Books Archives - Kristin Saatzer

Happy Summer!

June 21, 2021 By Kristin Saatzer 6 Comments

Hi friends,

Summer always blows in with the scent of nostalgia: Coppertone sunscreen, pool chlorine, and the faint whiff of musty sand. The finest bouquet.

I am crazy about this time of year—the feel of my library book in its plastic cover perfectly gripped in my hands. Next to me, ice melts in my glass of brewed iced tea. I enjoy these the most with the sound of the ocean merely steps away.

To kick off the season, I thought I’d share a few favorites or favorites “to be.” It’s been a while!

So here are five for you…

Books:

My book club just finished a fascinating book called, The Library Book by Susan Orlean. For fans of libraries and books, this is the one for you. It is about many things, including a mystery fire, bad guys, good guys, librarians, and lively library history. And it is long. But worth it.

One I plan to read this summer: Haven Point by Virginia Hume. It looks like the perfect beach read: Multigenerational with strong women, focused around the family property on the coast of Maine.

(Look for me on Goodreads.com to see what else I’m reading these days.)

App:

The Pause app (www.pauseapp.com or wherever apps are sold)

A one minute (or more) pause in the day to focus the mind on Jesus. Led by the developer and author John Eldredge. I play it a few times a day to quiet my monkey mind. Two thumbs up!

Music:

These days, my best-loved Pandora station is “We The Kingdom”, a contemporary Christian family band with so much heart and passion. Number two is Thomas Rhett. No description needed, of course.

Sports:

Summer and sports go together like peas and corn. Watching my San Diego Padres is a joy. Need a team? They are a blast to watch!

Coming soon- I plan to be hopelessly obsessed with the Olympics (as I always am).

What are you watching, reading, or listening to these days? Let me know in the comments.

May your summer be filled with your favorite things!

Blessings,

Kristin

“Summertime is always the best of what might be.”

Charles Bowden

My Best-Loved Books of 2020

January 2, 2021 By Kristin Saatzer 2 Comments

Hello, friends!

I read quite a bit in 2020, as you can see by the pictures of the fifty-two books I tackled (copied from Goodreads). I reread seven from my shelves at home because of quarantine and the library was closed and I blew my book budget.

I would like to highlight some of my 2020 favorites for you bibliophiles (and wanna be’s) as I do each year on the blog. So, here we go…

Non-fiction:

Chasing Vines by Beth Moore: I deeply enjoyed the lessons on viticulture and the tie ins between the Old and New Testaments. Great questions for readers about the fruitfulness of our lives.
Doing Life With Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut & The Welcome Mat Out by Jim Burns: So… funny timing… I read this book just before my three adult children moved back in for quarantine! There were no big light bulbs here for me, but it is all practical, doable, encouraging, and engaging.
The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation by Miles McPherson: This book is my favorite out of all I have read on this difficult subject. The author (a beloved San Diego pastor) brings much hope and positivity while writing through a biblical and practical lens.
Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World by Andy Stanley: This is a controversial book. I find myself still thinking about it often and I read it over two months ago. There are points the author makes that are hard for me to swallow. Then, other points that challenge me in the deepest parts of my Christian soul and cause me to embrace the New Testament and Jesus as never before.
The Path Between us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships by Suzanne Stabile: An Enneagram book by my favorite Enneagram teacher. If you know your number and the numbers of those with whom you do life, you will find this book an invaluable tool. I refer to it often.

A Book to Keep, A Book to Share

November 26, 2020 By Kristin Saatzer Leave a Comment

Hello friends,

Many of you know that I published a book last year called Savor the Savior: Twenty-Five Devotions for Advent and Christmas Inspired by the Names of Jesus. For those of you new here, you may not yet have heard.

I can’t think of a more meaningful way to end this crazy year than to spend twenty-five days of Christmas and Advent learning about the names of Jesus and drawing close to Him…through a series of short and biblically deep devotionals.

If you purchase it now, you will get it in time to begin on the first day of Advent, December 1, 2020. It also makes a great Christmas gift.

Order a copy today (also available as an eBook):

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/savor-the-savior-kristin-saatzer/1134738504?ean=9781683149200

www.amazon.com/s?k=savor+the+savior+Kristin+Saatzer&ref=nb_sb_noss

https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=savor%20the%20savior

Blessings and thanks,

Kristin

PS. If you read and enjoyed the book, I (and my publisher) would deeply appreciate a rating and/or a review on one of the above sites. It means a great deal in the book world. And it means a great deal to me!

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