Pandita Paul is on the cusp of her teenage years, but all she wants to do is stay in the past and not move on to the future. She’s especially worried that she’s beginning to forget Ma, who died a few years ago when the family was visiting Ma’s native village in India. To counteract her fear, Pandita
When Swedish band Moon Safari released Himlabacken, Vol. 1 back in 2013 it was reasonable to expect that Vol. 2 would be just around the corner. That was not to be the case, and fans of the band wondered if, perhaps, they were calling it quits. It is tough for independent bands to make it financiall
Journalist Tim Alberta became certain: Evangelicalism had changed.Alberta recounts the words he heard in the receiving line for his dad’s funeral. Here in a Brighton, Mich., church where Alberta had grown up under his dad’s pastorate, he encountered not sympathy—but attacks about why he didn’t share
Based on Ali Novak’s 2014 novel of the same name, this teen drama series narrates the journey of Jackie Howard (Nikki Rodriguez), a 15-year-old who grew up in Manhattan, N.Y., and whose parents and older sister died in a car crash. The orphaned teenager moves to rural Colorado to live with her mothe
In this standalone companion and conclusion to the Show Me a Sign trilogy—the other books are Show Me a Sign and Set Me Free—author Ann Clare LeZotte returns to the life of Mary Lambert on Martha’s Vineyard, a historical community where, from 1740 through the late 1800s, a high proportion of people
Jaime Jamgochian offers listeners soothing and sweet melodies in her latest release, Sacred Surrender, her first record in almost four years. “I want to see people encounter the love of God in these songs,” Jamgochian said on her website. “I want to see them feel hope because when I first met Jesus,
Throughout his insightful, accessible exploration of gratitude, author Cornelius Plantinga reiterates the amazing fact that “gratitude is the single best predictor of human well-being.” Plantinga is senior research fellow at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and president emeritus of Calvin
Set in Poland during WWII, this richly detailed historical novel for adults narrates the stories of twin sisters Antonina and Helena Dabrowska, residents of Warsaw, the capital city.Though the 17-year-old sisters had known hardship—their mother died when they were young and their father had enlisted
Once in a blue moon I read a book that challenges my assumptions so skillfully that I can’t go back to my old way of viewing the world.How Ableism Fuels Racism, by Lamar Hardwick, is one of those books. As a pastor who is Black and autistic, Hardwick’s life has been affected by ableism and racism. T
Protagonist Zeynap Altin needs a new life. Really.Unfortunately, Zey must confront this tough fact on a tough day: the day of her mother’s funeral. Why? Her longtime husband can’t be bothered with her, while her father only demands things of her, and her teenage daughter only complains. What’s a mid
In this cleverly formatted children’s picture book, author and illustrator Anna Desnitskaya captures the lives and dreams of two lonely children from opposite sides of the world who long for friendship and understanding.When young readers open the cover of one side of the book, they’ll meet Vera. Sh
Parent Talks is a weekly podcast produced by Gateway CRC in Abbotsford, B.C., in which Marcel DeRegt, one of the pastors, records weekly with three parents from their church as they talk about a chapter in the book Habits of the Household, by Justin Whitmel Earley. This podcast does not represent a
Psychotherapist Dr. Laura Anderson lights a path for those traumatized from church, religions, or religious institutions as her warning phrase flashes: “high-demand, high-control religious systems.”Before defining high-control religions, she builds foundational definitions. Anderson first contrasts
Tom Cruise is saving the world—again! The latest installment of the Mission Impossible film franchise was released in 2023—Dead Reckoning Part 1. A yet unnamed Part 2 is scheduled to be released on May 23, 2025.In this latest adventure, the old familiar cast is back together: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise)
In the 1960s, the town of Iola, Colo., and two nearby towns were deliberately submerged under water when the Gunnison River was dammed to create the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Inspired by these true events, Go as a River, set in Iola beginning in 1948, invites readers into the life of 17-year-old Victoria
When considering the enduring popularity of some lowerbrow 19th-century adventure stories, C.S. Lewis wrote, “A great myth is relevant as long as the predicament of humanity lasts: as long as humanity lasts. It will always work, on those who can receive it, the same catharsis.” One wonders how he’d
In This Here Flesh, the author tells a three-generational story about how true spirituality honors the body.As an immune-compromised individual, Riley went through a 15-month isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is during this time that she wrote this book of contemplative storytelling. As thi
King of Collectibles: The Goldin TouchReviewed by Sam GutierrezIf you find yourself at a social gathering, try asking—“did you collect anything as a kid?”Folks tend to leave behind their childhood collecting habits as they age, but some start up again as they reach midlife, looking back with nostalg
Eleven-year-old Lucy Landry, a French-Ojibwe girl, can’t understand why everyone she loves has to go away. Her mother died when Lucy was very young, and her father died two years ago in a shipwreck. Now it’s 1912, and Lucy’s loving guardian has just died. Her will stipulates that Lucy must live with
The lithium-ion battery that powers your cellphone, laptop, tablet, or electric vehicle has a key ingredient called cobalt. Seventy-five percent of the world’s cobalt comes from one country and is mined essentially with slave labor. Siddharth Kara’s deep dive into the cobalt mines in the Democratic