of your favorite people for Christmas? You can’t go wrong with a good book.
To pick the right one, just think of the person; what they like, what their interests are, the things they love and enjoy; and pick out just the right book to slip under their tree this year.
Of course, it is hard to read so many books ahead of time. How will you know the books are good unless you read them first?
We’ve decided to do some of the homework for you. Below are several book suggestions and reviews for all types of people. We have catagorized each book for your ease in selection in accordance with many different personalities.
In 2023 we like the following books for gifts, or even for giving to yourself after all the Christmas rush is over. We surely hope that eventually you will finally get a little quiet reading time for yourself.
FOR THE PREPPER YOU KNOW
A YEAR WITHOUT THE GROCERY STORE by Karen Morris.
This is a very small paperback book. It only contians 105 pages. However; the content if FULL of amazing ways to save on your grocery bill. You will be inspired to store enough food for your family to keep you from having to go to the grocery store for a whole year. Yes! It is possible. This woman has it all mapped out for you.
She had to learn these things the hard way. Her family endured a tornado that took their home and put them into a hotel for several weeks. She was prepared to feed her family. The food she had carefully stored away in their home was still in tack. This one thing left her free to do all she had to do to start their life over after losing their home for quite awhile. She had been in such situations before and she was prepared!
A lot of people store food away for emergency situations; that isn’t so unusual. However; Karen Morris stores enough food to feed her family of seven for a whole year. There have been years when she did this for $160 a year per family member. (Yes, you read that last sentenance right.) I know; it is unbelievable, but she explains her techniques and methods in detail. They are great!
The one simple method she explained that changed my life was a way to take notes of your family’s favorite meals, list those ingredients and slowly stock them in bulk. You always have a certain amount of meals on hand at any time. Also; you don’t have to buy all the groceries at once. It is a gradual method you can build into your grocery budget.
She explains short-term storage methods and long-term storage methods. Her suggestions are tried and true. The food is safe and healthy whenever you need it if you follow her instructions.
Karen also spends a few pages explaining the proper equipment you will need in order to make your food storge successful. She offers details about where to obtain these products and the best ways to use them. If your power is out for days because of a blizzard; Karen’s methods for using the proper equipment will keep your family from missing a meal.
She goes into detail about organization, tracking and preparing for people with specialized diets. Nothing is left to the imagination. In these few, short, easy-to-read pages she has thought of everything you need to know.
A great bonus is the detailed recipes she gives out for storing certain mixes and sauces you can prepare yourself. Karen even goes into the right way to store water. You will be surprised to find how wrong some of our favorite ways of storing things are. Her suggestions keep you from wasted efforts.
Any cook would love having this practical, yet amazing information among their cookbook collection. Preppers will especially love the methods and suggestions. They are not typical. All of her instructions have been tried and tested on her own family.
Give Karen Morris’s A Year Without The Grocery Store to any avid homemaker. It will be cherished.
SPECIAL BOOKS FOR THE WONDERFUL CHILDREN IN YOUR LIFE
Two amazing children’s books caught my attention this year:
WHAT THE ROAD SAID by Cleo Wade
This is a very special children’s book. I’ll start out by telling you that Lucie de Moyencourt is a wonderful children’s illustrator.
Children can learn so much about life from this book. They ask the road which way they should go and it tells them the choice belongs to them. Then the child questions the road about what will happen if they go the wrong way.
I’ll quote this answer so you will get the feel of how perfect the words of this book are: “The Road curved a little almost as if it was giving me a hug, and said, Do not worry. sometimes we go the wrong way on our way to the right way.”
The Road is full of excellent advice. It encourages kindness and curiosity.
In the end of the story the Road makes a very valid point; that the most important thing we can do in life is to keep going.
My favorite line (question) from the child to the road is the question from the child that asks the road “What if the world around us is filled with hate?” The Road answers “Lead it to love.”
A beautiful book for children or adults with children’s joyful and ever-learning hearts.
I will be giving a copy of this one to my grandsons this year.
NOTICING by Kobi Yamada
The second book I discovered for children this year was written by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Elise Hurst.
I can’t say enough about Elise Hurst’s illustrations. They are amazing. You could almost tell the story without words simply from looking at her artwork. She captured Kobi Yamada’s words to perfection.
That would be appropriate because the wording of the story is perfect too.
Have you ever thought about how important it is to notice all the things that make up life? The little girl meets a painter who shows her that the incredible is everywhere and in everything.
When the little girl asks her new acquaintance if she is a painter she says “I like to think of myself as more of a noticer really.” The little girl tries to see like the “noticer” sees. The Noticer gives her these instructions; “The more you pause and allow for the extraordinary, the more you find it.”
It is a sweet story. The Noticer helps the little girl to see herself and all the special things that make up herself in her life. She tells the little girl “You are the rare and unique combination of what was and the bright possibility of what can be.”
As the little girl begins to open her eyes to notice all the blessings around her the painter says “One of the best things you can be is interested.”
And the painter/noticer sparks the girls interest in the miraculous.
The end of the book will truly melt your heart.
FOR THE CONSERVATIVE THINKERS IN YOUR LIFE
Most conservative thinkers enjoy staying educated about things that are happening around the globe. Lately I’ve read two earth-shaking books that help with this. These two books would be excellent gifts for the conservative thinker in your group of friends and acquaintances.
The first book is:
UNWOKE by Ted Cruz
So many of us don’t really understand the meaning of the popular buz-word “woke.” Ted Cruz does an amazing job of making the meaning clear to us. The definition is cultural Marxism. In this book he offers many powerful suggestions as to how to defeat cultural Marxism in America.
He begins by telling the story of his father’s early years. Without a full understanding of his decision Cruz’s father decided to join in the revolution in Cuba during the days of Fidel Castro’s rule. His passion against Castro’s opposing party landed him in trouble.
Cruz notes his father was young, ignorant and naive. He didn’t even know that Castro was a communist. He only knew that the current dictator, Fulgencio Batista, was corrupt, cruel and oppressive. He wanted to fight against this oppression.
Cruz’s father got swept up in the idealistic passions of the currents of the Cuban revolution. He carried out many acts against the oppressive regime. At seventeen he found himself inside a prision because he pursued his passions. After they beat him brutally, he came before a colonel who would eventually let him go, but also threatened to blame him for anything that happened next.
When the young revolutionary returned home his mother encouraged him to leave the country. They all knew it was just a matter of time before Batista’s police would come for him and make him the next example of their power. They were already following him everywhere he went. He was afraid for his own family, much less his personal safety.
At that point Ted Cruz’s father decided to apply to colleges in America. Texas was the first college that decided to let him in. That was how Cruz came to be a Texan.
The whole book, though not fictional at all, is presented in story form whenever approprite. This makes for an easy read that gets the facts across. So many stories contain so much vital information. Fact filled pages as the story progresses are positively eye-opening. You will learn the Cruz family history at the same time you are learning what is truly going on in America.
Through the telling of his family stories, we come to know why Ted Cruz is so concerned about America’s future. His father’s story reveals the crushing impact of Marxism on a country. This made a permanent impression on Ted Cruz as he grew up. It has influenced his thinking and his decision making toward his political career.
Cruz tells of how his father returned to Cuba many years later only to see that things had progressed to a higher state of oppression than under Batista’s rule. This was during the time when Castro was in charge. The older Mr. Cruz returned from Cuba troubled and permanently changed.
Because of his horrible experiences with Batista; he had advocated for Castro. Now, many years later, he realized what a mistake that had been. He sat down and made a list of every place he had spoken in Austin back during the fifties in order to support Castro. Humbly, he went back to each and every one of those places and stood before the same people to make amends. He was very sorry that he had mistakenly urged anyone to support an evil Marxist regime.
From the telling of this part of his family history, Ted Cruz begins to explain the long, slow march of Marxism through America’s institutions. The family history made this an urgent quest in his life.
The revealing facts from the fifties through the present age are very well presented. They are so eye-opening and well represented that I believe this book should be read by every American citizen. It is very educational. Much vital truth is revealed within these pages through very well documented research and the experiences of Ted Cruz’s political involvement in our government. Stories are told of each and every historical turn in the road. Knowing the stories makes the reading so much easier and personal to all of us.
Cruz mentions that the radical left has, over time, seized control over the transmission of ideas.
This began with our universities. It trikled down to K-12 education. Then came science and journalism and big Business and Big Tech. Entertainment was also included in a huge way. Cruz goes into the details of these progressions through American cultural institutions.
He notes the fact that many of today are still wondering how this pull toward Marxism happened, or are even ignorant that it HAS happened. Once the historical facts are laid out, Cruz begins to slowly unfold the many facts around the ways that America has become “woke.”
The clear facts and explainations Ted Cruz gives in this book are detailed and revealing. At the end of every point he also explores what we can do to stop the progression of Marxism. His ideas for bringing the country back are very good and sound. Cruz has not given up hope for America. Many of these ideas could work if Americans chose to stand together in the implementation.
If you are trying to grasp “wokism” and what it truly has meant to America, I highly suggest reading this book. It would be a wonderful gift to any conservative friend who enjoys seeking out the details of the truth behind today’s cultural wars.
DARK FUTURE by Glenn Beck
Ted Cruz (mentioned above) is a story teller for the truth. Glenn Beck is a fact-chaser of the truth. Both men have a firm and unchanging vision of where America stands today. These two books could bounce off each other, echoing facts that every American needs to wake up and comprehend.
Some of the subjects in this book that Glenn Beck wrote are so full of facts that you may need to read several paragraphs twice, or even three times to grasp all of the truth he is laying out to the public. It will definitely be worth the effort. He is taking a look into what is happening to our immediate future.
There are critical powers at work around every corner, so many that it is hard to keep up with the latest episodes of the constant changes in the global governance we are drowning in today. These are pointed out and revealed in detail.
Glenn Beck helps us to sort it all out. Previously vague explainations and definitions are made perfectly clear. Historical significance in their formation is told. The double-speak language we hear on the national news every day is finally decoded. Mr. Beck has definitely learned how to chew up the meat and spit out the bones concerning these important and urgent matters.
Again, I suggest this book as educational material for all Americans. It would be especially helpful reading to many of our brain-washed ivey league college students. Much of the garbage that they have been taught is uncovered and pointed out. The reader will grasp the depth of how Marxism in America has used Big Tech, The Medical Professions, Large Corporations, Educational Institutions, Banking and Investment Firms and Government to obtain their dangerous goals.
Our future is pictured by our actions. Ignorance is NOT bliss in this case. What American citizens chose to do from here on out will determine who will control our lives in the next wave of technological changes. We need to understand what is at stake.
If you have a conservative friend who loves to read, they would certainly enjoy exploring this book called DARK FUTURE. Yes, some of this is a hard pill to swallow; but the beginning of freedom always starts with truth.
FOR THOSE WHO CONSIDER EVERY SEASON SACRED
If you read The IN SEASON Lifestyle blog articles, you already know how important I think God considers the times and seasons of our lives to be. I’ve been delighted lately to stumble across two new books that contribute to this wondorous way of living.
The first is called:
EVERY SEASON SACRED by Kayla Craig
Kayla is definitely a woman after my own heart. Her grasp on the significance of God’s gift of time to us is amazing. That is something this author can truly appreciate. I read her devotionals with true delight. Each article brings a fresh new sense of wonder.
Each of the daily spiritual reflections, prayers, and prompts are split into sections relating to the four seasons of the sacred year. Each season is split into thirteen weekly chapters, one for every week of the year. The liturgical seasons and holy days of the Christian life are covered in the most touching and heart-warming ways. Kayla’s words paint such beautiful portriats of God’s love.
Themes of life are presented in meditations for ordinary days in accordance with the season. Appropriate stories of everyday life speak of the season’s lessons. The poetry scattered through the pages of this book is amazing and spontaneous to each season.
Parents will find this book especially refreshing as it restores and rejuvinates the hard side of parenting and presents wonder and amazement in its place.
This book invites you to slow down, stay present and focus on the love, grace and mercy of God every day of the year.
When a parent is nurtured in their faith, they are in turn able to nurture their family. The author definitely “gets” this part of the Christian journey. She presents parenting as the adventure it is meant to be instead of a burden to endure. These daily devotions are great for the whole family to share together.
Give this book to people who are hungry and thirsty for true worship and growth as a family unit. It is perfect for sharing devotions as a family together.
LIVING THE SEASONS by Erica Tighe Campbell
Another woman after my own heart has written and illustrated this beautiful, well-presented book. Erica Tighe Campbell founded a business/art studio called “Be A Heart.” Her book reflects her work in a very seasonal way.
One difference between Erica Campbell and me is that she is a devout Catholic. Her book reflects this. Being a protestant/Hebraic thinker I see a bit different schedule than her from time-to-time. I just shift her illustrations and ideas around to fit my Hebraic calendar. As a child of God I have no problem with the way she choses to express her worship; and I see nothing I disagree with in these pages of her book, though they are very Catholic oriented.
She spends a lot of time with devotions to Mary and the Saints. If that bothers you, you may not appreciate this book as much as others would. I love Mary and The Saints; so I enjoyed reading her suggestions of ways to remember and honor them in daily devotions during the seasons of the year.
I do not follow the Catholic liturgical calendar (I relate more to the Hebraic liturgy); so I simply omitted the sections that seem to rearrange the truth a bit (in my opinion) when it comes to names and times of the liturgical calendar. Still; the genuine goodness that this book contains certainly offsets this little bit of rearranging I have to do to make it fit my Hebraic calendar and seasons. If you are Catholic in practice, you will love how it follows the liturgical calendar that you have chosen to use.
That is my only criticism, and it certainly only applies to sticklers of the truth like me. I can certainly find my way around a few pages for the glory and graciousness presented in the other pages of this very creative book of daily/seasonal devotions. Erica is an amazing artist. Her creative expressions spill over into her daily worship.
There is an opening page devoted to each of the times of the seasons as you go through the year. It is a beautifully worded informational devotion. After this page there are suggestions for crafts and activities that relate to that season’s moments which you can enjoy with family, friends and community.
A favorite example from one of the suggestions for the Advent season is to throw a baby shower for Mary. You would ask your guests to bring a baby gift which would be donated to a pregnancy center in your area as a gift to Mary and baby Jesus.
Erica’s book certainly makes her faith a living reality. It will inspire you to live into your beliefs too. Her creative and inspirational suggestions for celebrating faith through each season will bring much joy and fulfillment into your devotional times and rituals.
FOR THE ART-LOVER YOU KNOW
Do you know someone who loves art? If they enjoy the special flavor of southern artist I highly recommend a book called:
ALABAMA CREATES (200 YEARS OF ART AND ARTISTS) edited by Elliot A. Knight, Preface by Al Head, Introduction by Gail C. Andrews
This beautiful book featurs 24 of Alabama’s most accomplished artists from 1814 until the present.
It is divided between four different sections spanning 50 years a piece which feature the stories of Alabama’s most accomplished artist of each era.
Gail Andrews (Birmingham Museum of Art) gives a touching overview of Alabama’s heritage through art. We can clearly see through all of these amazing works that Alabama is contextualing the State as a place that is embracing its past while visualizing its future.
This informative and beautifully illustrated book is a unique and rich survey of two hundred years of Alabama fine arts and artists.
Alabama Creates would make an excellent gift for any art-lover you know.
FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW PROPHETIC EVENTS
Maybe you know a person who is watching and following prophetic events as they unfold. If so; I highly recommend they read Jonathan Cahn’s latest book:
THE JOSIAH MANIFESTO by Jonathan Cahn
Hopefully, this person you want to gift has already read the previous books of Jonathan Cahn. If not you can get them several good books. My favorite is the one before this one; “RETURN OF THE GODS.”
All of Jonathan Cahn’s books lead one progressively through time, revealing one mystery after another.
The Josiah Manifesto continues the mysteries that have been slowly revealed and uncovered by God through this prophet in his previous books. However; each book can be a stand-alone read too.
There is a mixture of historical facts and present day facts that merge and come to full meaning within the pages of The Josiah Manifesto.
It speaks of Josiah, the prophet/king who lived in a day in the midst of judgement. Josiah was compelled to do everything he could do to save his people.
It is then pointed out that today, during our present age, the righteous are also living in a civilization that is going through a time of national judgement. Like Josiah, the righteous people of this time must never give up. Hope must prevail among God’s people. No matter what happens in the world, God’s purposes will continue.
This book reminds us that for every outpouring of evil we see during end times; there will also be an outpouring of God’s Spirit.
End-time believers are encouraged to aspire to greatness.
Jonathan Cahn explains this last mystery proclaiming that for every evil movement; the righteous must continue to move to greatness. This great end-times outpouring of God’s Spirit will be ushered in by the prayers of the people of God. It is the outpouring of God’s Spirit upon His people that will enable them to overcome the evil of the world.
The Gospel must continue to be spread across the earth as God’s people overcome and move beyond more evil than they have ever encountered before. God’s Spirit will help them to make it through.
They must choose to live every day in revival. The underlying message is that the people must believe God can help them to achieve the impossible. For discouraged believers of today, there will come a time when the present darkness will turn to light. Sorrow will turn to joy and death will turn to life. We must keep the faith.
I’m skipping so much of the details of this book with this review. That is because I’m deliberately only covering what the whole book’s culmination is leading up to.
There are so many amazing facts that we cannot go into in a mere book review. The urgent spiritual message of this book is definitely important and timely. Maybe it is the most timely message ever presented.
For summary, I quote what I consider to be one of the most profound sentences of the whole book: “So the night of the end times will lead to the dawn of heaven. And the path of the righteous will lead to glory.”
The last line of the book is my favorite: “When the righteous lay down their armor and the child of God at last comes home.”
This book uses prophecy and the life of Josiah to point us toward God’s will during the last days.
Any person who believes in the prophetic would be encourged with the message and enjoy reading this book.
Give a gift that they will not be able to put down until they have read the last page. It is that kind of page-turning book.
FOR THOSE WHO LOVE DOWN-TO-EARTH GOOD PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT LIFE
Well; that description would include almost everyone, right?
It is true that just about everyone you know would enjoy reading the amazing stories presented in any of the books by Sean Dietrich. He is one of the greatest writers of our times. His stories have captured the essence of southern living and small town heroes. The strong and colorful characters of his books are the people you meet walking down the street in your everyday life.
If you give someone one of his books (any of them actually) they will laugh out loud a lot. Then they will cry. They will be amazed at how this unaccomplished fellow from nowhere came to see life in such a very special way. He illustrates his word pictures with many of his own sketches, and he never misses a detail.
I can’t think of a better writer than Sean Dietrich to put under someone’s Christmas tree. His latest book is called “Kinfolk.” It is a heart-warming story with characters you will never forget and stories with unexpected twists and turns.
If you don’t like Sean Dietrich’s books; you must not be human.
That is all I have to say.
ANYONE would love this book. Hurry out to put it under the tree of your best friend. They will probably be repeating scenes from the book to you during the new year.
FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES TO READ OUR BLOG POSTS
Last, by not least; there are the books from our own blog’s editor. We have several in publication now. Gail Landgraf is currently working on several more. Most of the publications are summaries of our Thursday bible studys on line.
If you love The IN SEASON Lifestyle blog, you can enjoy a book or two to go along with all of the articles we have published. Just check the books we list below:
Now that is a lot of great books for you to consider as Christmas gifts. We’ve tried to include something for everyone.
Actually; I do have one more of Rachel Hauck’s books in mind to recommend. If I could just slow down enough to finish reading it, I could include it in this list of favorites. All I can say is I’m looking forward to spending some time with this book soon.
I’ll probably write another separate stand-alone book review of that particular fictional book soon. It was in my suitcase to read when we took our last vacation this summer; but time didn’t allow me to read. Now I hope to be reading it by the fire while sitting near my Christmas tree over the holidays. Sort of an ironic thing when you consider the title is “The Best Summer of Our Lives.”
Happy reading everyone, and Merry Christmas!