New Year Archives - Kristin Saatzer

My Best-Loved Books of 2021

January 5, 2022 By Kristin Saatzer 6 Comments

Let’s talk about books. Since 2015, I have shared my best-loved books of the year on the blog. I enjoyed most of the 45 books I read in 2021, it was another great year of reading for me.

There are far too many good ones to review, but I pulled out some of my favorites…

Novels:

Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool: I immensely enjoyed this young reader’s book that is not just for kids. I often look for Newberry Award winners that I have not read, and this one is delicious. It is a story about a town, a girl, friendship, and so much more. It is a historical fiction that transports the reader to Kansas in the early 1900’s.

All She Ever Wanted, by Lynn Austin: One of my favorite Christian writers. This one focuses on four generations of women with heartbreaking stories and riveting writing. The best is that God wins in the end!

The Downstairs Girl, by Stacey Lee: A book geared to Young Adult readers that I couldn’t put down. The protagonist is half Chinese and it takes place in post-Civil War Atlanta with the beginning of segregation laws.

Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery: Yes, another “kid” book that delighted my heart. It was just what I needed this summer. Anne brings out all the feels and her outlook on life and chattering on and on is a pleasure to read. I just adore her.

Next Year in Havana, by Chantel Cleeton: If you want a fantastic history of the 1950’s Cuban revolution wrapped in romance, this book is for you. The author was inspired by her family’s stories of their Cuban past. This is the first one in a series of four and it is my favorite.

My Best-Loved Books of 2019!

January 7, 2020 By Kristin Saatzer 2 Comments

Can we talk about books – 2019 edition?

T’was a rich, deep, and fun year of reading. I read 44 books and enjoyed most of them, so it was tough to scale my list down to 13 for this one.

This is year number 5 of doing the books blog. I always appreciate the feedback and it is a joy to write. Enjoy!

*Please note that I rate my books in part on their clean-read value.

So here we go:

Hard to put down. An unfathomable life and extraordinary success story. Brilliant writer. Brilliant woman! 4 and a half stars because of violence and language.

Loss, abandonment, and God’s healing redemption. A beautiful narrative of God’s power in our lives. God can make a life His masterpiece. Four and a half stars. Fabulous writer and storyteller. I’ve loved her books for many years. Clean-read with inferences and adult subjects

I love Bob Goff! His books are inspiration and motivation to just go out and love! I had the pleasure of hearing him speak in September and he is beyond wonderful. My favorite section is the end (witch doctors, oh my!).

I’ve read quite a few books about the Holy Spirit and this one is my favorite. 5 stars! Francis Chan is intense and oh so sold out for God. Powerful personal stories.

Loved. Loved. Loved. For such a time as this. This book spoke to me right where I was, just when I needed it. Sheila Walsh is authentic and so stinking funny. She blankets this book with grace. My favorite story is at the end. Five stars.

A book club book. Impossible to put down. The ending… wow! I give this a four-plus instead of 5 because of sex and violence. It is powerful! Beautifully written by a daughter of Palestinian immigrants. Etaf Rum takes the reader to a world of women who are second class (or last class) in their culture. We read a second book along this same vein for book club called Inside the Kingdom by Carmen Bin Ladin.Continue Reading

20 for 20!

January 1, 2020 By Kristin Saatzer Leave a Comment

Can we talk about 2020?

Because it thrills me to have a blank slate with endless possibilities before me, I jotted down 20 ideas for 2020. Take as many as you’d like and leave the rest.

20 for 2020

read 20 books of the Bible
plan 20 fun adventures
pick 20 people to pray for – bonus points if they have hurt you or get on your nerves
try 20 new foods or recipes
save $20 a month towards your dream trip – gotta start somewhere
pick 20 books to read and set aside 20 extra minutes a day to read them
exercise 20 days in a row for 20 minutes – start a workout streak
watch 20 sunsets
take 20 minutes to think about what you know about yourself and God that you didn’t know a year ago
give $20 more a month than you already do
get together with or call an old friend that you’ve known for 20 years or more
spend 20 minutes each morning in 2020 in a quiet space with God and His word
take a 20 day fast from social media (gulp!)
send notes to 20 people who have positively impacted your life and thank them for doing so
donate 20 clothing or household items ( in good shape) to charity
print out 20 of your most joy-filled photos from the past decade and put them in an album
set a timer for 20 minutes and deep-clean a dreaded messy area in your home or office
spend 20 minutes a day in 2020 in the fresh, screen-less air
say NO to sugar and white flour for 20 days
write down (at least) 20 things you are grateful for

#LIVEONPURPOSE!

How’s Your Bounce?

December 30, 2019 By Kristin Saatzer 2 Comments

The end of the month.
The end of the year.
The end of the decade.

As I glance back and think about the three “ends”, I find a running refrain in the story of my life – resiliency. I bounce back. I rebound. I get up again. And again. And again… I share not to brag but with awe because this is not who I think I am- the one who bounces back.

Adulting looked glitzy from the stands. Oh, the independence and fun that awaited. But once I took the field, the curveballs came – relationship rejection, job and college struggles, depression, intense physical pain and health trials, and the divorce of my parents. Although my twenties held so much joy (wedding and baby at the top of the list!) the curve balls bruised and sometimes derailed me.

Those years are distant in my rearview mirror. However, each year, each decade, threw in its own array of curveballs to gaze back upon.

“I get knocked down and I get up again…”

You too, huh?