The Boundless Bookshelf

About the Book... *Title: Hope’s Enduring Echo *Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer *Genre: Christian, Historical fiction, Romance *Series: No, seems to be a standalone novel. *Recommend for: Ages 14+ My Personal Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ .5 📖Synopsis Since an accident left her father unable to work, Jennie Ward has taken on the demanding task of inspecting the isolated seven-mile wooden pipeline that supplies water to Cañon City, Colorado. Despite her responsibilities, Jennie harbors dreams of going back to school and longs for something even simpler: a friend. One day, in a moment of impulsive and seemingly hopeless prayer, she asks God for companionship. Her prayer is answered almost immediately with the arrival of Leo Day, a paleontology student searching for ancient bones buried along the ridges of the wild Arkansas River. Despite her long workdays, Jennie agrees to guide Leo in his quest. As Jennie navigates her burgeoning friendship with Leo and her unwavering loyalty to her father, she finds herself...

  About the book… *Title: The Women of Wynton's *Author: Donna Mumma *Genre: Christian, Historical fiction, Mystery *Series: Book #1 of the "Women of Wynton" series. {Book #2, "First Comes Marriage...Then Comes Murder" releases in September of 2025} *Recommend for: Ages 15+ My Personal Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ .5 📖Synopsis Mid-Century Glam Meets Murder Mayhem Get swept away to the glamor of a 1950’s department store where four women’s loyalties, vanity, friendship, and detective skills are put to the test. Audrey Penault once led a glamorous life as a model but now works as devoted secretary to Mr. Wynton. To her fellow employees, she is too vain and uppity. Mary Jo Johnson, a wife and mother, longs to find her worth in the cosmetics department, but it may take a while for the shy housewife to discover her voice. Vivian Sheffield owns and runs the bridal salon within Wynton’s. She is proud of her accomplishments and won’t let anyone take them away. Gigi Woodard dislik...

About the book... ★ Title: Romans: The Glory of the Gospel ★ Author: Lydia Brownback ★ Genre: Nonfiction, Bible Study ★ Series: Part of the Flourish Bible Study series (14 books) ★ Recommend for: Written primarily for women; Personal study or group study My Personal Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 📖Synopsis A 10-Week Study for Women on the Book of Romans   Why is Romans considered the greatest letter ever written?  In this New Testament epistle, the apostle Paul provides the clearest explanation of the gospel and the eternal hope for a humanity marred by sin and death. Through King Jesus, God reveals his righteousness, redeems his people from their sins, and unlocks the floodgates of his mercy. In this 10-week Bible study for women, Lydia Brownback examines Romans verse by verse to explore how God works through his Son and in the hearts of his people. Written for individuals or groups, each lesson helps women understand important doctrines of the faith, such as justification, propit...

About the book… *Title: Drake Hall *Author: Christina Baehr *Genre: Cozy historical fantasy (with dragons and a touch of romance) *Series: Book #2 of the 5-book series The Secrets of Ormdale {See review for book #1 here! *Recommend for: Ages 14 & up My Personal Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ 📖Synopsis Edith's ancient home is full of secrets . . . and dragons are the least of them. As the new dragon keeper in the hidden valley of Ormdale, Edith expects her first dragon mating season to involve venomous bites and amorous wyverns. She doesn't expect to find herself growing closer to an inconveniently appealing suitor next door, or to stumble upon a dragon poacher lurking in the outbuildings, or to uncover a family scandal in the Abbey. Fortunately, Edith has a mentor to help her sort things out, the spellbinding Helena Drake of Drake Hall. Or does Helena harbor secrets of her own? For Edith, the dragons were always going to be the easy part. 💭My Thoughts  “Gothic men, I thought, did not...

Several months ago, I began the process of drafting the  Christian historical fiction novel  that has been on my mind for years, tentatively entitled  Chains of Belief.   Here's a little blurb... In “Chains of Belief,” Lian Chen, the eldest daughter of a devout Buddhist family in 19th-century China, struggles with her quest for truth beyond the rituals of her upbringing. When she encounters an English missionary, she discovers Christianity and secretly embraces her newfound faith, believing it to be her path to true freedom. However, as her conversion leaks to local authorities and the militant Boxers, Lian faces severe persecution. Torn between her love for her family and her commitment to Christ, she must summon the courage to stand firm against oppressive forces, even if it means sacrificing everything. This gripping tale explores the bonds of faith and the price of conviction in a tumultuous world. After writing nearly every day for many weeks and holding myself ...

About the book… *Title: The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip *Author: Sara Brunsvold *Genre: Christian, Contemporary, Dual time-period *Series: No, a standalone novel. *Recommend for: Ages 15 & up My Personal Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 📖Synopsis A throwaway assignment is about to change two lives forever Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she's been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who's just entered hospice care. But there's more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she's not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it's a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that's just what Mrs. Kip will give her--but she's g...

About the book… ★ Title: The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom ★ Author: Andrew Peterson ★ Genre: Christian, Nonfiction, Memoir ★ Series: No, a standalone nonfiction book ★ Recommend for: ages 15/16 & up (deals with some heavier themes like depression, grief, etc.) My Personal Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ 📖Synopsis There’s a strong biblical connection between people and trees. They both come from dirt. They’re both told to bear fruit. In fact, arboreal language is so often applied to humans that it’s easy to miss, whether we're talking about family trees, passing along our seed, cutting someone off like a branch, being rooted to a place, or bearing the fruit of the Spirit. It’s hard to deny that trees mean something, theologically speaking. This book is in many ways a memoir, but it’s also an attempt to wake up the reader to the glory of God shining through his creation. One of the first commands to Adam and Eve was to “work and keep” the garden. Award-wi...

  About the book… *Title: Wormwood Abbey *Author: Christina Baehr *Genre: Cozy historical fantasy (with dragons and a touch of romance) *Series: Book #1 of the 5-book series The Secrets of Ormdale *Recommend for: Ages 13/14 & up My Personal Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 📖Synopsis As a Victorian clergyman’s daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything — until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap. When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling gothic Abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire. Wormwood Abbey isn't just full of curious beasts and ancient family secrets: there’s also a tall, dark, and entirely too handsome neighbour who is strangely reluctant for her to leave. An unexpected bond with her prickly cousin Gwendolyn gives Edith a reason to stay in this strange world — especially when it turns out that Edith herself may have a role in guarding her family's legacy. But not all of the mysteries of Ormdale are small enough to fi...